Agencies Get High Marks For Cooperation Clinton’s Visit To Flood Ravaged Idaho Brings State, Local And Federal Officials Together

President Clinton’s visit to Boise this week brought out a rare sense of unity among federal, state and local officials of both parties.

On Wednesday, the Democratic president spoke warmly with members of Idaho’s all-Republican Congressional delegation, and won high praise from Republican Gov. Phil Batt.

Even county commissioners like Jim Wilson from Clearwater County, who normally bristles at federal interference, had high praise for the feds and their response to North Idaho’s flood disaster.

Kootenai County Commissioner Dick Compton called it “a great demonstration of how government should work and should work together.”

The commissioners were connected to Boise by telephone link Wednesday evening as Clinton, the Congressional delegation, four Democratic state lawmakers and a slew of media, officials and hangers-on watched a video of the North Idaho flooding.

As a picture came on of a bulldozer pushing around piles of mud and gravel in the middle of a flooded creek, Batt commented, “You don’t have to get a stream alteration permit for that.” He drew a laugh from around the table.

At another picture of a fractured bridge, Clinton pointed and asked, “This was back up there?”

And when the president was told, “This is the main street of Cataldo, Idaho,” a picture of a kayaker paddling briskly up what appeared to be a full river flashed on the screen. Clinton laughed and shook his head.

When Shoshone County Commissioner Sherry Krulitz told how people in her county are left with no source of heat because their firewood “floated right on down the river,” Clinton made a note.

Sen. Dirk Kempthorne, R-Idaho, got a good laugh from the president with this story: A woman from St. Maries called her husband to tell him, ‘Honey, there was bad news and good news. The bad news is we’ve lost our whole trailer. The good news is the broken dishwasher’s finally getting water to it.”’

Clinton was receptive to Rep. Helen Chenoweth’s suggestion to relax regulatory rules to help with cleanup. “That’s a very good suggestion,” he told her. “Anything I have the legal authority to do, I assure you I’ll do.”

James Lee Witt, director of FEMA, told about serving as a county commissioner in Arkansas for 10 years. Clinton, who referred to Witt as “James Lee,” recalled, as Arkansas governor, giving Witt $20,000 in emergency funds to buy gravel.

Clinton said he, Witt and other federal officials know what Idahoans are going through, having suffered through flooding and other disasters in Arkansas.

He mistakenly praised the four state legislators for traveling down from North Idaho for the meeting, not realizing they only traveled across town from the state Capitol.

State Sen. Mary Lou Reed, D-Coeur d’Alene, told the president, “I was ice skating on Lake Coeur d’Alene eight days ago, and now it’s unbelievable. There are houses in my district that are underwater.”

Sen. Marguerite McLaughlin, D-Orofino, said, “Some day, when it’s all back together, we’d really like to have you come up to the Clearwater.”

After the meeting, Clinton walked out onto the tarmac in front of Air Force One and gave a brief statement. “I’ve seen a lot of loss. But I’ve also seen what happens when the American people work together in the spirit of community.

“I think the lesson I have learned more than any other, in three years and a few days of being president, is that when this country works together, we never lose.”

“I will follow up on the suggestions we’ve gotten,” he said. “Maybe the model of cooperation we’ve seen in dealing with this flood can become a model” for how government ought to work, he said, in partnership.

After Clinton boarded the plane, Batt praised him for making the trip and for responding to Idaho’s need.

“I’m very grateful he expedited the aid to Idaho the way he has. I don’t think it could have been done any more quickly.”