McLaughlin spreads fear

On Monday, Nancy McLaughlin plans to ask the Spokane City Council to approve two advisory questions to the ballot in November. These questions will ask voters to raise taxes or cut general funds in order to pay additional costs incurred by the Community Bill of Rights (CBR). This is an obvious attempt to frighten voters into voting against the CBR.

Two years ago, Al French used the same tactic. It was as disingenuous then as it is now. Nowhere in the CBR does it require the city to pay for anything. Neither taxes nor the general fund will be affected.

In 2009, a smear campaign was run by the national homebuilders who poured nearly $400,000 of Washington, D.C., lobbyists’ money into defeating the CBR, threatening senior services and other city budget cuts if the CBR was passed.

We have grown to expect these kinds of blatant falsehoods from lobbyists, and sadly, it looks as though local politicians are not immune from such dirty tricks. What is especially galling is the use of the ballot as a blatant political tactic. I think we deserve better from our City Council.

Patty Norton

Spokane