Huckleberries Online

Winter Solstice Wild Card — 12.21.10

Posted by DFO

Dec. 21, 2010 5:41 p.m. • 25 comments

In 22 minutes, I'll turn controls of Huckleberries Online over to CindyH, to run things through the end of the year. Mrs. O and I are looking forward to hosting Amy Dearest for the holidays. 2010 has been an 8 or a 9, as far as numbers and quality of interaction is concerned. But I'll have to start back at 0 when I return for 2011 and the beginning of the Legislature. Then, there's always blogfest in February (we'll figure out how to put this together) … and a wild & woolly City Council race beyond. Now, it's time to get into my Santa mode. See you next year …

25 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

fortboise on December 21 at 11:10 a.m.
I daresay S. Idaho can match the north for zany.
danofthecommunity on December 21 at 1:13 p.m.
The last unicorn.

The last of the Mohicans.

The last one standing.

The last elected Democrat in Kootenai County.

And then there were none…maybe for the first time in the history of Kootenai County?

As I spend the last few weeks of my last term (mostly on some leave time since I’ve about cleared out all my desk and most real decisions should now be left up to the new clerk) it struck me that I may occupy a bit of a historical position in KC.

Since the new legislators have already taken office so we don’t have any D’s in legislative District 2 or 4 and the new Congress starts on January 3rd, for about a week I will be the last elected Democrat in Kootenai County until the morning of January 10th (some of you can stop clapping now). Even with the recent low outcomes for D’s, it still meant that at least one out of every three people at the polling place was voting Democrat and now won’t have any official representationf from the Courthouse to the Statehouse and beyond.

Some other old timers may know, but I’m not sure if there has ever been a time in KC history that there wasn’t at least one elected Democrat around here.

And a more intriguing question may be how long before there is another elected Democrat in Kootenai County?
danofthecommunity on December 21 at 1:36 p.m.
On a personal note, I do want to say thanks and acknowledge the many kind and positive things many folks have shared with me since the election. I do get asked about what my plans are.

At this point, I really don’t know what comes next. Since DFO said it’s OK to share even theological thoughts here I will just say that I do have faith that the Good Lord has something in mind for us and I know He will provide as he always has. At the same time, the hardest part may be the not knowing what that “next good thing” is. Would it be theologically improper, I wonder, to pray that He would at least send an Angel to the door with a singing telegram giving me some clues…?

My mostly likely thought is to return to the non-profit world, something helping people but without the heavy politics. Actually, I’ve confirmed several times that my spiritual gifts lie in the area of administration and helping.

Seriously, I will miss many of the good folks I have worked with but not some of the stress that gets piled on to this kind of spot over time. At a little over 15 years I’ll go out as the second longest serving Clerk in KC. The first, at 16 years (4 full terms) was James Foster (Foster Avenue?).

I gave it everything I had and the best I had to give for 15 years and have very few regrets on the job I did or decisions I made.

One last little bit of elected official trivia that some find surprising is that no matter how long you served, even on a full-time plus basis, elected officials in Idaho are not eligible for unemployment. This is not a complaint, just a curiosity on wondering why that is. We do contribute to PERSI and of course pay all the other taxes and have health insurance like the other employees. However, elected officials do not accrue any vacation or sick leave benefits like other employees so when it’s time to go out the door, like in life, you go out with just what you came in with.

We do hope to be able to stay in this area but with the wonders of the modern Internet I’ll likely always stay connected here anyway.
Sisyphus on December 21 at 2:00 p.m.
Thank you very much for your years of service Dan.

You raise an interesting point on unemployment Dan. NPR did a piece on this the other day. Apparently its not just you at the local level, no government workers qualify for unemployment benefits. That was news to me as well. It certainly doesn’t seem fair. Also the benefit extension negotiated doesn’t apply to everybody.
idawa on December 21 at 2:14 p.m.
Speaking of elected officials, in this new era of rethinking government, what does everyone think about the number of counties in Idaho? A local columnist in Seattle has started pushing the notion that Washington state had too many damn counties, some with less than 2,000 K people. Isn’t the old boundaries and local region travel requirement that required so many counties long since past in this age of the internet, wifi, and cars? Wouldn’t it be more efficient if we consolidated services? In WA, we have over 30 counties and he thinks we could get by with 12 or so? Thoughts?
Sisyphus on December 21 at 2:19 p.m.
I think we’re more concerned with consolidating school districts rather than counties. Our biggest counties have the smallest populations.
Frum Helen Back on December 21 at 2:33 p.m.
Hey Dave, you and Mrs.O have a wonderful Christmas and New Year. Thanks for keeping Huckelberries so fun.
Howard_Martinson on December 21 at 3:00 p.m.
Dan of the Community:

So sorry to hear about the election. I know from personal experience it’s no fun to come in “out of the money.” Thanks for your many years of service.

