Spokane7
50°
August 1, 2010 in Opinion
Editorial: Commission would benefit from French’s leadership
Democratic incumbent Bonnie Mager has drawn three strong Republican challengers in the primary contest for Spokane County commissioner. Party affiliation alone could grant her one of the two slots for the general election if her opponents divvy up GOP votes.
But much of the job is nonpartisan, and the decision for voters ought to rest on who can be the most effective leader in highly challenging times. Mager is often at odds with the two other commissioners, Mark Richard and Todd Mielke. To her credit, she was a critic of the duo’s unfortunate deal to purchase Spokane Raceway Park, which the county ought to sell back into the private sector at the first opportune moment.
However, she wants to delay the building of a new jail for at least another year. It’s been postponed already and studied enough. The county needs a new facility, and a united front will be critical for what will be a difficult sales job in tough economic times.
Mager’s role on a variety of issues has been to temper and question the proposals of her colleagues, but being reactive isn’t enough. The county also needs leaders who have a lot of ideas and who have formed the personal relationships to collaborate and achieve positive goals.
Al French is a former Spokane City Council member with a long record of leadership and achievement, whether on the council, the Spokane Transit Authority board or with the Nevada-Lidgerwood Neighborhood Association. He easily has the most public service experience and accomplishments. He is adept at working across jurisdictions, which is necessary for regional problem-solving. He has built the relationships needed to get things done.
His work at STA is perhaps the most impressive, helping turn a sclerotic bureaucracy into a vital agency that confounds the experts by persuading voters to tax themselves to keep it going. For his efforts, he has won a prestigious national mass transit award. He has good ideas about how other parts of government can become more customer-driven and efficient. He understands the need for a new jail.
Steve Salvatori is a blur of energy and a welcome sight to Spokane County politics. He moved to the region three years ago from California and started the Spokane Entrepreneurial Center and Salvatori-Scott Inc. His business experience and savvy would be helpful, because the county needs creative decision-makers to combat its continual budget issues. He is a quick study who possesses impressive knowledge of the region and its problems. If he’s not successful this time, we hope he runs for public office again.
Jeff Holy, an attorney and former police detective, is intelligent, thoughtful and sounds the right notes on many issues. But he would like to see a different jail plan, which would delay construction. He lacks the leadership experience of French and the business acumen of Salvatori.
Voters have four solid choices, but because of his breadth of experience and demonstrated accomplishments, French is the best bet in this race.
Editorial: Workers’ beer routine undermines public trust 
WFaulkner on August 01 at 5:40 a.m.
French supported the ICLEI green legislation. Politically correct but awful for the small businessman.
ChefGus/ John Olsen on August 01 at 6:00 a.m.
It would be most interesting to have Mr Salvatori as the second name on the ballot. Likely Commissioner Mager will garner one of the “top two”…. I like Mr French personally, and revere his work on the STA board…. over time…. We know what we are getting if we vote for him….. My second choice would be Mr Salvatori however … he seems an energetic and bright man… and would likely have some new ideas…. as this Inland Basin fills with “water refugees” from the SouthWest and California dry lands over the next 20 years… we likely will experience explosive upward population growth… and moving toward Greening our buildiings and conserving our wonderful aquifer will take some effort to effect.
Commissioner Bonnie’s female voice, and approach does not get the chops it deserves…… she has done a great deal of good by doing her homework and stopping things before they got on the table. John
Truthbtold on August 01 at 6:48 a.m.
Are you kidding me?? French the best choice.
Who would be the voice of the people if Bonnie is not re-elected?
Certainly not French…..And if anyone thinks for one minute that Milke and Richards give a hoot about us or our money, you are sadly mistaken.
Bonnie has proven herself and will continue to.
Please Spokane, DO NOT vote in another good ole boy, we cannot afford it!
Truthbtold on August 01 at 6:51 a.m.
P.S.
No one provided me this post!!!
Lets think for a minute………French provides his own letters to the editor for anyone who cannot come up with their own good things to say about him.
This shows how much integrity he has……Come on, we expect more from our elected officials.
Pat O'Leary on August 01 at 7:37 p.m.
If French were to replace Mielke or Richard I would be all for him…but leaving those two clowns and replacing Bonnie is out of the question. We need her to keep some semblance of fiscal sanity on the county commission. She has proven herself and we need her to remain. Have French run next time against either of these two naughtheads.
However, the real problem with our county commission is the fact we only have three members, there should be a minimum of five in order to keep a more balanced legislative body. That’s what we should be working on next….And by the bye, Spokesman-Review, your days in my life are rapidly running out. I’ve had a bellyfull of your right-wing rants and raves. Michael Ramirez, Mona Charon, Krathammer and the rest of their ilk. Virtually every endorsement is for some right-winger. I can take no more.
yellowcat on August 01 at 11:41 p.m.
The most important qualification for a county commissioner is to support a new jail that will cost taxpayers almost $400 million dollars? Spokesman Review, what are you thinking? No thank you!
Citizen on August 02 at 2:26 a.m.
Bonnie Mager is the shining spot on the Board of County Commissioners. She has a proven work ethic and has shown real leadership in this community for longer than French was on the city council. It would be a shame to lose her.
This editorial endorsement is out of touch with voters of Spokane. Could this opinion piece have been written by French, like the phony letters to the editor he wrote for others to sign?
mmspowaus on August 02 at 5:15 a.m.
