French gets it right

I don’t believe I have ever agreed with anything Spokane County Commissioner Al French had said or done. That has now changed. French’s refusal to support fellow Commissioner Todd Mielke as new county chief executive officer is like a breath of fresh air.

Those of us who had long careers with the county, and many who are still employed there, are well aware how many hires typically work. And the CEO position appeared it would be another in a long line of questionable and political hires.

While Shelly O’Quinn bemoans the past six months of candidate searching as wasted time, the fact remains, French did the right thing when he acknowledged the search should have been accomplished by a national head-hunting firm.

And regarding O’Quinn’s remark, “It’s easy to lob grenades,” I can assure her it is not. I am aware of many current employees who would like to lob a grenade, but refrain from doing so as they fear for their jobs. The fact is, there have always been, and continue to be, many questionable decisions when it comes to hiring and daily operations at the county courthouse.

Terry Hontz

Spokane