NEWS Bonner County Commissioners opposes refugee resettlement By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff It didn’t take long for disorder to break out at Tuesday’s Bonner County Board of Commissioners public hearing. Perhaps it was inevitable that the meeting, in which commissioners unanimously voted to oppose Syrian refugee resettlement, would be tense and emotionally fraught. But when the first speaker, Mary Haley, suggested the resolution would invite comparisons to North Idaho’s history of white supremacy movements and “do nothing but paint a Nazi symbol on our foreheads,” the boos and catcalls were immediate. “You called us Nazis!” one man shouted. “[Muslims] hate Christians!” another yelled. “We’re all Christians!” It was the most chaotic moment in a meeting filled with dozens of public comments. More than 100 turned out to hear the commissioners, who ultimately decided to support Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter in opposing refugee resettlement. They cited their backgrounds in the military and reasoned that, while many refugees are likely good people, Bonner County’s safety is at risk. They also noted radical Islam represents a particularly pernicious threat to the country. “I do have a heart,” Commissioner Glen Bailey said. “I am a Christian. I believe in loving my brother. However, as an elected official, I do have a responsibility.” Their decision followed about an hour of public comment. The two opposing statements, one by Haley and the other by Steve Lockwood, centered on North Idaho’s national reputation as a haven for racists. Even if the reputation is unfair, any action reinforcing it could hurt tourism from Spokane and Canada, where many refugees are being resettled. And since the county lacks au6 /
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/ December 3, 2015
thority to halt refugee resettlement, they called the resolution a toothless political action. The majority of attendees, however, called for officials to protect Bonner County from potential terrorist attacks. Some said the resolution didn’t go far enough. “I would like to see something a little more powerful, a little more gutsy,” said Glenn Rohrer. “[You should] refuse to allow this program to continue.” Bonner County Sheriff Daryl Wheeler received resounding applause when he reiterated his opposition to refugee resettlement in Idaho. He first weighed in on the issue two weeks ago with a letter to Otter urging cessation of the program. “When I see a potential threat to this community, I am obligated to do everything in my power to expose that threat,” he wrote in the letter. “The resettlement of Syrian refugees is a plausible threat and must be prevented.” Many expressed beliefs similar to state legislators like Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, who claims Muslims seek to infiltrate rural communities, reproducing until they can enact Sharia, or Islamic law. “Islam is not a religion—it
A crowd of over 100 people at the Boundary County Commissioner’s meeting Monday. Photo by Ben Olson. is a culture, a way of life,” said Danielle Ahrens. “Sharia law is their constitution.” One woman said Dearborn, Mich., which houses a prominent Muslim community, has already established Sharia law and officials are sentencing residents to floggings, amputations and stonings. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, this is a rumor based on a satire article. She also claimed the U.S. government is
purchasing guillotines, presumably for planned beheadings. Others held to the conspiracy theory that President Barack Obama is working with the Muslim Brotherhood to transform American society. Several of the meeting attendees also turned out for a Boundary County Board of Commissioners meeting Monday morning. Like in Bonner County, more than 100 people packed into a small room with
the majority urging commissioners to oppose refugee resettlement. Commissioners delayed a decision until next week, with Commissioner Dan Dinning cautioning against any action targeting one particular religion. “Once you start for a specific religious group, you open it up to curve potentially into any religious group,” he said. “I want to be careful that we’re not picking out a religion.”
Van Dyk announces retirement City to revamp billing policy Sandpoint Public Works Director Kody Van Dyk announced he will be retiring in March. The longtime city department head gave his notice this week, opening up the office that oversees engineering, water treatment, city streets and local building activity. Van Dyk said with his 62nd birthday coming up in March, the time was right to transition into retirement. “It made sense to my family for that to be the time to retire,” he said. He leaves with some major local projects under his belt, including the construction of the new water treatment plant. After retirement, Van Dyk
The Bonner Community Food Center’s hefty two-month sewer bill won’t be lowered—at least not yet. For the second time, the Sandpoint City Council voted Wednesday against lowering the nonprofit’s sewer bill. The decision followed a rare proposal to rescind the original ruling in November. According to Sandpoint City Councilman Shelby Rognstad, it’s still possible the bill will be retroactively addressed. Before that can happen, however, members must develop a new policy to ensure fairness, he said. [CR]
Kody Van Dyk plans to involve himself in water projects within the developing world. He also aims to put time into building a mandolin, playing with his band the High Drive Drifters and brushing up on his Spanish. [CR]
Input needed for highway corridor The city invites the public to participate in crafting a vision for the Highway 2/200 Corridor. Public open houses will be held Dec. 9-10, from 5-7 p.m. at the The Sandpoint Center at Columbia Bank, 414 Church Street. A four-day workshop is also planned at the same location Dec. 8-11.