Seeing Veteran Made Me Think

My 15-year streak for voting in Coeur d’Alene and Kootenai County elections almost ended Tuesday. As I stood in the snow outside the Assembly of God Church, with a terrible head cold, I was tempted to bag it. After all, I’d gamely trooped to the polls nearest my home - only to learn I was at the wrong place. A scheduling conflict had caused my polling place to be moved to the fairgrounds, two miles away, not the church, six blocks away. I was angry by the time I drove to the fairgrounds, trudged through the snow and prepared to vote. Can they make this any harder? I wondered. Then, I saw my retired neighbor, Jim Shepperd, in line ahead of me. A World War II veteran, Shepperd and his generation fought and died for basic freedoms such as voting. His presence put things into perspective.

Where do we go from here, Ollie?

Okay, the preliminaries are over. The City Council caused a mess by unilaterally dumping collective bargaining rights for city employees. Now, the employees have gotten voters to restore those rights. Do we go to court from here? Or are the hardheads on both sides going to agree on a deal that’ll be good for all?

Crow, Boatright fumble telemarketing vote

State Sens. Gordon Crow, R-Hayden, and Clyde Boatright, R-Rathdrum, must have suffered brain cramps during debate on Attorney General Al Lance’s telemarketing bill. How else can you explain why the two voted against legislation that will rein in annoying telephone solicitors? Fortunately, the bill passed the Senate, 30-5, and should become law.

Sunday servings of Hot Potatoes

Beginning Sunday, Hot Potatoes will appear on Sundays and Thursdays in this space. A new feature will appear in the Tuesday spot. Learn about it on Sunday’s Perspective page.

Sweet Potatoes: Sandpoint, Hawks, Strickfaden, NIC

Sweet Potatoes … to the Sandpoint City Council for abandoning its attempt to save money by having the police chief oversee the fire department, too. Some councils would have dug in and made a bad matter worse (see Coeur d’Alene City Council, collective bargaining) … to the Lakeland High girls’ basketball team for winning the Intermountain League championship … to Ed Strickfaden, former Idaho State Police commander in North Idaho, on his being named director of state law enforcement … to all the North Idaho College students, faculty and administration people who’ve endured the 14-month student union building reconstruction. The end is near.