How Can We Create Policy When Politics Obscure Intent?
It was like dropping a hockey puck at center ice Friday when U.S. District Judge John Coughenour ruled Washington state’s sex-predator law unconstitutional.
Up skated King County Prosecuting Attorney Norm Maleng, who wants to help draft an improved law.
Up skated state Attorney General Christine Gregoire, who thinks the current law, drafted by one of her deputies, can be reinstated if appealed to a higher court.
Gregoire, a Democrat, and Maleng, a Republican, are potential rivals in Washington’s gubernatorial race next year, which may explain their need to respond so differently to Coughenour’s ruling.
What gets drowned out by the political rhetoric is their apparent agreement on the basic policy objective the current law is intended to achieve.
If the struggle for partisan advantage compels public officials to emphasize divisiveness even when they agree fundamentally, what chance is there for public consensus?
Important public issues don’t have to be framed only in terms that pit Democratic and Republican interests against each other.
I’d like to hear from readers on this. How do you want your elected public leaders to present this and other issues as they arise in the campaigns ahead? Send your comments by phone, fax, mail or e-mail as explained below.
(Because of the Labor Day holiday on Monday, responses to today’s “Bagpipes” should be submitted by noon Friday to be considered for inclusion in Tuesday’s column. Love those three-day weekends, but they play havoc with newspaper production schedules.)
Stop it, right now!
Spokane County is going to get $7,500 in federal grant money to attack our motorists’ legendary disdain for red lights. The money reportedly will be spent on radio ads, posters and attitude surveys.
If you were in charge of producing the public service campaign, what message would you deliver in those radio spots and posters? What’s an effective way - using just words, mind you - to persuade drivers to stop on red?
Send your proposals to “Bagpipes” right away.
Meanwhile, drive carefully.
, DataTimes MEMO: “Bagpipes” appears Tuesdays and Thursdays. To respond, call Cityline at 458-8800, category 9881, from a Touch-Tone phone; or send a fax to 459-5098 or e-mail to dougf@spokesman.com. You also can leave Doug Floyd a message at 459-5577, extension 5466.