City Focus Areas Ranked by Votes

This chart doesn't reproduce incredibly well in this Blogger format, but here are the areas of priority that the City Council voted for on April 13th in a public workshop. This is the first part of the budget process, and staff then took this list back to determine hard costs.

The order is in order of council priority, and the numbers after (H M L) indicate the number of council members (including the Mayor in this exercise) voting for each priority.
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Proposed Focus Area H M L

1 Additional Police Personnel (Police) 7 0 0
2 Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance Updates (Planning Commission) 6 1 0
3 Develop & Implement Affordable Housing Strategies (Administration) 5 2 0
4 Increase the Level of Overlay Funding (Engineering) 5 2 0
5 Additional Fire Fighters (Fire) 5 2 0
6 Additional Parks Workers (Parks) 5 2 0
7 Customer Service Enhancements (Building) 5 2 0
8 Resources for Constructing ADA Compliance Initiatives (Streets) 5 2 0
9 Strengthen Code Enforcement (Legal) 4 3 0
10 Additional HEO Staffing in Streets (Streets) 4 3 0
11 Parks Irrigation Worker (Parks) 4 3 0
12 Replenish Insurance Plan (Legal) 4 2 1
13 Provide Fire Service Outside City/Transfer Revenue (Fire) 4 2 1
14 Implement a Traffic School (Police) 3 2 2
15 Effluent Reuse Pilot (Wastewater) 1 6 0
16 Implementation of Citywide GIS Program (Municipal Services) 0 6 1
17 Pursue Fernan Sewer Agreement Negotiations (Legal/Wastewater) 2 5 0
18 Support Expansion of Citylink Public Transportation (Administration) 2 5 0
19 Acceptance of HUD “Entitlement City” Designation (Administration) 1 5 1
20 Expand “North Ramsey Campus”/Land Acquisition (Administration) 1 5 1
21 Convert Inline Area of Skate Park into BMX/Skate Park (Recreation) 1 5 1
22 Continue to Implement E-Commerce (Finance) 3 4 0
23 Joint Construction of Gyms (Winton) with School District (Recreation) 3 4 0
24 Credit Card Payment & On-Line Registration/Reservation (Parks/Recreation) 3 4 0
25 Resources to Sustain Expanded Library (Library/Parks) 3 4 0
26 Park Facility Upgrades (Parks) 3 4 0
27 Project Management and Inspection for ADA Compliance (Engineering) 3 4 0
28 River District Planning Study (Administration) 2 4 1
29 Planning for Growth by ULI Advisory Committee (Administration) 2 4 1
30 Develop a Hearing Examiner Process (Legal/Finance) 1 4 2
31 Adjudication of Aquifer Water Rights by State (Water) 1 3 3
32 Become a Class I Rated City (Fire) 2 2 3
33 Weed Abatement Program/Double-Fronted Lot Maintenance (Streets) 1 2 4
34 Downtown/Midtown Roof Drain – Stormwater Separation (Wastewater) 1 2 4

Summer Help in Coeur d'Alene

A message from Parks Director Doug Eastwood:

The CDA Parks Department is in the process of hiring summer help. The starting wage is $8.67 per hour. We work 40 hours per week and this can include weekends and holidays. The individual needs to be 16 years old or older and have a current driver’s license. We are hiring guys and gals. They will be assisting the full time staff with the daily maintenance of our parks, trails, building grounds, boulevards, and natural areas. If you know someone that might be interested, send them to City Hall and ask for Jackie Carbone. Jackie will give them an application.

Some highlights of this week's City Council Agenda

* - Proclamations on Arbor Week and Fair Housing Month
* - Housekeeping issues on the consent calendar
* - Resolution of support for St. Vincent dePaul's Homeless Grant Application
* - Discussion and vote on a new policy for water service outside city limits
* - Discussion and vote on a new bulk water use program
* - Public Hearing on Annexation and Zoning for Hawk's Nest Property adjacent to the Landings at Waterford between Atlas and Heutter Roads

The council will recess until 12 noon on Wednesday in the Council Chambers for a workshop/planning lunch on downtown development.

For more details, click here.

Property Tax Relief in the Idaho Legislature

Legislators hold the ball, citizens left holding the bag.

City of Coeur d'Alene Strategic Planning Session

This Thursday, April 13, the first component of the annual budgeting process begins with a workshop to be held at the Lake City Senior Center. The real meat of the meeting begins around 5:45 pm and will likely last until 8:30 or later.

City staff has prepared documentation that begins the process of setting priorities for projects, and it's being reviewed publicly by council members and questions will be put to staff on the various items.

Council and staff will be looking at the many different initiatives that are underway, ongoing, or potentially worth doing, and giving input into where the focus should be.

This is a public meeting - or rather a continuation of the last Council meeting - so the public is invited to attend. I encourage attendance because as a member of the Council I for one need the public input.

Another Shot of Crash

New Addition to the Kennedy Family

Welcome "Crash" Kennedy

Born December 3, 2005
Yellow Lab

Looks sad in this picture, but really he's only tired, having been worked over like, well, like a dog, by the kids.

Growth Paradox in Coeur d'Alene Last Week

The following are comments I made at the March 21, 2006 City Council meeting regarding the events of last week in Coeur d'Alene.
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Madame Mayor I wanted to talk just a little bit about a few things that happened last week in Coeur d’Alene. I don’t have a motion to introduce, but rather just a few brief comments and a request for some more feedback both here and in the larger community. Councilman McEvers has made mention of the need to try to spur more discussion on some issues facing the city without always having to have a vote on a specific measure, and I agree with him.

Last Tuesday, a week ago today, the Planning and Zoning Commission had a very long hearing covering several items. The same day, School District 271 was holding a school plant facilities levy election.

P&Z was handling two items on their calendar that caught my eye:
1) A request for variance to increase the height on a building on Sherman Avenue that would provide as I understand it 6 new residential units; and
2) A proposed zoning change from agricultural to city residential for annexation which facilitated a preliminary plat request for 867 new units on the prairie.

As the minutes of the P&Z meeting will attest, a number of people spoke against the 6-residential unit proposal downtown and the P&Z commissioners voted the variance down.

Later, though, not one person spoke in opposition to the annexation of the potential 867 residential new units on the prairie.

All the while, the returns were coming in indicating that the voters pretty soundly rejected a new school levy to deal with overcrowding and maintenance of old building issues in the district.

Certainly many folks have varying opinions on why the levy went down, but everyone I talk to seems to at least agree that increasing property taxes and a feeling that “new growth” should be paying for the impact on schools contributed to the levy’s defeat.

But as I read the papers the next day and read the outcome of the P&Z hearing, I couldn’t help but feel that there is a pretty serious disconnect in our community when residents clearly vote down a school levy on the very same day that an 867-unit plat annexation is being unanimously approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission with no discussion or input from residents at all.

No one has all the answers to the complex issue of managing growth effectively – I certainly don’t.

I recognize that currently the school districts cannot charge impact fees at all on new growth, so the burden falls heavily on property taxpayers. I recognize that P&Z has strict rules on what issues they can factor in when making a decision to approve or reject an annexation request. And I recognize that some folks don’t want any new heights downtown while others are very nervous about any new ordinances dealing with height and downtown development in Coeur d’Alene.

I knocked on about 1700 doors during last fall’s campaign, and when I asked regular residents an open ended question about what concerned them most about the community, to a person they talked about growth, taxes, and the changing nature of Coeur d’Alene and Kootenai County.

Last week it felt to me like all three of those issues came to a head on the same day. And for lack of a better word it seemed almost schizophrenic to see two competing messages being delivered on the same day in the same city.

Citizens do look to us here, as well as to the School District, the County Commissioners and State Legislators for leadership. So I felt it was important to speak up when I saw this clear paradox in real time, and try to get some input from residents and other elected officials as to how we feel our way forward, trying to manage growth effectively while not choking off any economic expansion or opportunities.

In short, I want to hear what voters and residents are saying and I want to rely on the expertise of folks like the Planning Commissioners as well. But what concerns me is that we appear to be getting, or maybe delivering, two conflicting messages.

So on that note folks may not be prepared to have a longer discussion about it tonight, but I would like to open a discussion about the general issue of growth and how to manage it both with my fellow councilmembers, and with citizens directly. I’m all ears, and I invite people watching to contact me or any of our city councilmembers with input, thoughts, or concerns. I can be reached on my city email address at mkennedy@cdaid.org or by calling me at 664-7976.

Thank you, Madame Mayor for the time to speak.

Idaho Legislature Week Nine Report - Sen. Clint Stennett

Legislative News from the Senate Minority Leader...

