[Vision2020] Election questions (was: MCA election endorsement)

[Donovan Arnold]

This question was posed by Joan Opyr:

"2) Would you enforce existing city code even if such
enforcement were painful, uncomfortable, or not
politically expedient?"

Kit Craine, candidate for city council, responded:

"ABSOLUTELY."

Let me understand this. So if a city administrator
does not properly rezone an area as residential, or
misreads an old map as it being residential, and an
entire housing complex is build on it, would you
ignore the solution of turning it into a residential
area, or enforce the law and demolition the entire
housing project?

Do you think that enforcing an unjust law is more
proper than changing the unjust law to being just?

I tend to hope that common sense, the reasonable
discretion of fair minded city officials, respect for
the city treasury, and general fair practice would
supersede the mandatory enforcement of an archaic
arbitrarily written zoning codes.

"enforcement is easy—when someone enquire about
permits, the first step should be checking to see if
what he/she wants to do is in compliance with the
zoning. If it isn’t, permits are not issued."--Kit
Craine

I am concerned when someone says "enforcement is
easy". I do not think it is easy Ms. Craine. First of
all, who determines if the interpretation of the code
is correct? Do we check with the city council to make
sure every time? Does Randy Fife, Gary Riedner, the
Mayor, who decides this on a case by case basis?
Second, if the city is now going to check and make
sure every single piece of construction,
reconstruction, and remodeling is in 100% compliance
with city code, where are we going to get the people
to do all this work? This would seem like a lot of
reading, driving, and checking to be doing. Where are
you going to be getting all this money and resources
for all this checking and enforcing? And finally, even
if it all does seem to check out fine, the decisions
can be appealed anyway to the city council, who can
overrule common sense and vote however they want, be
it the facts of the case, or the alignment of the
stars with Mars and the moon. 

"Overall, this country was founded on the principal
that the laws apply equally to everyone."

I urge you to reread American History and the US
Constitution. 


I do want to say that I appreciate Kit responding to
these questions, and I agree with most her answers. I
also appreciate her opposition to the Third Street
bridge, which will be a disaster for many people if it
happens. I have accurately predicted the outcome of
the last three Moscow city elections and I am more
than 85% sure that Kit Crane will be elected to one of
the city council positions. 

Take Care,

Donovan J Arnold 



 One of the reasons I am running is I believe that the
City’s practice of enforcing codes only when someone
complains about a 
violation is wrong. The worst situation involves the
zoning code. That We 
pay a significant number of tax dollars to support a
department full of 
people whose primary job is supposed to be enforcing
the code. 
enforcement is easy—when someone enenquiresbout
permits, the first step 
should be checking to see if what he/she wants to do
is in compliance 
with the zoning. If it isisn, permits are not issued.
Citizens should 
not have identify violations (after construction is
finished), research 
the code, then fight the City for enforcement.

Overall, this country was founded on the principal
that the laws apply 
equally to everyone. Enforcement by complaint creates
a situation where 
the law applies only to those who annoyed someone
enough that the 
someone takes action. That can create feuds. Feuds are
something Moscow 
does not need.

Moscow also should not be wasting time retrofitting
zoning districts or 
codes to resolve problems that would have been avoided
if enforcement 
was required rather than optional.

--- Kit CrCrainekckcraineomoscowom> wrote:

