Intense debate over library books exists in the community. Other local media reported the conflict over the last two years. We will not rehash it here. Today, voters make their voices heard. The library vote is portrayed as an issue of “Do you want kids exposed to porn in the library?” The Kootenai County Republican Central Committee (KCRCC) waged a culture war during this election cycle weighing in on non-partisan issues such as school levies and library board candidates. For some, the loss of credibility for the KCRCC started with the behaviors of its hand-picked trustees of the NIC Board. Now that it is urging voters to defund schools, its influence again wanes. As election results come in, it will be interesting to see who wins the election for the library trustees.
Some predictions:
- Record turnout for non-partisan Kootenai County election held in May
- CdA School District 271 levy will pass with >70% of the vote
- We want to opine that the incumbent library board members McCrea and Meyer will win, but residents in the city of Coeur d’Alene cannot vote in this race because the city library has it’s own board. Given that the most conservative residents live outside of the city, the close race will likely go to the most conservative, culture warrior candidates Tim and Tom. We hope we are wrong due to 1st Amendment rights and the thought that one’s values should not be imposed on another.
