I think by now everyone in Kootenai County understands how the LCDC, in particular, and tax-increment financing in general work: that citizens county-wide are asked to subsidize high-tax revenue generating projects within a "blighted" Urban Renewal District somewhere else in the county by paying temporarily higher taxes to any of their taxing districts that happen to overlap with the designated URD.The argument goes that a person living, say, somewhere south of Spirit Lake can be taxed to pay for infrastructure for a big factory in, theoretically speaking, distant Post Falls, because that factory will ultimately generate enough economic benefit within Kootenai County to reduce the hypothetical Spirit Lake area resident's future taxes.

And often Urban Renewal Agencies work exactly like that, as was the situation with the Kimball furniture factory some two decades ago. Unfortunately, at other times big city URDs abuse their power and act as a sort of "sugar daddy" to indulge whatever eye-catching whimsy strikes the passing fancy of their special friends in the local city council chamber, or the members of their entourage.

Whatever the case, it is the citizens of the city in which the URD resides who alone have the power to re-direct their URA, by voting in, or out, the city council which oversees it. At least that is the way it is supposed to work.In his famous History of the Peloponnesian War, Thucydides records what we now know as the "Melian dialogue." It was an argument between the respective envoys of the great city of Athens and the tiny, neutral city of Melos which was threatened by an unprovoked Athenian invasion. The Melians pointed out that their more powerful neighbors had no legitimate reason to attack their small city. Right was on their side, so the gods would surely protect them. The Athenians calmly responded that gods and men alike respect strength over moral arguments -- the strong will do what they can in this world and the weak will suffer what they must. The Athenian army matter-of-factly proved the point by taking the city, and killing every male Melian in it.I'm going to go out on a limb here.

I don't live in Coeur d'Alene, but I don't think it's right for the city council of that city to use their URA (the LCDC) to pick the pennies from the pockets of the residents of Rathdrum, Spirit Lake, Athol, and the other small cities and unincorporated areas of Kootenai County in the middle of the worst recession in 80 years to perform the civic equivalent of upgrading to granite countertops in the kitchen and installing a nifty, new steam shower in the bath. (I am speaking of the McEuen field renovation project.) Yes, the URA law gives the LCDC the power to do it, but as the Melians pointed out all those years ago: Might does not make Right.

If the citizens of Coeur d'Alene wish to choose this moment to lavish $40 million of their own hard-earned money on gussying-up an already stunningly beautiful lakefront -- wonderful. More power to them. Truth be told, I think the boat trailers are ugly too. Who are we non-residents to say what a Coeur d'Alene taxpayer's priorities should be?But if the citizens of the wealthiest city in our county seriously intend to tap the strained and depleted resources of their country neighbors to help pay for a self-described "dream," I would ask that they all have the decency to look us in the eye and state their intentions clearly, so God and man can hear and judge. Say what you will, the ancient Athenians did that much for the Melians.

Lake City, in the upcoming municipal elections, please choose a city council that will put the McEuen Field project to a public vote. I understand that a number of candidates are running on the promise to do just that. Consider voting for them. Thucydides' masterwork finishes with the description of the defeat of the Athenian army by the Spartans, who were kinsmen of the Melians and fought in their memory. He implies that it was the arrogance of the Athenian rulers that led his beloved city to its sad, untimely end.

Then, as now, everyone benefits from principled leadership.

Paul Matthews is a Rathdrum-area resident.