Gordon Forgey

Commissioner Greg Partch did not garner the support he needed in last week’s primary. He finished third in a three-man race. As a result, the sitting commissioner will be out of office at the end of his term. Now, the District 1 race for his seat is down to Art Swannack and Bill Tensfeld, both Republicans.

Commissioner Pat O’Neill, Democrat representing District 2, will again face Dean Kinzer, a Republican, in the general election. Kinzer received the most votes in their first contest.

Rarely has the county seen such emotion and potential turnover in commissioner races.

Ostensibly, the two incumbents are paying the price for their commitment of $15 million to the Hawkins Companies development in the Moscow/Pullman corridor.

Actually, their biggest problem was not their commitment of public money to the project, but rather how they treated some citizens intent on expressing their views.

The two commissioners shut down public comment, not even pretending to listen to their constituents. The fury they invoked was immediate and intense. Suddenly the two faced a lawsuit and challengers wanting their jobs.

It is likely that many of those who disagreed with the decision to commit $15 million to the project would not have been so vehement had they been treated with more respect. After all, the county had already committed $9 million to the project with few public objections.

This disdainful treatment of citizens has cost Partch his job. O’Neill may be able to save his, but not without some scars.

Still, the lesson is out there for everyone. Policy differences are one thing. That is part of living in a democracy. Arrogance in public office, even the perception of it, is a political killer. Elected officials cannot forget for whom they work.

Gordon Forgey

Publisher