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Posts published in “Day: July 21, 2014”

Campaigning on your dime

carlson CHRIS
CARLSON

 
Carlson
Chronicles

Governor C. L. “Butch” Otter brought his “dog and pony” show called Capital For A Day to St. Maries on July 21st. My, oh my, how it has changed since Governor Cecil D. Andrus, who initiated the program in 1973, and I walked the streets of the temporary “capital” (usually a county seat).

No entourage. No security detail. No advance team. No “show and tell.” No setting up a town hall meeting and expecting the citizens to come to us.

Nope. Just Cece and I, popping in and out of various businesses on Main Street, chatting with the owner and asking if they were having any difficult issues with any facet of state government. The day’s agenda usually included a noon speech at a Rotary or a Kiwanis Club and in the afternoon drop by visits to the local paper and other media to report on what he was hearing.

My role was to take notes, handle any media that might want to tag along and pass out the “Capital for A Day” post cards wherein folks could write a brief description of their issue and their contact info.

When we got back to Boise the governor would deal the cards out to appropriate staff with instructions to have an interim report back to the constituent within two weeks and a definitive answer within four weeks.

There was another significant difference. Once the Republicans selected their nominee to challenge Andrus in the August primary, the governor suspended the program.

“Butch” should take note and follow the Andrus lead. No matter how one slices it, or rationalizes it, to continue Capital For A Day in an election year after your opponent is selected is to have the taxpayers underwriting a campaign-like endeavor.

It's a clear "conflict of interest" and a clear illegal contribution to the governor's re-election effort by the taxpayer. Frankly, I'm amazed that no one has called Governor Otter out on this matter. State senator Russ Fulcher from Meridian should have confronted Governor otter on this in his closely contested primary challenge. (more…)

In the Briefings

lookout view

 
Taken from Scott Mountain Lookout, 11 miles to the north and with a straight view towards the fires. It was taken at 5 PM on July 18. Wash Fire is the smoke on left, Grimes Fire is the smoke on right. (photo/Boise National Forest)

 
Fire became the big story of the week all over the northwest (at least, from the Cascades east). The fire sizes were not notably large – yet – but a number of them were aggressive, and at least one ravaged several human settlements. This is an early point in the year for this sort thing; it portends a rough season ahead.

On the front pages

news

Here’s what public affairs news made the front page of newspapers in the Northwest today, excluding local crime, features and sports stories. (Newspaper names contracted with location)

ParkCenter Mall turns into charter school (Boise Statesman)
Winchester well tried to help city (Lewiston Tribune)
Mars research at Craters of the Moon (TF Times News)

ODOT looks at Medford-Phoenix bike lands (Ashland Tidings)
Cluster hiring affects OSU rankings (Eugene Register Guard)
Former Governor Atiyah diies (Portland Oregonian, Eugene Register Guard, Salem Statesman Journal)

Battle over Senate seat in 35th (Bremerton Sun)
State-county commission will review Oso slide (Everett Herald)
Former judge CC Bridgewater dead (Longview News)
Fish advocates will sue over weir (Port Angeles News)
WA wildfire fights still underway (Seattle Times, Spokane Spokesman)
Battle in 3rd US House district (Vancouver Columbian)
Growing numbers of motorcycle crashes (Vancouver Columbian)