Parting Shots (3/31/04):

I'm beginning to think My Mother didn't raise me right. After all, there I was shooting the breeze with Gov. Dirk Kempthorne at a reception after the NIC health/science building ground-breaking ... when I noticed the cake on his plate. I mean, the guy's governor of the whole state of Idaho. And I'm wondering why he ate the cake and left the frosting and filling. So, I asked if he was watching his weight to keep trim in case a snoozepaper photographer catches him bare-chested again. Remember? Last year, a shooter for The Daily Bee in Sandpoint snapped him coming out of Lake Pend Oreille after a swim. The guv's pretty buff. I don't think Dirk answered my question. He just started inching away. So I followed up with another one of the same vain: Were you targetting the 35 to 54 femme demographic with that skin shot? Mom'd probably have a cow if she knew I talked to the guv that way.

--Never met a politician who didn't enjoy a round of applause. And the North Idaho legislators who witnessed the NIC ground-breaking ceremony were no different. All of them deserved the job-well-dones, too, for supporting the construction bonds to build the $12 million facility. But one. One voted against the 2003 bill, the only North Idaho legislator to do so. I'll announce his name in Monday's Huckleberries. (Hint: Prez Michael Burke announced him last.)

--Chiarpah Matheson, who spoke at the NIC ground-breaking ceremonies for the Coeur d'Alene Indian Tribe, is the spitting image of his Papa, Dave.

--I identified with Prez Burke's comments about health and science courses: They're the reason I became an English major.

DFO

Fan Mail (3/31/04):

The cards & e-mails keep coming. Thanx for helping me grow this blog (and keep reading the other letters on the jump):

I never took the time to thank you for the free advertizing I got from one of your columns in the mid 90's! Your presence in the the paper will be missed but your blog is even better. To refresh your memory, I am the owner of Beagle Heating & my slogan of "Good ol boy quality at a redneck price" caught your eye on I 90 back then! And yes, I am the person with the then controversial license plates in 1991 of "nwrednk"!

Good luck to you,

Your friend, Northwest Redneck (aka Red!)

DFO: Red, keep your eyes open for good blog stuff. And, remember, Huckleberries continues on ... and needs to be fed, too.

Farewell

Smarter than a legislator,
Testy as an old head waiter,
Unsurpassed as agitator,
We will miss our Common-tater.

The Bard of Sherman Avenue

DFO: The Bard wrote three rhymes when I left the Hot Potatoes biz. I was a little embarrassed by this one. But I probably enjoyed it the most. BTW, the guesses to The Bard's identity have stopped. And that's good. We decided you guys would get it someday, and we'd have to 'fess up. So I'm imposing a moratorium for a bit to give The Bard some breathing room. And, yes, Virginia, there really is a Bard. And s/he ain't me.

---

Hi Dave,

Is it too late for some enlightenment on what the difference was between hot potatoes and huckleberries? I never did figure that one out. Also I'm enjoying your blog, but for some reason the first couple of paragraphs always show up overwritten with the stuff on the left side of the screen making them unreadable. At least that is the case on my six year old computer here at work.

Rick Price
Sandpoint

DFO: Nah, it's never too late to learn the distinction between Idaho's two major food groups. Huckleberries involves slices of life, bumpersnickers and funny things that happen to people. Hot Potatoes was suppose to be strictly opinion. But sometimes I strayed in one column or the other. So, I can't blame you for the confusion. As far as that shadow on the blog goes, it's a result of an old server. I get it at my old computer at home, too. You should be able to upgrade easily and free on the Internet (unless you're computer illiterate like I am).

---

One wonders why John Kerry, or any of his ilk should be distressed by high gasoline prices. This is what true green environmentalists have long pined for, claiming this would lead to less motoring, less gasoline consumption, cleaner air, et cetera, et cetera.

Ah, but there's a catch. They wanted higher gas prices to be driven not by supply and demand, nor by the costs of production and distribution, but instead by higher federal motor fuel taxes, providing more money for high-minded liberals to spend on our behalf. Dang!!

Leonard C. Johnson
MOSCOW

---

Dave:

I enjoy your writing but your support for "taking" Sanders Beach is out of character for a self imposed conservative who normally supports private property rights.

Don Sausser
iamdons@adelphia.net

DFO: Good point, Don. "Private" Sanders Beach is different for two reasons. CDA residents have been using the beach since the 19th century. And no one can say absolutely, positively that the East Lakeshore homeowners and Hagadone Hospitality own their part of the beach, even though they're paying taxes on it. Why? No one has ever established the high-water mark for the lake. It's possible that those homeowners are trying to squat on public property. Meanwhile, the homeowners can't build within 40 feet of the beach, so they're helpless to keep someone off their portion unless they want to go to the Supreme Court to establish their legal right to the property. They'd be wise to grant an easement to the city and let the city take care of policing and cleanup.

On the Bravery of the Crocus:

This tiny plant must conquer fear
To bloom before the springtime’s here,
For the snows of March that sometimes cloak us
Will frost your pistil if you’re a crocus.

The Bard of Sherman Avenue

Lunch Specials (3/31/04):

Just got back from the ground-breaking for the new $12 million health and science building at North Idaho College. The local politirati was there -- as was Gov. Dirk Kempthorne (who sends his greetings. Howzat for name dropping?) But 'nuff said. It's time for the Lunch Specials:

1. The 18th version of the Netsky worm may be coming to a computer near you soon. So beware. You can read all about the latest computer virus here.

2. You can find an updated account on the horrific attack against foreign contractors today in Fallujah here.

3. Lefty comedian (his word, not mine) Al Franken debuted along with Air America Radio as the Liberal Empire struck back Wednesday. The Left's answer to Rush, Shawn, Laura, et al, opened on five radio stations. Read all about it here.

4. The residents of Killington, VT, are so fed up with taxes that they want to move to neighboring New Hampshire. Read all about it here.

5. Go ahead and scoff at those virginity pledges that teens are taking and the True Love Waits movement. But they work. Click here.

--Dick Morris sez the media-ocrity were premature in writing Dubya's obituary here.

--Columnist Terence Jeffrey wonders if Catholic bishops will confront J. Flipflop Kerry for his support of human cloning and abortion and opposition to traditional marriage here.

--Alan Bromley argues in the Wall Street Journal that we should leave "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance and Howard Stern on the air. Click here.

--Dubya's holding his own in the early going against Flipflop here.

Best of the Northwest (3/31/04):

1. The Idaho Statesman reported this morning that Idaho slipped four spots in the national ranking of how much states support science and technology, from 26th to 30th. Click here.

2. Idaho Statesman columnist Dan Popkey takes a look at how a decision by the loopy 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will affect 14 Death Row inmates in Idaho here.

3. Two teens who burned a cross on a black Arlington (Snohomish County, Wash.) minister's lawn are expected to be charged with felony malicious harassment today. Click here.

4. Although job prospects are improving, Oregon still isn't a great place for teachers looking for work. Click here.

5. The University of Idaho Argonaut likes what it sees in new college prez Timothy White. Click here. And reports on that fine arts hubbub here.

Wednesday Quick Fix Six (3/31/04):

We start again. The insatiable blog needs to be fed. But first a weather report from viewtiful Coeur d'Alene. Cloudy. But the sun is trying to break through (which describes the efforts of local folks trying to get inside the thick skulls of our City Council to preserve Sanders Beach: one of the three great beaches on Coeur d'Alene's North Shore). Onward:

1. Hate to start your day with this one ... but The Drudge Report provides a graphic illustration of the kinds of animals we're dealing with in the Middle East. Islamic extremists burned and mutilated the bodies of four foreign nationals in Fallujah, including one American. Your Middle East upchuck fix is here.

2. Despite the best efforts of opportunistic Richard Clarke and the media-ocrity, the public still pins blame for the current 9-11 controversy on (drum roll, puh-lease) -- Slick Willie. Find your morning polling fix here.

3. Things haven't been going well for Iraqi weightlifter Khadom Sharif Hassan since he used a sledgehammer to help topple that statue of So-Damn Insane a year ago. Now, he's singing the Baghdad Jailhouse Blues. Your Iraq feature fix can be found here.

4. In an editorial, the Washington Times (www.washtimes.com, which all conservatives should bookmark) wonders when the National Education Association is going to come clean about its political expenditures. Click here.

5. From burglars to murderers, people are confessing their crimes and changing their lives after seeing Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. Your Passion fix is here.

6. Everything you ever wanted to know about the "outsourcing" boogeyman but were afraid to ask is provided by the Village Voice here.

--Tony Blankley of the Washington Times sez J. Flipflop Kerry shares a trait with Thomas Dewey that is potentially fatal: sheer unlikeability. Click here.

--Dick Morris of New York Post On Line argues that the Richard Clarke hubbub helped Dubya here.

--Michelle Malkin takes a closer look at left-wing thuggery here.

--Ruben Navarrette Jr. of the Seattle Times supports Dubya's wildly unpopular immigration proposals here.

Parting Shot (3/30/04):

Dang, I'm trying to write a full-length column re: Sanders Beach for this weekend ... and I keep getting snagged every 3 or 4 inches. I have an overwhelming urge to ... throw in three dots ... and change the subject. Mebbe toss in a word like "viewtiful" or "got-rocks pals" to set the tone. Oh well, I have a coupla more days to whip the thing into shape. And only 10 more inches to go. The chances are 50-50 that I'll make it.

--Some of you have wondered why you get the shadow effect on the lead item when you open my blog (like I do at home). The blogmaster sez you need to update your browser because you're probably using Internet 5.0 or worse. Dunno much about the technicalities here. But it's easy if you're blessed to have a technotweeb as a friend. The upgrade should be free.