Senator Clint Stennett
District 25
Legislative Week #9
03/10/06

This winter, Idaho saw the price of gasoline reach nearly $3.00 per gallon, and you were not alone if you needed to sit down before you opened your utility bills recently. We have been cautioned to look into alternative energy and fuels for quite some time. The time is upon us now. Every household and pocket book is feeling the pinch of our heavy reliance upon foreign oil and diminishing fossil fuels. The Idaho Legislature is waking up to the needs and the opportunities that exist in alternative energy and fuels as well.

This week a House Committee agreed to form a study committee to spend the summer researching the opportunities and possible pitfalls in implementing a mandate for adding ethanol to gasoline. My motion in a Senate Committee sent a 2% Bio-Diesel mandate to the floor for amendment. I predict this bill will end up in the summer study committee. I also predict that we will send the coal fired electric generating plant proposals to this study committee as well. This committee will be charged with developing a statewide energy plan. This plan will identify our future energy needs as well as where we should look for that energy. This effort will set the stage for the future of energy development in Idaho and Idahoans will be able to help shape that development. I support these efforts to develop alternative fuel and energy industries in Idaho.

In Idaho, we have ample resources (not fossil fuel based) that should also be implemented as a part of that plan. For example, there are enough wind resources in Idaho to provide for the entirety of our electrical energy needs. Wind and solar energy do fluctuate and hence cannot be counted on to serve a base load, or a constant source of energy. However, with natural gas fired plants to provide for peak needs in the coldest and hottest months and hydro to provide the base load, it is incumbent upon us to look to wind and solar energy as a way out of our dependence on fossil fuels.

I am intrigued with the idea of bio-diesel and ethanol to serve our motor fuel needs and lessen our dependence on foreign oil. These alternative fuels can be produced with the crops we grow, as well as with some of the waste products from food processing. While both fuels have some challenges, we must as a nation focus our efforts on developing these alternatives. I have been exploring the opportunity to develop a co-op of producers where farmers could use canola as a rotation crop and grow their own bio-diesel fuel, which could provide fuel for their own operations. As an ancillary benefit, this rotation might provide for the diversion of acres to help firm up pricing in crops such as potatoes.

Clearly, if we are to reach some sort of energy independence, we must encourage development of solar, wind, geothermal, small hydro, ethanol and bio-diesel. These resources should all be integrated into Idaho's plan. The debate about locating the Sempra coal-burning plant has helped Idaho focus on the need to develop alternative energy within our borders. We must develop our ample resources. The planning is long overdue and I encourage all Idahoans to weigh-in with their opinion. This energy plan will set the stage for the next generation of Idahoans. It will determine the movement toward renewable clean energy or coal fired electrical generation plants. I believe that Idaho has a bright future in developing clean alternative energy solutions.

As always, I welcome any suggestions, or comments you have to offer. It is my honor to serve District 25. I can be reached by calling (208) 332-1000 or toll-free 1-800-626-0471, via email at idleginfo@lso.idaho.gov, or by mail to P.O. Box 83720, Boise, ID 83720.

Clint Stennett, D-Ketchum
Senate Minority Leader
District #25

Cheering for Max

Quite the revelry in the Kennedy home this week as Max has taken to his potty training with a vengeance. You probably can't remember the last time anyone cheered when you went number one or two in the right place (i.e. not your pants) but Max has been getting constant cheers all week from his brother and sisters. Dinner the other night had the crowd chanting "Way to go, Max, way to go!!" in the rhythm you'd hear at a World Series game.

It's interesting, because we decided this weekend that it was just flat time for him to get going on this project, and sure enough he has responded amazingly well. As always Mrs. Kennedy gets most of the credit, since she spent the patient time with him in the bathroom getting acquainted with the procedures.

So there you have it - whatever else is going on in the grown-up stressful life zone, Max is digging getting cheered while he's on the toilet.

Nice work if you can get it.

Kudos to John and Ann Beutler

John and Ann give $200,000 back to Cd'A

Story by Linda Ball, Cd'A Press
Photo by Jerome Pollos, Cd'A Press
Story and Link Courtesy of Cd'A Press

COEUR d'ALENE -- The Coeur d'Alene Public Library and the Salvation Army Kroc Center are both $100,000 closer to their goals thanks to a generous gift this week from John and Ann Beutler.

Ann has lived in Coeur d'Alene her entire life, and John moved here in 1975 from Clarkston, Wash., after graduating from Washington State University. Their objective with the big gifts: Give back to the community that has given so much to them.

"I remember going to the library when I was a kid all the time when it was at what's now the Harris-Dean Insurance building at Seventh and Lakeside," Ann Beutler said. "I'm sure this library will be very different, but we'd like to be able to have good opportunities for the kids of this community."

Read more here.

Widespread Panic in Ireland as Flood Spreads

Allen Foundation Library Grant Challenge

COEUR d’ALENE – A $100,000 grant from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation for the new Coeur d’Alene Public Library is a challenge to the community to provide matching funds.
The grant to the Coeur d’Alene Public Library Foundation comes with the condition that the community must match the gift by April 1, 2007. Construction of the new facility is scheduled to begin in May this year.

“We are thrilled to be given this recognition and support from such an internationally prominent and highly respected philanthropic organization,” said Ruth Pratt, Executive Director of the Coeur d’Alene Public Library Foundation. “It’s very gratifying to everyone who worked so diligently preparing the grant proposal, which we submitted last August. The process is highly competitive and rigorous, and the vast majority of requests are not even invited to submit full proposals. Elaine Smith, our shared grant-writer, was most influential in guiding us through the process and deserves the biggest share of credit for our success.

“This affirmation of the quality of our project is definitely a shot of adrenalin. It will help us complete our fund-raising efforts to build this most critical public resource for our rapidly growing community. We hope that individuals and businesses throughout our area will rise to the challenge that the Paul Allen Family Foundation has issued so that we can wrap up our capital campaign as soon as possible.”

The campaign cabinet meets every week to strategize and report on the progress of their ongoing efforts to raise the remainder of the private funds necessary to finish construction. Members of this team include Jim Elder, Denny Davis, Sandy Patano, Steve Wetzel, Mary Sanderson, Jon and Cyndi Hippler, LuAnn Ganz, Sally Dodge, Judi Messina, Bette Ammon, Bob Nonini and Pratt.

“This will be the most historically significant public building constructed in our lifetime, so it is a unique opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to the values and opportunities that a great public library represents for current and future generations,” Pratt said. The cabinet and Library Foundation are trying to raise the remaining $1.4 million required to complete construction of the new 38,000-square-foot library.

Pratt said that since the final phase of the campaign began in January close to $600, 000 has been raised.

“Time is of the essence,” she said. “The City is committed to beginning the project in May to avoid additional escalation in construction costs. We are giving everyone the opportunity to pay their pledges over a five-year period to make their investment as affordable as possible.”

“Many of us have been working on the foundation board for more than 10 years to gain recognition and support for a new public library, she said. “We feel, as Andrew Carnegie said, that a ‘library outranks any other one thing a community can do to benefit its people.’ We want to complete this most public of projects so that citizens of all ages in our area have free access to the wealth of treasures our new library will hold. It’s nice to know that the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation agrees.”

Through the “Leave a Legacy in the Library” campaign, individuals and businesses are being asked to make pledges for various naming opportunities in the new library. For information about donor opportunities, contact the Coeur d’Alene Public Library Foundation at 208/665-0040, 424 E. Sherman Ave. The floor plans and other drawings of the new library can be seen at www.cdalibrary.org by clicking on the “Building Project” link.

Bono Rocks the National Prayer Breakfast

...an excerpt...

"God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house… God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both their lives… God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war… God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them. “If you remove the yolk from your midst, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, and if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom with become like midday and the Lord will continually guide you and satisfy your desire in scorched places”

It’s not a coincidence that in the Scriptures, poverty is mentioned more than 2,100 times. It’s not an accident. That’s a lot of air time, 2,100 mentions. [You know, the only time Christ is judgmental is on the subject of the poor.] ‘As you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.’ (Matthew 25:40). As I say, good news to the poor."

Full text here: Hunger for Justice

Idaho Legislature Week One Report - by Rep. Wendy Jaquet

Governor Kempthorne presented his last state of the state and budget to the legislature and the public on Monday night, January 9. In this first column I'm going to list some of his initiatives and my concerns for your consideration.

Public employee pay raises: He stepped up to the plate and said we should give raises immediately in this fiscal year. He wants to add 3% to the base. A 1% raise was authorized last session based on revenues which far exceeded expectations. Our state employees are far under the market rate of their private economy counterparts, on an average of 16%. I support this and hope for more.

Public schools: He recommended raising the starting pay for teachers to $30,000, but offered only a 2.2 to 2.5% raise to everyone else. I think the public school employees should get the same raises as the public employees.

