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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>John, Thanks for taking the time to respond. Your
paragraph outlining the benefits of a police union is a little on the sparse
side. If turnover is the biggest problem at a cost to the city of $100,000. the
obvious solution would seen to be to move a few bucks from the training budget
to the compensation side of the ledger. Giving a significant percent of that
money to the union to achieve that end wastes monies that could be better
utilized elsewhere. I am all in favor of our local constabulary being
compensated at a fair rate but I still see no indication that a union presence
will aid in that goal.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>gc</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=johnd@moscow.com href="mailto:johnd@moscow.com">John Dickinson</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=jampot@adelphia.net
href="mailto:jampot@adelphia.net">'g. crabtree'</A> ; <A
title=thansen@moscow.com href="mailto:thansen@moscow.com">'Tom Hansen'</A> ;
<A title=vision2020@moscow.com href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">'Moscow
Vision 2020'</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, May 23, 2006 1:38 AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> RE: [Vision2020] Stout Not Wrong
n Union Support / Police UnionStandNot a Conflict</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV class=Section1>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: navy">Hi-<BR><BR>I'll give a few things about
the unionization of the Moscow police that are advantages for the community,
but I would like to begin with my fundamental reason for supporting the Moscow
police in their request to form a labor organization - <B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">I believe that all workers should have the right to
organize</SPAN></B>. <BR><BR>The benefits include lower turnover of police
members. Police department in our area that are unionized have a turnover rate
of about 1%, those without unions, like ours, have turnover rates around 15%.
The savings in officer training alone will save the city $100,000.<BR><BR>No
manager ever thinks that a union will be able to achieve anything that
couldn’t be achieved by just talking with management. The truth is that talk
is cheap and that virtually every aspect of work that makes work worthwhile
for the employee has been obtained by a union – wages, vacations, working
hours, insurance, retirement plans, etc. Even workers who are not now working
in a union job have these benefits. I know this might be a stretch, but it may
be that another benefit of the police unionizing would be improved working
conditions for others in the community.<BR><BR>What are the negatives? Unions
sometimes strike. In <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Idaho</st1:place></st1:State>, organized police departments are
prohibited from striking. So when a union request or demand is presented to a
city council, the council can say “No” and the police continue to work. So why
would they organize? I think there are two benefits for the police officers –
<B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">One</SPAN></B>, once they create a “labor
organization’ (the <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Idaho</st1:place></st1:State> legal name for an organization the
collectively bargains – it need not be a union, it could be a person hired to
speak for them regarding working conditions) they speak with a single voice to
the city. (I need to add another parenthetical remark here – too many of them,
sorry. The <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:City> police officers have submitted several
petitions requesting permission to organize, the latest was submitted a few
weeks ago and 100% of the police officers signed their name to that request.)
<B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Two</SPAN></B>, if there is a dispute
between the police and the city over a request/demand, the matter is turned
over to binding arbitration. In <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Idaho</st1:place></st1:State> this is a judge who listens to both
sides of the story and makes a decision. I don’t think the city should fear
such a process. Employees cannot expect large increases in benefit packages
because cities are only allowed 3% increases in revenues without a vote of the
community, so demands larger than 3% are difficult for employees to justify.
<BR><BR>A few last little points, some personal and some just about <st1:State
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Idaho</st1:place></st1:State>. The issues that
I hear most often discussed concerning the police and other city employees are
the merit pay evaluation and the health insurance benefit. <BR><BR>Merit pay
is a pay for performance system. Every faculty member has a performance
evaluation each year and it is used to determine their pay for the subsequent
year. These systems are full of dangers and I would guess that most faculty
members don’t like them. I was a department chair at UI for 15 years and I
evaluated faculty for all those years. I believe the system works, but only if
the administrator in charge is able create an evaluation that is realistic,
fair, and comprehensive. If an administrator decided to count tickets issued
or DUIs convicted or convictions for rolling stops, then the evaluation ceases
to be fair or comprehensive. I support merit pay and pay for performance.
<BR><BR>Who among us is really happy with the health insurance plan we are on?
