The Never Ending Battle For Truth, Justice and the Coeur d'Alene Way

Wow! I go away for a few days and I miss all the excitement. It seems our super heroes are back on the job to save us from ourselves!

As I was getting ready to leave last week, the chatter was about a Council meeting during which a councilman asked if anyone was recording it. He asked a few by name plus a reporter. It hit the shadow government blog like fat in a hot pan. What was he afraid of? Why was he so paranoid? Besides it would be perfectly legal if someone was.

It seems in Idaho only one person need know recording is going on. That would mean the person doing the recording. Well, this is Idaho! Nothing much surprises me anymore.

When I returned today, it seems our very own Wonder Woman actually did record a conversation she had - with a police officer no less. There were charges and counter charges about the propriety of this action. Will it rage on? In one way or another I expect so. It's the nature of the town and those who would be the power brokers. Soap writers need only look to Coeur d'Alene politics and they'd never have to stretch their imaginations again.

On a more serious note, I must say I am appalled by what's going on. Even if taping is legal, when is it and when is it not ethical? For keeping track of the facts about a policy question, why not just announce that you'll be taping for the sake of accuracy?

I have long since given up trying to understand our merry band of caped crusaders; their obsession with everything that goes on and their unending search for misdeeds. I have my own thoughts on how they might be more successful in their attempts but any suggestions, given long ago, fell on deaf ears. So be it.

This obsession, however, is now turning ugly and I must say I would never trust one of them again. Like minds and all that. I would not speak to a one of them on the phone. I would be fearful of being honest not knowing how or when it might be used against me.  The knowledge that they are willing to tape is chilling. 

There is a lot of anonymity in blog postings under the guise that people fear for their jobs. If true, it's not a nice community we live in. One where a person can not speak their mind without fear of retribution.

I nearly lost a friend because of this obsession. A comment on a post some time ago sounded so much like this friend I didn't believe her denial. We've discussed it often since. Wonder woman admitted she had made the comment and had signed it as anonymous to protect me. That's when I washed my hands of the whole bunch and apologized profusely and profoundly to my friend.  

What we have here is no longer politics as usual. It's becoming vindictive and vengeful. It is a sad state when a city with such a beautiful lake has such frightening and dangerous undercurrents.