The legacy of long time Press columnist and former editor Bob Paulos is embedded in this corner of the newspaper.  This was his spot.  Every Sunday morning saw Bob cheering our fair city with something exciting to promote.  He was a lover of all things Coeur d’Alene and it held a special place in his heart.

Bob and his wife have now relocated close to their daughter, but his history will be a constant reminder of abundant civic pride and writing with passion.

No one can replace Bob, his shoes are too big to fill.  But this new column will attempt to emulate his pride and passion as we look into local issues that affect our lives.  The scope of our review will include the city of Coeur d’Alene that Bob Paulos and I both love, as well as neighboring communities, schools, county, and legislative topics.

The Heart of the Matter is an apt name for this opinion column because we’ll try to cut through any unnecessary distractions.  We’ll clear the smoke and pull back the curtains to discover the essence of the subjects.

We won’t just focus on the end result, we’ll look at the process by which it was attained.  For better or worse, the process will show us the integrity of the system and its leaders.  Positive, open, transparent operations will be lauded and cheered.  Stifled, shrouded and closeted efforts will be rebuked, with constructive ideas and suggestions offered.

Several weeks ago, Fr. Robert Spitzer, President of Gonzaga University, spoke to the downtown Rotary Club.  He reminded us of the need for strong ethics and morals in both our personal and professional lives.  Our society has moved away from basic principles, he said.  We are now trying to rationalize; to weigh and measure how much harm vs. good will come from any particular decision.  Rather, he said, we should return to the basics of right and wrong, to the time-tested standard: The end does not justify the means.

Father Spitzer’s words clarified my uneasiness about many of our local governmental issues of late. It is the process of the decisions that has created doubts and questions, not necessarily the outcomes.  In getting to the heart of the matter, we will look closely at the methods and procedures used, as well as the results. We will look at the level of public involvement and information and we will calculate the benefits and burdens to the taxpayers. We’ll follow the money.

So join me each week as we check into our local topics.  We’ll ride on the pride and passion of our predecessor, and find our own respectful way to challenge community leaders to improve their responsiveness, open their processes and include the citizens.  Please come with me on this journey, as we seek to find the Heart of the Matter.