Mike Kennedy

Councilman Mike Kennedy, said at yesterday’s hearing about a public vote on McEuen, that he was “not elected to dodge the tough issues”.  (He was elected by TWO votes, and both of those came from Canada.)

No one is asking you to “dodge” anything, Mike.  We are asking that the final decision on the final plan for McEuen & Tubb’s Hill  go to the PEOPLE. The park belongs to the public, not to your full-time employer, Steve Meyer who, along with LCDC’s Charlie Nipp, owns the large swath of property right across the street from McEuen park.

The Mayor owns a building only half a block from the park. And the Pita Pit staff, including owners Jack Riggs and his son Peter, along with about five more staff, all were on hand at yesterday’s hearing to say they do NOT want a public vote. Their restaurant is one block from the park.

This is not about the details of the plan, or about which features people like or dislike, this is about final version of the plan, along with costs and funding, being placed on the ballot for the already scheduled November 8th city election.  Even if it’s not required by law because you are using the LCDC for funding, it’s still the right thing to do.

NIC President Bell

Big News for NIC!

Oh my goodness, College President Priscilla Bell must be so thrilled at the news that $6 Million dollars should be refunded to NIC for the pre-paid rent on the Mill site property!  She is desperate for money.  She recently traveled to Boise to beg the legislature for more funding, and she even asked billionaire Warren Buffett to donate an important piece of railroad land near the Mill site, which Ms. Bell said the college could not afford to buy.

The newly discovered $6 Million refund could go a long way in helping these financial needs. Maybe now the college won’t keep raising our taxes in this tight economy when folks are already paying the inflated NIC taxes that jumped 32% when the college took Foregone taxes, they said at the time, in order to purchase the Mill site.   (more…)

They Asked No Questions!

Dear Newsletter Readers,

I know this is the second letter this week, but I’m furious.  My head is spinning at the behavior of our City Council last night.

I watched their regular meeting on Channel 19, just to see if anyone would talk about the McEuen plan. Some folks from the public did, but that’s not why my hair is on fire.  The problem is this:  (more…)

Last night was energizing. There were about 50 people who brought their own signs that asked for a public VOTE. Thank You!  There were also lots of Boat people to defend the 3rd Street Boat Launch, and the Baseball folks and Tubb’s Hill supporters were well-represented too.  Probably about 250 people in all.

And our officials? Many of us with signs were standing inside the entryway before the meeting. We were talking and greeting people as they walked through. We had extra signs to offer folks if they wanted them, which many did. Councilman Woody McEvers walked in and talked with several people on his way.  Councilman Ron Edinger came through, smiled, greeted some folks but didn’t linger. When the Mayor and her entourage arrived, they seemed startled to see people with signs. The Mayor kept her head down and walked through without stopping.  (more…)

Edinger supports public vote on McEuen Field
City Council president ‘disappointed’ he was not appointed to committee that helped design plan

Mary Souza’s Newsletter, Jan 31, 2011

Dear Newsletter Readers,

This was Saturday morning’s front page headline in the CdA Press. It put City Hall into a panic. The official line from the city is that the council often disagrees with each other but they are professionals.  Behind the scenes, however, they are scrambling and sending their cronies out to change the subject in the local media. They will do anything to divert attention away from the topic of a public VOTE.

The hubbub all started last Thursday noon when I was the speaker at the Reagan Republican meeting at Fedora’s. The place was packed and they even had to open the partition wall and bring in more seating. Thank you to all who attended.

I was surprised to see Ron Edinger enter the room. He politely greeted me and I told him I was glad he was there. (more…)

Mary Souza’s Newsletter
January 21, 2011

I wanted to write about some positive things that are happening in our community right now.  But I can’t.

I wanted to tell you of my support for State Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna’s innovative plan for our educational system.  And I wanted to reassure you about the County’s embezzlement fiasco, and that I think it’s great our newly elected Clerk and Commissioners are shaking the dirt and dust out of the system.  But I can’t.

And I also wanted to tell you about the Idaho Freedom Foundation’s 2011 “Pork Report”, that you can get free. It’s a quick, riveting read about serious, shameful spending abuses all over our state.

But I can’t.  I can’t, even though I want to, because the City of CdA continues to do one outrageous thing after another.  It’s like a parade of arrogant injustices, played out in the dream bubble of City Hall.  (more…)

Mike Kennedy

Mary Souza’s Newsletter

Why is the City pushing the remodel of McEuen Field right now?

The plan unveiled to the public last week is elaborate. It proposes a huge number of new features, many of them extremely expensive, though the City has openly stated they don’t know what anything will cost.  The price of the parking garage alone is estimated by some in the construction industry to be near $35 Million, never mind the gigantic half acre fountain (one of 5 or 6 proposed water features right next to the lake), two bridges, the ice skating pond with canopy, several buildings, many new sports courts, a new skate board park and more.

Yet the unemployment rate in our community remains at almost 11%. That is very high. People are hurting. One long time resident on a fixed income, told me his property taxes went up $300 this year and he doesn’t know how he will pay.  School District 271 just announced their large new levy which, if approved, will add $68 more dollars to my friend’s tax bill, and NIC, with their Ed. Corridor, will almost certainly pile on as well.  (more…)

(NOT Mary Souza!)

Mary Souza’s Newsletter

I went to the McEuen Field Open House at NIC Thursday night, presented by the City.  What a show!  It was awesome!  There were so many fancy features! I can’t stop using exclamation points because of all the amazing things we have the opportunity to get!  And we don’t need to worry about how to pay for them!  Isn’t that great?!

Parks Director Doug Eastwood actually said to the overwhelming crowd that filled the room to capacity, with standing room maxed all around the edges, all across the back, out the door and completely covering the upper landing of the NIC Student Union building…it was an enormous turnout…anyway, Doug said, “Once the project has been generally accepted by the public and the city council has given its approval, then we’ll figure out how to pay for it.”

It was a Nancy Pelosi moment!  (Just pass the bill then we’ll figure out what’s in it!)  (more…)

Mary Souza’s Newsletter

Mike Gridley

Dear Newsletter Readers,
I hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful, as we who live in this beautiful part of the world and this land of the free have so much for which to be thankful. I am also giving thanks for the turnaround in the mid-term elections, both nationally and here at the local level.  More about that later.

But amidst the relief of the overall election results, there lurks an ever-growing aura of anger and audacity which is emanating from Coeur d’Alene’s city hall.    (more…)

Dan English

VOTERS BEWARE!

Some strange things are going on here in Kootenai County.  Our election administrators are ignoring, bending or breaking the law.  (more…)