WHIDBEY
OPINION Page A6
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Wednesday, July 15, 2015 • Whidbey News-Times
State Auditor’s office free of Kelley ‘cloud’ THE PETRI DISH
By JERRY CORNFIELD When the state’s duly elected auditor disappears while in office does anyone notice beyond the shadow of the Capitol dome? Doesn’t seem like it. It’s been two full months since Troy Xavier Kelley discharged his duties to others and cut himself off the public trough to focus on fighting federal criminal charges stemming from his past profession. The first-term Tacoma Democrat began a self-imposed unpaid exile at 1 p.m. May 4. An hour later his digital existence with the State Auditor’s Office had, to put it politely, been erased. No mug, no bio and almost no sign of his service. Most mentions of him are in the trove of documents agency officials delivered to investigators then put online for the world to read. Jan Jutte, the woman entrusted by Kelley to steer the ship in his absence, ordered the expunging and posting in one of her first acts. “The cloud was never over this office. It was always over him,” she said last week. “I think I was just trying to give less opportunity for questions to be asked.” Since taking the helm, Jutte’s guided the vaunted agency to smoother waters under clearer skies. She said she’s not spoken with Kelley nor does his name come up in office conversations unless they involve an inquiring reporter. In the past two months, employees have issued hundreds of audits of cities, counties, school districts and other appendages of local government. There’s also been an intermittent whistleblower probe and a performance audit or two. The executive team huddled for six hours to do what Jutte described as operational planning. The effort that started after Kelley’s election in 2012 amounts to mapping a course for the agency to follow in the coming two to four years. “In 18 months there is going to be a new person, I know that. It doesn’t mean they can’t alter it,” she said. “This is a continuation of what we were doing before the cloud appeared. I think it is an indication that we are moving forward.” She’s commanded with steady hand, unbending humility and pretty much without a compass. You don’t need one when you’ve worked at the place 30 years and tackled tasks in about every division of the agency. “I’m not an unknown,” she said. “I think that helps make this transition out from under the cloud.” Since 1985, she’s had three elected bosses, all Democrats. Now she’s the boss albeit acting and unelected. She is the first woman and first certified public accountant to occupy the auditor’s chair. She’ll be in it until Kelley — whose tribulations will henceforth be known as “The Cloud” — returns or, more likely, a successor is elected in November 2016. That won’t be Jutte. She’s not running, though some want her to do so. “On a day-to-day basis, it is not an issue,” she said. “We are doing audits. That’s who we are. We are moving on.” That’s what she wants people under the Capitol dome and throughout the state to notice.
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Keaton Ferris
Forum to take a look at policing issues Editor, We in Island County have had a horrendously tragic fatality in our county jail. It should not have happened. By current accounts, Keaton Ferris behaved like an animal, was treated like an animal, and died like one. But was he one? There will be a public forum about “Policing in the 21st Century” at 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 30 at Oak Harbor’s Public Library located near Skagit Community College. It is sponsored by the Sno-Isle Libraries and League of Women Voters. It is an opportunity for citizens to discuss policing problems with our officials and leaders, for us to learn what goes on behind the scenes, and for them to learn what we want done. The forum will be moderated by retired physician and active citizen Marshall Goldberg. Back in the 1990s Island County leaders put a Law & Justice Plan into print. It is a good read and I’m sure Prosecutor Greg Banks would provide
a copy to anyone wanting one. It does a good job of describing the problems and issues of that day and continuing. Two sentences stand out for emphasis: “It is important that the mental health agencies, treatment agencies and other agents in our society, including the community at large, take responsibility for problems of crime and delinquency, rather than leaving them solely to law enforcement and the judicial system. “By adapting this holistic approach and by mobilizing the entire community and expanding early intervention efforts, the chances of successfully reducing crime and delinquency will be greatly enhanced.” As a volunteer mentor for our Drug Courts, I can attest that this approach works. Our judges and most officials will attest to it too. America has come a long way since rule violators were trussed up in stocks in the public square for adults, children, and animals to torment. While questioning our leadership, keep in mind that this is a responsibility we all bear. One big question is “What are my friends, family and myself doing to make this situation better?” The meeting needs to be well attend-
Executive Editor & Publisher........................................................................................ Keven R. Graves Associate Publisher..............................................................................................................Kim Winjum Co-Editors........................................................................................ Jessie Stensland and Megan Hansen Reporters..............................................................Ron Newberry, Jim Waller, Debra Vaughn, Kate Daniel Administrative/Creative Manager.................................................................................Renee Midgett Administrative...................................................................................................................... Connie Ross
ed, so be there.
Al Williams former citizen member Island County Law & Justice Council Oak Harbor
Hospital
Believes Born best for WGH board of directors Editor, In the upcoming election, the winning candidate for a seat on the Whidbey General Hospital board of commissioners will surely have to face the nasty job of dealing with sagging hospital finances. As of February 2015, it was reported that the hospital operating loss was $4.6 million, and the loss for 2013 was more than $5.5 million. Taxpayers should be outraged at this lack of fiscal discipline and accountability at our public hospital. The incumbent running for reelection, Georgia Gardner, stated in a recent forum that she is dedicated to the oversight of hospital finances. Indeed. With that kind of “dedication” it seems to me the hospital is in big SEE LETTERS, A7
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