Gordon Forgey

For a while, Steve McGehee was living in Mexico. Now, he is back in Palouse.

His return has marked new assaults on the Palouse City Council and, in particular, Mayor Michael Echanove.

For years McGehee has been a thorn in the side of the city. He is his own version of Haunted Palouse.

The crux of his complaints has been to question the mayor’s credibility with charges of corruption and mismanagement.

Not having a local newspaper as a forum anymore, he has taken to driving around town in a truck with signs attacking the mayor.

McGehee sees himself as a knight on a white horse protecting the innocent. He has been on his quest for years.

He may have some valid points, but they are obscured by his methods. He seems more intent on the process of protest than any resolution to come from it.

What he needs to do now is say what he is trying to accomplish. Surely, it is not simply to be tiresome.

He needs to come to the point.

The successes in Palouse have been quite astounding. When the town was flooded and on its knees, it could have simply died, remaining only as a bedroom community to Pullman. It didn’t. Now it has a vibrant downtown and nearly every amenity a small town could desire.

Ups and downs in rural towns are to be expected, but somebody in Palouse is doing things right.

It just doesn’t happen to be Steve McGehee.

Gordon Forgey

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