I suspect only the healthy. Every health insurance plan in this country is
expensive for both the employee and the employer and is less comprehensive
than any sick person would like. I would love to see a solution to this
problem for the <st1:City w:st="on">Moscow</st1:City> police, for all
<st1:City w:st="on">Moscow</st1:City> city employees, for every person in
<st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:City>. It is
a complex and difficult problem. Any union can’t solve this problem, but
perhaps by pointing out the failures with the current system, we might come to
a better solution – one that provides more coverage to more people at a
reduced cost by including more healthy people in the plan. I don’t know how to
solve this problem. I suspect it will take a national solution.<B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><BR><BR>Lastly, </SPAN></B><st1:State
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Idaho</st1:place></st1:State> is a right to
work state. This means that no one can be forced to join a union. In practice
this means that if the <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:City> police decide to create a labor
organization that many members might not join the organization to save the
monthly dues (estimates are that about 25% to 33% might not join). The major
advantage of this is that sometimes unions have rules that make simple tasks
harder – for example, union rules might make it more difficult to reassign
workers to specific shifts. But since we live in a right to work state, we can
move the non-union people around as needed.<BR><BR><B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">My Summary</SPAN></B> – organizing is a fundamental
right of workers and the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. It is not about
the smiles on council members faces, it is about the rights and well-being of
members of the community.<BR><BR>John Dickinson<BR><st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:City> City
Council<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: navy"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">-----Original Message-----<BR>From:
vision2020-bounces@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com] On Behalf
Of g. crabtree<BR>Sent: Monday, May 22, 2006 6:58 PM<BR>To: Tom Hansen; Moscow
Vision 2020<BR>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Stout Not Wrong n Union Support /
Police UnionStandNot a Conflict</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Ray writes a fine letter as far as it goes. The
question I have yet to see <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">answered satisfactorily is how is a unionized police
force is good for the <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">city and by extension the citizens? It's easy to see
that it will be good <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">for the union. More dues. It will be good for
politicians who support it. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">More contributions. It might be good for the police.
More wages and <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">benifits, perhaps. But good for the people of
<st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:City> as a
whole? That hasn't <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">been established by any stretch of the imagination. In
fact its not too hard <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">to envision several negative outcomes that will be
brought about by union <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">recognition not the least of which will be greatly
increased costs.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">gc<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">----- Original Message -----
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">From: "Tom Hansen"
<thansen@moscow.com><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">To: "Moscow Vision 2020"
<vision2020@moscow.com><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Sent: Monday, May 22, 2006 3:32
PM<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Subject: [Vision2020] Stout Not Wrong n Union Support
/ Police <st1:place w:st="on">Union</st1:place> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">StandNot a Conflict<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> >From today's (May 22, 2006) Moscow-Pullman
Daily News with a special <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> >thanks<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> to Ray von Wandruszka and Margaret Davis
-<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">>
-------------------------------------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> Stout not wrong in union
support<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> Recently there has been a spate of letters to the
editor from people who<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> take issue with Moscow City Councilman Bob
Stout's support of a police<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> union. A recurring theme in these letters reads
something like this: ". I<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> thought city councilors were elected to represent
all residents, not just <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> a<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> small group of employees . " Well, the writers
either did not pay <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> attention<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> in civics class, or found the material too
challenging. Allow me to <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> explain<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> the matter (for clarity, I'll write very slowly
from here on): If Stout <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> were<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> to support, say, a children's playground, then he
would not do this solely<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> as a representative of the 100-odd kids and their
parents who use the<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> facility, but because it is a good thing for the
city of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:City>
- a <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> feature<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> that makes it a better place to
live.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> The same is true for the union issue: Bob Stout
does not support a police<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> union because he represents police personnel to
the exclusion of clueless<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> letter writers, but because he believes that such
a union would benefit <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> the<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> police force and thereby the city. You may agree,
or disagree, but please,<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> spare us cockamamie arguments about
representation. A city councilor is <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> not<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> your personal mouthpiece - even if you labor
under the illusion of <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> speaking<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> for the people. Councilman Stout has a degree in
political science, and <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> has<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> this representative democracy thing down pat.
Clearly, the same cannot be<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> said about his
critics.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> Ray von Wandruszka, <st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:City><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">>
-------------------------------------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> Police union stand not a
conflict<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> In his letter published in the Monday, May 15
Daily News, Jim Anderson <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> says<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> that Bob Stout ought to recuse himself from
voting on the issue of the<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> police union.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Anderson</st1:place></st1:City> maintains that because Stout has
made his opinion known in the<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> past, that his expressed opinion represents a
conflict of interest.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> If this were the case, then every political
platform would represent a<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> conflict of interest when the issue came to a
vote.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> People voted for Stout because of his stands on
the various issues. The<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> police, as every working group, ought to have
collective bargaining <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> rights.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:City>'s police are willing to do a very
difficult, dangerous, and <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> sometimes<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> thankless job. They ought to be valued and
supported by the community they<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> protect.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> Margaret Davis, <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:City><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">>
-------------------------------------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> Simply stated, constituents vote for candidates
for the same reason that<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> they join political organizations, they strongly
believe in the positions<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> expressed by the candidates and/or political
organizations.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> The same holds true concerning Councilman Aaron
Ament. People knew, and<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> understood, where Aaron Ament stood on virtually
all issues when they <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> voted<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> him onto the Moscow City
Council.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> Councilpersons Ament and/or Stout should not be
recused simply because <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> they<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> are loyal to comments they expressed while
campaigning.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> Seeya round town, <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:City>.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> Tom Hansen<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Moscow</st1:City>, <st1:State
w:st="on">Idaho</st1:State></st1:place><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>