Ament should realize the difference: the local “tolerant moonbats” are intolerant of anything they don’t agree with. Hence the Intolerista label.
NSA students are not androids. There’s no comparison.
But I’m sure that will escape him completely.
As reported in today’s edition of the Moscow-Pullman Daily News.
Economic development and the city's new boardinghouse rules were the big topics at Friday's City Council candidates forum hosted by New Saint Andrews College.
Several of the six candidates present fielded development-related questions from a board of three NSA students. Two-year-seat candidate Walter Steed was out of town and did not attend.
Questions ranged from opinions on how candidates could promote economic stability to their thoughts on Wal-Mart.
Senior Davey Henreckson asked four-year-seat candidate Wayne Krauss how his stance on growth differed from other candidates' opinions. Krauss responded that shopping opportunities should be available for everyone.
Moscow "has been a regional shopping center for a long time, and that's starting to slip away from us, across the border," he said. "I don't think that we have a right to tell the people of Moscow and the people of Latah County where they can shop."
Krauss also said the city should work with the University of Idaho to encourage growth.
NSA junior Kathryn Church asked candidate Evan Holmes would work to bring economic stability to Moscow.
Holmes, a candidate for the two-year seat on the council, said the city should find out what it needs to do new while maintaining what it's doing well. It must recognize impediments to growth, such as water issues and housing costs, and look at trends in revenue.
Tom Lamar, running for a four-year position, said a healthy economy, environment and community work together. NSA junior Eric Mabry asked Lamar to give examples of businesses that fit with that idea.
Lamar said such businesses could fit in with the Knowledge Corridor concept. "Spin-off businesses" from UI and Washington State University researchers would bring high-paying jobs to people who would later shop and circulate money in the community.
Some candidates were questioned specifically about Super Wal-Mart. Holmes said calling big-box stores economic development "is a red herring." A super Wal-Mart would only replace the existing Wal-Mart and WinCo.
"By replacing retail with other retail, you actually don't create wealth and you don't bring in new dollars generally," he said.
Church asked four-year candidate Aaron Ament if he supported bringing in a Super Wal-Mart to compete with the proposed Hawkins Development across the state line.
Ament said he couldn't speak about any specific businesses but hoped the land behind the Palouse Mall would become available for large-scale retail. He said the city should look at businesses that want to come in, "make sure they're a fit" and use the city's large retail establishments ordinance to manage their impact.
In the forum's open response period, other candidates also addressed growth. Four-year candidate Linda Pall said other candidates had presented a "mistaken view ... that retail jobs are the best kind of economic development." High-paying jobs are better, she said. Four-year candidate Dan Carscallen responded that retail is good for the student labor force.
When you are a lawyer and sit on the city council, you don’t need a part-time job.
But of course Carscallen is right — students need jobs; and retail jobs are perfect part-time, no-experience type jobs. I can only imagine how many of my readers had their first job doing some menail, minimum-wage job. I sure did.
The amendment to the so-called boardinghouse ordinance also came to the forefront since many NSA students board with local families.
Church asked Holmes how he would have acted regarding the amendment, in light of a "small minority" bringing up the issue loudly.
Holmes said city government is "of, by and for those people who show up." Time restrictions kept Holmes from continuing with his answer.
Henreckson asked Pall why she supported the amendment.
She said the existing ordinance wasn't keeping single-family homes from being used in commercial ways.
She said the amendment was about a density issue. The conditional use process required for boardinghouses would allow homeowners to have boarders live with them and give the neighbors a chance to approve.
When Henreckson asked if the CUP process put applicants under unfair scrutiny, Pall interrupted him. She said he needed to look at the ordinance more closely.
Huh? Didn’t she initiate and write the ordinance?
Krauss said the amendment needs to completely overhauled.
The amendment "is about property rights. It's about personal rights. It's not about density. It's not about party houses," he said.
In the audience-question period, Krauss was asked to elaborate on his position. He said the city needs to examine more closely when a guest becomes a boarder.
Carscallen was asked what benefits came from the amendment. He said he hadn't paid enough attention to the issue, but saw a few benefits. The city makes some money from CUPs, and the CUP process gives neighbors a chance to speak for or against boardinghouses.
Some candidates were also asked about their opinions of NSA. Church asked Ament if he still believed statements he'd made during a radio show before he was on council. She quoted Ament calling NSA an "education-free zone" and NSA students "androids."
Ament said the "androids" comment "was partly an answer to a brand that some of my friends have received as being 'Intoleristas.' "
"Intoleristas" is a term used by Christ Church pastor Doug Wilson to describe critics of the church and NSA.
Ament said brands don't tend to serve people well.
"The questions we have received here tonight are excellent questions - even the last one," he said.