KOOTENAI COUNTY CLERK

Jim Brannon is the Kootenai County Clerk, a position he was recently appointed to after the preceding clerk suddenly died. There are many sub-departments under the clerk but I am going to zero in on just one.

The county clerk is  in charge of elections. This position by it's very nature must be very neutral regarding candidacies. I have heard from several very reliable sources that Brannon is running for precinct committeeman and is also running for election to the office he was appointed to and now serves.

Perhaps the most egregious acts reported to me is that he is offering to walk precincts with precinct committeeman, in favor of what ever candidate he and the committeeman are in agreement with'

Another point is why is this elected official electioneering on county time?

I am ot sure about the legal issues,  not being an attorney, but I am slam dunk sure it is a moral one. If this man wants to be elected to this office, it would be real swell if he checked his moral compass. 

WE'VE LOST SOME GOOD ONES

It seems that the last dog days of winter finds the grim reaper ready and able.

We lost two huge citizens in the recent past. Not huge in size, but in stature.

First Lanny Spurlock, who was often referred to as Mayor for life in Athol, indeed was, since he died in office after nineteen years as mayor. He was a gentle common as an old shoe kind of guy. No big shot in him at all. He recognized the need for Athol to stay small due to the preponderance of  lower priced homes in the city. Folks that couldn't have kept their homes if they had to pay for sewers.

H stood firmly against expansion, knowing that the one place in the county that lower income people could live, was Athol. The septic  system they are on is at about capacity for today's rules.

When I first announced the Athol Daze parade, he dropped by to appoint me as announcer for life. He apparently thought I did a passable job, and he liked lifetime appointments. I'll be there again this Summer, in honor of Mayor for life, Lanny Spurlock, as long as I'm able and wanted.

The second was a tragedy, involving one of Coeur d'Alene's finest attorneys. He tried many cases that were high profile, such as rhe federal trial of Sheriff Frank Crnkovich. for racketeering. He was charged with ignoring gambling and prostitution in the County. Yes he did. Those vices were long a tradition in this mining community where the young single miners outnumbered the population's families. For over 100 years these things were woven into the fablic of Wallace life. In several cases, the madams donated to community causes. He was acquitted.

Sam Eismann, attorney was once a U.S. attorney, a state legislator and practiced law for almost 50 years as a criminal defense specialist. He was a boon to prison overcrowding. Sam died March 16 early in the morning of hypothermia and subsequent drowning, according to the Kootenai County Sheriff Department. Sam owned a float home in Bayview which he stayed in regularly and from which he drowned. He loved Lake Pend Oreille and the village of Bayview, and Bayview loved him back.

CAR REQUEST

With great pleasure, I can announce that the needy couple has obtained a car with the help of their church, family and others, including the seller.

Good will is definitely not dead yet. The margin was so close, that they had to get my help for gas so they could make it home.

PRECINCT COMMITTEEMAN (WOMAN)

Until I threw my hat into the ring, I didn't connect apathy with the radical slant of the Republican Central Committee. I now realize how they got control. Half the precincts didn't have candidates and voters wouldn't have recognized the name most likely anyway.

What happens is people either check the box for a person running unopposed, or skips it entirely. Here comes the good part. If a precinct doesn't have a committeeman, the Central Committee appoints one, ergo perpetual control of county politics.

I am running in precinct 4 opposing a man that I understand was appointed in that manner. Well, if the folks in Bayview want a more representative person they now have me on the ballot. I am what is sometimes called moderate, though compared of the old days I would be right in the middle of the traditional conservative position.

Now however, we have a power grab which happened not long ago, in which radicals from the far right such as Constitutionalists and  other anti-government groups.

I believe in property rights. The right of a property owner to not be down-zoned, killing value, nor the right to stay rural if the neighborhood wants it that way.    Sometime back there was a tremendous fight over Sanders Beach. The city wanted to steal it and the people across the street that had paid taxes on waterfront wanted to keep their ownership. Sounds logical, yet many progressives went along with this power grab. They even swore that the lake in front of Sanders Beach had a different high water point than the rest of the lake.

These are some of the abuses that government can use in the public interest without the property owner agreeing. This is just one of many issues that I will cover in this blog relating to my core beliefs. I believe a committeeman should represent the electorate, not control anyone.