Property taxes: He suggested a higher qualifying net income for the circuit breaker program, a property tax relief program for low income seniors and the disabled, $30,000, but kept the benefit payment at $1200. This is too low for our communities who have escalating values. I think $28,000 with a $1320 maximum benefit is better. He also offered a deferred property tax program. He failed to lead on state required property tax initiatives such as raising the homeowner's exemption and the repeal of the developer discount agriculture/development statute that has cost counties valuable revenue and shifted the cost of services to other tax payers. I will be working in the House Revenue and Taxation Committee for property tax solutions.

School Buildings: He suggested that we lower the super majority vote approval for school buildings to 60% with the votes on the primary or general election days. This will need a 2/3 vote by the House and Senate to go on the ballot for a constitutional change and is in response to the Supreme Court telling the legislature to help fund a safe learning environment for Idaho's children. He said we should increase funds to the interest subsidy program that Wendell and 23 other districts have used to build a new schools but with 114 districts with who knows how many unsafe schools, this could take forever. I will work to get the Interim Property Tax Committee's recommendation to require impact fees for new schools passed. "Make Growth Pay for Itself", said the people who testified in the hearings before the committee this summer.

Community Colleges: He addressed the issue of a more integrated community college throughout the state by suggesting that classes taught by adjunct professors (part time) could be presented in community libraries, county buildings, k-12 schools at a cheaper cost which is a creative and good idea. However, he didn't offer how we can create equity in this community college system which is partially funded by property tax payers in Jerome, Twin Falls and Kootenai counties, but not in other counties such as Ada and Canyon who really need a community college.

Governor's Mansion: He suggested that the state purchase additional acreage below the "donated" Simplot home which is to be the Governor's mansion. At $2 million dollars, it seems like the Simplots should sell that land to a developer and the mansion be in a neighborhood. The $2 million dollars needs to go to schools in areas where there are low property values and the interest subsidy won't help enough.

Experiencing Idaho: He suggested that we fund a new park in Eastern Idaho and improve a few parks around the state including Billingsley. I want to help the Hagerman site, but I'm worried about spending money on improvements when most parks need an infusion of cash just to take care of needed maintenance. I'm concerned about last year's Connecting Idaho, the highway construction initiative that is effecting scheduled highway improvements like the highway between Shoshone and Timmerman. I'm not sure we can afford a new initiative.

Energy Assistance: The Governor wants to send everyone $50 to offset their power bills this winter. I would rather see the money go to families who qualify through the Community Action Agency energy assistance programs around the state. They already have a system in place. It would cost the state $400,000 to send out those $50 checks. Does everyone need this?

Lots of ideas to think about. If you have suggestions/different ideas, please contact me at 800/ 626-0471 or wjaquet@house.idaho.gov I appreciate hearing from you. Have a good week.

Library Fundraising Needed!

By MARC STEWART, Coeur d'Alene Press Staff writer

Organizers determined to continue fund-raisers before construction starts

COEUR d'ALENE -- Overdue fees won't cover the $1.4 million needed to build a new downtown library.

The city of Coeur d'Alene is committed to building a $7.2 million facility -- even if all the money isn't in place when construction is scheduled to start in May.


"We're determined to get this rolling because the longer we wait, the more the cost goes up," Councilwoman Deanna Goodlander said Wednesday.

Idaho Opinion Survey - BSU

I've always found this annual survey of Idaho opinion on public policy done by Boise State University's Social Science Research Center to be thorough and well done. Occasionally I may quibble with the wording of a question (which means everything in a survey like this) but I think this year's results are instructive. Jim Weatherby, who has a lot of involvement in this survey, is a keen observer of Idaho's public policy.

Property taxes may be a major issue in high-growth areas like Coeur d'Alene and Kootenai County. But they don't seem to be trumping everything else, which doesn't bode well for reform and relief for places that need help from the legislature to modify how they assess needed impact fees for new development. No pressure on Southern Idaho legislative leaders means little change. The Governor showed that he doesn't care too much about property tax relief in last night's State of the State and Budget Addresses.

Let's hope this year's legislature spends more time on important economic and educational public policy issues than they do on far less important social issues put up simply to be divisive and political.

CDA Press - Wolfinger Welcomes Replacement

JASON HUNT/Press
Mike Kennedy, right, is joined by his family as he receives his certificate after being sworn in as the newest member of the Coeur d'Alene City Council on Tuesday. Family from left, Will, Maggie, Nora, wife Kathleen, Quinn, and Max.

Kennedy replaces sheriff's captain on Cd'A City Council

Story By MARC STEWART, Staff writer

"COEUR d'ALENE -- Tuesday's City Council meeting had very little on the agenda except for some very big changes.

Ben Wolfinger said goodbye, accepted some parting gifts, and welcomed his replacement, Mike Kennedy.

"It has been a very fast five years," Wolfinger said. "It's been a wonderful experience. Mike's going to do a great job, and I am glad to be a resident."

(continued at link above)

Bowler's Heaven

USATODAY.com - Michigan man bowls third 300 game of life, then dies

PORTAGE, Mich. (AP) — A longtime bowler collapsed and died at a bowling alley shortly after rolling the third perfect game of his life.

"If he could have written a way to go out, this would be it," Johnny D Masters said of Ed Lorenz, who died at a bowling alley shortly after bowling a perfect game.

Ed Lorenz, 69, of Portage, near Kalamazoo, bowled a 300 Wednesday in his first league game of the night at Airway Lanes. When the retiree got up to bowl in the fifth frame of his second game, he clutched his chest and fell over, and efforts to revive him failed.

Idahoans must guard and protect our federal public lands

This is an op-ed piece that will be appearing in newspapers around the state this coming week. I don't know anyone who has more understanding or credibility on this topic than Cecil Andrus, a four-term Idaho Governor and former Secretary of the Interior.
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Idahoans must guard and protect our federal public lands
By Cecil D. Andrus

Selling off our public federal lands to pay for the damage of Hurricane Katrina is like selling your backyard to cover the costs of a fire in your garage. It doesn’t make sense.

Yet, there are some in Washington, D.C., who are pushing a plan to sell off 15 percent of all the lands held by the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and other Interior Department agencies. States like Idaho with a lot of federal acres would be first on the chopping block.

Idaho has about 33 million acres of federal public lands. Selling of 15 percent of those would equal more than 5 million acres. That’s more than the entire Boise and Sawtooth National Forests combined. And the 15-percent figure doesn’t necessarily apply to a state-by-state approach – there’s no limit in the proposed legislation as to how much could be sold in any single state.

Here in Idaho, our public land is our working capital. We use our natural resources, such as timber and grazing, and we enjoy the recreation that comes with them, such as hunting, fishing, camping and hiking.

Yet, our public lands are more than the sum of its parts. Over the years of my life, as I have driven and flown around this beautiful state, I’ve seen the prettiest blue waterfalls, the most stunning high desert cliffs, the most breathtaking green forests. But just as much as the scenery, I love the fact that it belongs to all of us. None of us own it, yet we all share it – it’s ours. That’s one of the most central concepts of being an Idahoan – it’s what makes us who we are.

I can’t imagine why anyone from Idaho would want to auction off this irreplaceable treasure. I know that Jerry Brady, Democratic candidate for governor, has stepped up to defend Idaho’s public lands, and I commend him for it. Because once we sell it off, it’s gone. The old Will Rogers adage is true: “They ain’t makin’ it no more.”

Sure, you can horse-trade for a few acres here and there. We did some of that when I was Secretary of the Interior under President Carter. But in all my years managing the Interior Department, our goal was always to make public land more open and accessible to the people; not sell it to the highest bidder so private landowners can put up fences, like they’ve done in Texas.

I’m sure some people will say that Idaho has plenty of public land, so we can afford to sell off some and still have plenty. But selling land isn’t the same as selling potatoes, microchips or some other commodity. Rural land can be bought strategically, so that purchasing 100 acres can effectively close off 1,000 acres or more, depending on road access. This kind of buying allows one private citizen to make a minimal investment but still locks out huge tracts to everyone who doesn’t own a helicopter.

Also, in the current political atmosphere, there’s a strong potential for dishonesty. It seems like every day, more headlines are coming out of Washington, D.C. about politicians corrupted by greed. What do you think would happen if the entire West were opened up to land speculators? Who do you think would be the winners and who will be the losers?

I’ll tell you who. It will be the high-dollar campaign contributors and the big-time power brokers who will own the best and most valuable lands. The hunters, fishermen, campers and other recreationists will be left out, but they won’t be the only losers. It will also be the family rancher, the small-town outfitter, the restaurant owners and hotel operators and all their employees.

Idaho and the West are not for sale to the highest bidder. Our heritage, our culture and our future depend on keeping this irreplaceable resource open for all.

Cecil D. Andrus,
Former Idaho Governor

Tall buildings? Community Centers? Attend and Give Input!

