Realtors take stand on recall

You would have to live in a vacuum to have missed the controversy in the Lake City over the last couple of weeks. A cadre of disgruntled citizens has built enough momentum to organize an effort to remove some of our most dedicated public servants from office.

While we doubt they will be successful in their efforts, the Board of Directors of the Coeur d'Alene Association of Realtors voted unanimously on Friday to take a public stance in opposition to the recall. While we have remained mute on the debate to this point, the board feels the attack is so unfounded that we are compelled to speak against this.

Many remember the days when the steam rose from the lumber mills along the river and we could hear the whistle blast or sirens' wail at quitting time. Those mills and the mines in the Silver Valley, fueled our local economy for decades. Times change. We have to change with them.

As the exchange of real estate fuels the nation's economy, so it does locally. We Realtors are more in touch than most with the reasons that people move here and want to remain here. More than anything it is the scenic beauty and countless opportunities to immerse oneself in the great outdoors that attracts many who will invest their money and their hearts in our community, stimulating our economy in the process.

With the remnants of the lumber mills all but vanished, visitors wonder what drives our economy.

Some who view our city wonder if we are progressive enough to support moving their businesses here from another location. Most come from areas that may not provide the aesthetics or low crime rates that can prevent them from losing employees in their current locales. They want to know if we are committed to continued improvement.

Over the last 30 years, the mills have slowly gone silent one-by-one, yet our community remains vibrant. Unemployment continues to be an issue though and folks like our mayor and City Council members under fire, are painfully aware of that and work hard to make Coeur d'Alene an attractive option. Each of the individuals that the recall movement proposes to remove from service serves only because of their love for the community and not for personal gain. Each is committed to providing attributes that our citizens will enjoy and that others - employers among them - will envy.

Each intended victim was a business owner prior to offering themselves for service. Each agreed to subject themselves to public scrutiny, insults and ridicule because they wanted to ensure a quality of life that was second to none. This they have done for your community to ensure a lifestyle that can continue to be enjoyed for generations to come. If they serve only for personal gain as some accuse, they could enrich themselves more greatly through pursuits other than city government.

When you form your own opinion, we encourage you to explore the backgrounds and history of each candidate for which some would recommend recall. We know their pasts and know that they have always been champions for the people of Coeur d'Alene. As you undertake your analysis, please look at those behind the recall movement with the same microscope through which you will analyze our mayor and these council members. We think you will see, that if there is animosity, contempt or nefarious intent, it is exclusive to the individuals of the recall movement.

It is easy to rise up to oppose the status quo when your own world is less than you would like it to be. The Coeur d'Alene Association of Realtors believes that without Mayor Bloem and City Council members Goodlander, McEvers and Kennedy, all our lives would be the worse. Without the Kroc Center, our beautiful new library, our consortium of higher learning institutions on the river, the vital downtown, our network of trails for walking, biking and hiking and our numerous city parks, how would your life be better?

None of these were accomplished without great deliberation, public comment, compromise and vision. Let's not lose sight of our public servants' long-term perspective on some more difficult changes for those few who resist it so vocally. Perhaps it is those vocal few whose agendas should be questioned, for what do their resumes say about their contributions to the greater good of your community?

Trust an expert... call a Realtor. Call your Realtor or visit www.cdarealtors.com to search properties on the Multiple Listing Service or to find a Realtor member who will represent your best interests.

Kim Cooper is a real estate broker and the president of the Coeur d'Alene Association of Realtors. Kim and the association invite your feedback and input for this column. You may contact them by writing to the Coeur d'Alene Association of Realtors, 409 W. Neider, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83815 or by calling (208) 667-0664.