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OUR OPINION
The Newport Miner Newspaper is hosting a Pend Oreille County candidates forum Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. at Newport High School. Not only is the school district allowing us to use the high school cafeteria, KUBS FM will be live streaming the event. We’re hoping to have a good attendance both in person and online.
We have hosted these forums for the last decade or so, when there are local contested races. We’ve always followed the League of Women’s Voters rule that if either candidate in a race does not attend, the other candidate cannot participate. We think it’s time to change this rule.
Once upon a time, there was no question that candidates understood that they needed to participate in local election events like forums. We’re finding that’s not necessarily the case anymore, and we want to emphasize that it’s the voters who lose when we don’t get full access to candidates running for local office.
Thankfully, with a little nudging, all six people running for Pend Oreille County offices will be in attendance: County Commissioner John Gentle and his opponent Steve Minnich; County Commissioner Brian Smiley and his opponent Kevin Young; and PUD commissioner Joe Onley and his opponent Troy Moody.
There are also two open seats for Washington State Legislature, District 7, and a Superior Court Judge position for Pend Oreille, Stevens and Ferry counties. Unfortunately, only one candidate from each race is making the trip to see us in Newport.
Andrew Engell, who is running for Position 1, District 7, will be in attendance, as well as Paul “Rocky” Dean, who is running for Position 2, District 7. N. Smith “Smitty” Hagopian, who is running for Superior Court Judge, will also be at the forum.
We understand that people running for office have personal lives, and we at The Miner believe that family comes first. However, it does make us wonder exactly how badly the candidates who can’t make it really want to serve this community for the next four to six years if they aren’t able to make accommodations to take questions from the people they are asking to vote for them.
So tell us what you, as constituents, want to know from these candidates. We believe local elections have far more impact on our day-today lives than national elections do. Let’s find out what these candidates plan to do to improve our lives here in Pend Oreille County.
Submit your questions to Michelle Nedved at [email protected] or call us at 509-447-2433.
-MCN
