October 27, 2010 in City

French, Mager issue accusations on ethics

Each challenges the other’s conduct in public service

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County Commissioner Bonnie Mager and her general election challenger, former Spokane City Councilman Al French, peppered each other Tuesday with allegations of unethical conduct.

As in a similar exchange earlier this month, French fired first and Mager blasted back.

“This from a man who had two ethics charges filed against him while he was on the City Council,” Mager fumed.

In the end, it wasn’t clear whether either had enough mud to make anything stick.

Tuesday’s shootout began with a campaign e-mail that French asked his supporters to forward to others.

He leveled two charges against Mager:

• That she misused county resources by asking her executive assistant to stand in for her in a personal tax appeal.

• That Mager is “apparently abusing a program designed to assist legitimate members of the agricultural community.”

She responded with a list of incidents in which French’s ethics have been called into question, including illegal dredging of the Spokane River at Post Falls in May 2004. French, an architect, acted as businessman Tom Hamilton’s agent, but Hamilton said he alone was responsible for the deliberate violation.

Mager noted that French was investigated twice for ethics complaints while on the Spokane City Council – both concerning allegations that he voted for legislation benefitting former clients. He notes that the city Ethics Commission dismissed both charges.

French has little to support his accusation that Mager and her husband, John Mager, improperly claimed an agricultural property tax deferral on their 40-acre rural property near Cheney.

The Magers’ land is among 8,970 parcels in the program, and Chief Deputy Assessor Kevin Best said three staff members determined the Magers properly documented their eligibility for the tax break several years ago.

He said the couple has until Nov. 19, in a routine review, to provide updated proof that they still profit from agricultural use of their land.

The Magers were supposed to have done so by now, and were told last week that they would be removed from the program if they don’t respond in 30 more days.

Mager says she didn’t receive the first notice and has been busy with her job and campaign, but will meet the new deadline.

“Conveniently after the election,” French said.

“All of my documentation is in order, and I am properly in the program,” Mager said.

In the course of investigating Mager’s tax status, French uncovered documents that show her county-paid executive assistant, Brooke Plastino, helped her with an appeal of her land value in 2008.

Records show that Plastino used the county e-mail system to ask about appeal procedures, and that he attended a brief hearing on Mager’s behalf. The only action at the hearing was to transfer Mager’s appeal from a county board to a state board.

“This action clearly violates the community’s trust about the use of government resources for personal gain,” French told his supporters.

Mager said Plastino is a friend, and he used his break time to attend the hearing.

“If you added up all the time of the time spent by my assistant, it is probably about eight minutes,” Mager said.

French said Mager won office four years ago after accusing incumbent Phil Harris of ethical violations, but she hasn’t introduced any legislation to beef up the county’s ethics policy. He said he will do so.

Mager said French’s ethics were demonstrated in the primary when he accused Republican rivals of supporting the purchase of the Spokane County Raceway when he had publicly called the purchase “a good overall move.”

Mager also accused French of claiming support he doesn’t have. French acknowledged that Spokane Transit Authority chief Susan Meyer and Cheney Mayor Tom Trulove asked him to quit listing them as supporters.

Mager said she has the endorsement of Trulove as well as the mayors of Spokane, Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake.

13 comments on this story so far. Add yours!

• 

  charlee on October 27 at 8:09 a.m.

  We need to hear more about politics from Mr. French and can the petty midslinging.

  We should be very concerned about Mr. Fench and his track record at his last political office. I fear that a win for him would give the other two commission members carte blanche spending and other fiscal unaccountability. The racetrack for example, the jail, and the list goes on……

  Mr. French and the special interests will take your tax money and we won’t even know where it went.

  DO NOT VOTE FOR MR. FRENCH. He is another Mark Richards.

  VOTE BONNIE MAGER,

• 

  Ninch on October 27 at 9:08 a.m.

  Mr. French should not be charging Mager with ethics violations considering his checkered past as an architect and city councilperson. French too often has acted as a flim-flam salesman instead of a professional with integrity.

• 

  johno on October 27 at 9:58 a.m.

  Mager is against the new jail and French is for it. That’s all the information I need.

• 

  Citizen on October 27 at 10:33 a.m.

  It’s a shame when a shady character gets to cast aspersions on person of Bonnie Mager’s caliber.

  Examine the candidates’ records and it becomes clear who is the villain and who the victim.

  Enough of this sleazy, dirty politicking.

• 

  A_Bergeman on October 27 at 11:46 a.m.

  I can’t think of another thing to say but the following:

  Al, how do you sleep at night? Please shut your pie hole!

  Go Mager.

• 

  ChefGus/ John Olsen on October 27 at 12:14 p.m.

  We must remember that Mr French when running for offiice as mayor of Spokane… in and interview… in print during the Primary that he did not make it through… offered to the Inlander as a response to one of the questions about “what are your qualifications” ? for being mayor said:

  “I am a trained killer”…. likely referring to his armed service at some non combat MOS….. we don’t need any MORE trained killers in our County…. John Olsen

• 

  Elizabett on October 27 at 2:03 p.m.

