Spokane County commissioners fired the company they hired less than a year ago to operate the county’s Raceway Park, their controversial purchase near Airway Heights that drew good crowds this summer but racked up some $1.2 million in unpaid construction debt. The county’s insurance may…
Spokane County Commissioners have an executive session at 2 p.m. to talk about cancelling the contract to run the Raceway Park.They had already given Bucky Austin, the embattled operator, a 60-day deadline, that's set to run out next week. They may cancel today.Unanswered questions include…
Boeing Co.'s announcement that it will build jetliners in South Carolina was not particularly well received in Washington, as most readers can well imagine.Some Democrats were disappointed. Some Republicans were disappointed but more in a "we warned you" mind set.For a compilation of comments, go…
Prosecutor Steve Tucker and Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich made their best pitches for some wiggle room on budget cuts Tuesday night. Maybe dip into the budget reserve, or borrow from money set aside for streets. After all, what good are streets if they aren't safe to…
Spokane County jail lieutenants agreed to contract concessions that will wipe out their cost-of-living raises, overtime and comp time in 2010. The agreement with the county, which comes as most departments are expecting to start next year with a budget that is 11 percent smaller…
Stephen Colbert takes off on the fight over releasing the names from the Referendum 71 petitions, as well as a campaign ad from the Protect Marriage folks.The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30cThe Word - Don't Ask Don't Tellwww.colbertnation.comColbert Report Full EpisodesPolitical HumorReligion
Spokane City Council President Joe Shogan’s threat to “bring hell” didn’t stop the council -- or even himself -- from approving on Monday new rules governing the body.The lone opposition belonged to Councilman Richard Rush, who expressed concern that the final version was rushed.The rules,…
Secretary of State Sam Reed was named a Public Official of the Year by Governing Magazine, the publication said Monday.Reed will be one of eight elected or appointed government officials to get one of the annual awards in the November issue of the magazine, as…
Opponents of Proposition 4 have complained that out-of-town influence helped shape the proposed amendment to the Spokane City Charter. But the opponents rely heavily on national and state development interests to bankroll the campaigns against the proposal. Led by the National Association of Home Builders,…
Vote, that is.Or at least that's Secretary of State Sam Reed's projection, released today.Reed projects turnout at 51 percent, down markedly from about 85 percent last year. Ah, for the halcyon days of '08. Obama vs. McCain. A gaffe-watch on Joe Biden. A dissection of…
As a reporter responsible for my share of embarrassing typos over the years, I am hesitant to point out spelling and grammatical errors in others' work (especially in a blog that usually isn't edited before it's posted).That said, City Councilman Mike Allen's campaign flier that…
Latest in the legal battle over the names of people who signed Referendum 71 petitions: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy today blocked the release of the names which the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals unblocked last week. Kennedy got a request from the group…
Thursday's post challenging Councilman Bob Apple's label of "carpetbagger" on a city judicial candidate brought more than a dozen comments, including one from Apple himself. " I honestly believe any body still considers an elected official who would literaly refuse to live in the area…
Washington state can release the names and addresses of people who signed the petion for Referendum 71, a ballot measure that attempts to peel back the latest changes to the state's domestic partnership laws, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said today.A 9th Circuit…
Ballots in Spokane County will start arriving in the mail on Thursday.For those still wondering how the candidates stand on the issues, here's a link where you can hear three Spokane City Council debates in full or broken into important topics by our very capable…
Is it too much to ask that people who hurl political epithets during campaign season at least get them right? OK, that was a stupid question. It probably is. But still… In an e-mail to constituents last week, Spokane City Councilman Bob Apple described whom…
If you'd like to "chat" about health care reform and you'll be at your computer around 12:45 p.m. Wednesday, here's an unusual opportunity:Sen. Patty Murray and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius are hosting an "online chat" to discuss the topic. They'll be answering…
Liberal groups say they plan to attend a town hall meeting this afternoon by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers.Their plan, as reported in a press release from MoveOn.org this morning, is "to express our support for serious health care reform and express our skepticism of her…
First in the openerAnd later in Weekend Update:
If the stalactite sized icicles around your sprinkler heads aren't enough incentive, the City of Spokane has a request for homeowners.Turn off your sprinklers. Seems there are problems this morning with water from sprinklers running down the street, turning to ice and making slick spots…
Anyone laboring under the misconception that political debates take place on neutral turf would have been disabused of such foolishness Friday at a Proposition 4 debate. Three members of Envision Spokane, the group trying to convince Spokane to pass what they call the Community Bill…
U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers will hold a town hall meeting on seniors’ issues Monday afternoon in the Spokane Valley. The Eastern Washington Republican scheduled the meeting to discuss health care, Social Security and other seniors’ issues that will start at 4 p.m. at University…
Just how polluted the Spokane River is became a bone of contention Friday between panelists debating a major change to the Spokane City Charter. Among the nation’s most polluted, said supporters of Proposition 4, which asks voters to add what they call a Community Bill…
Spokane police would cut 24 positions, most of them by attrition, to cover the department’s share of a projected city shortfall if officers don’t agree to wage concessions, Chief Anne Kirkpatrick told the City Council Thursday. Half of the reductions would come from patrol officers,…
The Spokane County Republican Party endorsed state Initiative 1033, party officials said today. It fits with their view of limited government which governs least and is closest to the people, spokesman Curt Fackler said in a press release.No telling what they'll do about Republican elected…
The Spokesman-Review's political team keeps a critical eye on local, state and national politics.
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