--Just when I thought I'd never read a Brand X column from beginning to end, Ric Clarke has forced me to do so with his "where are they now" remembrances. Last weekend's piece on former CDA mayor Jim Fromm was a must-read. One of the most courageous votes I've ever witnessed was Jim's tie-breaking vote in 1985 that blocked the return of hydroplane racing on Lake CDA.

--Izzit just me, or does U.S. Rep. Butch Otter enjoy beating up on women? I'm speaking figuratively here, of course. For the third straight time, Butch will face a femme Demo in the general election. He had no trouble dispatching ex-Moscow city councilwoman Linda Pall and ex-U.S. attorney Betty Richardson. Now, he's matched with Naomi Preston of Boise. The wily Otter'd better enjoy easy pickin's while he can because a projected race against Lt. Gov. Jim Risch for governor will be anything but gentle.

--Congrats to Hudson Hamburgers for winning the Best Burgers category in the Inlander's annual best-of competition. But, what else is new, hunh? Other North Idaho "bests" were Sandi Bloem (elected official), The Wine Cellar (best wine list), Beverly's (best fine dining), San Francisco Sourdough Co. (best sandwich), The Porch (best new restaurant), Dockside (best breakfast), Capone's (place to drink beer), The Iron Horse (place for drinks), Kelly's (best live music/dance club), etc.

DFO

Another Farewell to Taters:

Sorry to see the Hot Potatoes column go, but I can appreciate how much work and time it must have consumed each week. At least Huckleberries will still be around. How 'bout the Bard? Love the dude, who ever (s)he is. Dudette?

We communicated last fall about the back woods attitude around here,
and had a good chuckle. I still don't get the attitude and points of view, held by the people from Spokane. They deserve the inferiority complex they bestow on themselves. And that parking garage thing, what's up with that?

I always looked forward to the Letters to the Editor column, with the "West Side" locals up in arms over your opinions. In fact, I'm still amazed over how heated the "discussions" get over the dumbest topics. Like the effectiveness of studded tires, and the cause of the rutted highways. There never seems to be any middle ground around here when it comes to opinions. Very polarized, one way or the other.

I have loved your pot shots, opinions, and points-of-view, and have learned a lot about life in North Idaho in my first year living here.

I've briefly checked out your Blog, and will have to explore and dig deeper, to mine "your nuggets of wisdom", but I must confess, I too, prefer reading a newspaper over a computer screen and web pages.

Keep up the good work, and don't cut 'em any slack!

Rick Casemore
French Gulch / CDA

DFO: Thanx for the kind words. I, too, will miss the return fire from folks set off by Hot Potatoes. Sometimes, they almost sounded as though their heads were going to explode. It doesn't get much better than that (other than their heads actually exploding).

Will Sandi Be Our 'Cable Car Lady'?

(And now another word about Sanders Beach from Steve Badraun.)

It was 1947, in San Francisco, when city officials decided to rip out all of its cable cars and junk the entire system. The oil companies and motor car industry giants wanted them destroyed.

One remarkable woman , Friedel Klussman, stood alone that day to resist their efforts. She recognized the value of cable cars then and in the future for her native San Francisco. The citizens rallied around Friedel and literally told the politicians "you're not going to get rid of our cable car system". This tiny woman was the seed for an uprising that led to a team of ferocious political advocates who collected 50,000 signatures, got the proposal on the ballot and succeeded with 77 percent of the vote to stop the destruction.

Friedel and her group rallied again and again against new threats to junk the cable cars in 1950, 1951, 1954, and 1971. When Friedel Klussmann died in 1986, workers draped the cities cable cars in black for their "cable car lady". Today almost 10 million passengers a year ride the cable cars. It is the worlds only surviving cable car system and the premier symbol of San Francisco.

Our shoreline, our beach assess, and our views and vistas of our lake are the "cable cars" of Coeur d' Alene. Once and for all, we need to make our stand and never again give lose one small piece of these treasures. Always we need to work to build on these symbols rather than giving them away. Is our heritage of Sanders Beach going to vanish because of one developers wishes? Is Sandi Bloem going to be our "cable car lady'?

Steve Badraun
sbadraun@earthlink.net

French Upgrade Terror Alert Status:

John Rook of Coeur d'Alene spotted this one out in Cyberspace:

In light of the Madrid bombing, France has raised its terror alert level
from run to hide.

The only two higher levels in France are surrender and collaborate.

Lunch Specials (3/30/04)

The Lunch Specials today feature Middle Eastern cuisine, with a big helping of anti-terrorism on the side:

1. It hasn't been a good day so far for the Bad Guys. In London, British police arrested 8 Pakistanis and seized a half ton of explosives about five miles from Hethrow airport here. Meanwhile, Uzbek police killed two dozen Bad Guys in their hideout here, and Philippine authorities prevented a mid-level attack on the train system here.

2. Authors Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins have reached the end, literally. The final installment of their 12-part "Left Behind" series hit bookstores today. Read all about it here.

3. Dubya mounts a preemptive attack on John Flipflop Kerry's gas policy here.

4. Now, Passion of the Christ is taking the United Kingdom by storm here.

5. The Statue of Liberty is scheduled to reopen this summer for the first time since the 9/11 attacks here.

Best of the Northwest (3/30/04):

The day begins with bad news from Boy-C:

1. Intolerant atheists and the Anti-Christian Liberties Union claim another symbolic victory as a Ten Commandments monument is moved from public property in Boise. Find the Idaho Statesman report here.

2. The soldiers of Idaho's 116th Calvary Brigade are moving their weddings up to ensure they exchange vows before Uncle Sam summons them to Iraq. Click here.

3. Rev. Ken Hutcherson, an African-American pastor from Redmond, Wash., and former Seattle Seahawk linebacker, sez gays are not the nation's new African-Americans here.

4. The Warm Springs tribe is stirring up trouble among Oregon Indian tribes by proposing to build a casino in the Columbia River Gorge, east of Hood River. Click here.

5. The battle between ranchers and wolves -- including the two-legged kind -- continues to rage in southern Idaho. Click here.

Tuesday Quick Fix Six (3/30/04):

I meet with my Holy Man Tuesday mornings, so this froggie's a bit late with his bloggin'. Sorry. Onward:

1. In the "does a falling tree in the forest make a noise if no one's around to hear it dept?" 56 economists say the economy is rebounding. But John Flipflop Kerry and national Demos complain that it isn't. So is it? Judge for yourselves here.

2. The world didn't come to an end when New York City banned smoking in public places, according to Mayor Bloomberg. After a year of smokelessness, biz is booming in New York. Click here.

3. Columnist Dennis Prager of townhall.com points out that the United States is the only country to define itself as Judeo-Christian. But what does that mean? Click here.

4. Ed Fuelner of Human Events On Line sez this may be a decisive year for the Conservative Revolution here.

5. David Limbaugh sez Demos have a Military Leadership Deficit Disorder that's fueling their witch hunt into Dubya's record as commander in chief here.

6. Christian journalists have their hands full dealing with former star reporter Jack Kelley and his ethical lapses. Click here.

--Mort Kondracke of Roll Call sez voters care more about Dubya's post-9/11 record than his pre-9/11 record here.

--The Constitution Restoration Act puts activist judges on notice here.

--An al Qaida mastermind in the 9/11 attacks sez decisive U.S. response stopped plans to attack the Library tower in Los Angeles and the Sears Tower in Chicago here.

--Be still my beating heart -- a liberal talk-radio network is ready for its debut. Click here.

Parting Shot:

Note to Self -- Was I suppose to call Mayor Sandi Bloem to set up a coffee to discuss the error of my ways re: Sanders Beach? Or was she suppose to call? By the look in her eyes and tone in her voice Friday, it won't be a social visit. But Sanders Beach is worth the grief.

--I've been in the news biz 34 years and finally saw something I'd never seen before: A politician receive a standing ovation ... before he said anything. At the human rights shindig Friday night, U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo received three standing O's, including one when he was introduced. Which is dangerous. A pol gets applauded too much and the next thing you know he thinks he has a mandate to do some goofy thing or another. Then, who can blame Crapo for thinking that? After all, he has no Demo opponent in his run for re-election.

--I noticed Councilman Al Hassell was sitting at a separate table from the rest of the CDA council at the human-rights event. And wondered if that was symbolic. Just Call Me Al travels to the beat of his own drum. Which is good for the community.

--Tony Stewart, the area's numero uno human-rights activist, is right that the annual Kootenai County Task Force event is the only forum where Donkeys and Elephants can break bread for an evening without bashing one another. Tony deserves credit for keeping politics out of the task force activities.

--I met some decent Demos at the shindig who'll probably serve as road-kill in Repub Idaho this fall, including Naomi Preston of Nampa, the woman challenging U.S. Rep. Butch Otter. First impression? Impressive. Can't see Otter losing to any D. But he's not going to have a cake walk with her.

DFO

Fan Mail re: Dick Clarke

Hi Dave:

Congrats on your blog site. I just have one question: Who is this Dick Clarke, anyway?

The Dick Clark I remember was known for "American Bandstand", and for his involvement on New Years Eve when they dropped the ball in Times Square.

This Dick Clarke could be on "American Grandstand" for his comments about his involvement on 9/11 when they dropped the ball in the same city.

I think I prefer the original.

John Austin

DFO: Hidey-ho, good neighbor, John; long time no see. You're right about Dick Clarke (notice the final E) being a grandstander. And making a million bucks to tell all to the enraptured -- not embedded -- national media, which are huffin' and puffin' and tryin' to blow Dubya's house down. I don't like the words to Clarke's ever-changin' tune and he's hard to dance to. I've run down several links that tell a different story about this bum than Dan, Roger and Peter'll tell ya. Click here and here.

Courthouse Roundup:

No Demos are running for the four positions that are available this year at the Kootenai County Courthouse (2 commish, prosecutor and sheriff). But there are plenty of D's running elsewhere in North Idaho, particularly in Bonner County. For a complete look at all Idaho courthouse races (courtesy of K-County Clerk Dan English and the Idaho Association of Counties), click here.

