Campaign ‘97

A poor excuse for campaigning

Several people running for city office seem to be stretching the state law that allows candidates to file petitions with signatures rather than paying a filing fee. It causes some critics to wonder whether the candidates really, as the law says, “lack sufficient assets or income at the time of filing to pay the filing fee”… Assistant Secretary of State Gary McIntosh, the state’s election guru, says the law is very clear that this route is reserved for those who are strapped for cash. That doesn’t mean the old checkbook is a little low on filing day … Some candidates say signatures are their way of showing broad support, but the law wasn’t designed for that, McIntosh said. What’s not clear, he said, is what anyone can do to enforce it - except of course during campaigns, when opponents can and do question a candidate’s motives … Of the four folks who went the signature route - mayoral candidate Sheri Barnard and would-be council members Robert Schroeder, Charles Greenwood and Charlotte Karling - Barnard may have the toughest time meeting the letter of the law. Financial statements list the combined income from her job as adviser to the Davenport Hotel and her husband’s architectural firm as between $40,000 and $99,998.

Speaking of record keeping

Once and perhaps future Spokane City Councilman Rob Higgins, council candidates Charlie Greenwood and Robert Schroeder, and mayoral wannabe David Howell seem to have overlooked the instruction to file their C-1 two weeks after they became candidates. The forms were nowhere to be found in the county elections office as of late last Friday. … And all candidates are reminded: Deadline to report their most recent contributions is Wednesday. At least a few people will be checking.

Keeping an eye out for voters

The first thing most people probably noticed about council candidate Judith Gilmore’s new billboards was her trademark red glasses. The second was that one of the lenses showed one Gilmore eye as blank-orbed as Li’l Orphan Annie … “I have no left eye!” she realized driving past several that were put up last week. This wasn’t a signal that Gilmore is ocularly challenged. Rather, it was a mistake by the company that designed the billboard, and forgot to mail the panel with the left eye to the folks who pasted the signs up … Late last week, the company had sent the missing panel via overnight mail and the squares were installed on the boards. And Gilmore was getting used to such bad suggestions for a campaign slogan like “the eyes have it.”

Quote of the week

The first sign that the gloves are coming off in Spokane’s mayoral race: “I think Jack (Geraghty) can’t face going into the election with the streets the way they are.” - Opponent Duane Sommers, during a fund-raiser, just days after the city council voted to borrow $2.8 million to fix the worst streets.

We’re baaaack

Today marks the return of The Spokesman-Review’s campaign column. Future columns will offer readers choice nuggets from the campaign trail, answers to various questions, and calendars and lists of places to see or hear the candidates. To send information to Campaign ‘97, see the note below.

Campaign calendar

Wednesday: Candidates must file their campaign contribution reports.

Friday: Last day to register to vote in the primary. Registration must take place at the county elections office, and the ballot for that election is cast by absentee vote.

Sept. 16: Primary election. , DataTimes MEMO: Campaign ‘97 is compiled by reporter Jim Camden from staff and wire reports. Information about candidate events runs on a space available basis, and can be sent to The Spokesman-Review, Box 2160, Spokane, 99210; or faxed to 509-459-5482; or e-mailed to jimc@spokesman.com.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Compiled by reporter Jim Camden from staff and wire reports