Dear Ron and Al—Thank you. Now we need change.

Ron Edinger became a city councilman in 1968.  Coeur d’Alene was a sleepy little town of about 16,000 back then and Ron was finishing his career in maintenance at the local schools. Al Hassel started on the council more than 20 years ago.  Both of these incumbent councilmen have given many, many years to our community and they deserve our sincere appreciation for their willingness to serve.

But Coeur d’Alene is no longer a quiet village with simple problems.  It is a booming community whose citizens want desperately to hang onto its identity in the midst of an onslaught from outside, and inside, forces. Big time, savvy developers have descended on our lovely town, bringing with them complicated and multi-layered schemes for maximizing their profits. Taxpayers are at great risk.

It’s easy to get so wrapped up in a process that you can’t see it clearly; that’s the old adage about not seeing the forest for the trees.  Ron and Al have been part of the team that allowed what I consider the misuse of tax dollars for private profit developers. They were part of the team that failed to fund timely updates of the land use ordinances so the new, massive developments have had few limitations. They have been part of the team that paid tax money for multiple outside consultants to study traffic, parking and housing but no action has been taken.

I do have some sympathy for Ron and Al. On the issue of urban renewal I was also lulled into complacency for a time. The people in charge at LCDC said everything was great; their reports were positive and pretty.  I didn’t look closely at their operation, even though I was on the Planning and Zoning Commission. I was busy and urban renewal is painfully, perhaps purposefully, shrouded in layer upon layer of complexity.  It’s enough to scare off all but the most earnest investigators.

But then, over a year ago, I sat down for coffee with Susie Snedaker. Susie had been on P&Z with me and wanted to share her views on the misuse of urban renewal in Coeur d’Alene.  We were chatting about the ugly, fake brick high rise we could see from the windows of Doma.  She said, “Well, public money is paying for that fake brick and a whole lot more.”  I was shocked!  I had no idea that LCDC was giving public money for downtown luxury condos, fake brick, fancy fences, landscaping and sprinklers on private property, new siding on upscale apartment houses and much, much more. The light bulb went off in my head and I started researching the issue.

My digging unearthed many of what I consider improper uses of tax money that were buried in bureaucratic mumbo jumbo.  This leads me to strongly believe we need fresh eyes on city council.  Ron and Al have been around a long, long time.  Long enough to become part of the problem and not see the solution; long enough to establish friendships and bonds that might make it impossible to see clearly.

These are complicated times in Coeur d’Alene.  We’re not a sleepy hamlet any more. And if we want to recognize our town in five years, we have to take action now. We need serious candidates who are willing to ask questions, dig into details and tell us what’s really happening.  But we, the voters, have to do our part too.

In our last city election, only one in four registered voters actually voted.  Come on Coeur d’Alene, we’re better than that! Your vote counts far more than you think. Talk to your family, friends and neighbors. Discuss your concerns and look over the candidates.  Then be smart and make sure you all vote on Tuesday, November 6th.  You can be part of the solution.