Say It Ain't So, Potato:

I've been touched -- more than just in the head -- by the response I've received from readers re: Hot Potatoes. Or the lack thereof for the forseeable future. Here's a sampling of the incoming e-mail (more letters on the jump):

Hi Mr. O,

I have enjoyed many a chuckle reading your irreverent snippets at the northidahoness and whowithalls in our community. I be tuning into your blog for sure.. tho, I get sooo distracted on the Internet, I really prefer print media. Thanks for enlightening me and validating my suspicions about the goings on around here.

Jeanette Dunn
Premier Publishing
(Publisher of the Cuisine de Coeur d'Alene food and entertainment guide to North Idaho)

DFO: Jeanette, thanks for the kind remarks. If anything, the blog gives me an opportunity to reconnect with my community in ways that Hot Potatoes never did. Dunno how this thing's going to evolve. But I wouldn't be surprised to see a Hot Potatoes' reprise of some sort on line.

Hello Dave... can't tell you how happy I was to open the paper this morning. When I read in yesterday's (Sunday's) paper that it was your last column.. I was so depressed! You are clever, funny, intertaining and insightful with your colum and I love it!

I'll miss you on Sunday but I hope you will continue to write on Monday morning... it sets the day/week just right!

Diane Sullivan

DFO: As Bogie said to Bacall in Casablanca, we'll always have Huckleberries. Or was that Paris? Thank you, Diane, for your very nice note.

---

Dave,

We were sad to read in this morning's issue of the _S-R_ that it was the last edition of Hot Potatoes. Was the column retired at your request?
Will we be able to read your commentary online at "No Holds Barred?"

Cheers,

Kim and Beth Long

DFO: I really needed to get a life. And the column was holding me back from doing so. I'll miss it. Occasionally. But I wanted to pursue some other things. As far as my commentary goes ... I have just begun to write. Keep watching this spot.

---

David:

I mourn the passing of Hot Potatoes. It had become my custom upon moving to Minnesota to read the column prior to heading to church on Sunday morning. While I do not think the absence of Hot Potatoes will affect my churchgoing or my spirituality, it will become yet another erstwhile tie to home that goes missing.

See you in the Blog,

Gordon Crow
Ex-Idaho state senator

DFO: Only my mother and sisters call me David. Ee-yew.

---

Say it ain't so Spud-boss. Who is left to deflate the Horses ah, fools that abound among us? Who is left to invent new words? What will Webster do for new material? What is the world coming too? Who will the idiots blame for their sorry lives? This Tater grieves...

Herb Huseland
Bayview

DFO: I know how you feel. I'm going through withdrawals without any oafish-als to harangue for Wednesday.

---

Two things:
1) I'm said to hear Hot Potatoes are finally going to be mashed. Oh well, as is life. And your blogging seems to garner more readers than HP, as long as Huckleberries stays put I'll be content. (My question is, what else do you do for the SR besides columns? DFO: 3 editorials per week, blog and, soon, a full-length column.)

2) I would like to lodge my objection to the possible charging for online access to the Spokesman Review. I'm a poor college student and online is the only way I get my news these days. To charge for it is just plain wrong in my opinion.

Henry Johnston
UI student

DFO: For now, the current version of the on-line paper continues to be free, unless you want our fancy now product that replicates the print version.

---

Always like Hot Potatoes. Didn't always agree but always read it with pleasure.
Sorry to see it go.

priestlakeboy@cs.com

DFO: Huckleberries'll always be there, if you need a fix. As far as agreeing with me goes ... I didn't always agree with me after I read my mashed ramblings the next morning. I guess we all have a little John Kerry in us. (In fact, I don't even agree with what I wrote in the previous sentence.)

Monday Lunch Specials (3/29/04):

Sorry, there are no potato products among today's Lunch Specials:

1. What's this? In the heart of -- pardon me, Herb Caen -- UC-Berserkley, a group of 60 Young Republicans are making their presence know. Which is driving the Loon Left cuh-razy ... while gaining headlines. Click here. And read California Patriot by the Berkeley College Republicans here.

2. Wanna know how a young God-fearing American positions himself to make an impact in an increasingly secular society? Check out Daniel & Friends here.

3. Paul Beston explains how he became a conservative while working with National Public Radio here.

4. A fantasy written by Anglican priest Graham Taylor is being promoted as a Christian version of Harry Potter. Read an interview with Rev. Taylor here.

5. Why do Democrats dismiss the amazing liberation of Iraq? Click here.

Life After Hot Potatoes:

As many of you know now, I bid adieu to Hot Potatoes Sunday. After 10 years and 1,000 columns, I needed a break. And I wanted to do something else. My new role will blend something old (Huckleberries, of course, and three editorials per week) with something new: full-length column and blogging.

This blog is a work in progress. And now has four daily features that I'll continue: the morning Quick Fix Six (which culls the top conservative Web sites to give you the rest of the story behind the morning's headlines); Best of the Northwest (a mid-morning roundup of important Northwest stories); Lunch Specials (Top News of the Day); and Parting Shot (personal thoughts at the end of the day). I also plan to print on-line letters from readers. And publish responses from a Question of the Week.

Please let me know if you have problems opening the site. Or any links. And please forward any ideas that I can use to improve this site.

Best of the Northwest (3/29/04):

Religion is front and center in the Best of the Northwest roundup today:

1. Not only is Steve Massey a personal friend and former Spokesman-Review assistant city editor, but he's the pastor of my church, Hayden Bible. In his bi-weekly column in The Spokesman-Review religion page, he tells it like it is and gets a lot of guff for it. For those of you who don't subscribe to the S-R, you're in for a treat today. Say hello to Steve here.

2. Pastor Jason Martin of Arlington (Snohomish County, Wash.) apparently took the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-6) seriously. When two teen racists burned a cross on his lawn, he didn't rant about discrimination and hate crimes. He forgave them. Click here.

3. The Oregonian Editorial Page supports U.S. Sen Ron Wyden's efforts to extend wilderness protection to Mount Hood and areas in the Columbia Gorge here.

4. Columnist Dan Popkey of The Idaho Statesman looks at the history of a controversial Ten Commandments monument that's scheduled to be moved from a public site today in Boise here.

5. The Statesman takes a look at the winners and the losers from the Idaho Legislature's charter school fight. Hint: the supporters of charter schools were the winners. Click here.

'No Second Helpings'

He's dished out Taters these ten years,
well seasoned with some laughs and tears.
Now a rest is Dave deserving --
oh my gosh, here's our last serving!

The Bard of Sherman Avenue

Monday Quick Fix Six (3/29/04):

It's Monday, and the first day in the rest of our lives. Now that Hot Potatoes is no more in print, I'll have to figure out what to do with all my free time. Mebbe walk along the north shore beach during the lunch hour. Mebbe go home at a decent time. Mebbe ... ah, fugeddaboutit ... I'm already figuring out something to do ... full-length columns. Dunno if I can concentrate long enough on one subject to write 18 inches. So, stay tuned. Meanwhile, here' your fix:

1. You know who won at the Oscars. But do you know who won the Christian Film and Television Commission's? Hint: A movie named after a little fish and another based on a triology about wizards, orcs and fairies. You can find all the CFTC's best here.

2. So, what do our good friends, the Pakistanis, really thing of us? Sixty-five percent think Osama bin Laden's a great guy, and 46 percent believe the attacks on Westerners were justified. With allies like this, who needs enemies? Click here. (Meanwhile, you can find out why Osama's bad guys are still trying to kill Pakistani prez Musharraf here.)

3. Dick Lamm, the former Demo guv of Colorado, is being labeled a neo-Nazi and worse by his Sierra Club, ahem, colleagues as he runs for the board of directors of Gang Green. Why? He had the audacity to speak out against our unprecedented immigration. Columnist John Leo opines here.

4. Remember when society looked down on women who stayed home to take care of their kids? Mebbe it still does. But there's a growing back-to-home movement that's reaching women whom the feminists once believed would never again look homeward. They're now featured in a Time mag cover story. Columnist Suzanne Field discusses it here.

5. Not so fast. John Flipflop Kerry has a Vietnam War record, too, one before and after the war. And the Media-ocrity seem content on ignoring what he did when he came back from Vietnam -- other than cursory treatment of his anti-war speech before Congress. Click here.

6. Few Americans know the Middle East like former Kootenai County resident Dave Dolan. He talks about the demise of terrorist Ahmed Yassin here.

--Chicago Sun-Times editorial: Atheists don't have the right to edit out God. Click here.

--Matt C. Abbott sez right-to-lifers should return to their basic message: abortion kills, always. Click here.

--Pope John Paul II: Sunday should be preserve for the Lord, not sports. Click here.

--Neil Cavuto is sick of the 9/11 commissioner, too. Click here.

Parting Shot (3/26/04):

--Been hooked to the plow today (Hot Potatoes, Huckleberries and an Editorial for Monday re: the proposed Coeur d'Alene School District policy re: animals at school.) Didn't have time to do much with the blog other than to edit roundups. Sorry. But the load will lighten somewhat after this weekend. Check Sunday's Hot Potatoes. I'll tell you what it means Monday.

--Now, I'm off to the annual human rights banquet at The Coeur d'Alene Inn. Last time I attended, my old compadre, Bill Wassmuth, was still alive. He and I go back to the beginning of his involvement in the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations. About 1984. Or 1985. Memories. After almost 20 years of watching this town, for good and for bad, I have a bushel full of memories. I'll use this blog to tell you about them. I haven't been here nearly as long as the Edinger brothers. But I still have a lot to tell ... like the time ... ah ... don't get me started now.

--Meanwhile, you might want to venture down to the 15th Street entrance to Sanders Beach and check out those signup sheets. If you don't, you can read about them in my Parting Shot in Monday's Huckleberries.

