Bristling at Stuckart

Your Feb. 10 headline, “Stuckart bristles at city legal warning,” suggests that Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart learned nothing from his ethical lapse and fine from his leaking an attorney-client protected document to a political supporter: the head of a city union.

He wants to repeat that breach of public trust and ignore sound legal advice by disclosing privileged information about a personnel issue at City Hall. He blithely suggests, “If some attorney can use something we’ve uncovered, oh well.”

I bristle at the thought that an elected official could be so cavalier about the consequences of divulging sensitive privileged information. Adding to the city’s possible exposure for damages here makes no sense.

Stuckart wonders, “Can city legal fairly represent me?” With his reckless political gamesmanship, I am wondering whether he can fairly represent me and other taxpayers.

I supported Stuckart’s re-election, hoping that he and Mayor David Condon would find common ground on a range of issues and move our city forward. Sadly, Stuckart’s increasingly self-aggrandizing agenda and irresponsible behavior has created a politically hostile environment in what is supposed to be a nonpartisan municipal government. That fact should cause every taxpaying citizen of Spokane to bristle.

Tom Keefe

Spokane