I’m interested in getting together, please give me a call at 661 1524.

Merry Christmas,

Howard
marmitetoasty on December 21 at 4:30 p.m.
Frum Helen Back……… you comment to Davieboy 2.33 made you sound like a ‘lickie bum crawler’ LMFAO

x
jdanmike on December 21 at 5:55 p.m.
Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year—safe travels to all and your family and friends! DOC—i’m sure your wife has come up with some kind of plan to keep you occupied!
stacyp on December 21 at 6:16 p.m.
Merriest Christmas to you and your family, DFO. Looking forward to HBO Circus 2011. :)
brentandrews on December 21 at 6:16 p.m.
You know, I’m happy for Sam, but on the other hand journalism has lost another light. It’s the Incredible Shrinking Industry, which is sad. Somewhere, some editor is throwing a computer out the window, I bet.
brentandrews on December 21 at 6:25 p.m.
That sounds preposterous to me, Idawa. Washington is still well behind Tennessee. Tennessee has 95 counties, and any one of them would scream if someone tried to close it. How many counties does Idaho have?
danofthecommunity on December 21 at 6:42 p.m.
Idaho has 44.
Frum Helen Back on December 21 at 7:01 p.m.
Ok, so I’m a ‘lickie bum crawler’. But he really is nice guy. I hope you can come over here and meet everybody someday, not too far away.
hhuseland on December 21 at 8:58 p.m.
Actually, this isn’t the last of anything, Dan. You see, you are first in integrity, first in public service, first in opening up the office for a weekend unplaned wedding, first in experience in office and first in the heart of every Kootenai County citizen that thinks with his mind instead of his dick. You are and am the best and wherever you land , and you will soon, you will enhance that organization’s image. You see, not everything is partisan politics, though some would try to make us think that. You’re the best Dan and I’m proud to be your friend.
fortboise on December 21 at 9:03 p.m.
I have noted that the whole state of Idaho has less population than some counties in California (just for example, other states could be filled in). But hadn’t thought about (or heard about) county consolidation.

This website shows the histogram of the 44 counties, as of 2006 estimates:
http://www.us-places.com/Idaho/population-by-County.htm

The least populated TWENTY counties combine for less population than KootCo, 3rd on the list. Ada Co. has more people than the least populated THIRTY-TWO counties combined.

Counties with 1, 3, 5,000 people, that’s mighty sparse.
Joker on December 21 at 9:09 p.m.
Dan thank you for your service and good luck in your future endeavors.
brentandrews on December 21 at 9:19 p.m.
Tennessee - 95 counties

Idaho - 44 counties

Washington - over 30 counties

Maybe seven counties is enough for you guys, I don’t know Washington very well.

I don’t have an opinion as to whether Idaho or Tennessee have “too many” counties. I never even thought about it until now. I hate to get on another endless crusade though. I might just keep my head in the sand on this one.
danofthecommunity on December 21 at 9:26 p.m.
Wow, you guys will make me blush and I will check in with you Howard, probably after Christmas.
brentandrews on December 21 at 9:32 p.m.
LOL Herb
JohnA on December 21 at 10:12 p.m.
Thanks, Dan, for your service. You’ve been a shining light at the courthouse for so long it shocks me to remember the day you left the CDA city council to take that gig.

I also spent some time with Rich Piazza and Rick Currie today. It would be very hard to find better people than the three of you, regardless of your political party. I hope you all will enjoy your time away from the circus that is Kootenai County, and find solace in the fact that you each made a big difference in the lives of your constituents.
JIMMYMAC on December 21 at 10:52 p.m.
Thank you for your service DOTC. I always enjoyed voting for you wish you the best of luck. Merry Christmas to all you hucksters.
Mr_Bloggy on December 22 at 12:30 a.m.
DOC - too bad you got burned in the bonfire of little minds lit by the douchebag arsonists of the teabag right. These pea brained little hate monkeys could not bear to have a single Demo in KC so they drug old Cliff out of cop retirement and ran him. Sad little people. You got swept up in the retard revolt of the republican right. Sucks.
marmitetoasty on December 22 at 3:11 a.m.
Frum Back Helen………. me to…… one day aye :)

x

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About this blog

D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.