‘Affordability’ the top concern at forum

All invited Republican candidates decline to attend

By Ben Olson
Reader Staff

The dais was noticeably sparse at the Oct. 20 candidates’ forum at Sandpoint High School as half of the invited candidates declined to participate.

The forum, co-hosted by the Bonner County Daily Bee, KRFY Community Radio, SandpointOnline.com and Sandpoint Reader, was open to Legislative District 1 and Bonner County commissioner candidates in contested races for the Tuesday, Nov. 3 election. 

In attendance was Dist. 1 Senate candidate Steve Johnson, Independent; Dist. 1A House candidate Karen Matthee, Democrat; and Dist. 1 Board of County Commissioners candidate Fred Arn, Independent. Dist. 1B House Independent candidate Kathryn Larson was absent due to a last-minute medical issue, but campaign manager Suzette Seuell shared opening and closing statements on her behalf.

Also absent from the forum — and noted by several empty chairs on stage — were all four invited Republican candidates for contested races, including Dist. 1 Senate candidate Scott Herndon, Dist. 1A House candidate Jane Sauter, Dist. 1B House candidate Cornel Rasor and BOCC Dist. 1 candidate Steve Smith. All uncontested candidates were also invited to give opening statements, though none attended.

Moderator Chris Bessler introduced the forum, which was streamed live on KRFY 88.5 FM.

“We prefer to hear all the candidates address the same questions standing side by side,” Bessler said. “But we say thank you to the candidates that did come tonight.”

Johnson highlighted his lifelong residency in North Idaho, growing up on a farm in Cocolalla with three brothers and marrying his childhood sweetheart. A small business owner and former educator of 40 years, Johnson wasted no time putting daylight between himself and his opponent.

“My opponent is Scott Herndon, and he claims to be a conservative, but I grew up here and I know what conservative is,” Johnson said. “Believe me, he is not conservative.”

Johnson encouraged voters to look past party lines and give Independents a chance.

“If you traditionally always voted for an ‘R’ … then take a closer look and think a little bit more,” he said. “See if the Republicans are … really doing what you would like to have done.”

Johnson said his campaign hinges on talking about “real issues” that Idahoans face, including “public education, affordability and public lands,” and he lamented the “culture wars that wasted, in my opinion, a lot of time and money and energy.”

Matthee, the sole Democrat on stage, spoke of her years as a journalist, later transitioning into the nonprofit sector and working for an NGO that assisted landmine victims in Southeast Asia.

“I decided to run first of all because I don’t think any race should go uncontested,” Matthee said. “As we all know, we’ve got a supermajority here in Idaho for almost three decades and I seriously question whether we’re better off for it.”

Matthee mentioned rising health care, housing and grocery costs causing hardships for Idahoans.

“A lot of our working families and some of our senior citizens are really struggling to cover the basics right now,” she said. “We just aren’t dealing with those issues. The last session was a really good example of that where we had outside money coming into Boise and influencing our lawmakers, to the expense of programs and services that many of our vulnerable populations in our working families depend on.”

Larson’s campaign manager gave an opening statement lauding her dedication to serving North Idahoans, as well as highlighting her integrity and work ethics.

“She grew up in Texas and was a single mom,” Seuell said. “She worked as a server trying to make ends meet and literally pulled herself up by her bootstraps, started her own company and was one of the top sales reps there, then she ended up getting recruited by one of the largest companies in America.”

Seuell called Larson “smart,” “creative” and a “problem solver” who is dedicated to working on issues facing North Idahoans, such as affordability, bringing down taxes and the price of groceries, as well as improving infrastructure.

Arn said he’s lived in North Idaho for more than 15 years and spent 30 years as a “newsman in a state south of Boise.”

Arn highlighted his yearslong struggle taking on Bonner County involving the loss of public lake access at Camp Bay, saying it cost him and his wife close to $40,000.

“As a result, I’ve attended every meeting of the Bonner County commissioners for the last four-and-a-half years with the exception of two; one which I had COVID and one I said, ‘I can’t take any more of this, I need a break.’”

Arn said his weekly attendance of meetings showed him how the county functions and identified a number of problems he’d like to tackle.

