Voters tend to pay attention to national elections first, then local elections for mayor and city council.  Other elections often get little attention, because voters assume that the “no-name” elections for library trustees, community college trustees, and school district trustees don’t matter as much.  After all, in many communities, these “no-name” positions are often filled by volunteers who receive no pay.

No pay means no opportunity for self-enrichment, right?  No, as this Los Angeles Times investigative series about the Los Angeles Community College District shows, there is profit in obscurity and voter ignorance.  The series is titled Billions to Spend.

After you’ve read the Times series, go back and read Mary Souza’s OpenCdA post on February 18, 2011.  Over $6,000,000 in public money was paid by the North Idaho College Board of Trustees to the North Idaho College Foundation, Inc., for “prepaid rent” on land the College owned.  It has yet to be refunded, and it doesn’t appear to this writer that anyone is trying very hard to get it back..

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I see by the article in this morning’s Coeur d’Alene Press that the Coeur d’Alene Police Department wants to spend $2000-$2500 to put a video camera at Independence Point to, “…help police monitor the complaints received about loud parties, crimes and loitering that take place in the evening hours there…”

Wasn’t the $50,000 spent on Boopsie’s Bunker supposed to accomplish that by creating a “police presence” there?  (See my five-part “Toilet Not Included” series.)

[In April 2008 I posted the five-part “Toilet Not Included” series.  It examined the  waste of approximately $50,000 by the City of Coeur d’Alene Police [Department at the behest of City Hall.

[As we approach the November 3 mayoral and city council elections in Coeur d’Alene, I invite you to re-read each part of the series to decide for yourself if [our present complement of city officials spent tax dollars wisely and prudently.  Click on each “Part…” link below. (more…)

The Wednesday, April 22, 2009, Coeur d’Alene Press  has an article written by Tom Hasslinger and headlined LCDC considers hiring attorney.  Hasslinger reports “…the local attorney would ensure LCDC was following appropriate procedures during its meetings.”   How many attorneys does the LCDC need? (more…)

Event organizers and citizens who attended the April 15 Tax Day Tea Party at Independence Point in Coeur d’Alene had an opportunity to personally see how the City of Coeur d’Alene had wasted about $50,000 of our tax money.   The 10′ x 26′ Coeur d’Alene Police and Fire Public Safety Building, so vacuously foisted on taxpayers by Police Captain Steve Childers and City Finance Director Troy Tymesen in March 2008, sat locked and unoccupied at the very kind of event for which they had avowed it was so desperately needed.

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After the Coeur d’Alene City Council meeting on Tuesday night, we should all receive a nice note from Steve Wetzel, Dick Barclay, Ron Ouren, and Steve Flerchinger thanking us for contributing to their favorite public charity.  You may not have known you were making a charitable contribution, and that’s exactly the way our Mayor and City Council wants it.

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Remember the public safety substation that just had to be in place in City Park by June 1, 2008?  The one the City hadn’t included in any financial plan, so it had to beg the LCDC to give it $50,000?  Well, it looks as if the excavation started today.  By the way, if the City holds to its agreement, the City will be writing a check for half that amount to the LCDC in February 2009.