If you thought the time of Shoreline citizens suing City Council members was over, you’re wrong.
Many had hoped that the election of three new council members last year would end the city’s time of troubles.
Yet, there’s one more public-access lawsuit still active against a former council member.
The suit is by Richmond Beach residents Beth and Doug O’Neil against the city and former Councilwoman Maggie Fimia over who sent an e-mail that Fimia attributed to Beth O’Neil at a council meeting about a year and a half ago.
Beth O’Neil says that she asked Fimia at the time to save the e-mail but that Fimia deleted it. Still, computer experts can find deleted material.
If the O’Neils prevail, they could get money for each day that Fimia and the city withheld the material. They could also get legal fees.
After a King County Superior Court judge dismissed the complaint late last year, the O’Neils appealed the dismissal. An appeals court heard the appeal in early March. The decision could be an judgment in the O’Neils’ favor or an order to return the case to the superior court for a new decision.
Flannery Collins of the city’s law department told me a few weeks ago that the suit wasn’t costing taxpayers any money because she is representing the city and Fimia has her own attorney.
Yet, if the O’Neils ultimately prevail, Fimia and the city could be ordered to pay the daily penalty plus the O’Neils’ court costs.
Voter identification at the polls is impractical
The U.S. Supreme Court decided a few days ago that states could require voters to show identification to vote.
I wonder if the decision will mean anything in Washington where most people vote by mail.
Why should we make voting so hard at the polls when it’s so easy for mail voters?
Defending the ABC Questioners in the Pennsylvania debate
The Clinton-Obama debate before the Pennsylvania Primary brought criticism of ABC moderators Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos for asking too many questions about why the candidates didn’t wear American-flag lapel pins or the meaning of various quotes.
Critics point out that Gibson and Stephanopoulos asked questions about such symbols for about an hour before getting to Iraq or taxes or health care.
That’s fine.
It’s fine for two reasons.
First, there’s very little difference between the two candidates on economics or health care or the war.
Second, more people vote on a candidate’s personal qualities than on his or her stands on issues. For example, in the general election four years ago, probably more people agreed with John Kerry on issues than they did with George W. Bush, but they couldn’t identify with what they considered Kerry’s elitism.
Evan Smith is the Enterprise Forum editor. Send comments to entopinion@heraldnet.com
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