MY TURN: Choose the best

The election for mayor of Coeur d’Alene is next month, so we voters must decide which candidate is best for our city. It is an easy decision for me. Please let me introduce myself and explain:

On this topic of CdA’s elections, I have both knowledge and a vested interest. You see, my husband and I have lived here for almost 40 years, where we have raised our family, grown our own business and where I served on city committees and represented this community in the Idaho State Senate for eight years.

So let’s look at the four candidates running for mayor:

The last into the lineup was John Pulsipher, a dentist from California. He has not been involved in city issues, nor has he served on any boards or committees dealing with our city, yet he wants to be our mayor?

Debbie Loffman is next. She told me she moved here from California two years ago but still runs her California business from here, remotely. Debbie has not been involved in city issues nor has she served on any city committees, but after only two years she is running to be our mayor?

Why do these new people think they are ready to lead our city when they know nothing about Coeur d’Alene and the state of Idaho’s government? Every state and city government are different. Idaho is not like California!

Woody McEvers was on City Council and asked to fill in as mayor when our former mayor resigned. Woody is a longtime resident of Cd'A. He’s the surfer dude nice guy. He’s not my choice for mayor because I believe his loyalties are first to the “old guard” power group who have ruled from the sidelines for decades, and Woody goes along to get along.

Dan Gookin has lived in Cd'A for 23 years and is currently on our City Council, where he has served for 14 years. He’s the guy who asks the hard questions in the public meetings and expects answers and accountability. Dan is a fiscal hawk. He has never voted for a tax increase. He knows about finance and technology because he started the “Dummies” series, writing “DOS for Dummies” and many other books. They’ve been translated into hundreds of languages and shipped around the world. Dan is a self-made man and an independent thinker. He’s also been my friend for nearly 20 years. We fought for transparency and accountability when the Urban Renewal agency was doling out tax credits for high end developments. We held public meetings to explain the shadowy process of Urban Renewal, and insisted the UR agency board meetings be public and their fiscal info reported online. I could go on and on about local issues for which Dan has volunteered his time and talent, but suffice it to say,  

Dan Gookin knows Coeur d’Alene!

Please join me in voting for our next mayor, someone with a strong spine and a sharp mind who puts the citizens of CdA first: Dan Gookin.

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Mary Souza is a Coeur d’Alene resident.