STRANSKY: Has broad support

The latest campaign finance report shows that Cheryl Stransky has overwhelming support from both Democrats and Republicans. Stransky lists more than 110 individual donors from a broad spectrum: firefighters, police, teachers, doctors, nurses, Republicans and Democrats. Vito Barbieri, on the other hand, lists ZERO individual Kootenai County contributors to his campaign. Barbieri lists 11 contributors comprised of two non Kootenai County politicians, a big tobacco company lobbyist, a big out of state finance company, a big oil company lobbyist, an extreme conservative political action fund, a horse racing political action committee, a resort and a hospitality PAC. It is no surprise that Vito Barbieri has no support from a single individual donor. Barbieri’s previous two reports lists only FIVE individual donors, and several large contributions from big out of state tobacco, oil and insurance companies or lobbyists.

Barbieri shamelessly worked against locating a critically needed residential mental health facility in our county contrary to the recommendations of police, prosecutors, judges and treatment providers. He is against raising Idaho’s abysmal minimum wage. Without remorse, he votes no on issues degrading the quality of life for both our Republican and Democrat citizens.

With Barbieri’s record and statements about our public schools, it is no surprise that the overwhelming number of our citizens support longtime school teacher and counselor, Cheryl Stransky, to be our new state representative.

BILL DOUGLAS

Retired Republican Kootenai County Prosecuting Attorney (1989-2009)

Post Falls