Method to madness?

Two questions of the mayor: (1) Is it better to do background checks for Spokane police chief candidates before or after you choose them as finalists for the job? Obviously, you’ve chosen the former method.

Your spokeswoman, Marlene Feist, was quoted in the newspaper as follows regarding the four finalists for the job: “We haven’t done our background checks yet on the candidates.” Yet, all four were already scheduled to travel to Spokane for interviews two days following publication of the July 19 news story.

Mr. and Mrs. Spokane Citizen have been led to believe that the word “finalists” means that one of the four will most likely be hired to be the city’s next chief of police. Disbelief. Bizarre. Incompetent. All three words come to mind regarding this seemingly backward method.

Perhaps you surrounded your hand-picked favorite with flawed competitors for the job? Manchurian candidates come to mind as a synonym.

(2) Is this part of your plan to build new confidence in the police department, sir?

John R. Downes

Spokane