DFO

Lunch Specials (3/26/04):

Worked thru the lunch hour, so you'll have to settle for leftovers. But they're tasty:

1. Ralph Reed, the former boyish leader of the Christian Coalition who turned Georgia from Democrat to Republican, is working his magic again. Click here.

2. Liberals scream like stuck pigs when you criticize their ideas or, if they happen to be a certain Most Liberal Senator Running for Prez, their hairdo and/or votes. They'll whine: You're so mean. Well, they don't mind meanspiritness themselves. In fact, in his new digs, National Demo Poohbah Terry McAwful has a doormat with Dubya's face on it. Click here.

3. What does a hard-core Indian activist, like Russell Means, do when he realizes The Left has failed him? He turns to Dubya's party. Click here.

4. Misanthropic Florence King (one of my all-time personal favorites) figured eight years ago that gays would try to rush the altar. She's a hoot. Click here.

5. Dubya's a little ahead of Demo John Kerry in most national polls (although Zogby, the one that counts, has 'em dead even). You can find the impact that Ralph Nader's having on the race here.

Best of the Northwest (3/26/04):

The Best of the Northwest has a sports flavor today:

1. The Idaho Statesman of Boise released its state all-star teams for boys and girls basketball, all divisions, and there's a coupla Lake City High girls and a Priest River girl who made first teams. Click here and follow the appropriate links.

2. Leave it to U.S. Sen. Osama Mama Murray of Washington state to try to shoot down that measure passed by the Senate Thursday to protect the unborn. You can find her latest outrage here.

3. University of Idaho architect students have some innovative ideas for senior centers here.

4. Gov. Dirk Kempthorne signed a law that strengthens penalties against stalkers here.

5. Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden wants to nearly double the wilderness area on Mount Hood and in the Columbia River Gorge. Click here.

TGIF Quick Fix Six (3/26/04):

I went for a walk on Sanders Beach last evening and came away convinced that the struggle to preserve those 500 feet for public access is a noble one. If you local folks don't believe me, go walk the beach yourself. And realize what the City Council may be willing to give away. Here's your fix:

1. Believe it or not, G- and PG-rated movies far outpace the raunchy ones in ticket sales. Yet, Planet Hollyweird continues to roll out the skin flicks. The Washington Times tells you all about it here.

2. Funny, ex-counterterrorism czar Richard Clarke would have you believe he's a neutral observer as he blasts the Bush administration for imagined sins. But J. Michael Waller of Insight notes that Clarke has contributed only to Demos over the last 10 years. Click here.

3. Last fall, The Weekly Standard published a lengthy article about the controversy involving the phrase, "under God," in the Pledge of Allegiance. You can read all about the history of the phrase here.

4. Distinguished Fellow William Rusher of the Claremont Institute believes Ralph Nader will create a big splash this fall by dropping out of the prez race and throwing his support to Demo John Kerry. Despite Nader's monstrous ego, sez Rusher, he doesn't want to be known as the man who twice elected Dubya. Click here.

5. Catholic John Jakubczyk looks at the deep symbolism of Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ here. Meanwhile, the box office smash officially cleared $300 million Wednesday. Click here. And you can expect distributor Rainbow to re-release Monty Python's blasphemous The Life of Brian this year to mock Gibson's Passion here.

6. CBSNews.com has three letters to warn seniors why they should be careful about their "free love": H-I-V. Yep, AIDS is starting to make a mark among Seasoned Citizens. Click here.

--Bruce Bartlett of the National Center for Policy Analysis explains why we tend to view everything foreign as the boogeyman, especially outsourcing, here.

--Mona Charen sez journalists allow politicians to lie here.

--Debra Saunders notes that the Viagramobile was the first to break down at the Daytona 500 here.

--George Will explains why the South Carolina U.S. Senate election matters here.

Parting Shot (3/25/04):

Another work day draws to a close in the Inland Northwest. And that almost means it's time to hang out the closed sign on Blogs R Us. But I have some random thoughts to run by you first:

--We haven't heard the last of the never-ending battle for Sanders Beach. Folks are still signing petitions. And ringleader Peter Luttrop calculates he has around 1,000 now, including 850 turned into the City Council 10 days ago. Sanders Beach lovers are planning to make themselves heard again in a unique way. But more about that later. Meanwhile, I'm wondering if this will be the time that the majority of the council misplays its hand and turns Hagadone's annexation request into a full-scale revolt ... or possible recall situation? Stay tuned.

--Henry Johnston, the Sandpoint High grad who's now attending the University of Idaho, has started an amusing blog that looks and sounds something like No Holds Barred. In other words, I find it entertaining. And check it daily ... to see what's happening at Vandalville from a conservative student's perspective. He blogs some interesting thoughts re: that recent fine-arts riot and the Vandals' drunk bus here.

--I've been told by local candidates recently that they're running from Concealed Businesses of North Idaho. They don't want the secretive group's money or endorsement. It's hard to figure who's part of Concealed Businesses, besides HagaCorp hatchet man John Barlow and Avista's Paul Anderson, who handles the filthy lucre. A lot of original members have told Concealed Biz to take a hike. I'll be watching the finance reports to see which candidates receive money from these birds. As soon as I know, you will.

--You might want to read Hot Potatoes Sunday to learn about a change in my duties that should free me up to write more and longer local commentaries.

Take, Take, Take

And more insight from the former Coeur d'Alene planning commissioner:

Duane (Hagadone) faced us down that evening red faced and fighting mad.

It happened over a planning commission hearing called to make a decision on a hotel "twin" that he wanted to build next to the other on the lake. Some commissioners were concerned that no additional parking in the plan would be a problem for this new tower. The city had passed an ordinance requiring all new projects downtown to either provide parking or pay fees to allow the city to purchase property for more public lots in that area. The city lot was free parking at that time and it was conveniently located nicely for overflow for the present hotel.

Duane had to ability to add one more course onto his parking garage to help with the parking concerns of this new tower. He angrily refused to do this because he wanted racquetball courts for that purpose. He angrily refused to abide by the spirit of the ordinance when all other property owners were required to follow by law. He angrily refused all attempts by the planning commission to put any additional parking or pay any fees to allow lots to be built. He even angrily refused to pave and bring up to city standards his employee parking lot which was located just behind Pioneer Title on First Street.. Perhaps it is still unpaved.

Angrily he told us that all we do is "take, take, take."

Steve Badraun
Seaside, N.J.

Lunch Specials (3/25/04):

If you've never heard of Pastor Rick Warren or his amazing book, The Purpose-Driven Life, I'm about to do you a favor. A story about the humble padre leads the No Holds Barred Lunch Specials today (thanks to Coeur d'Alene reader Bob Clayton for sending it along):

1. When Mel Gibson was looking for an endorsement to launch his controversial movie, The Passion of the Christ, he turned to Rev. Rick Warren, founding pastor of the Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif. Time magazine will tell you all about the padre who is transforming Christian living with his purpose-driven book here.

2. Altogether now, Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, dear colored TV, happy birthday to you. Tim Cuprisin of Inside TV & Radio looks at Colored TV at age 50 here.

3. As you might have read in today's And Another Thing on The Spokesman-Review Opinion Page, the Plain English Campaign has set its cross-hairs on annoying cliches. Check out its latest list of no-nos here.

4. The late-night comedians are having a field day at Dubya's expense. But that doesn't mean the jokes aren't funny. Such as this one from Craig Kilborn: "President Bush has appointed a commission to answer one big question about pre-war Iraq: How did our oil get under their sand?" You always get a chuckle, from all sides, when you turn to Daniel Kurtzman's Political Jokes Web site. Click here.

5. Columnist Michelle Malkin rapidly is becoming one of my favorites. In her most recent column, she sez that everything wrong with Planet Hollyweird can be summed up in two words: Courtney Love. Click here.

More Fallout from Hot Potatoes:

I'm still drawing incoming fire from that Hot Potato Wednesday re: the protesting peaceniks at Sandpoint. You can read the Tater that set 'em off on the jump part below.

Sad comments to my mother's enlightened response to your primitive treatment of the Sandpointers. One of the world's biggest enemies is the defective, frightened thinking of fundamentalist conservatives - it exists among so-called Christians, Jews, Muslims, and others, and is the very stuff you spew. You have played well into the neo-con scheme to rule through fear and polarizing - you are fearful of others, fearful of those not like you, and the paralyzing sense of separation and a need to belong. You are textbook. This is what brings 9-11s and the ridiculous chest thumping that follows - a heinous invasion of a sovereign country. And no, most Americans do not support our attack on Iraq (stop watching corporate news). And NO, murdering thousands of innocent people (and continuing to murder them) is in no way justified by the 9-11 events. Apparently you're afraid to read All the Shah's Men. T! oo scary eh? Might just reveal something about your government that you just can't handle?

Lauren McCroskey
dixiedingo@earthlink.net

DFO: Lezzee ... So-Damn Insane has invaded a coupla countries and tortured and killed off millions of his own people. Hmm. Sounds like he and the bad guys had it comin'. Wonder how Missy here would be spinning this if Bill Clinton had done what Dubya did? You didn't hear any Lefties like her whining when we stuck our noses into the Balkan mess.

The Hot Potato that set them off:

"As I was driving to Naples, Idaho, for a family wedding Saturday. I saw some Saddamites flaunting their anti-war naivete by the side of the road. At Sandpoint. The local fish wrapper said there were a dozen or so. Some musta been at lunch when I drove past. For quirky Sandpoint, it was a poor turnout. Then, the move to undercut Dubya's war against terrorism hasn't reached critical mass, except among Demos and media elitists (pardon the redundancy). According to polls, 57 percent of the country believes in the wisdom of fighting Iraq -- WMDs or no. And a majority of Iraqis say they're better off today than they were a year ago. But you couldn't tell that to Sandpoint's small collection of peaceniks. Who slept better at night because Dubya's there to make sure the bad guys aren't."

