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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Resigning would show West cares

The Spokesman-Review

If Spokane Mayor Jim West cared as much for the city of Spokane as he professed when he was running for office two years ago, he would show it some mercy.

He would resign. But since he’s refused to do that, he should at least stop obstructing access to materials that would help the public make an informed decision in a recall election that’s expected to be held on Nov. 29.

Unfortunately, West’s actions show that he cares most now about the same thing he cared most about in 2003 – being mayor.

For the past four and a half months, the mayor has been under a spotlight over sexual behavior that was revealed by Spokesman-Review reporters. It’s been uncomfortable for West, and it’s been uncomfortable for the city.

The details are well known, and while West disputes many of the allegations that have been raised against him, enough is clear from documented evidence, official findings and West’s own words and actions to suggest he is no longer suited to hold office.

On Friday, the Spokane Human Rights Commission released its findings in a complaint from Ryan Oelrich, the young gay man whom West had appointed to that same commission and then badgered for sex. West had denied the story, but Oelrich presented documentation, including electronic conversations, to back him up. The commission didn’t uphold Oelrich’s discrimination claim, but it found his account of events credible. West, the commission said, showed “disregard for the dignity of his office, disregard for the public view of human relations in the City of Spokane, and disregard for the mores of the community.”

In the meantime, West is waging a fierce contest to prevent disclosure of files he accumulated on his city computer. Both The Spokesman-Review and the lawyer hired by the City Council to investigate the situation have requested those files, but West and his lawyers contend they should not be made public. Their rationale – evidence of the desperation of their cause – is that the files he stored on a computer that was supposed to be for official business would be “highly offensive” to the public.

From the outset, West admitted online sexual relationships with men, some of whom he understood to be high school students one-third his age. In a press appearance shortly after the story broke, he declared that if the people of Spokane wanted him to go, he would go. Since then, he has battled to stall the recall drive and to prevent the public from hearing pertinent evidence.

That’s an odd way to show a city how much you care for it.