I have to admit that after reading one more article in the Press this morning about the McEuen plan, the Recall, etc. (Easter Sunday), I am now convinced that the city’s leaderess is lost on a personal trip somewhere “between the moon and New York City” and the council members following her lead are her travel advisors.

I tell you quite honestly that until this last year I have been very middle of the road on many city issues. For some, against others. Some projects good … others not so much. I have always leaned toward supporting our mayor. But a good thing here and there is not the issue now. Now … what is happening NOW is the issue.

The communication and marketing of the plan to the public coming from the Mayor and LCDC has been an abject failure. Bits of truth, half information, avoidance, partial facts, etc. LCDC and the city should have had the plan solidified and costs determined. They then should have laid out exactly what the cost would be and exactly how it would be paid for … who would bear those costs. And then, even it were not controversial, should have sought a public vote … because of the costs involved, because it IS McEuen and because it would have been right to do so. Had they done so, chances are the park redo would have been accomplished without all the current discontent. As an advisory vote the mayor could have ignored a negative vote outcome anyway. So I want to ask; here in this public venue, some questions. I will look forward to seeing the “Factual” responses by the Mayor soon.

Number 1: The McEuen plan was made public and a cost of over $39 million was affixed to it. I know this because I was at the meeting in the “Tower” when that was delivered. This plan and amount was “approved” on May 24, 2011! Now the Mayor is saying that compromise has been made to the tune of trimming the plan to some $14 million. But … it is funny is it not that the news/supporters of the mayor and others fail to make a point of the note that follows that reduction claim. The one that says: “…for Phase 1.” My question is this.

What is the current projected cost for the COMPLETED McEuen plan? Not phase one … not with this or without that. The total completed plan as it sits … now!

Number 2: We have all heard different things about the funding. “No tax dollars … grants … the tooth fairy.” Well, I think everyone knows that unless the city or LCDC is operating a “for profit” business and funneling the profits into the park plan then it is TAX dollars that will be used for the plan. Why ever deny this fact? My question is this:

Are TAX dollars going to be used to fund the McEuen project and to pay for any loans that may be garnered by either the city or LCDC?

Number 3: The boat launch. OK, so now we are told that compromise has been made and the boat launch will stay. But what person of reasonable common sense would vote for that and then at the same time vote to put boat trailer parking 1,800 feet (per Google Earth) from the boat launch? That’s a hike of a third of a mile … twice! Now, isn’t it true that the keeping of the boat launch is ONLY because a viable alternative launch location currently eludes the city council? And doesn’t the boat launch in effect become unusable for a lot of people if the parking is 1/3 mile away? My question is this.

Is the boat launch now permanently removed from the McEuen makeover plan?

Number 4: Helping downtown business. Will a fountain or memorial or bocce ball replace, as a draw, a perfectly situated all-American ballfield or the most used boat launch on Lake Coeur d’Alene? I know (because I have done so myself and seen others) that many, many of those watching a ball game have taken time, since they are downtown anyway, to go up on Sherman and buy lunch … or shop for a this or that. Many boaters stop in at a local restaurant and grab their sandwiches to go or grab a bite at restaurant once their boating day is done. A visit to downtown businesses is a part of the ballfield and boat launch activities. So move the ball field to Cherry Hill … where when you take a break from the game you can go and sit on a rock? Or where you then have to get in your car to go to a restaurant? Really? And will that ballfield be a public field? Free to use and access? And who is paying for the new ballpark? My question is this.

Does removing the ballpark and boat launch really help downtown business and the rest of the city?

Number 5: Decisions over the past 5 years or so have raised property taxes. With the city council voting time and again in concert with LCDC’s wishes. A resulting rise in property taxes has resulted. Of this there is no question. The Mayor should consider the following. With the increases in property taxes from the city’s special urban renewal projects families find it more and more difficult to then support other requests for increases to their taxes … like our schools! Additional monies needed for our students and their facilites would be much, much easier to float to the public were it not for Fourth street and other low priority projects. There is just so much money in the pot to continually go after. People are hesitant to approve school bonds/levies because property taxes have risen as much as they have. The mayor has failed to realize the real consequences of some of these “visionary” projects. My question is this.

Have property taxes for city and county residents and local businesses increased more than 10% over the last 5 years?

Number 6: City salaries. In tough economic times, we all struggle. As mayor, salaries and contracts are reviewed and approved. It would seem a function of leadership to step up and take the lead in ensuring those items are fiscally responsible. My question is this.

As mayor are you going to adjust the salaries of city officials whose salaries are out of line when considering city size, revenue generated by the city and when compared with other Idaho cities?

Number 7: My question is this.

It is a bit arrogant to say… (I am paraphrasing here) “ they are trying to ruin our vision of what Coeur d’Alene should be …”?

Who is “our”?

The mayor and the three council members being targeted in the recall showed all along little concern over objections to the McEuen plan. Now, they seem all in a tizzy about a recall. No one ... not the four being sought for eviction, not Riggs, not the “inner circle,” not any resolutions from Fernan Village or even Dayton, Ohio … no one will stop those involved with collecting signatures from pursuing the constitutional right to do so. It is NOT un-American! It is an exercise of citizenship! It is not UN-Reaganistic! Few were as anti-urban renewal as he was!

Respect should be given to every citizen and their opinion. If you are one who believes there should be but one party, one line of thought, one singular opinion and that if you are not on board with that then you are somehow nuts, stupid or un-American, well then I dare say you fail in understanding basic rules of American citizenship. It is sad to see any form of intimidation by those wanting to pursue an agenda simply because another may see things differently. It remains wanting to have our print media locally and nationally able to deliver fair perspective on both sides of any issue. We, as citizens are left with doing what we can to curtail any form of government which reaches a point where its citizens are ignored. This is where the citizens of Coeur d’Alene are at. To see our Mayor and the three city council members still failing to understand the depth of the frustration with their current decision making is reason enough for a recall. They just don’t get it.

Ken Stuker is a Coeur d’Alene resident.