Good evening again, everyone! My Saturday today started off with a bang and ended in a whimper, or sorts anyway.
As some of you may remember, a few days ago I reported that the Idaho House passed approved a new Bill and shipped it off to the Idaho Senate for further action. Well, the Idaho Senate also signed off and passed the Bill, and then dutifully shipped it off to Governor Kempthorne's office for signature. What I am talking about of course is the new Law in Idaho that will require Licensing of Contractors, large and small, including homeowners who perform construction tasks on their own homes and private property. At noon today, this Districts three Representatives in the Idaho Legislature appeared in Bonners Ferry for a GOP Lincoln Day Fundraiser. Since I wrote a Guest Opinion for three District newspapers that was published Wednesday and Thursday blasting our Representatives for selling out small local Contractors in their own District, I met head to head with this District's Senior Representative, George Eskridge. As I approached the desk, paid my $20.00 to the local GOP for the luncheon, George was standing there behind the lady taking my name, address, telephone number, and email address, glaring at me. "Frank, I don't suppose you brought a noose with you did you?" "Not exactly George. I am not here today to dredge up poor Legislation passed at the expense of local small Contractors working very hard to put food on the table for their families." A lot more happened shortly later on, after I had signed in and was bantering around with the various GOP politicians serving in various local and regional offices. George finally got me into a corner of the room and suggested that he wanted to, as he put it, talk to me later privately and tell me like it really was. Rather bluntly in fact, George informed me that during my 2004 Campaign he had a great deal of respect for me, but this time I had gone too far in in writing in the local media that Representatives selling out their constituents should be replaced immediately, either by recall, or in the 2006 election in the voting booth. Well, as I mentioned, that was just the beginning of my day today. I had to bolt the GOP meeting early to head for Spokane to attend the Peace Vigil presumably scheduled for 6 p.m. at River Front Park. I was expecting to see Jay Hailey at the Park, and a lot of others. I arrived early as announced, around 5:30 p.m. It was raining, and cold. I left the car and paced around the park looking for Peace advocates. I finally found 4 individuals carrying candles, so I assumed that they had arrived there for the purpose of the vigil. I was right. But they were terribly confused about where in the Park the vigil was to take place. I was too. So, for that moment at least, I assumed the best, that these guys were probably the only remnants of those willing to brave the elements and perhaps show up. 6 p.m. had come, and no one else appeared to be around looking for anyone pertaining to the announced Peace Vigil. Low and behold a large group approached, not really THAT large of course. It was none other than Bill Smyth and his wonderful children approaching us. He too was confused about the exact place in the Park where we were suppose to gather. Bill and I eventually left and scouted around the Park for anyone else who might be looking for the Peace Vigil location. We happened upon another individual, equally confused as to where this announced function was to take place. We also discovered that the time might have been wrong. The information Bill and I had, and others as well, that this event was to take place at 6 p.m. A couple of other folks, again with no clear definition as to the exact place in River Front Park where this function was to take shape, were told it would happen at 7 p.m. As this group started to galvanize together in some fashion, it indeed appeared that the local media had been informed that the time indeed was 7 p.m., not 6 p.m. The exact location in the Park where this event was supposed to take shape was still up for grabs. However, as all of you probably know, my wife was scheduled to arrive on flight Alaska Airlines 727 at 7 p.m. I told Bill Smyth that I really had to go, and my wife who had departed from the Philippines in Manila probably wasn't dressed for sub-freezing temperature, and I would have to pick her up on time when she arrive. I went back and informed the others that I would have to defer my attendance due to the above circumstance, and I wished them all well. I hope the news media did pick up on this event, and I hope the event went well in spite of the piss poor information and planning that apparently went into putting it together. After I left the Park I have no idea how many others might have showed up. I wish that I could have spent an extra hour or two and met a lot of these folks. You really do meet some wonderful people in events such as this one. We've got some Iraq-related peace activism activities taking place in Sandpoint, Idaho tomorrow, and I'm trying to find out exact times and locations as we speak right now. And, for those of you who might be wondering, yes my wife showed up at the Spokane airport almost on time. The flight was delayed a while from Seattle, but we are home now. And yes, coming from Manila, she was dressed in an attire entirely unsuitable for an 8 p.m. appearance at River Front Park in freezing rain. Doesn't mean, of course, we won't be there next time! I'd like to hear from you Jay, if you showed up. We've got to find a way to meet each other face to face in some of this insanity that makes up our world today! Kindest regards everyone, Frank _______________________________________________ Libnw mailing list Libnw@immosys.com List info and subscriber options: http://immosys.com/mailman/listinfo/libnw Archives: http://immosys.com/mailman//pipermail/libnw
