You wonder why Larry Spencer can afford all those sound-bite yard signs slamming incumbent Commissioner Dan Green? Spencer has raked in almost $31,000 to date for his campaign for Kootenai County commissioner, or twice as much as Green, according to the 7-day pre-election campaign finance reports filed before the Tuesday afternoon deadline. Meanwhile, Rathdrum Mayor Vic Holmes as raised less than $3000 in his long-shot bid for the office. I'll be back to break things down. Meanwhile, you can read the campaign finance statements for yourself: Larry Spencer here, and: Dan Green here, and Vic Holmes here.

• Spencer's donations include $11,000 in $1,000 increments from the same Spokane, Wash., post office box, including one from Dennis Swartout, a Spokane developer whose subdivision for 1,500 affordable houses near Silverwood was rejected in 2006 by the Kootenai County commission.
• Green has raised $14,960 and spent $7219 with Ron Lahr's Strategery Group, which is aligned with the Kootenai County Reagan Republicans (the original RR group)

Question: Any thoughts on the backers of Spencer & Green?