Above all, even if you don't agree with me, participate. You will have a choice this spring in the May primary. Please support me.Here is a link to a previous blog post which was also published in the Coeur d'Alene Press.  http://bayviews.blogspot.com/2014/01/political-extremism.html

PLEASE HELP

I'm looking for just one generous soul that is in a position to gift a car to a young couple. Let me explain. There is a disabled young man that recently married his sweetheart, a woman that had given birth to a what is now a 2 year old.

This couple, burdened with a sick child, has no transportation. They are on foot, unable to take the child to a doctor, unable to shop for groceries, unable to work even part time, due to lack of a car.

There is always a person out there that has an older car, that has been replaced, only to reside in the driveway doing nobody any good. If you have such a vehicle and feel either through Christian Charity or just because you are good people, please contact me at: bayviewherb@gmail.com or by phone, 208-683-9107.

This young couple will be blessed, as you will be by passing forward your own good fortune to another, in a never ending circle of giving which actually benefits you more than them. I know. I gave away a car I didn't need to someone who did. I still feel good about doing that. So will you.

PRECINCT COMMITTEEMAN

Today I received a call from a prominent Republican that participates actively in Kootenai County politics. Here is what I derived from that conversation.

People all over the county gripe about the Republican Central Committee being to radical. There is a good reason for that. Radicals are driven by God only knows what, but in short, the reason why they control Republican elections in Kootenai county is simple. Radicals work harder at campaigning, so they win by default because the rest of us have lives, and don't need the power trippers.

It all starts at the grass roots, where each precinct elects a representative called Precinct Committeeman. Most of us pass right by that position on the ballot which in many cases is someone you have never heard of.

This campaign started with that knowledge and fully intends to field candidates in the several precincts that then elect the central committee which I have already elplained, controls the whole shoe. An example of that is when the County Clerk recently died, this body was asked to submit three  names for consideration. The law then requires the appointee comes from those three names.

It doesn't take much imagination t realize that all three names were well known ideologues of the far right. obviously,  a balanced list would have included Republicans from several levels of partisanship, with hopefully, sees the public service, not a power trip.

I live in Precinct four, Bayview. This center/right group, which I fit into comfortably, is attempting to replace the Wackos with more moderate representative. I have been asked to run for that office in this election cycle and have agreed to serve.

If you, like many others in our area agree that more reasonable representation is vitally needed. Right now, the Democrats are primarily so far left you can't find them without a guide dog. The same applies to Republicans. Only you and your neighbors can make this change in the way we govern ourselves. I will appreciate your support in this endeavor. So next election, be sure to go to the polls, and when you do you will see "Herb Huseland," on the ballot. Please vote for me.

SPRING IS HERE

As I looked out my back door this afternoon, more snow was falling on top of the already 10 inches from before. I looked out over the berm created by our erstwhile road guy. You see, in parking my car across the road, I never thought that a gigantic berm would stand between me and my car. The back door opens kinda, and as I look longingly toward my car, I realize that it can move without a problem. The issue is that I can't get out of my house to get there.

So I trekked out the front to get my morning Spokesman-Review. I had to plow my way through the front yard to the paper box only to find that he had left a Coeur d'Alene Press instead. No problem, since the S/R on Mondays is even skinnier than the rest of the week.

I went back inside and decided to take action. Control. Activity. So I poured another cup of coffee and settled down to read the paper, such as it was. Then as my routine requires, I sat down at my computer. I couldn't get online, so I called Time-Warner. Most of you are aware that even with hearing aids, my ability to hear clearly is limited. Especially with accents. People who speak English without the benefit of an American accent are just mouthing gibberish. I lamented to the tech that I couldn't understand why the company had to use Indian on-line help. He informed me that He was Filipino. OK, now that I have his accent placed, I still can't understand him. He was mouthing syllables with no meanings.

Finally it turns out that in either Microsoft updates or McAfee updates, someone had jiggered my IP. I essentially in the eyes of the world wide net didn't exist. Finally, after much chagrin, I understood that I had to reboot by turning off the computer. All is well now. I have reclaimed my identity and am in good standing on the net, which is a real good thing, because I sure as hell am not going anywhere until some of this shit turns to water again which of course means flooding.

Oh happy day. Spring time at last.