Public Periscope

A new day…NOT!

Is it just us, or does anyone else see an inconsistency in all this talk about courthouse hirings and appointments being fair and open? Recall how candidate Phil Harris criticized the selection of consultant Carol Darby for being done without a search, without a chance for minorities to apply, etc., etc….So now the county has an opening for its top executive, and the commissioners appointed Jim Lindow. We didn’t see any ads for the job or hear of any outsiders being interviewed…Oh sure, we believe the appointment is temporary, like the commish says. And that there’ll be a job search. And that they haven’t made up their minds. But there’s no commitment to a national search and there have been statements that Lindow has the credentials to be selected…Hmmm. Looks suspiciously like business as usual.

Quote of the week

We are thankful to Harris, for the quote of the week. He says he will do everything possible to make Valley incorporation work if it passes, but warns that residents of a new city might suffer a huge case of buyer’s remorse: “How many times have we bought a car that didn’t work? That’s part of life: you make decisions, you make a judgment.”

Outrage of the week: We here at Public Periscope are deeply offended that the city’s $7,000 consultant Bill Mathis labeled the Council dysfunctional. That’s way out of line…The bill, not the diagnosis. This newspaper has been telling folks that for years, at 50 cents a day. $1.50 on Sundays.

Talk about sore winners

Councilman Joel Crosby had this suggestion recently when the Pacific Science Center proposal was kept off the November ballot by a lack of valid signatures: Send sponsor Steve Corker a letter notifying him of the bad news, suggested Crosby, complete with “a little face with a tongue sticking out.”

Requiem

Loren Kondo, who guided many community development projects to successful conclusion, died last Wednesday of a heart attack. Kondo, 44, worked for Spokane nearly 20 years, helping neighborhoods….”He was really a silent hero for us,” said Assistant City Manager Bill Pupo.

For those who give a dam

Spokane River users will have a chance this week to raise hell about raising Upriver Dam…. Adding a foot to the dam will produce an extra $170,000 worth of electricity each year, says the city of Spokane. It also will flood some whitewater and a trout spawning bed, complain fishermen and others… The federal agency that must approve the addition is holding a meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall to discuss what issues should be covered in the project’s environmental impact statement for the project…Can’t make it Wednesday? You can send written comments to: Lois Cashell, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 825 N. Capitol St. N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426. Label your letter “Upriver Dam Hydroelectric Project, FERC No. 3074.”

Getting involved

The city of Spokane is looking for more than a few good persons to fill spots on various boards and commissions. The Spokane Arts Commission and the Plan Commission each have an opening. The Bicycle Advisory Board has two, Human Rights Commission four and Human Services Advisory Board five. Applications available at the mayor’s office.

The Spokane Regional Transportation Council also has five positions open on its Citizens’ Advisory Committee on Transportation. Anyone wishing to apply for the CACT of the SRTC should call 625-6370.

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