In their words

“Whoever sees that number is going to be like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ It’s just a huge number. But that doesn’t change the fact we need it.”

– Kootenai County Commissioner Todd Tondee on the $147 million price tag for expanding the county jail and building a new sheriff’s administration complex next door.

“We’ve done two or three studies. But there are more than a dozen studies now that come to the same conclusion: Hand-held and hands-free cause the same level of impairment. It has to do more with brain overload than the fact that both hands are on the wheel.”

– Psychology professor David Strayer, on cell phone use in cars.

“I don’t have troops I can reach for, brigades I can reach to send into Afghanistan, until I have a reduced requirement in Iraq.”

– Navy Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on the increased insurgency in Afghanistan.

”For the many thousands of Sonics fans who have been deeply committed to the future of this team in Seattle, this is not a happy day.”

– Seattle City Council President Richard Conlin, on news that Seattle’s NBA team will be moving to Oklahoma City.

“I think the fact that it’s now on the ballot, it’s the difference between flirting and dating. It’s more serious now.”

– Duane French, a quadriplegic man opposed to Initiative 1000, which would permit assisted suicide.

“When I made the transition and changed, it was because one person cared about me. So what I’m saying is, when I look around here in Spokane, man, y’all got a gold mine here.”

– Jose Hernandez, who avoided gang life as a teen and now works with at-risk kids in the Pasco School District, commenting on the adults in Spokane who could make a difference by helping young people.

“Somebody who in this particular situation has molested multiple children and has really harmed more than one community and kind of left a wake of destruction in his path needs to pay the price for what he did.”

– Rep. James Ruchti, D-Pocatello, reacting to the news that convicted child molester Bradley Stowell was paroled after serving very little of his prison sentence.

“They come here and whisper, ‘I’m from Spokane. What can I get away with?’ ”

– Heather Freber, who sells legal fireworks in Post Falls to residents of Spokane, where fireworks are banned.

“It’s been going on for so long it’s almost part of the history of the city.”

– Don Werst, on the infighting in Hauser city politics. The former mayor resigned last week.