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

Letters

Happy family doesn’t make good council

Recent Valley Voice full-page ads featuring City Council candidates Marilyn Cline, Chuck Hafner, Arne Woodard and Dean Grafos, with their “vote for me” smiles, sends the wrong message. In addition to sharing a treasurer, this “happy family” approach to decision-making smacks of cronyism, groupthink, a wink-and-nod posture and suggests a “you vote for my issue and I will vote for yours” mentality.

I have personally known three of the four candidates for a number of years and each is an important, contributing member of our community. But, frankly, independent thinking, controversy, confrontation and argumentation are important components of a deliberative process preceding sound City Council decisions and not usually found within “happy families.”

Gordon Spunich

Spokane Valley