City of Sandpoint Public Works Director Holly Ellis gave a short presentation to voters on the local option tax on the ballot, in which 1% of all retail purchases within Sandpoint city limits would be allocated to infrastructure improvements: 75% going toward street maintenance and repair and 25% to sidewalks and other pathways.

Ellis pointed to a 2021 assessment that concluded “Sandpoint has 20% of its streets in poor to very poor condition” — double the national average.”

The tax would run for 10 years and be used solely to fund streets and pathways, not the wastewater treatment plant.

Bessler then transitioned into a question-and-answer period, with questions gathered from the audience and submitted prior to the event.

Asked about a portion of House Bill 40, which expanded tax exemptions to U.S. military pensions, Johnson mentioned his endorsement from the Veterans Association for Idaho, adding he would like to see Idaho veterans services equal to those offered in Spokane.

“Yes, I support H.B. 40,” Matthee said. “But one big concern that both Steve and I share is that our opponents [Herndon and Rasor] are talking about no property taxes. If we have no property taxes, one of the first programs on the chopping block will be our veteran service officers.”

Arn was asked what distinguished him from his opponent Steve Smith regarding county master planning and zoning as it relates to growth and expansion.

“The Comp Plan is the guide I’m going to follow for growth and expansion,” Arn said. “I guarantee I will protect and defend your constitutional property rights, both Idaho and U.S. constitutions.”

Asked his opinion on the marina expansion project adjacent to the Long Bridge, Arn said he was, “Absolutely opposed. The chokepoint at the bridge on the Fourth of July with 250 people bringing their boats in? I think that’s going to be a disaster.”

Legislative candidates provided their views on balancing resource extraction while also protecting public lands.

“We don’t want to have our federal public land sold to the state,” Matthee said. “My opponent is in favor of that and I have some guesses as to why that is.”

Matthee pointed to programs such as the Good Neighbor Authority in Bonners Ferry, where the federal and state governments work together to manage lands.

“I think one of the really good things about that is it brings resources and jobs into our local communities and they have a say on how those lands are managed. I’d like to see more programs like that.”

“I think we’ve got two options,” Johnson said. “One is to go to the courts and sue each other for logging, clear cutting and sustainability. The other is to have some common sense and work together.”

Johnson also pointed to programs that would be more beneficial than litigation.

“We have to keep that logging industry going and we also have to be stewards of the land,” he said. “I love that word, ‘steward.’ … For now and for future generations, and I think we can do both, but it requires some negotiation. It requires some common sense and good intentions, followed through with good behavior.”

When asked about private property rights and the Panhandle Bike Ranch in Sagle, Arn said as a sheriff’s volunteer and chairman of the board for the Sagle Sub-Area Committee, he follows the law.

“I feel reasonably comfortable that what [PBR has] done is in violation of what we came up with,” Arn said.

All three candidates were asked about retaining local control over government in light of issues like short-term rentals being regulated in municipalities from the state level.

“I think the state of Idaho steps into a lot of stuff they have no business stepping in,” Arn said, giving the example of a county sheriff’s department issuing traffic citations, going through local courts and, when the fines are collected, the revenue flows to the state rather than county.

“I see no problem with Bonner County courts tacking on a percentage of an administration fee and collecting money from traffic violations so that we can offset the cost of doing that,” Arn said.

“I grew up here and the local control was the very best form of government,” Johnson said. “You could talk to people you meet on the street and we could decide what’s best for our community. … [Unregulated short-term rentals] are not the right recipe for holding communities together and I think we need to fight as much as we can and pass it on to our children and grandchildren.”

Matthee said one way to ensure more local control was to “elect more Democrats and Independents” to the Legislature.

“What we saw last session was horrendous,” Matthee said. “We had the non-discrimination ordinance, what flags you can and can’t fly, we got the bathroom bill and all of these were dictated by the Idaho Freedom Foundation’s influence on a minority of our supermajority. It’s very hypocritical because they don’t want big government, but it’s OK when it’s something they want.”

Asked what tactics could be used to drive down the prices of groceries, taxes and fuel, Johnson also pointed to the influence the IFF has over lawmakers, providing a visual aid that drew laughter from the crowd.

