Spokane7
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October 30, 2011 in Opinion
Endorsements: Condon, Stuckart top our choices for election
Following is a summary of The Spokesman-Review’s endorsements for the general election. To read the full endorsements online, go to spokesman.com/tags/ 2011-endorsement. For full election coverage, go to spokesman.com/elections.
City of Spokane
Mayor: David Condon
Best hope for pushing forward on economic development while pushing back on public employee compensation.
Council President: Ben Stuckart
Fresh perspective and ideas make him the better choice.
Council District 1: Donna McKereghan
Superior experience and practical outlook give her the nod over fringe ideologue.
Council District 2: Mike Allen
City needs his business sense and commitment to accountability.
Council District 3: Steve Salvatori
Business-oriented perspective gives him the advantage.
Proposition 1 (Community Bill of Rights): No
Fanciful wish list would be completely unworkable in the real world.
City of Spokane Valley
Council Position 2: Dean Grafos
Possesses sharp eye for the bottom line; looks out for small business.
Council Position 3: Dee Dee Loberg
Boundless energy, different viewpoint would challenge lockstep council.
Council Position 6: Ben Wick
Adds needed regional perspective to discussions.
Spokane County
Measure 1 (animal control facility): Yes
Small property levy worth it to regionalize and modernize animal control.
Spokane Public Schools
School board: Deana Brower
Deep commitment and positive approach elevate her over potentially divisive opponent.
State Legislature
District 4: Mike Padden
Conservative record and superior experience make him a good fit for district.
Statewide measures
Initiative 1125 (tolls): No
Limitations on West Side tolls would come back to haunt Eastern Washington transportation projects.
Initiative 1163 (home health workers): No
Given all of the budget cuts ahead, mandating spending on training is a low priority.
Initiative 1183 (liquor privatization): Yes
Public safety fears overblown. Governments would gain revenue; consumers would gain choices.
Senate Joint Resolution 8205 (residency requirement): Yes
House-cleaning measure to standardize residency requirement for all election contests.
Senate Joint Resolution 8206 (budget stabilization): Yes
Would ensure larger reserves and smooth out budgeting roller coaster.
Trudy Rubin: Egyptians say no to Islamists 
another_perspective on October 30 at 12:42 a.m.
Dump Alfred E. Condon and you almost have it right. Verner needs a good scare to sweep the dirt and corruption out of city hall. She was previously elected by the little people and quicky turned her back on them. Too bad no one wants to submit an initiative for the City to settle with the Zehms. That would at least close a festering wound and maybe just maybe restart the publics confidence in its Police Farce.
Put microphones on the coppers and cams on their cars and we have a good beginning.
gotgeek on October 30 at 2:38 p.m.
Your endorsement of Condon makes me question my subscription to your newspaper. Whose future are you rooting for? Dave Condon’s or Spokane’s? The two will never have a future together.
DickAdams on October 30 at 4:53 p.m.
I can`t understand how anyone with an ounce of brains would vote for Mary Verner who tried to cover-up for the SPD in the OTTO ZEHM case and who obviously thinks Roco Treppiedi is doing a great job defending the cops. No matter what a person thinks of David Condon, he is the lesser of the two evils. I`ll take my chances with him.
JBlim on October 30 at 5:02 p.m.
DickAdams and your lack of understanding: Why would any Democrat or independent vote for a Republican? All they’ll do is rip you off when your back is turned with their self-serving ideology. They can’t help it, it’s what they do.
mmspowaus on October 30 at 7:50 p.m.
I’ll take Dick Adams somber, sagacious, assessment over a puzzlewit’s partisan prattle any day …
I did not endorse either candidate for Spokane mayor or council president. I feel the City of Spokane has been underserved both political parties in this election…
I also found the S-Review has been omitting relevant facts about the candidates they are endorsing….For example: In the SR-Editorial Board’s endorsement of City of Spokane District #1 of Donna McKereghan, the Editors of the Spokesman Review neglected to mention her lawsuit and appeal against the City of Spokane….
http://www.lexisone.com/lx1/caselaw/freecaselaw?action=OCLGetCaseDetail&format=FULL&sourceID=gdjd&searchTerm=eXaj.bXca.UYGY.EciQ&searchFlag=y&l1loc=FCLOW
One would think this is pertinent information the public needs to know when evaluating candidates to monitor and manage hundreds of millions of dollars…
Dazzeetrader11 on October 31 at 1:09 a.m.
There are plenty of reasons having nothing to do with the homicide coverup to nOT vote for Verner.
She’s floated bonds, spent on real estate, raised taxes on everything and oversaw ( she was the first to initiate higher water fees) harrassment of the people as she continued to spend.
Now, she’s trying to cover her expenditures with fees ( tabs) (parking meter money) (garbage rates) , etc.
She’s done nothing but steal auto lanes for bikes. Planted a few trees. She’s 1 or more years late on fixing the roads and snow removal is ridiculous.
She’s built nothing but a mountain of debt. The rate stablization money was blown ( $16 million) and there’s been no accounting. She’s hired 20 plus new people to help her.for what, nobody knows. River cleanup funds have vanished as well.
Her responses to honest freedom of information type requests has been non existent. She’s hiding much more. Verner expects to hide things till elections.
Just not an honest, open, effective mayor. Spokane needs some new leadership……Hession, Condon, Salvatori and Allen should sweep city hall out.
JBlim on October 31 at 7:09 a.m.
David Condon has no experience running a city. Plus he has the ideological baggage of being a Cathy McMorris Republican. How many years will it take for him to learn his theories don’t work in practice? Will Spokane become a laughingstock again? Sorry Dave, I’m voting for Mary Vernor.
WillyPeter on November 01 at 6:49 a.m.
JBlim, c’mon…..you mean you didn’t vote for Obama. After all, he had no experience running a country. Then, again, I guess you have a valid point, look how that has turned out…..:-)
Sooooo, will your “head explode” when Cathy again wins with 70%(+/-) of the vote?
P.S. and don’t tell, but Spokane is a laughingstock now.
mmspowaus on November 01 at 9:26 a.m.
Most progressives don’t practice what they pontificate
gotgeek on November 03 at 11:02 p.m.
Maybe the Spokesman should have done its homework before endorsing Condon.
http://www.inlander.com/spokane/blog-4381-condon-alleged-to-have-laundered-money-through-state-gop.html
liberal_in_right_wing_land on November 08 at 10:59 a.m.
Of course the Cowles Family run newspaper would endorse the tea bagger republican who looks out for their very wealthy interests. Shocking.