Tonight there will be a workshop at the First Presbyterian Church at 521 Lakeside Avenue in downtown Coeur d'Alene from 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm regarding the issue of downtown development restrictions.

There will also be a meeting at Coeur d'Alene High School for citizens to provide further input on the proposed Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center.

It's unfortunate that both meetings are happening on the same night, but for my money both of these are critical issues. I intend to go to the downtown development workshop for the bulk of it since of the two issues it is the one I know less about. If there is time left I will try to make the Kroc Center meeting as well.

Regardless - people need to attend these meetings in person and make your feelings known. You can also email me directly at: mike@idahokennedys.com to give me feedback if you can't attend in person. Thanks!

For information on both of these things visit the city website at: City of Coeur d'Alene Website

Perspective

It's been a very busy last few months with the campaign and all, and I intend to do some thinking and jotting some thoughts about the recently concluded political campaign when I have some time. It's been just about 2 months since my last post here, but tonight something happened as a result of the blogosphere that gives me a little perspective and I wanted to put it down as a reminder of how what real struggle is like.

I received an email that was sent through another blog site I help administer, and it appeared by all accounts to be a suicide note. I'm not trained in such matters, but I know that any person who would put such thoughts into words or emails needs to get help - of whatever kind - immediately.

All we had was a partial email address and a name, so I went to switchboard.com, put in the person's name and town (she had indicated where she lived) and there was a match. We sent an email reply, and tried to call the number but there was no answer.

So we called the local police in her town, gave them the information, and they said they will do their best to locate the person and send help.

It's an enormous burden to contemplate what must be going through this person's mind, but for now all we can do is pray that her outreach might get her some help.

In the midst of this, I'm reminded that as busy as our lives are, as difficult as things can appear at times, we're greatly blessed.

So to my email correspondent tonight - though you may not be able to see it right now, you are loved and you are in our prayers. Stay with us.

Kennedy for City Council Website is up!

Due to the web mastery of the great VanEtten Studios, the Kennedy For City Council Web site is up and running, and able to accept donations for the campaign!

Thanks, Dave!

Katrina Evacuees Experience in Idaho

This is another in the series of email posts on resettlement efforts of Katrina evacuees to Idaho. I believe that there are several families resettled in Idaho at this point, but this is a little glimpse into what our statewide organization, Catholic Charities of Idaho, is doing with one family who has resettled in Boise. Carl Quintanilla of NBC will be highlighting this family next week on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams as an example of how folks are faring in their resettled residences and the services people are providing.
_________________________________________

Hello All,

We are having busy days here with our wonderful family from New Orleans. NBC started filming at my home this morning at 9:00 AM. They filmed the last of the packing and loading my SUV and then we went to the new duplex and filmed the unloading, etc. St. Vincent de Paul brought a king-size bed for our 6’8” dad and tiny mom! That was filmed along with some quiet dialogue about their experience.

Right now they are here at CCI doing a counseling session with Melaney (CCI counselor). She is telling them about the kind of changes they can expect in their 5-yr old’s behavior. She is a “livewire.”

I wanted to demonstrate the range of services available to families who relocate with the help of Catholic Charities. Because their anchorman cannot come until Sunday night, they will not be airing the piece this Friday. I will let you know when we hear. It could be Monday or Tuesday evening. Carl Quintanilla, who has been covering the hurricane for NBC, is flying here on Sunday so that they will have some footage of him with the family.

NPR would like to do a story as well. Marcia and staff are working hard on getting the prayer services organized for Friday. Daren and Tasha and kids will be featured. Tonight we are having a welcome party at their duplex. All are invited who are in the area. NBC will be taping it.

Tomorrow morning we will begin at 8:45 at the elementary school where Dymonlynn will be attending kindergarten, followed by the meeting of the interfaith pastors, a trip to ITT Tech where Daren can resume his education. I’m off to Phoenix on Friday. When I get a break, I will e-mail you more information. Daren and Tasha want other victims to know that relocating to other places in the U.S. can be a wonderful experience.

Kristan

The Dalai Lama and Willie Nelson in Idaho Together - Perfect!

(KTVB Television) KETCHUM -- "The Dalai Lama made his much anticipated arrival into the Wood River Valley Saturday afternoon under a cloak of secrecy.

The Dalai Lama will deliver a message of peace to the Wood River Valley on the anniversary of the Sept. 11th terrorist attacks.

But it is country crooner Willie Nelson who's taking center stage tonight.

NewsChannel 7 has a backstage pass to the event.

You might not automatically tie Willie Nelson with the Dalai Lama, but there is a legitimate connection here -- all in the name of charity.
Money made from tonight's show will go to the children of Tibet."

(No offense intended to the Dalai Lama that his picture is much smaller than Willie Nelson's here - there are just more higher quality public domain internet images of Willie than the Dalai Lama available - go figure! But since they're both great men of peace not to mention rockin tunes, I'm sure the Dalai Lama won't mind)

Katrina Resettlement Activities - Sunday Evening Update

This is an update mail from Catholic Charities of Idaho's Development Director Kristan Schlichte, who has been dispatched to Texas to work on helping evacuees get resettled. To me it shows a sense of order forming amidst the chaos, but still how much freelancing is going on out of necessity (dropping folks off in front of a non-profit agency for lack of a better plan, for example).
__________________________________

Hi again,:
We are saying right now that we can accommodate individuals and families from 6 weeks to 6 months and beyond depending on their own self-reliance plans. Our Idaho contingent visited a shelter in Galveston this evening. It was much smaller and very calm compared to the Astrodome. They canceled plans for a Mass there today because of security issues. However, they allowed Bishop Fiorenza, a rabbi, an Imam and a Baptist minister to take ten minutes each to talk to he crowd. Greg Patin, our Catholic Charities Galveston/Houston contact who has been spending hours over there, said that he could feel a calm settle over the crowd as the faith leaders spoke. Some individuals have families, others don't. Right now the thought of leaving the gulf coast is overwhleming to many. However, in several days and weeks, they will realize their plight and be less fearful of taking a chance. Many are still in shock and unable to rationalize their situation. We know that after crisis mode comes post trauma. These folks need to be somewhere where they can get supportive services for themselves and their children. They do not know what is in store for them. Let me know how we can be of service to the Yakima CC office in the intake process. CC Houston has taken us in and is asking us to help to interivew individuals and families willing to re-locate for transitional housing. (Just make sure someone has done a home visit prior to placement. I know you already know that!) They are doing yeoman's work here. Today 5 busloads of Vietnamese people from Louisiana were dropped off in front of their office with no notice. Someone told the bus drivers in New Orleans to take them to Catholic Charities because "they would know how to help them!" It is CCUSA at its best. We can be so proud! I'll talk with you tomorrow.
Kristan

Idaho Responds to Hurricane Katrina

I've had the privilege of serving on the Board of Directors of Catholic Charities of Idaho (CCI) since its inception in 2001. CCI's national network, Catholic Charities USA, has been in the disaster recovery business for 100 years or so, and is at the forefront of efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. I'm pleased that CC Idaho staff and Idaho volunteers are making their way to Houston, in coordination with national and state relief organizations, to help resettle some evacuees to Idaho for as long as is needed until they can find a way back to their homes and lives.

This has been a colossal nightmare, as everyone knows, but in the quiet of non-profit organizations and homes all around the country we can see the beginnings of light at the end of the tunnel.

If anyone is interested in how they can help out, email me for Idaho contacts or check out the national Catholic Charities website at Catholic Charities USA.

Below is a reprint of an email I received last night from CCI's Development Director Kristan Schlichte who is coordinating Idaho's Catholic Relief efforts to let you know some of the scope of CCI's efforts. We may be thousands of miles away, but we aren't helpless.

Mike

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"Here is today’s update from CCUSA.

Today (9/2) (Idaho Catholic) Bishop Mike Driscoll asked me to coordinate the diocesan disaster response. Along with staff from Catholic Charities of Idaho, we met with diocesan leaders to brainstorm some immediate ways to assist the victims. I am traveling to Houston tomorrow along with 3 Treasure Valley volunteers to identify families for immediate transition to Idaho. Marcie Wilske, our new Parish Social Ministry Director, is coordinating with self-identified families who want to bring victims into their homes. The details are being worked out between CCI and local parish volunteers.

We have also made initial contact with the Governor’s Office, the office of Boise's Mayor, Homeland Security and the Idaho Careline. We are prepared to match victims to volunteers statewide as part of Phase 2 of our efforts. 211 Careline will direct potential volunteers to Catholic Charities of Idaho. We have an online housing assistance form for people to complete and return. Executive Director Marie Hoff is planning to hire additional temp. staff to help case manage the families who come to Idaho. More about the details of this later.