Best of the Northwest (3/25/04):

In the Northwest roundup today:

1. U.S. Sen. Larry Craig defends himself against a Statesman-Review opinion questioning his membership on the National Rifle Association board here.

2. After deciding to issue licenses to gay couples, the Multnomah County (Portland) Board of Commissioners has begun hearings to talk about its action. Confusing? You bet. Read all about it here.

3. Susan Neilsen of Newhouse News Service blames the Girl Scouts for the nation's current struggle with obesity. Remember that when your co-worker sez her daughter's Girl Scout cookies have arrived. Click here.

Thursday Quick Fix Six (3/25/04):

The sun's shining this morning in The City by the Lake -- and sometimes on the take -- and it's time to tell the rest of the story on several fronts (make sure you read the scintillating columns offered on the jump):

1. If you're tired of the dire warnings from the media elite about the assassination of Palestinian butcherer Ahmed Yassin, FrontPageMag provides you with talking points re: how much better off we are without him here. (And if you want to see how Yassinites use naive Palestinian youngsters to do their dirty suicide work, click here.)

2. If you've been confronted like I have with naive peaceniks who believe So-Damn Insane was harmless after the first gulf war, you should read how he brutalized the Shiites living in southern Iraq here.

3. Jennifer Harper of the Washington Times reports that good parents provide long-term health benefits to their children here.

4. David Horowitz of FrontPageMag points the finger at the individual who fiddled while terrorists attacked and prepared to launch 9-11: Bill Clinton. Horowitz reminds us how the Left compromised America's security prior to 9-11 here.

5. Despite the open hostility by media elitists against the traditional marriage amendment, you'd be wrong to count the amendment out yet. We're a nation that believes in the rule of law -- a principle being flaunted by the public oaf-ishals in San Francisco, Portland, Seattle and New York who've ignored the law to issue marriage licenses to gays. Read about the struggle here.

6. Don't look now, but the Massachusetts Supreme Court, which conjured a right to gay marriage, now sez that it's not incest for a stepfather to have sex with a stepchild. And it has ordered the Legislature to fix the law. Slippery slope? We're hurtling down it. Click here.

--Marvin Olasky sez the Taiwanese elections trump hanging chads and anything else the 2000 election had to offer here.

--Rebecca Hagelin of townhall.com tells how she's smitten by talkmeister Sean Hannity here.

--Kathleen Parker warns conservative not to be too quick to embrace actor Mel Gibson here.

--Gary Aldrich tells how Richard Clarke's tell-all book about the Bush administration got far different treatment from the media than his tell-all book about the Clinton administration here.

Parting Shot (3/24/04):

I'm amused that the Coeur d'Alene Press is beating up Dick Panabaker and the rest of the county commissioners over a planned $60,000 wage and benefits study. The Commish 3 shelved the idea. But a Press idiotorialist still used the occasion to blast them about almost wasting money on an out-of-state firm -- when county employees are underpaid. All of this hubbub is a result of Panabaker's refusal to be a dupe when Hagadone Hospitality knucklebreaker John Barlow begged two years ago -- almost literally -- for $50,000 in surplus public cash to help fund Jobs Plus. (Read all about it here.) The Press/Concealed Biz/Hagadone Hospitality complex has its cross-hairs on Panabaker this spring. Remember that when you read its slanted news stories and idiotorials about him. You've been warned.

--Don't look now, but Nez Perce County commissioners are putting a local-option sales tax measure on the ballot to pay for a new jail ... and provide property tax relief. Wonder where they got that idea?

A Protester Protests:

And here's another protest against the Hot Potatoes' column, from one of the Sandpoint peace protesters:

Dear Mr. Oliveria;

As one of those "Saddamites" you disparaged in your column of Mar. 24th, & as a 27 month Veteran of the Vietnam War (with the 173rd Airborne Brigade) I feel personally offended by your calling us "naive" & w/ a poor turnout. The "event", a simple silent protest on the courthouse steps was not advertised, being only spontaneously "planned" the night before by a few members of the local Quaker Church in order to voice their displeasure with actions being done in their name to a regime (despicable tho' it may have been) which clearly, as current events now prove, did not pose a "clear & immenient danger" to our Country. The Protest's "organizer", an elderly Quaker who served with distinction flying bombers in WWII, was forced to leave early due to ill health, I myself, wearing my old military uniform (w/ Purple Heart) was forced to take frequent breaks due to ill health also. We were joined by passers-by who included at least 2 other Military Veterans besides schoolkids (God Bless 'em!). At one time app. 20 citizens stopped by to spend a few moments standing with us in order to show their support. Its with great sadness I read hateful, hurtful comments like yours. You seem proud that 57% of the public support this war (as opposed to 80% just 1 year ago) yet due to gov't propoganda it's no wonder since, despite all intelligence otherwise, that same majority thinks Saddam was somehow behind 9-1-1. Sandpoint's small collection of Peaceniks? Thank God for em, & their numbers are growing daily! Your'e right though about only one thing in your thankfully brief rant, concerning the 568 dead (so far) "The world was not worthy of them."

Joe DeForest
Cmdr./ D.A.V. Chap. # 15
Dover

DFO: I disagree with Joe on this issue. But I appreciate his previous service to his country.

Iraq: One Year Later:

Since national media elites aren't likely to provide you with ongoing reports re: progress on the ground in Iraq, I'm giving you a one-stop shopping spot. Here's a bevy of stories and links culled from townhall.com that you can use to thwart the next-door peacenik who's whining about WMDs and the lack of progress in Iraq:

--Research Fellow James Phillips of The Heritage Foundation looks at "Iraq: One Year Later" here.

--You want to hear about progress in Iraq? The Digital Freedom Network tells you all about it and more here.

--Believe it or not, the economy of Iraq is booming, now that the corrupt U.N. Food for Oil program is no more. The Foundation for the National Defense of Democracies tells you about it here.

--The Ashbrook Center discusses the three great accomplishments of the Iraqi war: the capture of Saddam Hussein, the writing of the country's new constitution, and the booming economy. Click here.

--And, for goodness sake, bookmark townhall.com -- DFO

Hot Potatoes Sets Off Another One:

Here's another response to today's Hot Potatoes:

Dave,

Like heroes who run into burning buildings or jump into freezing water to save others, our soldiers in Iraq risk their lives everyday with very little in it for them. All the spin in the world can't change the fact that we rushed into war.
It may have been inevitable that we would have to go to war in IRaq. But Bush's impatience was for two reasons. The upcomping hot summer weather and the 04 election year.
We could have continued to contain Saddam, continue inspections for many months, and let time be our ally. There could have been a coup attempt, Saddam could have gotten cancer, if something

really was discovered, , the entre international community would quickly get behind us. Too bad politics set the timetable for war.
Showcasing numbers of dead and wounded, that are of course exponentially higher if you include Iraqi casualties, is a hollow gesture unless you yourself are willing to be one ot them. You and I get to wake up every morning and be with our families and enjoy every minute of the day. Would you be willing to have it all end this minute for the mess in Iraq? Very few of those on the sidelines cheerleading Bush and the war would themselves be willing to give their life. We are all guilty of having others do the dirty work for us.
one sidenote- a question that has been bugging me from day one- how come there has been absolutley no reporting of the Iraqi dead? Are somehow their lives not as precious? Are they so used to as a society having fathers and uncles just disappear that no onle really cares? Certainly the Pentagon does very detailed battlefield assesments and knows pretty much the number. I think it's and indictment of the whole news biz that no one have ever persisted to find out. Don't you think if the public knew that we killed 10 maybe 20 thousand Iraqis, many of whom were forced into the fight by saddam, that the whole debate about how much good we did for the iraqi people would be somewhat diffferent?
If they took two overweight, middle aged, woefully out of shape men into the military, I'm sure we would both be glad to grab a rifle and go after Osama and the Taliban. I'm not so sure many of us would want to travel the roads in Iraq. That's why our soldiers are so heroic. I would have to think twice about jumping into the lake or running into a burning building. Thank god for soldiers who don't hesitate rescuing others, the only question is did we break the first law of rescuers, dont' become a victim yourself?

Jim Spurr

DFO: Lezzee, the war killed 10,000 to 20,000 Iraqis, using Jim's guesstimates. And how about the half million skeletons that we found in Iraqi graves? I'm so tired of the anti-war crowd dripping crocodile tears for civilian war casualties and not saying a word about the 25 million who now taste freedom. A new report sez Saddam tortured and/or murdered someone in 47 percent of the Shiite families in southern Iraq. WMDs? Saddam was a WMD.

Anti-War Reader Demands Ap-hollow-gy:

(Jeri McCroskey of Harrison demanded an ap-hollow-gy after reading my criticism of protesting Sandpoint peaceniks in Hot Potatoes today. I jumped her comments because they're fairly long. But they're worth reading. And I have a brief statement at the end.)

Dave:

I read your column regularly. Sometimes I enjoy it; Sometimes I don't. Sometimes I agree (Sanders beach v/The Duane). Sometimes I disagree.

But today, I have to ask, "What were you thinking (or not) when you referred to the Sandpointers carrying peace signs as "Saddamites."

You had to know exactly what you were doing with your play on words and sound. It's no coincidence on your part that "Saddamites" is pronounced the same way "Sodomites." (That is unless you are Bush I who didn't know any better.) You were not funny; you were crude to tack the label, associated with sex with animals, on people with whom you, in your wisdom, just happen not to agree.

As a patriot, I would think you would commend rather than mock, people who choose to exercise their right of free speech and assembly to become involved and express their opinion. This is what I

have always believed we were about as a country. After all, this nation was founded on disagreement. Otherwise we might be singing "God Save the Queen" before the umpire shouts, "Play Ball."

