https://www.thegoptrashman.com https://www.thegoptrashman.com/when-the-numbers-deserve-a-closer-look <div data-rss-type="text"> <h3> <span> <span> There are times when </span> </span> <strong> people dismiss concerns </strong> <span> <span> because they sound uncomfortable or unfamiliar. That reaction happens quickly, especially when the subject involves </span> </span> <strong> local government </strong> <span> <span> or </span> </span> <strong> public systems </strong> <span> . It becomes easier to label something than to sit with it and look at what is actually there. </span> </h3> </div> <div> <a href="https://kootenaicountycorruption.org" target="_blank"> <img src="https://irp.cdn-website.com/9340f953/dms3rep/multi/Screen-Shot-2026-05-03-at-2.13.54-PM.png"/> </a> </div> <div data-rss-type="text"> <h3> <span> <span> The information presented on </span> </span> <a href="https://kootenaicountycorruption.org" target="_blank"> Kootenai County Corruption </a> <span> <span> pulls together reported </span> </span> <strong> incidents </strong> <span> <span> , legal </span> </span> <strong> claims </strong> <span> <span> , and financial </span> </span> <strong> exposure </strong> <span> <span> tied to the Kootenai County Jail. When situations like this are backed by documented cases and </span> </span> <strong> settlement </strong> <span> <span> figures, they deserve a closer look. </span> </span> </h3> <h3> <br/> </h3> <h3> <span> Numbers and records carry a different kind of weight because they point to real outcomes. </span> </h3> <h3> <span> <br/> </span> </h3> <h3> <span> <span> Liability is where this becomes </span> </span> <strong> real for people </strong> <span> <span> . When systems fail and cases move forward, settlements follow. Those costs do </span> </span> <strong> not </strong> <span> <span> stay isolated. They are paid out through </span> </span> <strong> public funds </strong> <span> , and that means the taxpayer is part of the result whether they were involved or not. </span> </h3> </div> <div> <img src="https://irp.cdn-website.com/9340f953/dms3rep/multi/pexels-photo-6069346.png" alt=""/> </div> <div data-rss-type="text"> <h3> <strong> Accountability </strong> <span> <span> starts with paying attention to what can be verified and understanding the impact over time. Communities are shaped by the way problems are handled, and long-term trust depends on facing issues directly and dealing with them before the cost grows larger for everyone involved. </span> </span> </h3> </div> Sun, 03 May 2026 21:36:22 GMT https://www.thegoptrashman.com/when-the-numbers-deserve-a-closer-look thumbnail main image https://www.thegoptrashman.com/why-i-m-running <div data-rss-type="text"> <h3> <span> Running for the County Commissioner of Kootenai County wasn’t something I ever planned on doing. </span> </h3> </div> <div> <img src="https://irp.cdn-website.com/9340f953/dms3rep/multi/588b7f6f-3bd4-459e-be73-a178a1f4e746-6ac4ad73.png"/> </div> <div data-rss-type="text"> <h3> <span> <span> Most of my career has been spent in roles where you see how </span> </span> <strong> decisions affect people </strong> <span> <span> over time. When you’re close to that, you start to pay attention in a different way. You notice what holds up and what doesn’t. </span> </span> </h3> <h3> <span> <br/> </span> </h3> <h3> <span> <span> When I moved to </span> </span> <strong> North Idaho, </strong> <span> <span> it was for the same reasons a lot of people come here. It’s a place where you can build a life and feel connected to the people around you. That sense of community still matters to me. </span> </span> </h3> <h3> <span> <br/> </span> </h3> <h3> <span> <span> Over time, I’ve been watching how </span> </span> <strong> things are changing </strong> <span> . Growth is part of that. Some of it has been handled well, and some of it feels like it’s moving faster than the systems around it can support. </span> </h3> <h3> <br/> </h3> <h3> <span> <span> I’ve worked inside systems that were under pressure. When things start to stretch, the </span> </span> <strong> impact reaches people </strong> <span> <span> before anything shows up on paper. That stays with you. </span> </span> </h3> <h3> <br/> </h3> <h3> <span> <span> That </span> </span> <strong> perspective </strong> <span> <span> is what led me here. </span> </span> </h3> <h3> <br/> </h3> <h3> <span> <span> My background has been in work where </span> </span> <strong> decisions carry real consequences </strong> <span> . It’s shaped how I think about responsibility and what it means to get things right over the long term. </span> </h3> <h3> <br/> </h3> <h3> <span> <span> Kootenai County is continuing to grow. The way that growth is handled will </span> </span> <strong> shape </strong> <span> <span> what this place looks like in the years ahead and how it feels to the people who live here now. </span> </span> </h3> <h3> <br/> </h3> <h3> <span> <span> I </span> </span> <strong> care </strong> <span> <span> about </span> </span> <strong> this community </strong> <span> <span> in a real way. I live here, my family is here, and I pay attention to what’s happening around me. </span> </span> </h3> <h3> <br/> </h3> <h3> <span> <span> This is about </span> </span> <strong> showing up </strong> <span> <span> , </span> </span> <strong> staying engaged </strong> <span> <span> , and </span> </span> <strong> making decisions </strong> <span> <span> that hold up over time. </span> </span> </h3> </div> <div> <img src="https://irp.cdn-website.com/9340f953/dms3rep/multi/em+photo.jpg" alt=""/> </div> Sun, 03 May 2026 20:36:54 GMT https://www.thegoptrashman.com/why-i-m-running thumbnail main image