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Doug Clark: ‘Boy mayor’ no longer seems right
Here we are – not even a month after David Condon became the first Spokane mayor to win a second term since Hillyard was a dry neighborhood – and “cover-up” and “deceit” are all anyone can talk about whenever his name comes up.
It looks like Condon and his administrative minions tried to keep us deaf, dumb and in the dark regarding a serious claim of sexual harassment that was leveled last spring against the mayor’s BFF, then-police Chief Frank Straub.
“Condon lied, Stuckart insists,” reads one headline.
“Records unveil layers of secrecy at City Hall,” reads another.
This is the rockiest historic beginning since the Pilgrims disembarked at Plymouth.
Well, before going any further, an apology is in order.
As the guy who tagged Condon with that “Boy Mayor” sobriquet, it appears I’ve misjudged the man. There’s really nothing boyish about this orchestrated mayoral magic show.
This is the sort of jaded anti-press politics that could propel Condon into national office one day. Oh, yeah. Gotta have now-you-see-it, now-you-don’t misdirection skills to play in the political big leagues.
And be real. You can bet the farm that the mayor knew every last detail regarding Monique Cotton’s claim in April that Straub “had grabbed her ass, tried to kiss her.”
That quote makes my skin crawl every time I see it.
Council President Ben Stuckart says he’s determined to find out why this informational bombshell took until last week to be released and not in August, when this fine family newspaper made a records request.
Condon, in his defense, claims he was protecting Cotton’s desire for secrecy. But that falls apart under the glare of reason.
Straub, after all, was the city’s top cop before his ouster and move with pay to the city attorney’s office. Concerns of privacy are trumped by his position and the dead-seriousness of the complaint.
In my mind, you’d have to be dumber than paramecium to not be aware of the real motivation going on here.
Re-election, I believe it’s called.
Well, that plus Condon’s all-in association with Straub.
Nobody but the mayor wanted to hire this clown in the first place. Which makes Straub’s implosion all the more embarrassing and potentially damaging to the mayor.
Speaking of that Boy Mayor thing, on election night Condon thanked me for helping him outgrow it.
In light of all that’s happened since, perhaps it’s time to conjure up another Condon nickname.
I know. Let’s play mix and match.
As in: You match the proper name with the improper sarcasm and let me know what you come up with via the contact information below.
List One …
1. David.
2. Davy.
3. Dave.
4. D.C.
5. Condon.
6. Hizzoner.
7. Mayor.
8. (Add one of your own.)
—
List Two …
1. Desperate.
2. Duplicitous.
3. Conniving.
4. Contriving.
5. Mendacious.
6. Shady.
7. Shifty.
8. Sly.
9. Wily.
10. (Add one of your own.)
Oh, look. A customized submission has already come in from a reader.
Devious Dave, the Artful Dodger.
Ladies and gentlemen, do we have a winner?
Contact Doug Clark at (509) 459-5432 or dougc@spokesman.com.