“The IFF has told legislators not to deal with real problems like affordability, quality education and public lands,” he said. “It’s a little awkward to mention my opponent Scott Herndon when he’s not here, so I have this puppet here since he’s too afraid to show up.”

Johnson then produced a marionette, saying, “Some people think Herndon is a bully, some people think he intimidates. I think he’s just a dangerous puppet. … He brags about working for this lobbyist called the Idaho Freedom Foundation, and he does 99% of what they tell him to do. He doesn’t brag about what we asked him to do — in fact, tonight, he’s not here to do any bragging at all, I guess, and that’s a tragic thing.”

Matthee and Johnson both said they’re in favor of raising the homeowner’s tax exemption to keep up with inflation, calling for the $125,000 exemption to be doubled to $250,000. Johnson also touted the Idaho Housing Authority to help first-time homebuyers.

“If the state Legislature would quit with culture war nonsense about who’s going to fly what flag where, something like that would go a long way to get people into starter homes,” he said.

Matthee also lamented the fact that Idaho has turned away millions of federal dollars for child care and called for funding for the Idaho Housing Trust Fund to come up with federal dollars in match for affordable housing construction.

“This hasn’t been funded in decades,” she said. “It’s just sitting there empty.”

Republican candidates ‘snub’ public forum
None of the four local Republican candidates in contested races attended the Oct. 20 public media forum, hosted by the Bonner County Daily Bee, KRFY 88.5 FM, SandpointOnline.com and the Sandpoint Reader, drawing criticism from members of the public at the Bonner County Board of Commissioners meeting earlier the same day. During her commissioner report that morning, Commissioner Asia Williams stated that she had received questions from constituents asking whether any Republican candidates would attend that night’s forum, but did not receive “a direct response from anybody within the party.” “I tried to confirm that,” said Williams. “I didn’t get confirmation.” She later called on Bonner County Republican Central Committee Chair Roger Rudd, who attended the BOCC meeting via Zoom, to respond to audience questions. Rudd is running unopposed for the position of county clerk. “Will the Republican Party be attending the traditional Reader forum?” asked regular meeting attendee Teresa Heisner. “Because there’s not a lot of them now before the election. I’d like to know before we all waste our time and drive out there.” “I don’t speak for the candidates,” stated Rudd. “Whether or not they’re going is totally up to them.” Rudd further cited the monthly BCRCC meeting, which overlapped with the Oct. 20 forum, as his reason for not attending. “I think it’s so unfortunate that the Republican candidates are snubbing what I see as kind of like a public interview for their job — asking for a good-paying job, but not showing up,” said fellow meeting attendee Rebecca Holland.  The forum, which began at 5:30 p.m. at the Sandpoint High School auditorium, overlapped with the 6:30 p.m. BCRCC meeting. Forum co-host and moderator Chris Bessler offered in advance to reschedule the forum to avoid the conflict, but candidates indicated that they would not attend regardless. “I have a prior commitment that evening, but more than that, I’ve made a deliberate choice about how I’m reaching voters this fall,” wrote District 1 Republican Senate candidate Scott Herndon in a Sept. 17 email shared with the Reader. “I’m spending October on long-form town halls with open Q&A across the district, in both Bonner and Boundary County, along with door knocking and daily direct engagement with constituents.” The Reader ran his reply through the Pangram AI detection software, which found that “100% of this text is AI.” All four candidates were present at the BCRCC meeting, which had only one item under “New Business”: a resolution “supporting gasoline/diesel tax relief.” Though they did not attend the conventional forum, according to Bessler, Herndon “broached the possibility with me that they’d all attend a forum in a new format to allow for a long-form discussion of a pair of issues, with each opposing candidate choosing one they’d like to discuss in greater detail, versus taking multiple questions from the audience.” The forum’s media co-hosts — including the Reader — considered the idea, but determined that it was unfeasible with fewer than two weeks until the Tuesday, Nov. 3 election. “[P]ersonally, I’m not at all opposed in future election cycles to considering changes to the format in this way — or other ways that any of the candidates might propose — to best serve the voters by giving them a chance to assess the opposing candidates in a fair, neutral format,” said Bessler.
— Soncirey Mitchell, Reader Staff

