COUNCIL: Van Noy treatment unfair

If there was any doubt in my mind that the Coeur d’Alene City Council dealt duplicitously with their constituents, it was entirely erased last night as I watched Councilwoman Wood, the irate defender of Arts Commission member Abby Light’s cartoon pornography, sit silent with the other council members while Pastor Paul Van Noy was repeatedly lambasted.

Just two months ago Wood strongly denounced another constituent, Linda Putz, for merely holding up examples of Light’s own “art,” stating “I am denouncing that kind of behavior toward a private citizen who is stepping up and trying to volunteer for a position. I think it’s outrageous that anybody would attack someone personally who is volunteering to serve…”

Where was Wood’s righteous defense of volunteer Van Noy last night? For it was only after multiple people engaged in what amounted to the character assassination of Pastor Van Noy that Mayor Hammond offered up a limp admonishment to the crowd to avoid personal attacks. Prior to that, he and the council had gone so far as to allow one constituent a full six minutes to rail against Van Noy, violating the council’s own policy requiring a person to sign in for a three-minute statement.

Despite protest from the crowd, they instead allowed the woman to speak on behalf of both herself and an absent party. I hope that I will be given equal treatment when I sign in to speak under both my own name and my husband’s. After all, we cannot discriminate, right council members?

SARAH BAILEY

Rathdrum