A Culture of Intimidation

It's not the most alluring feature of our beautiful city. In fact, it's like our dirty little secret. Sure, Coeur d'Alene has a scenic lake, tree-lined neighborhoods and a fabulous parks system, among other outstanding features. But we also have a nasty behind-the-scenes culture of intimidation luring in our City Hall.

Anyone who dares to ripple the waters of tranquility by asking questions of our city leadership is at risk for an intimidating form of censorship. As a volunteer Planning Commissioner, I've been the latest target. City officials decided last week that I asked too many questions of the executive director of Lake City Development Corp. during his presentation to the Planning and Zoning Commission in March. No one spoke to me about any concerns back then. But a month later, I was summoned to a meeting where I would be handed a letter of reprimand.

I suggested just getting together over coffee. That was rejected. Mail me the letter, I asked, promising to forward any questions. No. An official meeting at City Hall was required, no other option would be accepted. They insisted that a city attorney must be present at this formal meeting. Tape recorders were turned on -- theirs and mine. The letter was presented. Questions were asked: Why is this in writing, I said? That's our management style, was the answer. Have other people had problems in the past?...Yes. How many were given letters?...None. This is the first letter we can remember. Will this document be kept confidential? Oh, yes, they promised.

Despite the city's pledge, it took only three hours before news of the letter hit the local media. Three hours of confidentiality. But just to top it off, a city official called me at home the next day, not to apologize, but to literally yell at me for questioning the city's professionalism after this breach of confidence. Intimidation? The message is to be quiet. Stay in line. Don't make waves.

City Hall has a history of this type of behavior. Just after the mayoral campaign of 2001, the challenger, a long-time member of Planning and Zoning, was ousted from the commission in an 11th hour kangaroo court of City Council members, many of them still in office today. Trumped up charges were used to cover political maneuvering. And the whole mess was in the newspapers within hours. It worked. He lost the election, was removed from the commission an eventually moved out of town.

Last week a regular citizen who has been questioning the contract for filling the Kroc Center pit, "dirtgate", was sent an official letter from the city. Our city legal department wrote that he should cease and desist from representing himself as a city employee, an accusation he full denies and the city hasn't proven. News of the letter was leaked to the press even before the ink was dry on the envelope.

These are all forms of censorship. There are many more stories, but they all have the same message from local authorities: Don't speak out. Just go along. You're either with us or against us.

Intimidation is not good for Coeur d'Alene. Checks and balances are essential in our system of government. We certainly need them here, where public oversight is just beginning to blossom. If our leaders would focus less on political gamesmanship and work with all of us for the good of the community, we might achieve our goal of a beautiful and alluring city by the lake: A city of excellence, not of intimidation.