Asked what problems he has identified at the Bonner County commissioners’ office, Arn spoke about the lack of responsibility that has afflicted not only the county, but the state of Idaho. He referred to uncontested Republican Dist. 2 commissioner candidate Jeff Roberts, who was recently in the news for a now-closed investigation into alleged sexual assault. Roberts has repeatedly denied the accusations. The Bonner County Prosecutor’s Office referred the case to the Idaho Attorney General’s Office — citing an “inherent conflict of interest” — which declined to file charges due to lack of evidence. However, Bonner County Sheriff Daryl Wheeler told the Reader that if the case was brought to a grand jury, “[W]e would have received an indictment.”

“I’m going to have a hard time sitting next to [Roberts] when I win,” Arn said. “… I wish the state of Idaho would step up and accept responsibility.”

“I have not been mightily impressed by the state of Idaho’s handling of some issues,” Arn also said. “One that I have a major beef with right now, after 30 years of covering crime and courts and county prosecutors and state prosecutors, I’ve never seen a prosecutor, a prosecuting attorney and the attorney general’s office who refused to take a case where the investigators and the local prosecutor felt that there was enough [credible information to proceed]. … The state has put Bonner County in a horrible position. It should have stepped up and done its job.”

Asked what she would change to benefit North Idaho and how she’d solicit ideas from constituents, Matthee spoke to the rising costs that make living in North Idaho difficult for many.

She called for eliminating the grocery tax, bringing back federally funded child care programs and paying families caring for disabled people. Matthee also pointed to current Dist. 1 legislators Mark Sauter and Jim Woodward as positive examples for communicating with constituents.

“They both did a really good job coming back to the community, holding town halls,” she said. “I’d make every effort to be in this district as much as possible. … I will happily follow in their footsteps.”

The same question was asked of Johnson: “We have four children and not a single one of them can accumulate the resources to buy a house here and make those payments,” he said. “And they all work. That’s not right. That would be my biggest goal. … If we’re going to keep communities, we’ve got to have some young people coming in.”

Arn responded to the same question by saying he’d call for “tightening up some of the issues with the county right now,” and the other was to “make the Comp Plan quite clearer and more well defined, and enforce the Comp Plan so people understand what it is they can do with their property.”

In closing statements, Johnson said, “There are two names on the ballot for state Senate; myself and my opponent, Herndon. One of us shot his neighbor’s dog as the dog was running away. One of us has been, in my opinion, manipulated by outside money, the IFF and is responsible to them, not to our local citizens. I feel like the choice is pretty clear. I’m committed to doing as good a job and as much good for this community and our area as possible.”

Matthee said her time as an “old-school journalist” taught her the values of objectivity and to listen to people on all sides of an issue.

“Tonight’s a prime example,” she said. “I would be at their town halls if they invited me, which they never have. I’m going to represent Dist. 1 and I’m going to represent all of my constituents. … I invite you to stack me up against my opponent to see who is the more qualified person for the job. I feel I definitely am.”

Speaking on behalf of Larson, Seuell again lauded the candidate’s dedication to ask objective questions.

“One of the things she’s talked a lot about during this campaign is when she’s looking at a particular issue, she wants to know, who’s going to benefit? … It’s not just what’s right for today, but also are we looking out for our future for our kids, our grandkids, in 10 years?”

Arn closed out by reading from his campaign platform.

“I want to make sure there is always public comment in every public meeting,” Arn said. “I want all public meetings offered on Zoom. I want to bring all of EMS back under a single unified command. I’d like to develop a system so county employees can anonymously report unlawful and wasteful activities. … Establish administrative fees for all traffic infractions … ensure planning departments coordinate with commissioners enforcing zoning regulations and … guarantee that all constitutional private property rights will be respected, protected and enforced. … As far as voting for me instead of my opponent who didn’t show up, I rest my case.”

The forum is available to stream free on krfy.org. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, when polling places will be open from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Visit voteidaho.org with any election questions.