Long ago I learned magicians use physical misdirection to divert the audience’s attention briefly from what will be a necessarily unnoticed but critical action vital to the success of the trick.

For example, the magician introduces his beautiful assistant to the audience with an elegant flourish of his right arm and hand.  The audience’s eyes follow the smooth movement of the magician’s arm and hand directing them to look stage right to see her walk on.  In the meantime with the audience completely captivated by the beautiful assistant, the magician’s left hand is loading up the real deception.

That’s what happened at the Coeur d’Alene City Council meeting on Tuesday, June 4.  (more…)

On Tuesday, June 4, 2013, the Coeur d’Alene City Council will consider a proposed city ordinance intended to  “…prohibit discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations based upon sexual orientation and gender identity/expression…”

OpenCdA hopes that all members of the City Council have diligently researched already-applicable federal and state laws and, more importantly, that those council members have compared the quality of remedies already available under existing law with the remedies proposed by the ordinance.

And then, there’s the money to be made… (more…)

As OpenCdA reported yesterday, Mary Souza has declared her intention to file as a candidate for the office of Mayor in the 2013 Coeur d’Alene City Election.

Most people who have followed OpenCdA since its inception know that it was founded by Dan Gookin (now Councilman Dan Gookin), Mary Souza, and me.  To Dan and Mary’s credit and out of respect for the people in the community, both of them chose to withdraw from OpenCdA when they became candidates.   Mary has indicated that she will not be commenting on any of the various blogs, including OpenCdA.  In my opinion, that’s very wise.  Words written on a blog can be twisted and taken out of context.

Dan occasionally adds comments to posts here, and Mary has given me permission to reprint her email newsletters when they are distributed.

I encourage our readers to become more informed about and more involved in our local issues.  Our day-to-day lives are most affected by what goes on here rather than in Fantasyland-on-the-Potomac or even in Boise.    Given the poor quality of news coverage in Coeur d’Alene, Kootenai County, and north Idaho generally, I hope the candidates for Mayor and City Council in Coeur d’Alene will actually get out and talk with small groups in the communities.   If you’re invited to attend a group in your neighborhood, show up and don’t be afraid to make comments and ask candidates any questions about local issues that concern you.  You and I are part of this larger community, and we have something to offer.  In those personal, face-to-face settings, you’ll find that you have the ability to quickly and definitively separate the honest and competent candidates from those whose principal talent is shoveling equine feces.