Those Who’ve Been Out Of It Might As Well Stay That Way

I was busy judging a Midtown pumpkin-carving contest Thursday when a merchant asked: “Has your paper covered the elections much this year?” The question frustrated me. Not only has The Idaho Spokesman-Review thoroughly covered the Coeur d’Alene election but so has our competition. Seems no one pays attention to what we write about politics until the last few days if then. In fact, this is about the time my friends start asking me whom they should vote for. I generally respond by asking my buddies about their view of the issues. Then, I line them up with suitable candidates. I don’t mind them asking. I’d rather have a half-informed resident vote than one who’s uninformed. In fact, I’d rather have uninformed voters stay home. That shortens the lines at the polls and makes my vote worth more.

Those weren’t fighting words

You know your school district has a ways to go when it’s compared to the financially challenged Bonners Ferry one - by a Silver Valley person. That’s what happened to the Post Falls School District last week after Kellogg approved a $6.6 million school bond levy. And I quote Dr. Jim Joy, co-chairman of the Kellogg bond drive: “Today, everyone is flying sky high. These people stood up and said, ‘We are not going to be a Bonners Ferry. We’re not going to be a Post Falls. Our kids matter to us.”’ Ouch! Joy had a point, although Post Falls probably didn’t like it. If a district in the depressed Silver Valley can pull 73.5 percent support for a bond, Post Falls should be able to do so, too. In fact, if I were a Post Falls school official, I’d study how the Kellogg district pulled off its wonderful victory.

Post Falls shouldn’t view Joy’s words as a put down. It should view them as a challenge to build an overdue new high school.

River City’s driving is bad, too

I don’t like driving in Spokane. Almost every time I go to the Lilac City, I see an idiot running a red light. It’s the only town in which I habitually look both ways - after the light turns green. Yet, Spokane’s bad drivers apparently have nothing on their Post Falls counterparts. Post Falls Sgt. Scot Haug had this to say about Full Throttle City motorists: “They pass when they shouldn’t. They turn when they shouldn’t. They don’t obey stop signs. They turn into the wrong lane.” And those are the sober ones. Post Falls has twice as many injury accidents involving alcohol per 1,000 than in Coeur d’Alene (no bastion of safe driving itself). As a result, PFPD Blue has hired an officer to troll for drunks and seat belt violators.

So, be careful out there. The life you may save may be mine.

, DataTimes MEMO: D.F. Oliveria’s “Hot Potatoes” runs Tuesdays and Thursdays. You can comment on the items by calling (800) 344-6718 or (208) 765-7125, or by sending e-mail to daveo@spokesman.com.