You have a right to your opinion which I respect, even though this is hard sometimes. But I have to tell you that I don't feel safer a year after the Bushites attacked the Iraqi people over non existent WMDs. Saddam by that time was a toothless tiger, depleted by Gulf I, his war with Iran and sanctions. His rag tag army, made up largely of forced conscripts with out dated weapons, with no air force, no navy fled before the best outfitted military in the world. Given just a little longer he and his government would have collapsed, from rot within. I'm not making this up: He actually was occupied with writing some idiotic romance novel and making a movie based on it and listening to lies from his frightened, self-serving underlings about his power and capabilities. But without an invasion the neo cons would not have gotten "boots on ground" to control all that oil and the Iraqi people would have f! igured out their own government and controlled all that oil themselves.. And if war had not happened, nearly 600 of our best would not have died; nor over 3000 men and women would have been physically wounded and an unknown number scarred emotionally by the experience. And what about the other collateral damage--the wives, mothers, fathers, children whose lives have been changed forever by the administration's rush to bomb a people on the other side of the world who had never done us any harm and lacked the capability to do so? What about the un named and uncounted Iraqi civilians, including children who have been killed and horribly injured? The cluster bombs and the depleted Uranium? The cost in all human lives and the cost in money and resources is criminal. Meanwhile, the real war on terrorism was shoved to the back burner and, as a result, Iraq has become a magnate for the disgruntled and terroris! m has been scattered across the body of the world like cancer after a bungled operation. No. I do not feel safer with Dubya (there to make sure the bad guys aren't ." Why? Because he and his handlers aren't sure where the bad guys are; they could be anywhere. More than ever we are dealing with an idea that physical force is unlikely to stop. It's hard to bomb an idea , even an unworthy idea, that some people are willing to die for.

I would suggest for reading a book that hasn't received a lot of attention. ALL THE SHAHS MEN which really goes to the roots of the problems in the middle east. It's about how the CIA and Kermit Roosevelt overthrew Mossedgh, the elected Pri minister of Iran, a great admirer of the United States and Democracy. His sin? He nationalized Iranian oil which had been plundered by the British. The excuse? The Russians were coming. Everybody forgot that the Iranians hated the Russians and distrusted them as much as they distrusted and disliked the British.

Jeri McCroskey

If you are still with me, thanks for reading. And I think you owe those folks at Sandpoint an apology.

DFO: There are two types of people in this country: Those who live in a pre-9/11 fantasy world and still don't believe bad guys don't fly planes into skyscrapers and bomb trains. And those who have faced reality and believe that we're fighting an insidious enemy who thrives on appeasement. I prefer to live in the real world.

Lunch Specials (3/24/04):

Before we offer today's lunch specials, please join NHB in asking a blessing: God is great, God is good, thank you, God, for our food. Onward:

1. NHB dedicates the preceding prayer to intolerant atheist Michael Newdow of California, who appeared before the U.S. Supreme Court today to argue that the words "under God" should be banned from the Pledge of Allegiance. You can find the Reuters story here.

2. Average gas prices reached a record high of $1.74 per gallon or regular, or 2 cents more than the quick stop at Appleway and Best in Coeur d'Alene is charging. Click here.

3. You should get to know the names of courageous individuals, such as Libyan patriot Fathi Eljahmi, who risk all to champion liberty and the rule of law. Click here.

Question: Dogs Or No Dogs?

In a Direct Mailing, No Holds Barred asked readers the following Question of the Week: Should the Coeur d'Alene School Board ban counselors and teachers from taking dogs to school? Here's a sampling of responses (be sure to read the e-mails in the jump portion). Please let NHB know if you'd like to be added to the Direct Mail list for questions. You won't receive spam. Honest. Onward:

No Way

The school children of Idaho do not need another distraction in their schedule, not only do they need to take the pets out of the school and classrooms, they need to take the computers as well. Most households have a computer that kids can use and those that don't can use one at the local library; most households also have pets, those that don't can always enjoy one at a friend or relative's home, not at school. The kids need to learn to use their pencils and erasers, write a proper sentence and spell correctly. Schools are no place for any pets, dogs, cats, teacher's pets or otherwise, leave them at home.

Angie Hohman
Post Falls

No problemo

There is already way too many rules and regulations - don't smoke here, don't eat this or that food, slow down, speed up, keep off the beach: private property, wear helmets, no dogs allowed, shirts and shoes required . . . . . . . I say let the animals stay . . . what's a little dog pooh on your shoe . . .

Tina Piaskowski

If Rules Are Followed

The most important thing is the safety of the children. The district's policy proposal seems to cover that very well. If it's followed as written there shouldn't be any problems and the children can enjoy the animals. If it's not followed, then the person responsible should be held accountable and the appropriate action taken.

Terry Newcomb

---

Yes

Why teach our kids anything good in school? Can't mention God! or nothing to do with religion, Can't punish them, like when I went! A good old fashion hack paddle may do a few of these kids good! Sure I don't have to go on and list everything the Schools don't want in them, anymore! Why not take away the chance for kids to learn about pets, maybe how too treat them right, Heck it more important to raise a generations of disrespectful drug addicts, with no morals. Sure would hate for my kid to come home and tell me about something, good, and positive, something that she may have enjoyed learning about for a change! I know on the off chance that it may irritate another student would just be a bummer, Heck lets punish the rest of them and ban anything good and wholesome from our Schools.

Missi Gregorius
Post Falls

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No Harm

The school district seems to have shot first and asked questions later. The matter of dog dropping is trivial. As was stated, the children and many teachers enjoy the opportunity to bring their animals to school. The issue is who gets to clean up the dog mess. The maintenance staff should have voiced their concern to the school principal; rather than put on battle gear. Curbing one's dog is normal in many areas of the U.S. If an animal is appropriate to be on school grounds, the owner should be responsible for the results...simple as that. Then, everyone wins, kids like the animals, teachers like their animals not dumping in their neighbors yard, and the maintenance staff gets to laugh when the owners pooper scooper.

George C. Rekow
Post Falls

---

Good Learning Tool

I think they are a great addition and should be allowed to continue. Pets are a great learning tool for all ages. If there is an allergy problem involved that should be taken into consideration and the child moved to another class if room permits. It sounds like every precaution is being taken to prevent any problems though.

Gayle White
Post Falls

---

Bring on the Animals

I GUESS IT IS TIME FOR THE "OH GIVE ME A BREAK" STATEMENT. I JUST WISH OUR SCHOOL BOARD AND THE PARENTS HAD SOME VIABLE CONCERNS, LIKE A HIGHER OVERALL SCHOLASTIC AVERAGE TO WORRY ABOUT, RATHER THAN A CHILD GETTING DOG STUFF ON THEIR SHOES.

AS FOR THE ALLERGIES, DEAL WITH IT LIKE WE HAVE DONE ALL OF OUR LIVES, BLOW YOUR NOSE. IF THE ALLERGY IS LIFE THREATENING THEN PERHAPS THE CHILD SHOULD NOT ATTEND PUBLIC SCHOOL WHERE ALLERGENS PRESENT THEMSELVES ON CHILDREN'S CLOTHING (ANIMAL DANDER) THAT EACH COME IN CONTACT WITH EVERY DAY.

LET THE ANIMALS COME, THEY OFFER MANY MORE ADVANTAGES THAN DISADVANTAGES TO THE CHILDREN. CHILDREN LEARN MUCH FROM ANIMALS, KINDNESS, CARING, NURTURING.... AND MOST OF ALL, LOVE.

LET'S GROW UP TRUSTEES, OR MAYBE THAT SHOULD BE.... LET'S GO DOWN INTO OUR OWN SELF'S CHILD FOR a while. WE, AS GROWN UPS MAKE THINGS A BUNCH HARDER THAN NECESSARY.

ROGOJO@aol.com

Best of the Northwest (3/24/04):

Here's a short roundup of good Northwest stories today:

1. The European Union has slapped a $613 million fine on Microsoft and ordered the Redmond, Wash., company to change the way it does biz in Europe here.

2. The Seattle Times reports that Religious Left ministers from across Washington are supporting gay marriage. So what else is new? Click here.

3. In an editorial, The Seattle Times tells Gov. Gary Locke not to veto the state's new qualifying primary election here.

4. Idaho Statesman columnist Dan Popkey takes a look at the 35 Repub primaries scheduled this spring around the state here.

5. Starting this summer in Idaho, grandparents and other relatives who step in to raise children cast off by slacker parents will have the same parental rights as the parents. Find the rest of the story here.

Hump Day Quick Fix Six (3/24/04):

Another day of blogging in the Inland Northwest -- and one day closer to some changes in my routine. Stay tuned. Meanwhile, here's your morning fix (with a bonus section of columns on the addendum):

1. As he runs around promoting his book, former counterterrorism official Richard Clarke insists that So-Damn Insane had no connection to al-Qaida. But he saw that connection clearly -- or at least he thought he did -- in 1999 while he was supping at Slick Willie's table. Click here.

2. The National Pork, er, Park Service wants to cut hours and service to balance its books, but it doesn't mind spending $100 million of its budget on junkets to Japan, China and other exotic places. The Washington Times tells you all about it here.

3. When did John Kerry resign from the radical Vietnam Veterans Against the War? And did he take part in a strategy session that plotted the assassination of seven U.S. senators? FBI records indicate he was at the Kansas City meeting. Kerry sez he wasn't. Judge for yourselves here.

4. No Holds Barred doesn't have to tell you that France isn't to be trusted. But Phil Brennan of NewsMax.com reviews a book to reiterate the point here.

5. New York Post On Line columnist Dick Morris sez Dubya's ads are working against John Kerry and sees a possible blowout in the making. Click here.

6. Contrary to what you've heard, the U.S. is winning the piece via a massive rebuild of Iraq. Read all about it here.

--Charles Colson looks at our weird ideas about heaven here.

--Brent Bozell takes a look at insufferable artist Tim Robbins of Planet Hollyweird here.

