It matters a lot

The hire of Jeff McMorris (“County hires McMorris Rodgers’ brother as adviser,” Oct. 17) looks like an epic fail by the Spokane County commissioners for the following reasons:

1. The optics are terrible.

2. This is an important hire with long ranging outcomes.

3. It is A LOT of our money.

4. The lack of communication and lack of transparency points to something untrustworthy.

5. Because you can hire without posting the position does not mean that you should.

6. Never once did you indicate that there would be transparency in the spending — in fact you indicate that there are strict laws and ensuring “it’s legal” is the goal. By the standards you applied to the hiring process this leads us to believe we will just hear “it’s legal” instead of acting in the public interest.

7. It’s disingenuous that you didn’t have an open communication strategy while admitting that there is “an elephant in the room” this looks like your hire was patronage.

8. As your employer, I am frankly tired of weak leaders that appear untrustworthy with our money.

9. Is it a new position or not? Get your stories straight. The job description was written July 26 and the hire was done early August.

10. Of course you should know the what the salary is in making the decision.

11. “What does it matter?” is either naïve, disingenuous or you don’t care what we think and you have forgotten you actually work for us and it’s our money.

Terry Rathbun

Liberty Lake