Huckleberries: Rep. Sims tilts wrong windmills again

State Rep. Kathy Sims is up to her old tricks.

In the 2014 and 2015 legislative sessions, the Coeur d’Alene Republican infamously fought against funding for a mental health crisis center in North Idaho. She and some tea party buddies from the region ultimately failed to block the state from opening a center in Coeur d’Alene this month.

Now, Sims is part of a legislative task force charged with studying urban renewal laws for possible changes. Sims has fought urban renewal at every turn. Never mind that urban renewal dollars have helped build the Coeur d’Alene Library, Kroc Center, new McEuen Park and Riverstone development.

Last week, Sims agreed with another misguided legislator who questioned using urban renewal dollars to build libraries because – drum roll, please – he thinks libraries don’t produce an economic impact.

Sims’ reaction? “I think everyone who has a computer has a library, and I know I’m working on mine every day.”

At Huckleberries Online, a commenter countered: “Some folks don’t have computers. And some folks who may have a computer in North Idaho have sketchy Internet access. Put the two together and you’ve got serious ‘connection’ issues. But Missus Sims couldn’t give a tinker’s dang about those who can’t afford one of her cars.”

Sims owns Coeur d’Alene Honda. Maybe it’s time she returns to selling cars full time.

Power of the press

Imagine owner Glenn Gatherer’s surprise when he read in Nils Rosdahl’s popular Coeur d’Alene Press business column recently that he was shut. Nils reported: “Neighbors say Nate’s New York Pizza in Post Falls has closed.” That rumor wasn’t true. But enough customers believed the blurb that last Sunday’s take at Nate’s Pizza was off by nearly two-thirds. The Press, to its credit, corrected the mistake in grand style Monday. Meanwhile, Huckleberries is impressed that a mere mention by Nils in his Business Bits column has such an impact.

Huckleberries

Poet’s Corner: “Those raindrops keep falling/so I think we should note/that Santa this Christmas/may arrive in a boat” — The Bard of Sherman Avenue (“Jingle Oars”) … Izzit Just Me Department: I’m not one for sending Christmas cards. But I get bugged when someone sends a card and doesn’t sign it … Overheard on the Police Scanner: How slick were conditions at 4:07 Thursday afternoon? One patrol officer told a buddy: “We should be getting Crash City pretty soon” … Poll: Last week, 86.61 percent of my blog readers agreed with Huckleberries Online (www.spokesman.com/ blogs/hbo) that the five northernmost counties of Idaho should be called “North Idaho,” not “northern Idaho.” We North Idahoans know you’re not one of us if you use the latter … Kevin Richert of Idaho Education News says that you’ll soon realize who “That Person” is in your circle of friends – you know, the guy who rushes to see “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and then can’t wait to tell you all about it … Up to 200 Canada geese touched down on a Post Falls ballfield last week, prompting City Councilwoman Kerri Thoreson to snap a photo and announce on Facebook: “The visiting team from Canada takes its position in the outfield at Brett James ball field on N. Spokane Street.” Play Ball! In December? Only in North Idaho.

Parting shot

You probably have heard of that poll by Public Policy Polling in which 30 percent of Republican primary voters supported U.S. intervention in Agrabah to address national security concerns.

Only Agrabah is a made-up country.

It’s the homeland for Aladdin in that swell 1992 animated Disney film, featuring the late Robin Williams as Genie’s voice.

Tongue firmly cheeked, Idaho House Minority Leader John Rusche, D-Lewiston, commented on Huckleberries Online about this story: “Is Agrabah a NATO ally too?”

Huckleberries imagines that Republican Idaho would oppose relocation of fictitious Agrabahn refugees to the Magic Valley as intensely as it does Syrian refugees. After all, who wants that street rat Aladdin running amok in the potato fields of southern Idaho?