If you have ideas or suggestion, please contact Marcie Wilske here at CCI. We are working with United Way and Catholic Charities in Houston. My friend, Fr. JJ Mc Carthy, O.Carm., is the pastor of St. Bernadette’s Catholic Community in Houston. He is giving us hospitality and his parishioners will assist us with logistics as necessary. We will try to get the Idaho National Guard to provide return transportation for the victims. If not on this trip, then on subsequent phases, I am hoping the St. Bernadette parishioners who are part of NASA will help coordinate charters with the USAF. Right now everything is very fluid.

I am grateful for the opportunity to utilize my experience in disaster relief to put our agency and diocese on the forefront of “hands-on” response. I ask for your prayers and any contacts you might have with the corporate community to assist us in this resettlement effort. The duration of time for people to be in our care could be from 6 weeks to 6 months depending on the needs of the individual families and the kind of supportive services we can muster.

These are indeed refugees because they have nowhere to return. CCUSA is mounting a huge effort to coordinate good will and resources with victims needs. It is called Operation Home Away From Home. We can be proud of our Catholic network. I will have my laptop with me and can be reached at my home e-mail address. I will keep in touch. Pray for these initial efforts at bringing relief to the Katrina victims.

Kristan Schlichte"

The Storm after the Storm - David Brooks

David Brooks NYT Column: "We'd like to think that the stories of hurricanes and floods are always stories of people rallying together to give aid and comfort. And, indeed, each of America's great floods has prompted a popular response both generous and inspiring. But floods are also civic examinations. Amid all the stories that recur with every disaster - tales of sudden death and miraculous survival, the displacement and the disease - there is also the testing.

Civic arrangements work or they fail. Leaders are found worthy or wanting. What's happening in New Orleans and Mississippi today is a human tragedy. But take a close look at the people you see wandering, devastated, around New Orleans: they are predominantly black and poor. The political disturbances are still to come. "

The Kennedy Clan - August 2005

Kathleen and Mike with (left to right) Max, Nora, Will, Quinn, Maggie

It's our turn to help Biloxi

New York Daily News - Home - Michael Daly: It's our turn to help Biloxi: "With news of the awesome destruction down South comes a memory from the terrible days after 9/11, when a big banner went up in Times Square.

'Biloxi loves NYC!' the banner announced.

The banner was sent by Biloxi High School to Stephen Pitalo, a graduate of the Class of 1986 who had moved from that Mississippi city to New York and became a TV and radio producer. He also received boxes of relief supplies collected by students at the Biloxi grammar school he attended, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. "

Screams and tears as Israeli settlers exit Gaza

photo copyright AFP


I think this is a truly momentous occasion - one that makes you stop and pause and reflect on just how much pain and suffering that people in the Middle East have put one another and themselves through over the years. I am no fan of Ariel Sharon, but I think he has to get credit for following through on this extremely difficult action in hopes of continuing a peace process that is as tortured as anything one could conjure up.

Certainly there are strategic reasons for this move on the part of the Israelis, but I have to believe it will be met there with contemplation of what the future of the region really is.

Pullout of the Gaza Strip: "Backed by bulldozers, Israeli forces fanned out through the Mediterranean seafront territory, marching through makeshift barricades into a string of settlements after hundreds of families defied a midnight deadline to leave voluntarily.

As smoke rose from tyres set ablaze by protestors, emotions were running high with sporadic scuffles breaking out while settlers and soldiers wept tears of rage and anguish at the historic operation that pitted Jew against Jew.

Sharon, who risked his political career on the pullout and has been vilified by settlers who once considered him their champion, said he had been moved to tears seeing Jews being hauled from their homes.

'When I see these families with tears in their eyes and police officers with tears in their eyes, it's impossible to look at this without weeping yourself,' he told reporters."

The Bush Library at my Alma Mater?

USATODAY.com - Bush library hopefuls have stacked up: "Bush told Texas reporters this month that his wife would 'definitely' have a vote on the final decision. That fueled speculation that SMU in Dallas, where the future first lady earned her bachelor's degree in education, is the frontrunner. She's also on SMU's board of trustees.

There's more to support the SMU theory. The Bushes have mused about buying a house in Dallas after his presidency to provide an urban alternative to their 1,583-acre ranch, which is just 23 miles from here - and Baylor."

Request a Yard Sign!

If you would like a Kennedy for City Council yard sign in Coeur d'Alene, please email me at: mike@idahokennedys.com with your name, phone, and address, and we'll make sure you get one when we're putting them out later this fall.

Thank you for your support!

The campaign - week one - Canfield Mountain

This was a good week to get the campaign for city council kicked off. I got good coverage in the papers, very warm response from the friends and family who attended, and this weekend at Art on the Green and the Street Fair I was surprised at how many people wanted to come up and talk about the future and the campaign.

We always see friends we haven't seen in a while on this weekend, but this was different because this time the friends were very excited about helping, asking what they can do, and ready to work. This is a humbling and exciting response!

On Thursday evening the Open Space committee, of which I'm a member, hiked around Canfield Mountain, contemplating the area and getting a sense of the acreage that may well become public property as the Copper Ridge subdivision gets built and the developers donate back property to the city. The challenge of finding an effective route to the land through the neighborhood and to the Forest Service property which abuts the land will be interesting to work through. Parks Director Doug Eastwood is more than up to the challenge.

I was struck by how much slash and the seeming hack job done in places on the mountain to date by private owners. The city will do a better job of maintenance I'm sure when they take ownership, but it appears that the Idaho Dept. of Lands either didn't have tools to get the mess cleaned up, or didn't care to focus on it. Either way, it's a shame and in many places it's a mess.

Here's a link to a Canfield Mountain Trail page for mountain bikers: www.northidahotrails.net

Remodeling for First-time Homebuyers

I've always said that my friend Mike who wrote the great missives from Israel should be a professional writer. Now he and his wife Beth, our other great friend in that marriage, are remodeling their home and I think it will be a rich source of humor for a while to come. Let's hope he keeps blogging away on this one. (Caution - one f-bomb alert toward the end of the story - sorry, Mom)

The Lattice of Coincidence: "In an effort to keep up with our smarter friends, who wisely cashed-in their twin condos or starter homes before the market reached Tulip Mania proportions, we have purchased the house that served as the serial killer's home base in The Silence of the Lambs. A brightly hued rowhouse, Number 1364 served as home to three or seven or nine people and upwards of twenty pets. Their effluvia - hair, skin, smells, excrement - is tattooed into every molecule of the place."

Kennedy to run for Cd'A Council

Coeur d'Alene Press: "Husband, father of five says city must meet needs of all residents

COEUR d'ALENE -- Local software businessman Mike Kennedy cited Charles Dickens' 'A Tale of Two Cities' when he announced his candidacy for City Council Tuesday."

Coeur d'Alene City Council Announcement

When I moved to Coeur d’Alene in 1991 I had all my belongings in the back of my 1984 Honda and no money. So I spent several months living in the basement of my aunt and uncle’s home in the Fort Grounds – a great introduction to my new hometown.

Since then I have been proud to be involved in a number of community organizations. I’m a 1998 graduate of the Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce Leadership Coeur d’Alene program, I serve as a director on the local non-profit boards of the Coeur d’Alene Library Foundation and Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre and I’m also on the state board of Catholic Charities of Idaho.

But the most important item in my resume now is that fourteen years after arriving in Coeur d’Alene I have a beautiful wife and five amazing children all born in the same wing of Kootenai Medical Center right here in Coeur d’Alene.

The reason I’m running for City Council is because of those five kids. Kathleen and I are living the “American Dream” here, and we want our kids to be able to do the same – to get a job, buy a home and raise their families right here, just like we’re trying to do.

There are three issues that I think are critical to preserving and improving our quality of life in Coeur d’Alene:
• Growing in a way that makes sense
• Protecting our kids
• Preserving access to open space and public places

I’m sure you’ve all heard the line: “It was the best of times it was the worst of times.”

These are the first words written by Charles Dickens in his classic novel A Tale of Two Cities. They described Paris and London in the 1770’s, but in many ways those words could address Boomtown Coeur d’Alene in the early 2000’s.

I want to talk for just a few minutes about our two cities.

GROWTH

Growth and development are here – and they bring great opportunity along with challenges and change. Recently a consultant came to town and told our city officials that CDA was standing in the path of a freight train and we didn’t realize it.

One city of Coeur d’Alene is bursting with new residences, increasing home values, and new construction everywhere, providing a vibrant and robust economy. We absolutely need to keep this economy strong to provide livable wage jobs for our citizens. But our other city has a widow in the same home she’s been in for years, now living in fear of losing her home to increasing property taxes. Our city also has too few livable wage jobs for our neighbors.

