The Hot Seat Our Weekly Look At People In The News

Cut our taxes, but water our grass

Business people want the big bad government off their backs and out of their pockets. But some still expect it to water their lawns. When Washington state built a gorgeous arterial past businesses on Spokane’s Ruby Street, it planted $100,000 worth of grass and trees in the parking strips. Property owners, as any homeowner knows, are responsible for parking strips. But some businesses just watched that landscaping wither. Now they whine the state should have notified them, or installed a sprinkler system. Makes us wonder if Americans are ready for the initiative and responsibility that come with less government.

The city should have known she’d bungle her job

“Do you not have this in your reserves?” That’s what Spokane County Assessor Charlene Cooney asked the Spokane City Council, as she explained a $500,000 to $900,000 hole her office’s blundering created in the city’s budget. Shocking as it seems, the city didn’t think to include a contingency fund for severe revenue shortfalls caused by incompetence in the assessor’s office. Until Cooney came along, there’d been no need.

Bruce helps Dick, Dick helps Bruce

See Dick Compton. See Bruce Cyr. Aren’t Dick and Bruce happy about Dick’s election as a Kootenai County commissioner? See Bruce ask Dick to let him dig a big, big hole called a gravel pit. Some people think the big hole will hurt their water and air. But Dick tells Bruce: “Sure.” See the for-sale signs around the giant hole. Dick doesn’t care. The people who own those homes didn’t give him money to help him win, like Bruce did. See Dick enjoy his ranch home - far, far away from the big, big hole. , DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 3 Photos

MEMO: The Hot Seat highlights controversial events from the last week. If you would like to nominate someone for the Hot Seat, call John Webster at 459-5455.