The local political trolley has started its run for the November elections with well-meaning candidates throwing their hats into the ring for the coveted and, sometimes, well paid seats of power. Of recent interest is the bid for County Commission by Mr. Marc Eberlein of Post Falls.

While I welcome most any warm-blooded soul to run against Mr. Tondee, I believe it in the best interest of the voters to look carefully at any candidate willing to close his/her business to take a seat (a well paid seat at that) of power in local government. Mr. Eberlein's platform of slimming government, improving government morality (whatever that means), elimination of the "liberal agenda" regarding land use and ensuring a professionally trained administrator/manager is never given the day-to-day reins of county government appears to be much the same platform Mr. Tondee has ridden for a number of years.

So, the question is ... What do we really get for the money we pay our well paid county commissioners by electing Mr. Eberlein? If not careful, we may well get another cloned version of Todd Tondee, Rick Curry and Gus Johnson to perpetuate the good ole boy system that has stumbled through managing most of county government for a number of years. I submit that when we elect a leader who willingly accepts the burden of day-to-day routine management tasks, that leader cannot properly focus on the bigger picture of governing and soon becomes mired in minutia.

Rather than continue with a "this is the way we have always done it" attitude, consider putting a trained professional in charge of the day-to-day, routine activities of county government. Expand the Board of County Commissioners to five part time, "lesser paid," community leaders with strong, professional leadership credentials so they may provide the sound guidance and direction required to run county government.

This concept is not new. Each major city in Kootenai County is run by an appointed, professionally trained and credentialed public administrator who receives guidance and direction from an elected city council. City councils are in-turn held accountable for the health of their cities by the voting public. A professionally trained and credentialed administrator (termed manager at county level) is held accountable by the city council for the day-to-day routine management of city resources. If our cities can do it why then can't we do the same at county level? A restructured county government cannot only be slimming but could well be a cost savings if done properly. Look carefully for the proverbial hidden agenda behind well meaning citizens who volunteer to close their business in favor of becoming a local politician. I can only recommend to the voters of Kootenai County to be very cautious in who you select to run our government because once you buy the poke, you get to keep the pig.

EARL D. (Bud) GREER

Post Falls