NIC: Trust and trustees

It might be of interest to your readers to know about my experience the last three weeks in trying to arrange a candidates' forum for the North Idaho College Trustee positions.

As an active member of the Reagan Republicans, I had been asked by their president to arrange a forum among the four candidates. It was to be moderated by a very well known and neutral third party, who asked as a condition of his participation that he have a part in determining the forum rules and the questions. That person was Mike Patrick.

I started on Friday, Sept. 24, by calling Christie Wood. I ended up leaving a message. Next I called Ken Howard and reached him immediately. I explained who I was and the purpose of my call. I stated we wanted to hold a completely fair forum, and mentioned the name of our proposed moderator. I asked him to please give me three dates in the next three or four weeks when he would be available and we would do all we could to schedule the forum on one of those three dates. Ken told me he needed to check his schedule and would get back to me. That ended my involvement except for the additional six or seven times in the ensuing three weeks when I placed six or seven follow-up calls to both Wood and Howard. I never received a return call from either of them.

I have concluded they are afraid to state their reasons in a public forum as to why the voters should elect them, or they arrogantly believe they deserve election, and don't have to answer questions in what they believe might be a hostile environment. I consider it rude and somewhat cowardly that they didn't bother to return my numerous calls.

Ron Nilson and Robert Ketchum both indicated their willingness to participate; in Ron's words, "Anytime. Anyplace."

The current Board of Trustees has voluntarily ceded most of its statutory authority and responsibility to NIC's administration. NIC is not serving the needs of our community. Fewer than 25 percent of its students receive an AA degree in three years, let alone two. During these troubled times when money is tight for most of us, the current Board of Trustees raised your property taxes and gave NIC employees a raise. The raise was deceptively labeled by the board as a "step increase."

If you agree with my conclusions, please vote for Ron Nilson and Robert Ketchum, who will bring transparency and fiscal responsibility back to the board.

BOB BROOKE

Hayden Lake