Interesting and perhaps accurate but that remains to be
seen. I just wish Jess Walter would have come forward as he did in the Inlander
piece when Mayor Condon orchestrated the political hiring of Frank Straub who
significantly aided in the downward spiral of the Spokane Police Department a
spiral which continues to this day. Straub of course was a very close friend of
Rudy Giuliani and even worked for Giuliani at NYPD and in Giuliani’s private
consulting firm. Aside from his very close relationship with Giuliani. Straub
was also very close to, and worked for disgraced and convicted felon for taking
bribes from the Mafia former NYPD Cop and later NYC Police Commissioner under
Giuliani, Bernie Kerik. All of these facts were well known prior to Straub’s
hiring and were provided to the local MSM but were completely downplayed and
resulted in the very predictable outcome for the Citizens of Spokane.
Jess Walter ghost wrote Kerik’s memoir “The Lost Son”: A
Life in Pursuit of Justice. There is no question in my mind that Walter was
hoodwinked into believing Kerik was a great guy like many others were, until
the truth came out about what Kerik really was and is something that is
important to keep in mind about Politicians when you vote.
When Spokane went to the Strong Mayor form of government
(Sometimes referred to as “Eugster’s Folly”) it was inevitable that cronyism
and nepotism would play a big part in how Spokane is run, and there is no
question Mayor David Condon has taken every advantage of that open door.
Young Mr. Walter’s endorsement of the Progressive folks I
would consider predictable and may well be helpful to them, I have no problem
with anyone endorsing anyone I just wish people would quit picking on us
Boomers directly or obliquely, we aren’t completely at fault! 😊
Mr. Walter opines;
“The stealth campaigns of former TV anchor and mayoral
candidate Nadine Woodward and city council presidential candidate Cindy Wendle
remind me of those weak-mayor days, when the city elected figureheads and
outsourced the real decision-making to the dining room of the Manito Country
Club.”
He is probably just too young to know that the “outsourced real
decision-making” previously took place at “The University Club” dining room
atop the Ridpath Roof where all the “King Makers” gathered including Bill
Cowles to make the real decisions.
It seems that no one is asking perhaps the most important
question of the Mayoral Candidates and it is a simple one…”Who is going to help
you run the City?”.
Buffalo Brian Breen 