> Joan & Vision2020
> 
> Sorry to take a few days with this. I was at the
> Sustainable 
> Transportation conference, which produced much to
> think about in terms 
> of how Moscow should be growing. My sessions
> basically agreed on 
> walkable, connected, and adaptable. More on that
> later.
> 
> Meanwhile, now that I’m caught up on other things,
> here are my answers 
> to Joan’s questions.
> 
> Kit CrCraine> 
> 
> > 1) Would you support a two-year moratorium on any
> elected official 
> > doing business and/or bidding on a contract with
> the city after he or 
> > she has left office?
> 
> I support this idea— in theory—for both elected
> officials and staff. I 
> would rather the community define a clean-hands
> policy/law than be 
> split into those with the “right” friends and those
> without. In 
> practice, the code would have to be carefully
> crafted to balance a 
> citizen-official’s need to make a living in an area
> that might require 
> interaction with the city against the public’s need
> to ensure there is 
> no undue influence in staff‘s or an official’s
> decisions.
> 
> > 2) Would you enforce existing city code even if
> such enforcement were 
> > painful, uncomfortable, or not politically
> expedient?
> 
> ABSOLUTELY. One of the reasons I am running is I
> believe that the 
> City’s practice of enforcing codes only when someone
> complains about a 
> violation is wrong. The worst situation involves the
> zoning code. We 
> pay a significant number of tax dollars to support a
> department full of 
> people whose primary job is supposed to be enforcing
> the code. That 
> enforcement is easy—when someone enenquiresbout
> permits, the first step 
> should be checking to see if what he/she wants to do
> is in compliance 
> with the zoning. If it isisn, permits are not
> issued. Citizens should 
> not have identify violations (after construction is
> finished), research 
> the code, then fight the City for enforcement.
> 
> Overall, this country was founded on the principal
> that the laws apply 
> equally to everyone. Enforcement by complaint
> creates a situation where 
> the law applies only to those who annoyed someone
> enough that the 
> someone takes action. That can create feuds. Feuds
> are something Moscow 
> does not need.
> 
> Moscow also should not be wasting time retrofitting
> zoning districts or 
> codes to resolve problems that would have been
> avoided if enforcement 
> was required rather than optional.
> 
> > 3) What is your position on the Third Street
> Bridge project?
> 
> I am against it. Granted, extending Third to Mt.
> View has been in the 
> comprehensive plan for many years and it is a
> logically piece in 
> Moscow’s transportation system. However, once upon a
> time the City 
> allowed the area around Lena WhWhitmoreo develop as
> if Third is a dead 
> end. To go in now and make a major intersection with
> the only street 
> that goes directly from the west side of town to Mt.
> View would 
> endanger too many children, split the town into
> quadrants, and further 
> clog Third as it goes through downtown.
> 
> I would like to see some “what-if” studies to
> evaluate changes in 
> traffic patterns before the City closes or opens any
> intersections. Any 
> proposed development should also include traffic
> studies that look at 
> the impact of increased traffic throughout town and
> determines 
> mitigation as part of the discussion of how much
> housing density will 
> be allowed.
> 
> 
> > 4) What do you believe are the most difficult
> issues facing ethnic and 
> > racial minorities in our community?  Also, what
> are the most 
> > challenging issues faced by women, gays and
> lesbians, and the 
> > economically disenfranchised?
> 
> I think racial and ethnic minorities face the same
> issues as in other 
> communities because bigotry and ignorance are
> everywhere. What I don’t 
> know is whether Moscow is better or worse than other
> places. Bad 
> things, whether they are hate-motivated attacks or
> traffic accidents, 
> go largely unreported in the local press. One must
> be part of a 
> sub-community to know what is going on.
> 
> I think the biggest challenge for those who don’t
> fit the ideal is 
> bringing the actual situation to light so the
> community can deal with 
> it.
> 
> > 5) What are Moscow's three greatest opportunities
> in the next five 
> > years?
> 
> a) At this point in time, we have the opportunity to
> revise the 
> comprehensive plan, zoning codes, and building codes
> so the community 
> can grow as Moscow, not as a suburb to nowhere. That
> means keeping the 
> green space, trees, neighborhood feeling,
> connectivity, and alternate 
> modes of transportation that give Moscow it’s own
> character rather than 
> adopting planning, building, and transportation
> models that were meant 
> for bigger places and elsewhere.
> 
> b) We have the opportunity to develop policies,
> procedures, methods and 
> related codes to be a leader in water conservation.
> For instance, we 
> could not only make it easy to install composting
> toilets and gray 
> water systems in new subdivisions, we could create
> incentives which 
> might—by reducing the need to enlarge city water and
> sewer 
> services—result in lower-cost housing.
> 
> c) As Moscow makes the transition from small town to
> small city, we can 
> merge transportation, economic development, and land
> use into a single 
> entity that encourages growth without the type of
> sprawl that is 
> associated with large areas devoted to single uses
> that people must 
> travel in cars to reach.
> 
> 
>
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