So ask yourself if Coeur d’Alene is growing in a way that makes sense. In many cases it’s not. Here’s an example – garbage fees, water fees, wastewater treatment fees – all of these have gone up over the years. But since the early 1980’s annexation fees have not increased at all.
Growth must pay for itself - and it isn’t now. We must enact more aggressive and more targeted impact fees so that new construction underwrites the cost of the new infrastructure needed to support it.

New development should also be good for all the community. We’re standing in a terrific new neighborhood – Coeur d’Alene Place. We like it so much my wife and I chose to build a new home for our growing family a few blocks away so our kids could walk to the park, walk to school, and ride their bikes on safe pathways. We need to encourage developers like this who build with vision, and make any new development truly part of and good for the overall community, instead of just being a walled-off enclave with no connection to the area around it.

So we stand in a great neighborhood, but just up the road is a four way stop sign that forms an enormously long and overburdened line of cars every day at rush hour – a traffic jam of the type that so many people left cities to get away from. I want to know why that happens and what we can do to fix it. When it comes to the work of dealing with growth in Coeur d’Alene, I think we need to spend more time planning up front to ensure that we leave this town better than we found it and don’t make mistakes that aren’t fixable later on.

KIDS

Young families like ours that are growing and making their way need a fresh voice on the Coeur d’Alene City Council.

Our one city of Coeur d’Alene provides good schools, great opportunities for kids to get involved and grow. The other city has challenges facing our kids that seem tougher than ever before.

Whether it’s a simple good quality of life issue like providing safe routes to schools, or a deadly serious issue like strengthening city ordinances so that violent sex offenders don’t gather together in makeshift flop-houses near our schools, we need to work harder to protect our kids.

Whether it’s ensuring that our community provides more after school programs or the need to keep cracking down on meth labs and the drug scourge in our neighborhoods, we need to work harder to protect our kids.

I want to be the voice for young families on the Coeur d’Alene City Council.

OPEN SPACE, PUBLIC SPACE

I am currently serving on the city’s Ad-Hoc Committee on Open Space. It’s a new committee, recently formed, and we’re doing our best. But the city needs to move faster and more aggressively to protect those precious open spaces that make our community something special but that are rapidly disappearing. Our one city of growth, opportunity, and excitement is rapidly threatening the other city of open western prairies, rugged mountains and hills, and pristine lakes.

We need to find a way to protect our access to places like Canfield Mountain, Best Hill, Sanders Beach, access to the lake and the Spokane River and we need to try to save some of the vanishing prairie from permanent loss, as our visionary neighbors did with Tubbs Hill many years ago. Time is not on our side here – we need to act now – creatively and innovatively – to protect our cities precious jewels. I don’t have all the funding answers for these challenges, but they are out there and we need to work hard to find them. And one more thing - when I’m on the council, I will do my best to ensure that McEuen Field remains public for all the people all the time and not turned over to private development.

I was proud to be asked to design and manage the campaign to finally build a new library in Coeur d’Alene through the passage of a bond. This was an important public space project. A great team was assembled, and we worked hard along with the fire and public safety folks, to talk to every community group that would have us in to speak. The city responded with overwhelming support – 68% - for the new library, despite some struggles and some opposition. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it.

I want to bring that same leadership and creativity to the other challenges that face the city. The big things that are worth doing are sometimes very hard – I’m willing to roll up my sleeves and work harder and smarter to take on those big challenges.

CLOSING

In closing, I thank you all for coming out today in support of this campaign. I’m honored, flattered, and humbled. In return for your support I can promise you that no one will work harder than I will to listen, to learn, and educate myself on how to improve the city of Coeur d’Alene every day.

In order to accomplish the things we’ve talked about today – growing in a way that makes sense, protecting our kids, and protecting our open spaces, I have to ask you for one or all of the following three things – time, talent, and treasure.

Our campaign will need lots of volunteer help and time, we’ll need your great ideas and your talent, and unfortunately because campaigns aren’t free, if you’re able to help in the form of a campaign contribution – at any level – we need it and I will be most appreciative.

We started off talking about the two cities earlier – the best of times and the worst of times. In Coeur d’Alene we are in exciting and transitional times. I am very bullish on Coeur d’Alene’s future and I believe this is the best place in the world to live. I pledge every day to turn the challenges we spoke about today into opportunities and to ensure that Coeur d’Alene has nothing but good times ahead.


Thank you.

Statement of Residency

At the end of 2004 my wife and I began looking for a bigger home to accommodate our family and we absolutely wanted it to be back in Coeur d’Alene – near parks and schools for our kids. The available inventory of homes for sale were either not big enough for our family or well out of our price range. So after spending several months looking at dozens of homes all around the city, in February of 2005 we decided for budget and space reasons to build a home in the Coeur d’Alene Place subdivision in the northern part of town.

We contracted to build the home, expecting that it would take not much longer than 6 months to complete and that we would be moving toward the end of the summer. We are excited to be moving a half mile back into Coeur d’Alene, excited to be living in a neighborhood with good schools and parks within walking distance, and a community with many young families.

But in the intervening months the “time to build” for new home construction in North Idaho has grown very long, owing to the sheer number of homes being built, the volume of work for available building trades workers, and an unexpected national shortage in concrete. Not to mention the backlog of building permits for an overburdened city building department!

In the early summer of 2005 I was encouraged to consider a run for the City Council. After managing the successful library bond campaign and getting to see the inner workings of the city, I decided to consider the prospect. When Councilman Ben Wolfinger announced he was not going to run for re-election, I began to seriously consider running. Unfortunately it became clear that our new home would not be completed by the requisite 30 days before the filing deadline, so I investigated alternative options.

I sought out opinions from municipal and elections professionals, as well as the personal views of many citizens around the city. I am advised that the definition of residency is based on fact and intent, the fact of where a person spends their nights, and the intent to return there after an absence of any duration. While I’m not an attorney, it seems clear that the law on what constitutes residency is somewhat open to interpretation. So I decided to erase any doubt and be very clear about the facts of our situation.

Unfortunately my wife and I are not able to afford both a mortgage and the high rent for a second home, and selling and moving twice would be problematic. Thus, because the completion date of our new home is subject to the fluctuations of building schedules, weather, and unforeseen delays, I am taking the steps outlined below to legally establish residency in the city limits of Coeur d’Alene. While this is not an optimal situation for our family, and we are incurring additional costs to do so, I want to abide by both the spirit and letter of the law.

I very much want to serve the City of Coeur d’Alene, and while these steps I’m taking are a slight burden to me and my family, they are ones we are willing to bear to try to contribute to the betterment of our community. My wife is immensely supportive, and as a native Idahoan she wants the best for our city and the hometown she loves.

So effective July 2005:

• I have legally rented a room on a month to month basis in
Coeur d’Alene where I now reside;

• I have changed my legal residence to my address in Coeur d’Alene;

• I am in the process of changing my vehicle and driver’s license registration to Coeur d’Alene;

• I will be spending weeknights away from my family sleeping in my rented room in Coeur d’Alene (addressing the "fact" of residence), and I will spend weekends with them - not unlike the people who own lake homes and live there on weekends without sacrificing their residency;

• My wife and children will stay at the home in Grouse Meadows, Hayden (just steps from the city line at Prairie Avenue), and will join me in moving into Coeur d’Alene permanently the first day our new home is ready (addressing our intent to remain within the city jurisdiction);

• Because of the cost of technical infrastructure and my need to make a living I will continue to work out of my former home during the day where I am set up - with the side benefit of spending time with my family during breaks in my day and at their after school events, like any Dad would. I chose not to try to move my family now to minimize any disruption in their lives.

I am committed to the city of Coeur d’Alene and to serving the citizens of Coeur d'Alene, and there is nothing more important to my wife and me than the quality of life of our children. My goal is to positively impact that for my family and others in the city of Coeur d’Alene.

If you have any questions, concerns, or issues, please call me directly at 661-7337 or email me at: mike@idahokennedys.com.

Mike Kennedy Biography

Personal
Michael R. Kennedy (Mike)
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Married (wife - Kathleen), seven children (Will, Nora, Maggie, Max, Quinn, Jack, and Ronan)

Education
College: Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, B.A. in Political Science
High School: Pine Bush High School, Pine Bush, New York

Professional Highlights
Mike has had managerial and entrepreneurial experience in several business and non-profit startups since 1993 as well as countless political and initiative campaigns during that time.

Currently Mike serves as the President of Intermax Networks, a high-speed internet company in North Idaho.

As a professional in the software industry, Mike has been involved in large committee projects as well as one-on-one sales initiatives for various and divergent clients.

Mike has been a consultant to business, civic, and political entities and individuals over the last decade, all focused on building organizations and marketing products, causes, or candidates. As a full-time staff member for a candidate for the United States Senate in 1996 and campaign manager for another in 2002, Mike has experience in political activism, organization, and communication from local grassroots field organizing to fundraising and the crafting of advertising and media messages to present an issue to the public.

