The Coeur d’Alene Press has been a part of my life since I was born. Digging through the archives (a favorite activity at the Library) I found my birth announcement from 1955. As a kid I remember my parents reading the Press every night. I delivered bundles of newspapers to paperboys after school (yes, it was an evening paper for years) and once sold ads for the Press. And I’ve been reading the Press with breakfast my entire adult life.

But in all those years I don’t remember ever reading anything that was as important as and that I agreed with as much as the Sunday, June 2 Editorial; Wanted: Only the best. Thank you Mike Patrick for the most common sense, realistic view of what this, or any community, needs when it comes to running for and electing members of a City Council.

This editorial contains a number of attributes that are vitally important and should be not only remembered but held to the highest standards by candidates and voters alike.

To paraphrase portions I believe are paramount to Coeur d’Alene in particular: The best aren’t one-issue candidates, they aren’t known only for verifying the wisdom of investing in McEuen or vilifying city leaders for the same. They have a track record of community stewardship, that they build up rather than tear down. They will be able to explain what they are for, not for what they are against.

The last few years in Coeur d’Alene have painful if not outright ugly. The tone and sense of community and cooperation we once had have been eroded by fear and hate. This is not the Coeur d’Alene that I grew up in and it’s not the Coeur d’Alene I want to see become the norm. It’s not us and them, it’s US. Rock throwers and Monday morning quarterbacks do not benefit our community. Citizens (as opposed to residents) who participate and work toward goals do.

Before you decide to run for one of these positions, ask yourself where you stand on these principles. Before you vote for a candidate, make sure you know where they stand on these principles.

As a side note, while a number of Letters to the Editor and My Turn columns make me cringe, thank you Cd’A Press for printing them. You are a wonderful forum for our community. Keep up the good work.

DAVE WALKER

Coeur d’Alene