The S-Review Ed board endorsed the following:
Jim West for Mayor
Brad Stark for City Council and County Assessor
John Powers for Mayor
Dennis Hession for Council President and Mayor
Todd Mielke for County Commissioner, twice.
The Rathdrum refueling station
The sale of Joe Albi Stadium (in 2005 and the surrounding 89 acres for less than 3 million dollars when it was assessed by Spokane County at 29 million).
The replacement of iconic Monroe Street Bridge with a modern generic bridge connected to Lincoln Street
Lite-Rail X5
etc…
And now Al French for County Commissioner.
ChefGus/ John Olsen on August 02 at 6:19 a.m.
And there are some on these “pages” that accuse the Spokesman of being “LIBERAL”…. I find that there is some subtle placement of letters to the editor, and counterpoint if read between the lines by the two main Editorial staff remaining that are visible that does put my tongue in my cheek… they kinda slip things by the powers at the paper… cause the powers at the paper are not tuned in to “code” for the Libs…… but by and large the Review has been the only game in town for all of my 65 years…. a dark shadow over the “Chronicle” so dense that there was no light escaping…. The Inlander continues to eat the Review’s lunch a little bite at a time….and a little byte at a time…
There is an amount of editorial control over these blogs to the point of removing posts about the owners of the paper, that seems to be fair…. but they do leave us alone to whittle away at the waste and wonder at their “business oriented” positions. The County Commission without Bonnie Mager is so “sixties” j
Lulubelle on August 02 at 7:38 a.m.
I echo Ms Sullivan’s sentiment…..YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! (or some variation thereof) Al French??
The only thing Al French brings to the table (the Spokesman-Review’s table that is)is more advertising dollars from the Spokane real estate industry. Check the PDC, look at where he gets his money …..therein lay his loyalties. On the flip side, Commissioner Mager’s support comes from hundreds of everyday citizens wanting fair, fiscally responsible representation. Her special interests are the citizens of Spokane Co
mmspowaus on August 02 at 12:33 p.m.
Mager had four years to stand up and make a difference. It is time for someone else to try. May I suggest Jeff Holy. He has handled
larger government budgets than Spokane County and is the GOP candidate that IS NOT endorsed by Milikie or Richards.
Milike & Richards can just dismiss Mager as another liberal democrat. Not so with Jeff Holy.
Holy is smarter, better trained and more politically savvy than any other candidate in the race.
He will bring positive change and open government to Spokane County if elected.
Ron_the_Cop on August 02 at 10:36 p.m.
LOL Shannon and Matt,
I’m with the French you got to be kidding crowd. And I’m a Republican:-) I could go for Holy but I did vote for Mager this time around. It’s Mielke and Richards that need to go in the next election. I don’t really care if their replaced by Dems or Reps, just that they’re replaced. I concur the Board needs to be expanded to five members.
BTW I’m not voting for Tucker or Ralph Baker either. And I’m definitely not voting for Laurel Siddoway for appellate court judge. This is on par with the nomination of Michael Ormsby for US Atty for the Eastern District of WA. Talk about leaving the foxes to guard the hen house.
I guess it’s of course the fault of the voters for not paying attention. Of course the S-R is not a reliable source of information for these races - French and Siddoway no less. I’m guessing they will dump on Tucker and support Baker for his alleged preferential property tax appraisals. BTW KREM2 will have an investigative piece on Baker Thursday evening at 5pm. STAY TUNED!
kaywrightmcg2003 on August 02 at 10:46 p.m.
Finally KREM is doing an in-depth on Ralph Baker.. anyone else who has lied and not made property on the tax roles should be in jail and help accountable. One wonders why the Spokesman is supporting this incompetent, loser for WE THE TAXPAYERS ??
Dazzeetrader11 on August 03 at 2:02 a.m.
French did a very creditable job in his eight years on council. STA leadership means plenty when one considers the competing interests and level of competence he faced. He gets the job done. He asked for his own ethics investigation…it came up very clean.
He’s pro small and larger business. It doesn’t matter who writes check for him. What matters is how he’s performed. He’s done a good job…..and he’s informed on all issues. Holy is a very good, solid man. Hope he stick with politics. Bonnie has not one idea as to how to do the job. She’s nice and voted against the raceway park…to her credit.
She might have promoted some programs ro some liberal ideas bt thus far, there’s been none. It’s not a good idea to proclaim her failures because of the other two commissioners.
She’s not proposed much. Bonnie got her position because she badmouthed Phil Harris…and none of her charges proved out…..but she won his position. It’s a pattern.
French seems like a very good and new beginning for the County. He’ll get my absentee vote.
ChefGus/ John Olsen on August 03 at 4:55 p.m.
A Phil Harris True Joke/Story for you all:
During the Pig out in the Park that election year I was walking up and down the lane arm in arm with dear Mr Harris… I was working very very hard against him and FOR Barb Chamberlain…( later for Bonnie Mager).
Mr Harris and I were “good old boying” each other” … and laughing at the complexities … I stopped and told Mr Harris that if he DID get elected I’d like to have a County Job…. He stopped too.. smiled and said “Well John, What is it you’d like to do?” I smiled back and said : “Mr Harris I would like to be poet laureate for Spokane County”… he of course laughed…. and cracked his wry smile… and said “Well John….. that is perfect, and we CAN do that for you… I’ll create the Position just for you….:)) BUT I have to Adopt you first….) John