  I’m very sad that Al French has nothing positive to bring except trying to dredge up innuendo through the abuse of public records disclosures, seeking something he can use to tarnish Bonnie Mager;s good name. I think it is disturbing to think what French might do in office if he is so devious in his campaign to try to destroy anyone by creating suspicion and innuendo when there isn’t really anything of substance to talk about.

  Since we don’t reside in Spokane, I didn’t know much about Al French. Now I know all I need to know, He can’t remember his own record of statement of whether he is for or against something. He seems to have convenient amnesia. His interview with We Believe, We Vote, showed the same thing. He currently made statements that were not consistent with his actions while in office.

  Bonnie Mager has demonstrated that she has a passion for honesty and determined to hold back frivolous spending. AS a Republican, I with good conscience will Not Not Not Vote for French just because he’s a republican.

  Bonnie Mager has done a great job. She is transparent and real, understanding the issues and even if she is the one vote out of three, I have the knowledge that Bonnie will have the courage to represent me and the best interest of the community.

• 

  Dazzeetrader11 on October 28 at 6:45 p.m.

  The Assessors office does indeed have evidence that Mager lied about her 40 acres being listed by her as agricultural for tax breaks. She grows nothing and has no farm animals. SHe’s heading for $12 in fines and back taxes. French is absolutely correct. And she did indeed send her clerk to do her business for her…and not on break time. Nope…Plastino did it during his work time. No hearing like that takes 8 minutes. it’s a full docket usually…and can last 8 hours but usually takes 4 hours.

  I’m surprised this has taken so long to figure out. She’s been doing this for ever since she became a commissioner. I went to the Tuesday Commissioners meeting roughly 4 years ago when she had just been inaguarated. She was trying to have a County Road put to the edge of her property so it would be more convenient for her to come to work. Even now she rarely finds her office till 10 am. She has her Plastino argue with the other gals in the office tilll she gets ther…if she does at all.

  French had 2 ethics charges…he filed them himself so the investigation would begin and end earlier. He was found inocent on both after the ethics commission looked into the matter. Thus Mager’s words are contrived and useless since already know French was completely absolved over 1 year ago. She’s a fake…a lazy woman…who needs the $150K per year. Oh and she voted herself a raise too.

  This one contest isn’t close. French has already won this and for good reason. She’s lazy and he’s not. He’s run companies and has signed the front side of paychecks. Mager has never had a job…she’s dependent on the Government for her dollars.
  Vote For French.

• 

  Citizen on October 28 at 9:57 p.m.

  Daisy, I would suggest you call the assessors office tomorrow and report back here.

  Your post, as it stands now, is fact free.

• 

  arroyoribera on October 28 at 10:52 p.m.

  My political cartoon for the County Commission race looks like this (imagine the red, white, and blue color scheme):

  AL is
  FRENCH
  for CROOK

  Now imagine that sign on every vacant lot, every vacant building and stapled together in two, threes, and sixes all over town, just as Mr. French’s signs are (seriously, want to find a French sign, look on a vacant buidling or lot).

  Just to summarize:

  * illegal dredging of the Spokane River at Post Falls in May 2004
  * ethics complaints while on the Spokane City Council – both concerning allegations that he voted for legislation benefitting former clients.
  * accused Republican rivals of supporting the purchase of the Spokane County Raceway when he had publicly called the purchase “a good overall move.”
  * claiming support he doesn’t have. French acknowledged that Spokane Transit Authority chief Susan Meyer and Cheney Mayor Tom Trulove asked him to quit listing them as supporters.
  * ghost-writing letters to the editor on behalf of his own campaign
  * conflict of interest on bus benches vote (which also involved Tom Hamilton of the illegal dredging situation).

  By the way, have you seen this, including the video?
  http://scenicspokane.wordpress.com/2010/09/20/al-admits-working-for-tom-hamilton/

  And finally, I have no copyright on the political cartoon/yard sign idea if anyone wants to make the sign and stand on a street corner prior to election day. Free speech.

• 

  Dazzeetrader11 on October 29 at 12:16 a.m.

  Cotton..I was there Thursday…good enough? Kevin Best is the spokesman. I checked it out. Bonnie’s sunk. She’s done some major self serving during her term. More will come out…she’s smart to lay low on this. Election is on Tuesday…she has to keep it quiet till then.
  We’ll see what happens. Check back in two weeks. The Assessors office doesn’t answer to anyone but the voters. She just received her final notice FYI. She’s had two already.

• 

  Citizen on October 29 at 2:07 a.m.

  I invite anyone reading here to call the assessors office and ask them directly. Daisy is braying mistruths, not even truthiness.

  Further, you can read today’s article to see just how wrong she is:

  “E-mail, signs accuse Mager falsely
  Claim that commissioner owes taxes erroneous”

  Here is the link for your convenience: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/oct/29/e-mail-signs-accuse-mager-falsely/

• 

  ZagChuck on October 31 at 4:25 a.m.

  @ Jon Barrister, Please don’t besmirch Mark Richards name this way. Al French is no Mark Richards.

  @ Daisy, the facts on this aren’t on your side. Sorry