--Debra Saunders looks at who's to blame for 9-11 here.

--Linda Chavez of Townhall.com opines on the death of "spiritual leader" Sheik Ahmed Yassin here.

'Road Map to Peace'

Yassin was old and deaf and blind.
They said he was the deadly kind.
So in self-defense strategic
they blew up a quadriplegic.

The Bard of Sherman Avenue

Sandi's Shining Moment?

There is one person who can make history with a Sanders Beach solution for generations to come. It is our Mayor, Sandi Bloem.

Sandi's personal friendship with Duane Hagadone gives her a unique understanding of why Duane resists this contribution to our community. She knows the value of Sanders Beach having lived near that beach during her youth. She realizes that her entire legacy as mayor may be judged by this tipping point. The question now is will Sandi Bloem put the citizens of Coeur d' Alene in front of all of her thoughts and actions when making this choice.

Duane Hagadone played a trick on us. He has known for years how important that little sliver of Sanders Beach means to the public.
He ignored Coeur d' Alene and sold the rights to others for $1, effectively locking the public out of the beach forever. It will be very tough for Duane to be convinced that his decision has caused great damage and needs to be repaired. Sandi Bloem is the right person at the right time for this very important task. We are counting on her.

Steve Badraun
Former Coeur d'Alene planner

DFO: I wished I shared Steve's guarded optimism.

Because You Asked:

Who can blame local Realtor Tom Torgerson for believing that Ron Edinger and his brothers are Coeur d'Alene natives? After all, the threesome has lived in Coeur d'Alene for almost 49 years, arriving here from Los Angeles in 1955, a few days after Ron and his twin, Dick, graduated from high school. Seems Papa Edinger was tired of the smog and traffic in the city of the angels -- even back then -- and decided to move nearer relatives in the Coeur d'Alene area. The boys were given the opportunity to return to southern California and live with relatives. But they stayed and became civic and softball fixtures. (And you thought the Edingers were running the welcome wagon when Lewis & Clark first arrived in the Inland Northwest?)

Republicans All?

In Kootenai County, the Repub battle goes beyond county courthouse and legislative races. I've had some fun looking at the names running for precinct committeeman posts. Some, like Dan Gookin who's running against Sharon Culbreath in Precinct 54, are Libertarians coming in from the cold. Here's the names and precinct races that caught my eye:

Precinct 15: Fred Gerrard (who lost the May 2000 primary to Kris Ellis) v. Mary Lou Piazza (County Commish wannabe Rich's wife).

Precinct 27: Rob Turner v. Thomas R. Macy (ex-Libertarian who fought the local-option sales tax).

Precinct 32: Donald (Son of Term Limits) Morgan Jr. v. Pamela Wallace.

Precint 33: Skip Hissong (whose wife Jodie is involved with local Demos) v. Tami Martinez (a Hispanic surname on a Repub ballot in North Idaho? Will wonders never cease?)

Precinct 57: Joy L. Seward v. Lee Shellman (a blast from the past).

Prrecinct 60: Bobby J. Robinson v. Chris Copstead (the election losing streak has to end someday).

Precinct 66: Mark D. Compton v. Ron Rankin (The Ronfather strikes back?)

Fan Mail Roundup (3/23/04):

The roundup today begins with a gracious letter from a Lands Council board member responding to Monday's Huckleberries:

Dear Mr. Oliveria,

Many times I enjoy reading your columns. Your use of fractured syllabication can be amusing. Often times you strike a chord of common sense. I understand that you have an editorial role and must comment on local "color" and out of the ordinary events. Sometimes, your bias is all too obvious.

As a board member of The Lands Council, I would like to invite you to visit with us or our Executive Director at anytime at your convenience. I would like you to meet the hard working, community minded, caring individuals that give their time and money to make our shared watershed a better place. We see nothing unusual or particularly humorous in caring for the natural systems which supports not only human life but all life. But, we don't lack a sense of humor.

Being an advocate for the environment is not easy, and requires a positive attitude and creative ideas. There are many built in conflicts within our economic and political systems. Those who profit from irresponsible behavior have a lot more money than we have to influence public perception, and politicians. Mr. Attemann's clever and amusing, attention-getting behavior on behalf of the caribou is just one example of what it takes to bring certain issues to the public's attention.

I appreciate you mentioning the incident in your column, but may I suggest that you could have investigated and reported a little bit more about the plight of the caribou. You could also have editorialized about the decisions that we face as a community regarding what we keep and what we throw away. You might also have mused about the place that freedom of public assembly has in our community. Most of all, I respectfully ask that you not to be so predisposed toward The Land's Council. We are not perfect. We are learning. We are working for you and your children and would appreciate a little help now and then.

Jim (Holly) Hollingsworth

DFO: I was turned off by the Lands Council a few years back when it decided to oppose all commercial cuts on the national forests. But that doesn't mean the organization is always wrong, or I'm always right. I'm sure there are points of agreement. I, for example, was foursquare behind the environmentalist attempt to stop construction of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe depot.

Re: Hagadone Annexation Request

Dave,

Doesn't the name "Idaho" come from I Do As Hagadone Orders?

Gardner Bailey
Spokane, WA

DFO: I thought it was: I Do Anything Hagadone Orders.
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Re: Thomas Sowell column Sunday

Some people just can't read. Thomas Sowell was drawing a comparison between using water for domestic needs by a growing urban population vs. subsidizing the cost of water used for growing cotton that could be grown in the southeastern U.S. without taxpayer-subsidized irrigation water. He did not complain about the cost of the water he drinks or otherwise consumes personally.

If Columbia Basin farmers had to pay the development and distribution costs of the water they use to grow crops, that region would still be growing only sage brush and jackrabbits. And I'm not complaining about it, just stating an economic truth.

Leonard Johnson
Moscow

DFO: Yippee-yi-oh, my blog's first battle of the e-mails.
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Lunch Specials (3/23/04):

The lunch special today includes a giant cake celebrating the 547th birthday of the first book ever printed, the Gutenburg Bible. (Okay, it's a day late, but No Holds Barred readers are never a dollar short.) The rest of today's specials:

1. Shawn Macomber of FrontPageMag spotlights Demos who are outraged that Repubs are trying to pass a fairly harmless resolution praising our troops for a job well done and the Iraqis for passing a democratic constitution here.

2. According to the Seattle Times, ex-WSU football coach Mike Price has followed through on his threat and sued Alabama President Robert Witt here.

3. Has it really been 15 years since the Exxon Valdez spilled 40,000 tons of crude oil into the Prince William Sound? Seattle Times guest columnist Marybeth Holleman looks at the legacy of the Exxon spill here.

4 The Passion of the Christ was back in first place on movie receipts Sunday after being knocked out of the top spot by the Dawn of the Dead on Friday and Saturday. Click here.

5 Mark Emmert, was introduced by the Board of Regents Monday as the U-Dub's 30th prez. See what the Dawgs are up to here.

6 Don't look now but Idaho State University is considering a move to University Place to expand curriculum offerings and raise its profile in Boise. If that sounds familiar, it is. University of Idaho is now floundering financially because it was too aggressive with its plans to expand into Boise by building University Place. Click here for the Idaho Statesman story.

Tuesday Quick Fix Six (3/23/04):

Sorry, I'm late this morning and didn't sign off properly with a "Parting Shot" last night. The Gremlins that exist out there in the blogosphere put the clamps on me late Monday afternoon. But I'm back on line, so it's time for your morning quick fix:

1. Columnist Cal Thomas points out why Americans should be skeptical of the disclosures pouring forth from former anti-terrorism adviser Richard Clarke. Find out about Clarke's red flags here.

2. Phyllis Schafly, who easily represents as many of this country's women as left-wing NOW, looks at the hubbub created in Ohio by a science curriculum adopted by the Board of Education that invites students to question the theory of evolution. Click here.

3. Washington Times Editor Wesley Pruden bids goodbye and good riddance to Sheik Ahmed Yassen, the founder of the terrorist Hamas organization who was blown to kingdom come this week by the Israelis. Click here. And for Barry Rubin's (Jerusalem Post) take on the assassination, click here.

4. In Atlanta, dozens of black ministers protested Monday against gay-marriage activists equating their cause to the civil rights movement. Click here. Meanwhile, you can find the latest development on changes in a proposed constitutional amendement to protect traditional marriage here.

5. Columnists Bill Murchison and Travis K. McShirley focus on the effort to ban the language "under God" from the pledge of Allegiance here and here.

6. Don't look now, but there appears to be a historic breakthrough in resolving the civil war that has cost 2 million lives in Sudan. And Evangelical Christians have been at the forefront of the fight to stop the killing. Mebbe that's why media elitists have ignored the U.S.-brokered treaty. Click here.

Fan Mail Roundup (3/22/04)

We begin today's roundup of No Holds Barred e-mail with Herb Huseland (remember to read on by clicking below):

Two days from now, I turn 66. This the official age of curmudgeonhood. At this point, I recieve the right, nay, the obligation to spray unsolicited opinions about, like I was watering the garden.

One that immediately comes to mind, is the outrage I feel, when a nationally syndicated journalist shows his/her butt in public. Today, to the right of the Hot Potatoes Column, of local infamy, is such an editorial, written by Thomas Sowell. Apparently an Eastern Liberal, living in the belief that food is produced on the shelf of a grocer.

In this op-piece, he bemoans that farmers get irrigation water cheaper that he does in his high rise, ivory tower, big city apartment. Boo hoo!

This idiot probably doesn't know or care about pioneered water rights. Rights obtained the hard way...by stealing them from the Indians. The principal of first user, first right doesn't show up in his water bill. He seems to think that if users were to be charged the same, the water shortages would go away. (supply & demand)

Maybe, but more likely, he would then write another bothersome editorial about the outrage of a can of beans costing $14.95, and when will THIS end.

