LAWSUIT: Hard to mess up more

In a recent letter about the redistricting challenge, I suggested that hitching Kootenai County's strong claim to Twin Falls' weak lawsuit led by Twin Falls prosecutor Grant Loebs would be like storming the beach at Normandy with a BB gun. Sadly, now that Kootenai County has joined their suit, I realize that it is more like storming the beach with BB guns wielded by boys who don't know what end of the gun the BBs come out of. Kootenai County, led by our prosecutor Barry McHugh, has asked the Supreme Court to replace the existing legislative district map with one that has Rep. Bob Nonini representing the hills north of Hayden Lake instead of Rathdrum, and Sen. Steve Vick and Rep. Vito Barbieri running in the Democrat stronghold of Coeur d'Alene, instead of their current north Kootenai County area.

I can find no reason the map was drawn this way unless it is the intent of the prosecutor and county commissioners that our Republican delegation be replaced by Democrats who would likely win in the general election in such a liberal district. Perhaps this would explain why Thom George, the recent Chairman of the Kootenai County Democrats said, "I like Barry, he's one of the smart, thoughtful Republicans..."

When I asked Commissioner Todd Tondee about the map, he indicated that Barry had shown it to them, but that "the map doesn't matter." The map does matter, if for no other reason than it appears to have been put together to guarantee enormous opposition from every angle. This opposition will ensure that the commissioners and Barry can say they tried, but the pesky Supreme Court is to blame for the lawsuit's eventual failure. I asked Twin Falls prosecutor Grant Loebs how he drew Ada County, and he told me that he just "drew boxes until the numbers came out right." I am glad Barry McHugh has such a great relationship with Grant and seems to trust him; I wish I could share his optimism. Hiring expert election law attorney Christ Troupis to fight this in court would have cost just $20,000 and that sum would have been divided by the approximately 10 counties that were interested in hiring him.

I would like to say that the county can't screw this up more than they have, but I have learned the hard way not to say things like that anymore, because they might take it as a challenge.

LARRY SPENCER

Kootenai County