Public Periscope

Lose my number

One of the most obnoxious elements of the soon-to-be finished campaign is called an ADAD, for automated dialing and answering device. They are the machines that make your phone ring at dinner time, give you an eternity of silence when you pick up the phone, then play some pre-recorded message from a candidate or a famous supporter … Spokane reader Jim Nelson had several of them clog up his answering machine recently, and was particularly ticked at one from former Gen. Norman Schwartzkopf, who called to urge him to vote for George W. Bush. Nelson was unimpressed: “What the hell is Norm Schwartzkopf doing calling me?” asked the former enlisted man who steered clear of generals during his stint in the service … Nelson was hoping such calls were illegal, but Marilyn Meehan of the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission says no. If someone uses an ADAD to call to try to sell you a product, that’s against state law. But asking for your vote is different from asking you for money, she said.

“It’s a First Amendment issue,” she said. Political speech is among the most protected from any state or federal law … Meehan said the WUTC gets complaints every election season, but can’t do anything about the calls. Instead, she suggests people who are unhappy with the tactic go to the source and complain to the candidates the messages are trying help … The ultimate weapon, of course, is your vote.

A shorter term than advertised

Careful readers of Spokane County’s sample ballot, which was distributed in recent weeks, may have noticed a small problem in the municipal races. The next mayor and city council president will only serve three years, not four as the sample ballot says … It’s a fairly easy mistake, because city offices usually have four-year terms. The new strong mayor and council president jobs have a three-year stint this time to allow voters to elect people to the new positions as soon as possible after last year’s charter change passed. These first terms expire in 2003, and put the jobs back on the regular municipal track … Acting elections supervisor Sherry Bays took responsibility for the error, saying she was unaware of the special arrangement. The ballot books at polling places won’t list the length of service.

It’s tradition

In keeping with time-honored rules of engagement, Public Periscope is refraining from any quips or criticisms that may be viewed as an unfair late hit on candidates in Tuesday’s election. Instead, we’ll remind you to vote, either at the precinct polling station between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., or by mail … If you vote by mail, remember the envelope must be postmarked by Tuesday. Check the mailbox or post office for the time of the last pickup before tossing your ballot in. If you put it in the box Tuesday evening and it isn’t picked up until Wednesday morning, you’re out of luck. And so is democracy.