Ron Rankin was politician, ‘natural born’
The American flag flew at half-staff Tuesday over the Kootenai County veteran’s memorial, a place Ron Rankin worked to create.
In his dying days, he edited the photographs that will accompany his book about the memorial, telling the story of the local people who died serving their country.
“The only thing yet to be written was the forward, he was telling mom what he thought was important to include,” daughter Kerri Thoreson said Tuesday. “I think he had a sense he was done.”
Rankin, the feisty former Kootenai County commissioner and anti-tax crusader, who ran – most always unsuccessfully – for every public office from governor to a seat on a local highway district, died early Tuesday morning at age 75, two weeks after having double bypass surgery.
“He was just a natural born politician,” said Alice Rankin, who was married to Rankin 55 years as of June. “He had the gift of gab and loved people. He was so gregarious. And he was a good organizer.”
Rankin published opinionated tabloids, and once made former Gov. Cecil Andrus mad enough to call him a snake-oil salesman.
Some folks think it was his campaign for property tax relief that forced then-Gov. Phil Batt to reduce by a quarter the amount of property taxes that go to fund schools. The amount, which last year totaled about $70 million, is replaced by sales tax dollars.
“That’s $500 million in property taxes that weren’t collected” since 1995, Laird Maxwell of Idahoans for Tax Reform said admirably.
Military veteran Dusty Rhoads said few other people could have raised the money and completed the veterans’ memorial. “He was a Marine through and though and he had the interest of veterans at heart.”
Born in 1929 in Tulsa, Okla., Rankin served during the waning days of World War II. He served again in Korea, surviving the Chosin Reservoir campaign.
He became involved in Republican politics in California, and told Ronald Reagan, who was making his first run for governor, that he was too liberal.
Looking for a quieter life, Ron and Alice Rankin and their five children moved to Coeur d’Alene in 1965. He earned a statewide reputation as a blunt and bombastic anti-tax activist who in 1992 and 1996 got the 1 percent property tax initiative on the state ballot. Voters rejected the measures that would have limited government to 1 percent property tax increase each year.
Rankin ran for governor as an independent in 1994 against Batt and Democrat Larry EchoHawk, emphasizing the need for tax reform.
After winning the election, Batt kept a campaign promise to reduce property taxes that funded schools, replacing it with sales tax dollars.
“He was a happy warrior,” Batt said. “It always seemed like he had a chuckle and a grin on his face even if he was laying into you.”
Rankin also had fiery exchanges with former Sen. Mary Lou Reed, D-Coeur d’Alene, whom he challenged in 1992.
“It was always fun to joust with him,” Reed said. “Ron Rankin seemed to fill the room. He loved attention and was very, very good at getting it. He was agile at capturing headlines.”
Rankin ran unsuccessfully for office in Idaho 10 times in 30 years, before defeating six-year County Commissioner Bob MacDonald in 1996. He successfully pushed to make English the official language of Kootenai County, a measure unanimously approved by the commission.
Rankin lost a brutal 2002 primary to Republican Rick Currie, then was appointed curator of the veterans’ memorial. Rankin called that work his legacy.
Speaking at Tuesday’s commission meeting, an emotional Commissioner Dick Panabaker said he didn’t initially like Rankin but grew to respect him.
“Ron turned out to be a good friend,” Panabaker said. “Either you like him, or maybe you didn’t, but you always knew where he stood.”
In addition to his wife and children, Rankin is survived by 19 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. He was active with the Boy Scouts and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and regularly donated blood to the Inland Northwest Blood Bank.
Memorial services haven’t yet been scheduled.