Finally, Mike’s experience as a Capitol Hill intern and campaign staff member for a sitting member of the United States Congress and challenger for the US Senate has made him uniquely qualified to understand the difficulties and challenges in representing textured, controversial issues to the public at large.

Professional Background
Mike served as a Senior Account Executive for XDimensional Technologies, a leading software company in the insurance industry space that develops management system solutions for insurance agencies all across the country. He also has a partnership interest in a small Long Term Care insurance agency.

Over the years Mike has also managed a consulting practice serving business and political clients with marketing, message, sales and media concerns. His clients have included small technology companies, service businesses, and non-profit organizations seeking to maximize their budgets and get their message across to a larger target community.

Mike was responsible for the strategic plan, oversight and campaign management of all aspects of the successful $3 million dollar bond campaign for the City of Coeur d’Alene and the Coeur d’Alene Public Library Foundation, overcoming entrenched resistance and past organizational challenges.

Prior to these activities, in his capacity as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for ApplyYourself, Mike was responsible for the operations of bringing products to market, building a sales team, communicating with admissions professionals and the ongoing work of client development. Before joining ApplyYourself, Mike served as a 2nd Vice-President of Marketing for AMS Services, Inc., a $115 million company that specializes in software development for the Insurance industry vertical market. Prior to working for AMS, Mike was a Regional Project Manager for Kinko’s, after successfully opening and managing a branch office in the Inland Northwest. He also served as full-time Field Director for a 1996 United States Senate political campaign in Idaho and Campaign Manager for another political campaign in Idaho in 2002.

Other Activities
Parishioner, St. Pius X Catholic Church, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Founding Board Member, Catholic Charities of Idaho, Boise, Idaho
Board Member, Coeur d’Alene Public Library Foundation and Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre
1998 Graduate, Leadership Coeur d’Alene, Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce
Occasional volunteer Little League umpire

Idaho's Carole King - Top of the charts- again!

Earlier this month Carole King released an album of music recorded during live concerts on her "Living Room Tour" last year. As a lifelong fan I was ecstatic to hear her music, but I also had the wonderful opportunity to get to know and travel with Carole last year while she packed auditoriums, halls, and living rooms all around Idaho.

Carole is pictured here during an appearance at the Bonner County Fair in Sandpoint in August of 2004. As a result of our travels together I'm proud to call her a friend.

Carole's passion and love for Idaho and America are complete and total, and her new album is a special gift that I'm glad she's given all of us. It's also a musical history lesson as she dives into a medley of outright classics that she's written over the years - every one of which all of us know.

No surprise, but Carole is once again on the Billboard charts with this album, hitting the Top 20 this last week after only two weeks of release!

Thanks, Carole, for making Idaho proud with another terrific album!

Click here to buy Carole's new album: Living Room Tour CD

Carole King's Website

Max Mows the Lawn

Not really, but he did contemplate the engine as it sat idle in the yard.

Brief blurb in story about Councilwoman Deanna Goodlander's announcement

Deanna Goodlander is a two-term council member and shouldn't have any trouble getting reelected.

Coeur d'Alene Press: "...Local software businessman Mike Kennedy said he is strongly considering running for Wolfinger's position, but will probably have to rent an apartment in city limits until construction on his new home is finished. His present home is just outside city limits. "

Madeleine Sheils - Golfer Extraordinaire

Mark my word - you'll be reading about Kathleen's cousin Madeleine on the LPGA tour one day!

Golf Plus - The Idaho Statesman - Always Idaho: "Meridian's Marc Arima survived a second-day charge from Jake Harr of Buhl to win the boys title, while Madeleine Sheils of Boise captured the girls crown Wednesday at the Big I Junior Golf Classic qualifier at Shadow Valley Golf Course."

Cd'A Library Location

This is responding to a question on the Huckleberries Online blog about the location of the new library.

The land where the library will be built was partially donated (courtesy of the Jameson family), partially purchased with LCDC involvement, and adjacent to the City Hall, which was a strategic placement. Again, I'm not sure of all the exact reasons for the initial location there, but during the campaign we talked about a few key reasons why the location was a good one:

(1) 15,000 residents of the city (nearly half) live within a mile of the site;

(2) the demographics of the area and the schools nearby indicate that many of the city's most economically disadvantaged kids live in or near downtown, thus it would serve those people who need it the most (surprisingly, CdA has nearly half of it's children in SD271 on free or reduced lunch, an anti-poverty program);

(3) putting a library there could preserve public space for the entire community as opposed to the alternative, selling to the highest bidder and getting another high-rise to ring McEuen Field - I felt this to be a worthy goal philosophically;

(4) the land had already been secured, and with the sale of the current library building on Harrison and passage of the bond, the citizens would be bonding for less than half of the cost and value of the new library - with real estate costs the way they are finding new property would be tricky, and if the location were outside the LCDC zone the LCDC couldn't be involved and the advantageous funding structure there could make the entire cost of the project much higher;

(5) while growth is occurring in the North for sure (that's where I live) some visionary planners have told me that long term growth in this city - which is coming whether we like it or not - will likely be to the south and east, thus making the location perhaps more centrally located looking into the future; and

(6) lastly, there will be tons of new parking spaces in the new library (and theoretically the City Hall complex area next door) and downtown always needs more parking!

I discovered that arguing the location was like arguing religion - it was a matter of personal opinion and thus no one could ever truly be "right" (and the best assessment of the decision-making wouldn't occur until well into the future after the project is completed).

There are still efforts ongoing to raise the final amount of money for completing the project, fixtures, etc, and the city has a good team together working on it, led by Renata McLeod. There are great naming opportunities and ways to put your family's permanent stamp on the new library through tax-deductible contributions.

For more information, or to make a contribution, go to the link above or here: www.NewCDALibrary.com

National Group says Idaho best-prepared for disasters

Look at that - great national recognition for Idaho! Let's hope we don't have to test this.

KTVB.COM | Idaho News Weather & Sports | Local News: "COEUR D'ALENE -- A national group says if bioterrorism, infectious disease or any other disaster strikes, the best place to be is Idaho.

The National Association of County and City Health Officials has recognized Idaho as the best-prepared state in the nation to respond to health emergencies. "

Southwest second-quarter profit rose 41% despite higher fuel costs

Southwest Airlines is one of the best companies in America. I've been a fan since I started flying them in Texas, and their service and on-time reliability continue to be stellar. There are lots of folks who don't like the "cattle" feel of a Southwest flight, but I think they are efficient as can be and I'd trade lots of perks for low cost and on-time service. Face it - there are no perks on any airlines anymore, so Southwest just does what everyone else does way better and with more fun. Herb Kelleher has always been a business hero of mine.

USATODAY.com - Southwest second-quarter profit rose 41% despite higher fuel costs: "DALLAS (AP) - Low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines (LUV) said Thursday that second-quarter profit rose 41% from a year ago, as fare increases helped offset a 25% rise in fuel costs per gallon. Its shares climbed more than 5%. "

Girl Critical After Riding Disney's Tower of Terror

This is sort of disturbing, as we rode this exact ride with our 9 year old and 7 year old last December. It was a scary ride, but something tells me there had to be something else going on with this young girl health-wise.



local6.com - News - Girl Critical After Riding Disney's 'Tower Of Terror' Ride: "A 16-year-old girl is in critical condition after riding the 'Twilight Zone Tower Of Terror' ride at Disney-MGM Studios at Walt Disney World, according to Local 6 News. Officials said a girl from Britain exited the ride Tuesday at about 9:50 a.m. and complained that she was not feeling well, Local 6 News reported."

Father's Day 2005

I'm blessed beyond words.


Father's Day 2005

Laird Maxwell claims responsibility for Winder smear campaign

This shouldn't be a surprise, but the rank smear of this bad act should be punished. Maxwell has long been known as a bomb-thrower, but this was over the top even for him. Chuck Winder didn't deserve this, and though I think the right guy ultimately won the election (Mayor Dave Bieter, whom Maxwell also opposed), this was unseemly. Look next for Chuck Winder to file a civil suit against Maxwell - I think it would have some traction. Perhaps we're hearing the last dying days of Maxwell's organization?


KTVB.COM | Idaho News Weather & Sports | Top Stories: "We now know who was responsible for the Boise mayoral smear campaign in 2003.
Laird Maxwell, a conservative activist and lobby, filed an affidavit in a Boise court Thursday claiming he acted alone. "

Quinn smiling in a new spring outfit. June 2005.,

Nora shows off her catch of the day from a school field trip. June 2005

Happy Birthday John!

