Short story is fiction

One of the most difficult races for the editorial board to call during the endorsement season was the one between Shelly Short and Sue Lani Madsen for representative in Washington state’s 7th legislative district. The candidates were both well-qualified for the job and held similar ideological beliefs.

Then came the news about Short’s husband, Mitch, who was accused of stealing money from a volunteer fair organization in Colville. I called Shelly Short for an explanation. She was pleasant but adamant that the charge was an untrue political smear. But I never quite understood why the Shorts planned to pay back money they claimed was never taken in the first place. That uneasiness led us to endorse Madsen.

Then Mitch Short was charged with theft, and Shelly Short’s campaign got nastily defensive. As the S-R’s legislative reporter Richard Roesler noted on his blog, Eye on Olympia, Shelly Short signed off on an e-mail to voters that began: “Don’t Let The Spokesman-Review Steal This Election.”

Along with an ironic choice of verbs, her smear went on to claim that the paper would “say and print anything in order to destroy my campaign.” And why? Because the paper is brimming with “downtown elitists” who felt she was “too country girl.”

Her opponent was from the bustling metropolis of Edwall.

Last Thursday, Mitch Short pleaded guilty to stealing $3,318. All that was written about this episode was the sad truth. The Shorts knew they weren’t being honest, but they were willing to say and do anything to win the election. Though we endorsed Madsen, here’s what we wrote at the time:

“Shelly Short was one of the most impressive candidates we saw during the interview process. She is bright, knowledgeable and engaged in the issues facing the 7th District.”

But what do we downtown elitists know?

Revenge of the nerds. With the election of Barack Obama, you can expect to see scientists regain their influence over government policy. Experts in global warming, stem-cell research, emergency contraception, endangered species and other areas were often shunned, edited or shut up by the Bush administration.

Now, there’s a much better chance that policy will be intelligently designed.

Insufficient funds. The 20th century explosion of wealth in the United States corresponded with the rise of the middle class. However, the median hourly wage is now $11.95, which means half of all hourly workers – about 38 million people – make less than that.

With annual wages below $24,856, we don’t have to wonder where all the shoppers have gone.