For many years Coeur d’Alene’s mayor and city council have successfully used their ignorance of the law as an excuse to, well, ignore the law. Until recently, the universal Idaho defense of “our attorney said it was okay” has worked. But in early October First District Court Judge Charles Hosack reminded the Mullan Avenue Gang and City Attorney Mike Gridley that even they were bound by Idaho law — just like the rest of us.
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October 20, 2009
Ignorance of the Law – SOP in CdA
Open Session, Tuesday
What a busy week ahead, as local elections near. Any thoughts to share?
Remember you can VOTE RIGHT NOW at City Hall or at the Elections Dept. on 3rd Street. (the old BLM bldg) That address is 1808 N. 3rd St.
October 17, 2009
Scott Reed Layers LCDC Confusion
In a “My Turn” column in the CdA Press this morning, Scott Reed attempts to explain urban renewal as a wonderful advantage to the city. Apparently, according to Scott, there are no downsides to this fabulous mechanism.
I would give you a link to his article, but it’s not on the Press web site. I will warn you that his column is very long and heavily laden with numbers and bewildering obfuscation.
Here are some of the ideas Mr. Reed is twisting improperly: (more…)
October 16, 2009
The Smoking Gun?
Today’s Coeur d’Alene Press editorial titled This ax hurt unnecessarily observed the timing of city council candidate Jim Brannon’s firing by Habitat for Humanity of North Idaho was “atrocious.” In the online comments under the editorial (scroll down in the link to see them), commenter “coyote” asks at 6:54 AM, “..where’s the ‘smoking gun?” Another commenter, “yabetcha,” may have provided the smoking gun in his response to “Darth Vader” at 10:46 AM this way:
“Darth Vader, speaking of throwing a man off prior to a debate, was not Mr. Brannon summoned for an emergency meeting of the H4H board at the hour of his public announcement of his candidacy for city council at McEuen Field where he had to leave immediately?“
If “yabetcha” is correct, then the only remaining questions are, “Whose fingerprints are on the gun?” and “Who hired the gunman?”
October 13, 2009
Citizen: “Feeding the Beast”
Our readers are off on an important topic: The tax impact of LCDC urban renewal on ALL property owners in Kootenai County. “Citizen” states that the additional tax burden to county residents is hidden in the tax bills, so it is harder not to “feed the beast”. There are many great responses to this comment, which I have copied from the other thread and pasted here, below.
But on the subject of LCDC and how its tax impact can be explained or hidden by our officials, I must tell you about my meeting with Exec. Director Tony Berns, over a year ago. My question for Tony was exactly about the tax burden from urban renewal on city residents and all those in the county as well. Tony speaks in long sentences and confusing thought patterns. If you asked him if the sky is blue, he’d have a 15 minute response that would make you wonder what planet you were living on. (more…)
October 11, 2009
If It Was Political…
If Jim Brannon’s firing on Wednesday from his position as executive director of Habitat for Humanity of North Idaho was politically motivated, the 11 members of the Habitat for Humanity of North Idaho Board of Directors will have intentionally and recklessly inflicted serious damage. The damage, however, will not be limited to Brannon’s campaign for Coeur d’Alene City Council. The damage will spill over to Habitat for Humanity of North Idaho.
October 9, 2009
Run for Council, Lose your Job
The City’s Pulse Newsletter, by Mary Souza
Intimidation and retribution are alive and well in Coeur d’Alene. Behind the pretty curtains, our community has some serious troubles that need to be swept clean.
And these problems may be bigger, deeper and dirtier than any of us have realized to date because the retaliation from the powers-that-be is much more intense than expected. (more…)
October 7, 2009
Your Evaluation?
Did you watch the Coeur d’Alene candidate forums on CDA TV 19 tonight? If so, what is your evaluation of each of the candidates individually and then in comparison with his/her opponent?
October 6, 2009
Urban Renewal and Eminent Domain
Used by permission of coxandforkum.com
Remember the US Supreme Court’s landmark decision KELO et al v. CITY OF NEW LONDON et al in 2005? The Court ruled that because it was for the broader “public purpose” (in contrast with the US Constitution’s wording “public use”), the City of New London could use eminent domain to condemn Susette Kelo’s and others’ homes and turn the land over to the city’s urban renewal agency. The urban renewal agency could, in turn, pass the property along to developers to carry out the city’s development plan. So now, four years later, how has that all worked out? Not well, apparently.
