For the 2021 Voters Guide, we emailed candidates a set of questions on professional experience, local priorities and general issues. We have included those questions and the unedited responses. We have noted when candidates left questions unanswered. We have also provided links to candidate websites, campaign funding reports and other local media coverage when available.
Any questions or suggestions should be sent to: whitmancowatch@gmail.com
CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE
How would you describe your current occupation or job title(s)?
Special services telecommunications technician.
What other memberships or community affiliations would you like to share with voters?
Palouse lions club.
What, if any, charities, political campaigns, or nonprofits have you donated money or volunteer hours to in the past year?
Lions club ice cream social. Various Republican campaigns.
What professional accomplishment are you most proud of and why?
Increasing the reliability of telecom services during power outages in the surrounding rural areas. And passing on my experience by training younger technicians in telecommunications
What is your vision for Palouse as a community, and are there any other towns you seeing doing things right or would like to emulate?
My vision is to improve the lives of the people of Palouse by focusing on the things that matter to people in Palouse. Supporting our police department, improving our infrastructure, examples are improving or expanding curbs and gutters. Improving our water system. And opposing divisive ideologies like critical race theory in our schools and community.
What is your top priority for quality of life and what, if any, changes would you make regarding that issue?
To treat everyone as I would like to be treated and live in peace and respect. My change would be open an honest dialogue and stop hiding behind hollow platitudes. One of the greatest strengths of diversity is the diversity of ideas, this is being lost in America.
Has the city done a good job supporting local businesses and how do you know? What else could the city council do to help encourage economic growth and development?
No, I don’t believe they have done a good job. By canceling many of the activities during Palouse days I think they did damage to local businesses. I understand the concerns about Covid but we are adults and we should be able to make our own health decisions. The best way for government to encourage growth is to get out of the way of the private sector.
What is the best action the city government or the council has taken in the past five years?
I cant think of any, that’s why I am running for city council.
What is the worst decision or biggest opportunity the council has missed the past five years?
By not hanging the American flag on the 4th of July they missed an opportunity to unite our community instead they chose the destructive woke agenda that is tearing our country apart.
What do you think will be the most significant challenge or threat the City of Palouse will face in the next five years?
I believe it will be the implementation of gig fiber to the home which will allow people to work from home regardless where their corporation is located. This will exasperate exploding housing prices and add additional burdens on local infrastructure
As a steward of taxpayer dollars, how do you approach balancing demands for city service against the citizen tax burden?
By living within our means and knowing the difference between what we need and what we want. Any thing above of what we need should have public input.
What city infrastructure do you think needs the most attention or additional funding, and why?
The Water system on the south hill would be a start. The pressure seems low and it looks like this is where growth is occurring.
What is your highest priority for city parks and recreation efforts? What, if anything, would you like to see changed?
The public pool. It needs some work and upgrades.
What, if anything, would you change to make the city more transparent or to improve communication with the public?
Allow more public discourse during council meetings and make them in person instead of zoom calls.
If you could wave a magic wand and instantly change one thing about Palouse, what would it be and why?
Open a honest dialogue between all opinions and stop the destructive tribalism between the left and the right. Why? Because it is tearing our country apart.