Saturday, November 21, 2009

ONGOING COVERAGE: KENDALL YARDS

Spin control: Despite the signs, developer still on political fence

Jim Camden
The Spokesman-Review
June 3, 2007

Campaign signs for Spokane's mayoral election have already started to sprout like dandelions around the city in high-visibility spaces. But probably none have generated more notice than Al French's signs just north of the Monroe Street Bridge.

The signs are attached to the chain link fence, only recently erected, around the wide, flat empty space that will someday be Kendall Yards.

It will be Kendall Yards, that is, if the Lord is willing, the creek don't rise and the city bureaucracy keeps a-churning to provide a path for what some argue is the biggest thing to hit the area since the Lake Missoula flood.

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Questions of the overall value of the mega- development aside, the fact that French's nice new signs remain up on developer Marshall Chesrown's shiny new chain link have led some folks to wonder if the latter is putting his support behind the former in the race that also features incumbent Mayor Dennis Hession and Councilwoman Mary Verner.

No, says French. Although he hopes eventually to get Chesrown's backing, one should not assume that signage equals support.

The sign placement is the work of "overly energetic volunteers," he explained. "My supporters were supposed to put the signs in the right of way."

While French described his discussions with Chesrown about possible support as "positive," there hasn't been any promise of contributions. But he was nice enough to leave the signs up until volunteers could go back and put them in the spots they were supposed to put them.

It can't be quantified on a state Public Disclosure Commission report, but considering the costs of signs, that's not nothing.

Robert Kroboth, a Spokane retiree who ran for mayor in 2000, sent the state auditor notice recently of his plans to run again this year. He describes himself as an average citizen who would bring "radical change" to city government.

While there's no doubt that he accurately describes the effects of such a victory, his notice can't quite be considered a formal declaration. While the county auditor is the county elections chief, the state auditor has nothing to do with candidates and elections.

Kroboth, who from time to time is seen during the council's open mike sessions at the end of regular business, says on his Web site that he won't take contributions, doesn't do interviews and won't debate.

"I will not appear at any debates because they are simply not debates, but ignorant questions from ignorant people, most of whom are the stooges of candidates," he writes. But when he gets elected, he says, things will change in the city "or there will be some firings."

Curious voters will have to find out exactly how he would change things by going to his Web site, which is www.citizengadfly.com.

But that's only if Kroboth – or any other person who professes to be a candidate – gets to the county elections office by 5 p.m. Friday and files the proper paperwork and pays the filing fee.

Otherwise, they're not candidates. They're just candidate wannabes.

A group that calls itself the Christian Defense Coalition raised some interesting, if somewhat pointedly partisan, questions in the presidential race. The group describes Democrats John Edwards and Hillary Clinton as multi-millionaires with "opulent, selfish materialistic lifestyles." Because of this, they have no business lecturing the rest of us on how to deal with the poor.

"The Christian faith teaches we should live simple, comfortable non-materialistic lives centered on obeying God, serving others and not wasting God's resources," the coalition says. So it asks:

"Would Jesus fly in private jets on the campaign trail …make millions of dollars to support a selfish, materialistic lifestyle…spend thousands of dollars on gourmet food and banquets while so many are starving…waste valuable resources driving luxury SUVs on the campaign trail?"

Interesting questions, but somewhat narrowly focused on just Edwards and Clinton, considering that using private jets, spending lots on campaign banquets and riding around in SUVs is unfortunately common for both parties' candidates, many of whom have seven-figure net worths.

And at the risk of sounding irreverent, it might be pointed out that Jesus' mode of transportation on his campaign trail was decidedly pedestrian.