Work begins on 3rd Street boat launch ramp repair (click on image to enlarge)

One week after our OpenCdA post titled Planned Deterioration?, Coeur d’Alene maintenance workers and contractors have begun repairing the damage to the 3rd Street boat launch ramps.  Here are a few photos showing the work being done today. (more…)

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This article from Sunday’s Los Angeles Times reports that Los Angeles County Assessor John Noguez is being investigated by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Public Integrity Division.  The news article reports, “The unit’s criminal investigators opened an inquiry into allegations of special favors granted to property owners after complaints from assessor’s office employees last year.”

Really?  The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office investigates allegations of criminal wrongdoing by Los Angeles County elected officials and employees?  Based on the actions taken by Kootenai County’s Prosecuting Attorney Barry McHugh, I thought the function of county prosecutors was to dodge political hot potatoes by handing off those kind of investigations to other counties’ prosecutors.

There is compelling evidence proving the City of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, has intentionally failed to maintain the 3rd Street boat launch ramps while continuing to collect launch fees for that purpose.  A portion of the launch fees collected are intended to be used to maintain the boat launch ramps.

This evidence was provided during City Parks Director Doug Eastwood’s presentation at the meeting of Coeur d’Alene’s urban renewal agency, the Lake City Development Corporation, on Wednesday, February 15, 2012.

The planned deterioration of the boat launch ramps would then bolster the City’s desire to relocate them as part of the McEuen renovation project. (more…)

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There is a new website up and running that focuses on Kootenai County government.  Its title is Disclosure Kootenai County.  According to the last line in the site’s “About Us” webpage, “This site is owned and operated by Kootenai County business owners.”

State Senator Jim Hammond

Post Falls Senator Jim Hammond has introduced Senate Bill 1274 to ban texting while driving.  According to the legislation’s Statement of Purpose, “Driving is an activity that requires full concentration. Composing, reading, and sending text messages compromises that concentration.”

I agree with the language in the Statement of Purpose. However that language is contradicted by Hammond’s language in the legislation itself:  “…except that texting by persons driving law enforcement, fire or emergency medical vehicles shall be exempt while engaging in the course and scope of their duties.”

Apparently Hammond knows what the rest of us don’t:  Emergency vehicle drivers possess super-human powers that enable them to simultaneously fully concentrate on both operating an emergency vehicle and texting.  That should reassure the person killed or injured after being hit by an emergency vehicle driven by a texting public safety worker engaged in his duty.

According to a Marquet International report and an article in today’s Idaho Statesman news/views/skewspaper, Idaho ranks seventh for embezzlement.   The report and newspaper put the nicest spin possible on the underlying reason, but what it comes down to is that victims in Idaho are too trusting.

The most interesting portion of the Marquet report begins on page 13 with Motivating Factors.  This is what makes the embezzlers embezzle.

Then on page 15 there is a tabulation of the greatest losses by industry.  The top three victim industries are financial services, healthcare, and non-profits.

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At Tuesday’s Coeur d’Alene City Council meeting, Councilman Deanna Goodlander interrupted Councilman Mike Kennedy during his motion to accept the Consent Calendar.   Goodlander wanted an item pulled from the Consent Calendar supposedly to get some questions answered about delivery charges on a truck being purchased by the City’s Water Department.

There may be much more to this story, though.  (more…)

Second District Court Judge MIchael J. Griffin

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Second Judicial District Court Judge Michael J. Griffin has ruled that the Board of Trustees of Coeur d’Alene School District 271 violated Idaho law when it appointed Wanda Quinn to succeed Edie McLachlan.

Judge Griffin’s decision took three pages.  It was elegant in its simplicity,  and Judge Griffin applied a concept that would likely be considered unique and innovative (maybe even “anarchy”) by our First District Court judges:  He read and followed Idaho law.

Here is a link to Judge Griffin’s findings of fact and conclusions of law. (more…)