RECALL: Protect your rights

If you like losing your boat launch and/or its boat-trailer parking, or if you like paying increased property taxes and incurring new debt that has a conditional cap of $39 million according to the City Council-approved conceptual plan, or if you like losing your beloved baseball fields and the opportunity to “play by the lake,” or if taxation without representation isn’t OK with you, then find out how you can sign the petition to support a recall of those council members and our mayor that refused to allow a public vote. These individuals have been pushing their “own” agenda, and not “the public” agenda over and over again. It is time to exercise our constitutional rights and recall them.

I have grown up teaching my kids that you don’t buy something unless you can afford it. OPM (other peoples’ money) seems to be their choice on how to pay for THEIR dream city. If it was your money would you spend up to $39 million to move the ball fields, tear out the boat launch and the boat parking, tear out the tennis courts (which they have already done), and give a perfectly good park a face-lift when we can barely pay our bills? I don’t think you would, but with a public vote we would have finally found out what the public’s answer would be. I would love a dream city, but if it bankrupts us (the taxpayers) in the process and causes reductions in education, fire and police protection, and city services, then I want a public vote so “we the people” can make these critical decisions and not just the four individuals we would like to recall.

We the taxpayers will foot the bill for the proposed remake of McEuen Park, one way or the other. Anytime someone references that LCDC will be paying or funding some of the costs of any project, it is our tax money they are spending. LCDC only spends our taxpayer money, or incurs debt that we (the taxpayer) are ultimately responsible to pay back.

We finally have the chance to make a difference that impacts us all. It is up to us. If we choose to put our heads in the sand and ignore the obvious, then we deserve what we get. But, I think the public is too smart to let that happen and that everyone will finally take a stand and protect their rights and their pocket books.

What THEY are doing is “un-American” and certainly NOT Reagan-like. To intentionally bypass a public vote is “un-American” in my opinion and Reagan at least listened to the people, where these council members and mayor clearly don’t. Denying “we the people” the right to vote on such a critical issue that dramatically effects us all can’t be tolerated and must be stopped. It’s your choice and your future. Please make the right choice and support the recall. Your one signature may make the difference!

JAMES E. DOTY

Coeur d’Alene