So I'm sitting in a board meeting this afternoon in Boise, praying it will end on time (it didn't). And I missed personally calling big brother John on his birthday, though I know the kids called their beloved UNCLE JOHN! to wish him a big birthday this morning while I was traveling.

At the end of my business meeting of the Board of Directors of Catholic Charities of Idaho, the Bishop led us in the "June 24th prayer for St. John the Baptist". At the prayer's closing, I mentioned that today is my brother's birthday, and while I never had a clue that it was also the Feast of St. John the Baptist, I said "Bishop, I'm 100% sure that my mother knows whose Saint day it is!"

Regardless of his level of sainthood, I hope the old boy knows how much he means to his little brother - much more then his little brother can say. I'll spend lots of time with other mentor figures in my life - and I have.

But no one can conjure up a much needed simple reflection on my part or speak to my moral compass more quickly and completely than brother John. And no one's approval or acceptance quite measures up to that of brother John.

We haven't lived in the same city approaching 15 years now, and life doesn't have us talking as frequently as we should. But when life hits the fan, there isn't a person alive that I'd be more comfortable calling to give me a nudge to where I need to be, whether its with a sardonic question or a knowing wisecrack, than my brother John.

Our kids are growing up in a home that is one block short of chaos at any time. But first-born Will shows more ability to carry the torch of leadership - with all that entails - each day. We don't want to put a major burden on him to be responsible for his younger siblings, but if he has any interest in learning what it means to be a world class big brother, he could do much worse than spend some time with Uncle John.

He couldn't have a better mentor.

Happy Birthday Bro!

Thoughts on Nixon's Library

So last week I spent a few hours at Nixon's library in Yorba Linda, California. I'm a history and presidential buff, so the fact that the library was just a few minutes from where I was staying was a perk.

The library was fascinating, really. I went through rather fast, so I didn't read every plaque, every entry, every comment. But the overall effect was obviously very favorable to America's 37th President.

I have to admit, try as I might to be objective, some of the Watergate section seemed designed, bound, and determined to rewrite history on Nixon's knowledge, participation, and actions. Oddly I happened to be there on the 33rd anniversary of the actual initial break-in at the Watergate Hotel (DNC headquarters), something I didn't realize until later. The narrator of several of the components of the Watergate exhibits intoned deeply about how little the President knew, and how poorly served he was by his staffers. I can agree with the latter, not the former.

In following a few older ladies around the museum, I was struck by how defensive they were in talking with one another of Nixon. I don't know if they were locals or from elsewhere, but as I walked along in silence next to them they continued to talk about what the Democrats did that tripped Nixon up. I would have been more concerned if they hadn't been so completely wrong in their history of the events as I listened to them talk to one another about it. Listening to them made me aware of the Red/Blue state divide, even when it comes to history. It is perhaps fitting that when we arrived at the section on the First Lady's gowns, they lingered for a long time while I took a quick glance and moved on to the rest of the museum.

All in all the museum was well done. The preservation of Nixon's birthplace and the history of his family was very interesting. Despite the fact that it really is in the middle of a bustling town setting, at the cross-section of several state highways, it had a calm and placid feel to it. The gravestones where the President and Mrs. Nixon are buried are well-kept.

At the library now, and for the rest of this year, is a traveling exhibit of a brilliantly detailed scale replica of the White House down to the paintings on the walls. This exhibit has been around the country, and won't be at the Nixon Library permanently, but it was worth the price of admission.

Coming on the heels of the Mark Felt/Deep Throat admissions, I wasn't surprised to see no mention of that episode, but I was a little disappointed. I haven't been to Little Rock yet to see the Clinton library, but I'd be intrigued to see how it handles the impeachment. I would expect the same sort of defensiveness, but history is better served if these museums would report the facts as they are known, and update them accordingly.

Nixon, I was reminded, had a tremendous domestic and international record of success and progress. By today's standards he would be considered a political moderate and a rather effective president. But his personal demons, never slayed, proved to be his undoing. The story of Watergate has fascinated me since I was young (no explanations for that) so to finally see my first presidential library, and the fact that it was Nixon's was very unique.

Beautiful Maggie MacMoo is on hand to cheer her brother during his baseball game, June 2005.

Nora and Max stroll along a park pathway in Coeur d'Alene, June 2005.

Will playing a strong second base, June 2005.

Will prepares for a pitch in the fourth inning of Saturday's last spring Little League game.

Kathleen and the kids make another terrific Father's Day cake - Kathleen's creativity in cake-making knows no bounds.

33rd Anniversary of the Watergate Break-in

Here's proof that I, a known fellow traveler of the Democrats, went and visited the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace in Yorba Linda, California earlier today. And it was very cool. The fact that it was the 33rd anniversary of the Watergate break-in was a complete and total coincidence, a fact I didn't even know until watching Jay Leno tonight - how crazy is that? I'll blog more thoughts about it this weekend.

Tricky Dick and Me

So I'm in Brea, California on business, and my hotel is about 2 minutes drive from the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace. I have meetings most of the day tomorrow, but if I get an extra hour before my flight, instead of Disney I'm heading to see the new Deep Throat exhibit (do you think they've updated the enemies list section already?)!

Happy 4-Month Birthday Quinn!

Thursday, June 16 is the 4 month birthday of Quinn Marie. My how time flies - this shot is Quinn just a few hours old on February 16, 2005. A stunning beauty then, even more so now.

The Old House

So the powers that be are tearing down our old fraternity house to make space for a parking garage (or something equally useful). This is probably a good thing, considering the condition of the place was awful when I lived in it 16 years ago. People on the SMU campus (Dallas, Texas) always knew what fraternity you were a member of because all us Lambda Chis had a distinctive smell that you couldn't ever get rid of. I remember a friend of mine whose mother cried when he came home from break because try as she might she couldn't get the smell out of his clothes.

The administration is apparently building a new Lambda house down the road, but it won't be the same. I suspect they won't spring for the beach volleyball court and basketball court outside, though they'll probably have the good sense this time to actually put up toilet stalls instead of just leaving the toilets sitting open next to one another. There was an unwritten rule, broken by very few, that if someone else were using one of the toilets you never went "co-pilot". RIP Lambda Chi House, and RIP rotten Lambda smell that no one could ever conquer. RIP Magic Carpet Ride and RIP consistently bad food.

We'll miss you, but not that much.

This picture from a few years ago still cracks me up. President drops Barney in front of horrified youth softball team. No one was harmed in the filming, but Barney is a little less trusting than he used to be.

This gem is from August 2004, as we drove north toward home on Highway 95. While Kathleen tended to a car-sick Max, the other kids tromped down along the banks of the Salmon River.

If you can beat the Red Sox, you're a friend of mine...

USATODAY.com - Cubs take out 87 years of frustration on Red Sox: "

By Rick Gano, The Associated Press
CHICAGO - Forget the curses and jinxes and all talk of bad luck. At least for one day. The Cubs simply gave the Red Sox a rude welcome on their first-ever trip to Wrigley Field in the storied teams' first meeting since the 1918 World Series. "

Go, Shaylee!

Shaylee Welker, daughter of our good friends Dan and Shannon Welker, competes in the 50 meter dash on Tuesday during the 23rd Special Olympics held this year at Fran Rish Stadium in Richland, Washington. Congrats, Shaylee!

Cd'A finalist for $29 million Kroc grant

This is a major coup for our "not-so-little-anymore" burgh. Lots of people worked lots of hours to make this happen. And the fact that it will be just down the road from the new Kennedy compound will be an added plus! Congrats to all involved!

SR.com: CdA finalist for $29 million Kroc grant: "Coeur d'Alene beat out Seattle, Tacoma and numerous other cities today to become a finalist for a multi-million grant to build a Salvation Army community center.

Mayor Sandi Bloem said the city is almost guaranteed up to $29 million for a Kroc Center that will offer something to every resident in Kootenai County. The multi-purpose community center would be built next to Ramsey Park."

Max and Will hanging out in March 2005.

Anne Bancroft 1931 - 2005

Maggie "MacMoo" and her pal Miss Piggy posing for the camera.

Patty Duke Pearce and US Rep. Butch Otter kick off the Trust for Public Lands St. Joe River Basin Conservation Initiative

Otter, Duke and the St. Joe River Basin Conservation Initiative

Today there was a press conference announcing that Congressman Butch Otter and Patty Duke are co-chairing the steering committee for the St. Joe River Basin Conservation Initiative. In short, this project has the Trust for Public Lands raising money to purchase conservation easements from Potlatch.

This is a terrific effort that is drawing support from all over the political spectrum, from Sen. Larry Craig and Potlatch to the Idaho Conservation League. When projects draw from that diverse a pool of groups, we need to encourage and promote them.

For more information click here: St. Joe Basin Project

Max hides his stiff upper lip to be photographed in mid-bath. December 2004