Public Periscope

On speaking terms

Here’s a real odd couple: The John Birch Society, and former House Speaker Tom Foley. Society spokesman Don Fotheringham was in Spokane last week saying something Foley - a congressman Birchers’ often trashed - would gladly echo. To wit, congressional term limits are a bad idea … Fotheringham is warning about a series of initiatives being filed around the nation by U.S. Term Limits in an attempt to revive the populist restrictions as a constitutional amendment. That’s the only way the U.S. Supreme Court says term limits can be put into effect. Such an initiative was already filed in Idaho, and is pending in Washington … Fotheringham said potential petition signers should read the fine print, because it also calls for a constitutional convention to draft term limits if Congress won’t. Bad idea, he said. The last time such a convention was held, under the auspices of making just a few minor adjustments, we got wholesale change. That was OK for 1787, when we dumped the Articles of Confederation and got the Constitution, he said, “but I don’t think we have enough Hamiltons and Madisons these days” … Being in the same camp as Foley on the term limits issue is amusing, but not alarming, he noted. At hearings on term limits, the Birch Society has joined with - can you imagine? - the American Civil Liberties Union.

Good save

Kudos to Spokane Councilman Chris Anderson, who braved the inevitable heat for his early release of details about the proposed salary hike for the city’s top managers. Doubly daring, because he’s bound to catch flak from staff and colleagues for letting the public in on the plan some two weeks before the vote, and more flak from residents for signing on to the proposal … It’s worth noting that this type of so-called confidential information might be banned from unauthorized release if the council enacts its new “ethics” policy.

Would this be a Potline?

Spokane County has opened a “Pothole Hotline,” allowing people to report the size and location of pavement problems by calling 458-2547 … “Residents are reminded there are several thousand potholes out there and it may take crews more than a couple working days to get to it,” cautions a press release. Public Periscope would never suggest callers intentionally exaggerate the size of their pet pothole. But county officials promise to fix the biggest holes first.

Not just whistling Dixie

One of our local experts on history and politics was quick to point out last week that Bill Clinton or Bob Dole (or whoever occupies the White House next January) won’t be the first American president to have the line-item veto available … That distinction belongs to Jefferson Davis. The Confederate States of America gave its president a line-item veto, even if it had trouble finding money for the items.

A fact to ponder

If this spring is typical, state crews will use 80,000 gallons of paint refreshing the stripes on 1,577 miles of state highways in northeastern Washington … And they always stay inside the lines.

, DataTimes MEMO: Public Periscope, published Mondays, is compiled by Jim Camden from staff reports.

This sidebar appeared with the story: HOT TOPICS Tuesday: The Spokane Hearing Examiner takes up the preliminary plans for the Bluegrass subdivision, which would put 405 homes near Nevada Street and Lincoln Road. 9 a.m., 2nd Floor, Spokane City Hall.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Compiled by Jim Camden from staff reports.