MY TURN: NIC: If the ruler wins, we all lose

As a former teacher at North Idaho College and as a third-generation citizen of Kootenai County, I have a stake in the future of the college — as do we all.

Growing up in Coeur d’Alene, North Idaho Junior College (as it was known when founded in 1933), was the core of North Idaho. It was where we held Camp Fire Girl ceremonies; where we cheered for our local basketball teams; where we graduated from high school; and where we went to college while we held jobs and lived at home. It enabled citizens of the five northern counties to educate themselves, their children and grandchildren without breaking the family savings. How proud we were that it was there for all of us.

Some years ago, an acquaintance from Hillsborough, Calif., called. She was in Coeur d’Alene to visit her son, who had moved here to “take over the Republican Party and to become governor of Idaho.” I did not know who he was. I know now.

He is the self-styled “ruler” (by his own description in The Press) of the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee. Through his rule, he has destroyed the conservative/moderate Republican Party in Kootenai County by putting forth mediocre and unqualified candidates for every elected office in the county. (Note the current devastation of the county assessor’s office by his candidate, Bela Kovacs. Please write in Bob Scott). Ask him about his personal “Dirty Tricks Committee”(aka: the Skunk Works) to ensure continued disrespect for the voting public.

Worse is the financial and academic destruction of North Idaho College due to the lack of qualified candidates, inexcusable temper tantrums, ongoing personal threats and seeming determination to destroy an institution that has for generations been a positive source of affordable academic and continuing education for all ages and all economic levels.

The most recent evaluation of NIC after his board of trustees fired the college president for no cause (resulting in several hundred thousand dollars of loss and insurance cancellations) the Northwest Committee on Colleges and Universities cited his board members by name as the source of the threat of loss of accreditation; meaning student academic credits would not transfer to other schools. This threat caused the domino effect of administration resignations, gross financial losses and a high reduction of student enrollment for fear of credit loss. There would be no more Humanities department — vocal, instrumental, theater; no building trades (no Really Big Raffle of the house they build annually); no welding nor auto mechanics; no athletics; no double enrollment for high school students to earn college credits; no dental hygiene nor nursing certification. My mom, Thelma Finney, would be appalled. Her name is on the wall in the science building in honor of her endowing a nursing scholarship.

It is time to restore the North Idaho College board of trustees to adults who are qualified and functional members of Kootenai County and who are committed to excellence — not destruction. I am voting for Pete Broschet, Brad Corkill and Tarie Zimmerman.

THINK: BECAUSE IF EVEN ONE OF THESE THREE LOSES, THE RULER WINS. WE ALL LOSE.

VOTE!