After a couple of days of 40 plus degree weather, as promised we got a fairly heavy snowfall here in Kootenai County. But our weather was comparatively far more mild than what hit California.
In the last two weeks, Bob Paulos (who writes the sole op-ed for the Coeur d'Alene Press) decided to do a bit of ranting and gloating, first about the Spokesman-Review and its suffering from financial difficulties that led to a massive re-organization. His editorial of last Sunday brought a reaction in the form of a letter to the Press from a fellow who staffs the Spokesman-Review. Who took umbrage at a glaring error on Paulos' part by saying that Paulos was wrong in declaring that the Spokane Valley Review bureau would be closed. No, the marketing director declared, that would not be the case.
However, on the same Sunday as the above letter ran (6 January 2008) Paulos was at it again. Taking a swipe at Spokane and its presumably dying retail district. He compares Spokane to Kootenai County with bumper to bumper traffic (on roads not built for the increased populace) as some kind of sign that Coeur d'Alene, Idaho in particular and Kootenai County in general was on some kind of ascendancy. Comparing North Idaho to Southern California in the type of traffic we get nowadays, isn't some kind of ascendancy. There are only so many places that you can pack X amount of people before you run out of aquafir, and viable land to feed and house a considerable population. Obviously, Paulos goes the path of the dangerously ignorant, and remarkably, he is supposed to be a former newspaperman.
So, what makes Paulos a comedian? Coeur d'Alene is known for tourists. Tourists who come here to live and manage to ride out some of the most bizarre weather that North Idaho produces eventually attracts all sorts of big box stores. Kohl's, Sportsman's Warehouse, Cabela's, etc. The same kind of stores that can be found in Washington state. If the folks come to Idaho from Washington, it is solely because they pay fractionally less taxes in Idaho than they do in Washington. But they can expect to pay Idaho taxes on food as well as on durable goods. A comedian can be known for making stuff up. About the only thing that Coeur d'Alene has going for it is the Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Association connecting to Duane Hagadone and throwing a Christmas parade and fireworks/lighting display on the day after Thanksgiving. Spokane, Washington on the other hand, has a city wide "First Night." CDA just has folks going to the bars to drink and cops to pull them over afterwards. Sorry Paulos, but Spokane still has far better entertainment, etc. that attracts the tourists better than CDA itself has.
If it hadn't been for Bloomsday--would CDA finally get the Ironman Triathlon? I'd have to say that CDA was following the leader. Does CDA have a place where you can put out a skating rink for an international show on ice, that seats some thousands of people to watch an indoor sports game? A place where international horse shows could be held? No. But Spokane does. CDA is still in the follow the leader status. Paulos has nothing to be proud of.
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Sighted on Dave Oliveria's Huckleberries on-line (Hosted by the Spokesman-Review); it basically comes down to this, if a Democrat were to be elected as president, just how fast and at what cost (to the Iraqis) would a troop pull out begin? What was not asked, just how fast and at what cost (esp. to the Iraqis) was GW's agenda in getting us (the U.S.) into Iraq in 2003? Keeping a U.S. presence in Iraq where Al Qaeda is specifically targeting Iraqis who align with the U.S. continues to be a high cost. We haven't addressed that, GOP presidential candidates such as Huckabee are oblivious to it. Even though (CNN as source here) the news media has reported on it. If we aren't particularly interested in looking at the future, recognizing that Iraq was supposed to be a sovereign nation since 2004, we are sure to be militarily crippled in addressing the next conflict we could find ourselves in and unable to financially meet the continued threat of Al Qaeda where ever they may rear their ugly head. We have to set priorities here and "Old Vet" needs to respect the need for it. We abandoned the war on terror so that GW could stroke his ego. Well, the terrorists haven't abandoned their agenda for the rest of the world and target allies and potential allies with death and destruction. Iraq hasn't prevented the problems that now threaten Pakistan, its shaky alliance with us and the fact that it possesses a nuclear arsenal.
In the last two weeks, Bob Paulos (who writes the sole op-ed for the Coeur d'Alene Press) decided to do a bit of ranting and gloating, first about the Spokesman-Review and its suffering from financial difficulties that led to a massive re-organization. His editorial of last Sunday brought a reaction in the form of a letter to the Press from a fellow who staffs the Spokesman-Review. Who took umbrage at a glaring error on Paulos' part by saying that Paulos was wrong in declaring that the Spokane Valley Review bureau would be closed. No, the marketing director declared, that would not be the case.
However, on the same Sunday as the above letter ran (6 January 2008) Paulos was at it again. Taking a swipe at Spokane and its presumably dying retail district. He compares Spokane to Kootenai County with bumper to bumper traffic (on roads not built for the increased populace) as some kind of sign that Coeur d'Alene, Idaho in particular and Kootenai County in general was on some kind of ascendancy. Comparing North Idaho to Southern California in the type of traffic we get nowadays, isn't some kind of ascendancy. There are only so many places that you can pack X amount of people before you run out of aquafir, and viable land to feed and house a considerable population. Obviously, Paulos goes the path of the dangerously ignorant, and remarkably, he is supposed to be a former newspaperman.
So, what makes Paulos a comedian? Coeur d'Alene is known for tourists. Tourists who come here to live and manage to ride out some of the most bizarre weather that North Idaho produces eventually attracts all sorts of big box stores. Kohl's, Sportsman's Warehouse, Cabela's, etc. The same kind of stores that can be found in Washington state. If the folks come to Idaho from Washington, it is solely because they pay fractionally less taxes in Idaho than they do in Washington. But they can expect to pay Idaho taxes on food as well as on durable goods. A comedian can be known for making stuff up. About the only thing that Coeur d'Alene has going for it is the Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Association connecting to Duane Hagadone and throwing a Christmas parade and fireworks/lighting display on the day after Thanksgiving. Spokane, Washington on the other hand, has a city wide "First Night." CDA just has folks going to the bars to drink and cops to pull them over afterwards. Sorry Paulos, but Spokane still has far better entertainment, etc. that attracts the tourists better than CDA itself has.
If it hadn't been for Bloomsday--would CDA finally get the Ironman Triathlon? I'd have to say that CDA was following the leader. Does CDA have a place where you can put out a skating rink for an international show on ice, that seats some thousands of people to watch an indoor sports game? A place where international horse shows could be held? No. But Spokane does. CDA is still in the follow the leader status. Paulos has nothing to be proud of.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sighted on Dave Oliveria's Huckleberries on-line (Hosted by the Spokesman-Review); it basically comes down to this, if a Democrat were to be elected as president, just how fast and at what cost (to the Iraqis) would a troop pull out begin? What was not asked, just how fast and at what cost (esp. to the Iraqis) was GW's agenda in getting us (the U.S.) into Iraq in 2003? Keeping a U.S. presence in Iraq where Al Qaeda is specifically targeting Iraqis who align with the U.S. continues to be a high cost. We haven't addressed that, GOP presidential candidates such as Huckabee are oblivious to it. Even though (CNN as source here) the news media has reported on it. If we aren't particularly interested in looking at the future, recognizing that Iraq was supposed to be a sovereign nation since 2004, we are sure to be militarily crippled in addressing the next conflict we could find ourselves in and unable to financially meet the continued threat of Al Qaeda where ever they may rear their ugly head. We have to set priorities here and "Old Vet" needs to respect the need for it. We abandoned the war on terror so that GW could stroke his ego. Well, the terrorists haven't abandoned their agenda for the rest of the world and target allies and potential allies with death and destruction. Iraq hasn't prevented the problems that now threaten Pakistan, its shaky alliance with us and the fact that it possesses a nuclear arsenal.
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