I was surprised and disturbed by Mr. Riggs' attack regarding the recall effort. In his P.S. he defends the honesty and hard work of the current Mayor and City Council and he calls supporters and organizers of the recall "nasty, and un-American."

How can an educated man and a former Lt. Governor cry foul when peaceful, respectable community members are exercising their rights as Americans to oppose the actions of elected officials? A peaceful, organized gathering to present the recall paperwork exhibits the very American political process that we are all afforded.

Recallcda is a group of informed, concerned citizens who desire an input in a process that impacts community tax dollars and park use. They want accountability and a voice. As far as I know, none of the recall group attacked the Mayor and council members as being dishonest or lazy. Their honesty and hard work have little to do with the three stated recall reasons: "Denied a public advisory vote on the McEuen Field conceptual plan and approved a plan to remake the field; continues to approve 'excessive salaries' for city employees; and consistently supports excessive spending of taxpayer dollars." Cd'A Press 4/6/12. Also, it is off topic to cry from the rooftops that the community needs to support these politicians because of the Kroc Center. This has nothing to do with the Kroc. I sense a distraction from the issue at hand.

I encourage all citizens of Coeur d'Alene to educate themselves on the city budget (including salaries as compared to other Idaho city employee wages), the prior promises made by the council and Mayor regarding the McEuen project, and especially the truth about where LCDC money comes from. Urban Renewal receives redirected tax dollars that are dispersed to projects chosen by an unelected board (taxation without representation). Even with the original good intentions of removing urban blight and providing job creation, it is still an unrepresented use of taxes that in this economy should be directed back into support of local schools, fire, police and necessary infrastructure. Does anyone seriously believe that McEuen Park represents blight!? It has been mentioned time and again that many who desire a public vote support basic repair and upgrading of McEuen, but not to the tune of tens of millions of dollars.

Pay attention to the names of the supporters of the Mayor and three named council members. Many (including Sandi Bloem) have some connection to properties and/or businesses downtown. Mr. Frank Orzell and others involved in the recall have nothing to gain financially from exercising their legitimate Constitutional right.

Recently the Mayor shared her perspective on what a successful recall would mean: "You're throwing out our entire vision for what we have for the future." REALLY? Whose vision is she talking about - that of the few on the council, or the desire and vision of the community who elected them? Listen to a quote from Councilwoman Goodlander: "People got to do what they think is right," she said in reaction to the news (of the recall). "I truly believe we're doing the right thing. You don't vote based on if you're going to get elected or not. You vote if you believe in what you're doing. In this case, I voted because I believe we needed to change McEuen park." Cd'A Press 4/4/12.

We do not elect our officials to do what THEY believe is right when it is opposite the desire of the majority. Many of the voices at the public hearings last year (of which I attended two) were against the size/cost of the McEuen 'vision' and they were simply asking for the opportunity to vote. The strong turnout to elect Councilmen Gookin and Adams was largely due to their support of a public vote.

Mayor Bloem has stated that she and the City Council are listening to the public but there does not appear to be evidence of that in denying a vote and pressing forward with the plan. Furthermore, breaking it up into phases (listed in dollar amounts that are smaller than the $40 million) does not change the fact that even incrementally, the project is more than is needed for our community and costs too much.

At the 2011 public hearing unveiling the plan we were informed of the cities Team McEuen visited to gather design ideas - two of which were Vancouver, B.C. and Minneapolis, Minn. These are communities of 400,000-500,000 people. It is right and responsible for citizens to question whether the McEuen plan is appropriate for our 40,000+ population... not to mention our limited tourist season. We are NOT Vancouver or Minneapolis.

In closing, it is NOT un-American to challenge elected officials that do not represent the will of the people. Let the process work without attacks and name calling. Whether you do or do not support a recall, educate yourself on the issues and please use logic and facts when providing your input. Passion based on logic and reason is what founded our country. Feelings and emotions may be real, but they do not provide the best basis for debating about or making decisions for our community.

Babette Banducci is a Coeur d'Alene resident.