'We the People' is all the people

Sitting on a government advisory committee for nearly one year has been an eye-opener. People come before it and serve on it who may have no understanding of the board functions or knowledge of our government and how it functions.

The Kootenai County Optional Government Review Committee was established to review the current structure of three elected county commissioners and six elected department heads. Our Idaho State Legislature passed a law, which allows each county to change to other forms. The allowable options include more elected commissioners and the option of elected or appointed department heads.

A study committee of nine citizens was appointed to review the options. The study commission by a majority vote sends its recommendation to our current three-member commission, who decide to place it on the ballot. The main question is, over the past 100 years of our current commission form, has population growth and services needed been adequately addressed? Would more county commissioners or the appointment of department heads more effectively serve community needs?

After 10 months the Kootenai County review committee voted to recommend that Kootenai County change to five commissioners with a professional administrator, hired and fired at the will of the five elected commissioners. The six department heads would continue to be elected.

This recommendation was approved and sent to the commission for placement on the ballot. Then the efforts to overturn the majority decision kicked into high gear by those who oppose any change.

As a point of clarification apparently 4 of the 9 voting members never had any intention of a serious review and intended no change. That is their right, but why would anyone agree to serve on a study commission if they had no serious interest in the study.

The effort to disrupt, overturn and re-vote has become the goal of the minority. First the lawyers interject the writing of the report for review and acceptance by the county commission may not be consistent with the Idaho open meetings law. The draft report was merely a summary of the 10-month review process put together by three committee members, not a quorum, for a public meeting discussion. Regardless, it was reviewed at the next open public meeting of the full committee and after the review the vote was taken.

Does collating the committee process into a readable fashion require a public meeting? No formal legal opinion only definitive statement by committee members who have remained opposed including those who are lawyers. Not exactly how any government board should obtain legal opinions.

The committee chairman in the interest of openness rather than challenging the claim acquiesced to doing a re-vote. The shenanigans that ensued are all part of the public record and in video form on you tube under Optional Forms of Government Review Committee. We have seen how disruptive some elected individuals can be around Kootenai County; watch any of the videos and see how some appointed people behave.

Often those who claim to support our flag actually do not understand its meaning. Some in the audience and committee members over the past 11 months were filled with vitriol but not reason. Why do these self-proclaimed patriots so fear the voice of the people at the ballot box.

The very essence of Democracy, our country and Kootenai County, is the right to vote. Some faces may not be looking for answers or rationale but reinforcement of what they have been instructed to believe. Support those with applause. Boo and hiss those for others. No need to think. Many of us fail to care or understand what might benefit our community. Is that behavior good for our community, any community, when personal self interest is all that matters?

Ronald Reagan stated, “Your vote is equal; your vote is meaningful; your vote is your constitutional right." Dwight Eisenhower before him said, "The future of the Republic is in the hands of the American voter."

Allowing “All the People” to decide should always be our conclusion. When in doubt let the people vote.

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Phil Ward is a Coeur d'Alene resident.