Tonight our gay hating gay mayor gets the axe!

[Liberal Veteran]

Spokane Mayor Jim West (self-loathing closeted repuke) will likely get voted out of office in the special election.

I however, chose to NOT vote in this election at all. I don't like him and I don't support him, but I figure if the election is going to be more of a referendum on his sexual orientation than his fitness for mayor, so I am gonna take the high road, unlike West who sponsored many anti-gay bills while he was serving in the state legislature. I'll enjoy watching him take a fall, because he will experience first hand the kind of bigotry he actually sponsored in his career. So, I refuse to keep this hypocrite in office by voting to retain him and I refuse to give the bigots who are using homosexuality as their main reason for removing him the satisfaction of adding my vote to theirs.

It's the first time I have ever abstained and it was a tough decision to make, but I think it was the best one in this case.

[Nimrod2005]

1. I would have voted his ass out for being a HYPOCRITE!!!

[Harper_is_Bush]

2. Two questions:

1. How do you know he's gay?

2 Do you have six cats?

[mike_c]

3. google Jim West....

Just for the fun of it.

[Harper_is_Bush]

10. Thanks, I just did!

And it was fun!

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420AP_WST_Spokane_Mayor_Timeline.html

[Liberal Veteran]

5. Two answers

1) He was caught red-handed trying to pick up young men aged 18-23 and his work computer contained the evidence of his cruising gay porn sites and he offered a guy a position on our human rights council in exchange for sexual favors. (And he'd since admitted it too and tried to play that the gay persecution card...the asshole).

2) No...I have 4 cats. I did have six, but 2 of them are in Kitty Heaven (Mariko and Logan).

[Harper_is_Bush]

9. Comment on those answers:

Your Mayor (soon to be ex) is a real piece of work:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420AP_WST_Spokane_Mayor_Timeline.html

His hypocrisy is delicious.

And I'm sorry to hear about Mariko and Logan. Makes me think of the cats I lost...damn hard.

[Liberal Veteran]

11. He that soweth the wind...and all that jazz, you know?

I can't help but feel some smug satisfaction in watching his own party eat him alive for his sexual orientation after he abused the gay and lesbian community in this state for so many years.

[stevedeshazer]

4. I sort of see your point in not voting

I hate to see the election turned into a referendum on homosexuality.

On the other hand, you seem confident and nearly gleeful that he will be recalled. Without the participation of like-minded people as yourself, what if it doesn't work?

I'd have voted for the recall because Spokane will be better off with someone else as mayor. That's an easy choice to make. But I don't live there.

Anyway, adios to Jim. I understand if he is recalled, he has to leave office in a couple of weeks. Who takes his place? Will there be another (special) election?

-sd

[Liberal Veteran]

8. No....the other puke takes his place, so it's a pretty much a zero-sum

...equation.

And yes, I am gleeful in a way. He that soweth the wind...and all that jazz. He played the "family values" card to advance his politcal career at the expense of people who only wanted equality in this state and I cannot help but feel some smug satisfaction in seeing him fall prey to the very atmosphere he helped foster.

He deserves to be thrown out of office, but this is a vote that I couldn't feel good about no matter which way I voted. So, when push came to shove, I abstained.

[stevedeshazer]

12. That's understandable n/t

[merwin]

6. I think you should go and vote for the reasons that you choose.

Be it the fact that he went on pornographic websites during work, had relationships with children, lied about it, etc. West being a hypocritical SOB just adds on top of it... but I think that you should go vote :-)

That being said, you have the right to stay home if you want to. That's the beauty of this country. heh.

[Cascadian]

7. I regret that I could not vote for the recall.

Now that I am Spokane resident, I find this the most interesting thing to happen to Spokane politics in a long time. I hope he gets tossed out on his ear!


John