Herb
Bayview

DFO: I got twisted around with my comment Monday re: Sowell. He's a respected economist who opines for several conservative Web sites. For some reason, I mixed him up with New York Times columnist Bob Herbert, who, indeed, is an Eastern liberal. Mea culpa.

Re: Income taxes

Enough already. - I am getting tired of all these Bush bashers claiming that the tax cut was for the rich. AND I have not seen an article in the Spokesman explaining this. -- All that you have to do is look at your income tax booklet, and check the tables for the year 2001 with the years 2002 and 2003. -- If you use the same amount for each of those years, MOST will find that you paid $600 less in 2002 and 2003 than you did in 2001. Just try it, I am sure that it will not hurt you.
Bill McFadden
Coeur d'Alene

DFO: As far as my household goes, Bill, you hit the nail on the head with that $600 figure. And I'm not all that rich.
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Re: Hagadone request

Well, nuts! I went away on business for a couple of weeks and missed the Coeur d'Alene City Council meeting that included the Mayor and Council tap dancing en masse to Team Hagadone's music. Erica Curless gets a huge gold star for her story reporting the dance troup's rationalizations. I hope the S-R's editors will encourage her to keep digging.
Bill McCrory
Coeur d'Alene

DFO: I'll pass the Gold Star along to Erica. The Coeur d'Alene Press apparently overlooked the story.
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Re: Sanders Beach

Gee, DF, I wonder which party supports Mr Hagadone's projects? Just think, privatizing that 500 foot stretch of beach could actually bring another "high paying" job or two to Cd'A. In fact, he could probably find an employee through the "keep no foreign worker out, particularly if that worker will work for less and be subjected to deportation at the employer's whim," program being proposed by the same party. Actually it is disheartening to see Mr. Hagadone once again run roughshod over the citizens. Stringent building rules for us, exemptions for him. If he is allowed to sell those beachfront lots for the $1 price he has offered. I will be delighted to meet with the Assessor to make sure this "market value," is considered when I appeal my assessed valuation.David B. Larsen

DFO: I'd give Hagadone Hospitality a fiver for the beach -- a buck for every 100 feet.
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Re: Sanders Beach

In reading all the "fan mail" it seems there are some people not understanding the difference between the part of Sanders included in the agreement with the State and the area many people think of when they hear Sanders Beach. They should understand the current flap has nothing to do with the beach owned by homeowners. I have much more sympathy for them. If the public wants their property, they should buy it. The portion under discussion re: annexation is fair game in exchange for benefits to the developer.
Ace Jones

DFO: Ace, good point. The portion of Sanders Beach in dispute here is the 500 feet that begins at the Jewett House property and extends east -- not the beach fronted by those godawful seawalls along East Lakeshore Drive.
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Re: U.S. Patriot Act

There has been much bloviating in print recently about threats to civil rights posed by the USA Patriot Act. It could appear, to the uninformed, that the matter has progressed beyond mere threats to actuality, as witness the words of the head of the Idaho Civil Liberties Union, to wit: ". . . it (Idaho SJM 111) sends a signal that not all Idaho legislators are unconcerned by the abuses (my emphasis) of the Patriot Act."

But I have yet to read or hear of a single instance of an actual, documented abuse regarding which an appeal to the courts for redress has been filed. Indeed, Senator Feingold's (Dem., Calif.) request to the ACLU for documentation to back up claims of civil rights abuses resulting from the supposedly unconstitutional provisions of the Patriot Act yielded silence.

It may well be that certain provisions of this Act truly do offer opportunities for civil rights abuses, but the customary path of action for citizens who believe they have suffered harm is to appeal to the courts for redress. Have any such appeals been filed? Might some enterprising newspaper staff writer be assigned to do a bit of research on this most compelling issue of civil rights abuse? I firmly believe the American people deserve to know how badly and in what ways their rights actually are being abused, in lieu of fear-mongering speculations.
Leonard C. Johnson
Moscow

DFO: Leonard, nicely argued.

'Improvement'

A lake’s more lovely than before
when condos tower on the shore,
when traffic and a big marina
make the whole place more serene-a.

The Bard of Sherman Avenue

Lunch Specials (3/22/04):

Today's Lunch Specials feature cuisine from the Northwest:

1. Idaho Statesman Columnist Dan Popkey skied with Demo frontrunner John Kerry on Mount Baldy. When Kerry wasn't crashing into a Secret Service man and cussing him out, Popkey sez, he was a heckuva skier/athlete. Click here.

2. Idaho Demos made much ado about the numbers that were turning out for local caucuses for the presidential election. Yet, for the first time, they didn't field a U.S. Senate wannabe, and they're contesting only 45 of 105 legislative races. Read all about it from The Idaho Statesman here.

3. That little flap at Lake City High between Goths and Preppies made headlines locally. But it can't touch the problems that occur in the Kent School District, where school security has handcuffed students 33 times this year. J. Patrick Coolican of the Seattle Times writes about it here.

4. Inland Northwesterners aren't the only ones who wish Californians and other potential emigrants would look elsewhere. Portland stockbroker Joseph Hollack recommends bragging up Portland's annual 3 feet of rain to scare away the huddled masses who're considering relocating here.

5. John McGrath of the Tacoma News-Tribune has the answer for all March Madness enthusiasts from the Pacific Northwest who became free-agent fans when Gonzaga, Eastern Washington and U-Dub got bounced from the tournament: Nevada. Go Wolfpack. Click here.

Hagadone & Public Access II:

More from Steve Badraun re. dealing with Hagadone Hospitality on public access issues (click link below to read a John Rook poem to Steve):

There is not question that Duane Hagaone, in his lifetime efforts to enrich himself, has contributed enormously to a great economic revival of our town. Most of us point with pride to his accomplishments in our city. I am certain that his future projects will be just as dynamic for Coeur d' Alene. I have greatly admired his work in our city.

However, when it comes to Duane's promises for public access, it is important to practice the words of Ronald Reagan, "trust but verify" Public access to beaches like Sanders is so important to the many citizens who cannot afford a big house or a yacht. Securing that beach is for everyone which includes the young mother with two small children who just wants them to enjoy a day swimming. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Public access to the lake is also for the retired fisherman with a old tin boat and his wife who likes to walk. That is where Duane comes in. When the floating boardwalk was built, part of the agreement to grant him a building height of the hotel and public streets to be vacated was to allow public access to his docks. It was quite clear in the written agreement that the public citizen will be given the absolute right to park his or her boat on the inside of the floating boardwalk all the way around the walkway. Try it sometime. You will either be charged for that right or you will be pressured uncomfortably to move your little tin fishing boat out of there really fast. Also in that agreement was a written pledge that Duane would keep access open on the east side of the hotel for boardwalk strollers That went away too. The little people were just a nuisance and he slammed the east side doors shut forever.

Two agreements for public access that were part of the bargain. Two agreements for public access that Duane made to vanish without a trace.

"Trust but verify"

Steve Badraun
sbadraun@earthlink.net

Steve,

Thanks for reminding us in No Holds Barred,
how Dewey does it in our back yard.
To the Haga-trough they go to feed,
He asks, they give, his every need.

For so long they have lived under his thumb.
Whenever he beckons they meekly come.
Whatever he wants, they hasen to give,
little thought given to others who live.

Truth does seem to surface in time,
that's why I've written you this special rhym.
I salute YOU for tellin' it like it is.
The public's need is more important than his.

Thanks Steve, keep it up.

John Rook
Coeur d'Alene

Fan Mail (Conflict of Interest)

I read with interest the protestations of our Coeur d’Alene city leadership whenever the subject of Duane Hagadone and “conflict of interest” comes up. They all demure in the face of some very questionable conduct on their parts as though if the objections are expressed with enough vigor and repeated over and over, then we will all just quit thinking about such difficult matters and get on with our lives. Even the city attorney has grown hoarse with repeating the company line of, “No, no… a thousand times no.”

I’m sorry folks, but it just isn’t that simple. The American Heritage Dictionary (Second College Edition) defines “conflict of interest” as follows: A conflict between the private interests and the public obligations of a person in an official position. Even our Canadian brothers and sisters seem on top of this one as the British Columbia Provincial Office of Conflict of Interest Commissioner defines “conflict of interest” and the Act which prevents it as follows: The Members’ Conflict of Interest Act stipulates that a Member of the Legislative Assembly must not be involved in a decision during the course of public duties with the knowledge that there is an opportunity to further the Member’s private interests (http://www.gov.bc.ca/oci/) Please see Google.com for 5,840,00 other examples and definitions of conflict of interest…

The political standard among civilized people is that if you think you MAY have a perceived conflict of interest, then you HAVE a conflict of interest. PERIOD! Try a vote just once when everyone with a perceived conflict of interest has removed themselves from voting on a difficult issue. The result will not be fatal; it will just tell us that we have a problem. And we do have a problem. This fox has been too long in the henhouse of Coeur d’Alene city government.

Doug Burr
Coeur d’Alene

Monday Quick Fix Six (3/22/04):

I thank God for small favors, such as the fact that I had a wedding to attend in be-you-tiful downtown Naples Saturday afternoon ... and wasn't pulling my hair out watching the Zags Coug in front of a TV set. The bride was lovely as Blake Stepp's jump shot used to be. On the other hand, the Zags got us through another long winter ... and we owe them a huge debt of gratitude for that. Now, it's time for your Quick Fix Six this sunny Monday morning.

1. "The Dawn of the Dead," a remake of a 1978 horror thriller, finally has pushed Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" from the top spot on the movie money-maker list. But Dead has a long ways to go to catch The Passion's overall dollar amount, which is now pushing $300 million. Click here.

2. Former U.S. senator Alfonse D'Amato is confident that the United States will win the war on terror because it is no longer a paper tiger thanks to Dubya. Click here.

3. Robert Samuelson of the Detroit News analyz