REALITY DEMANDS MAYOR'S REMOVAL FROM OFFICE;

Jim West's diatribe on June 28 ("Recall based on false S-R accusations") demands a response. As specious arguments go, the mayor did a pretty good job, as long as you ignore a few facts and leave out moral standards.

His desperate attempt to remain in office reaches for any reasoning that supports his position; his behavior becomes more pathetic and his logic is, quite simply, illogical. From splitting hairs over the technicality of the legal age being 18 to "finding God" and "forgiveness" at a very convenient time, Jim West is a man on the ropes, throwing wild punches and barely defending himself, but too out of it to see the truth.

Why does he even need forgiveness, if, as he claims, he's done nothing wrong "legally" or morally, except use "poor judgment?" The truth is Mr. West is dead wrong. The problem is that he really doesn't seem to know the difference between right and wrong when it comes to adult sexual behavior, or he doesn't want to admit it.

This little tidbit of reality shows up when asked questions regarding the propriety of a man his age dating high school students (male or female), which he refuses to answer. Show me a father who wants his 17- or 18-year-old child alone with Jim West and I'll show you a cold-hearted fool.

The most naive and perhaps ludicrous words out of our mayor's mouth were those stating that his personal life was separate from his public life as an elected official. Give me a break. Did he miss the Clinton impeachment hearings? Does the name Gary Hart ring a bell? Has he already forgotten Miss Lewinsky? How about New Jersey's former Gov. McGreevy and his resignation over an affair with a man?

The list is long. One of the considerations one must realize when running for office is that you'll live in a glass house if elected. Jim West knows that; everybody knows that! So who's Mr. West trying to fool here?

But what angers me the most about this situation is how Mayor West plays with the truth. When you assure your online boy toy that if he applies for an internship at City Hall he'll get it, then you're doing a lot more than suggesting they just "apply" for the position.

When you appoint someone a commissioner on the Human Rights Commission and then pursue them for "dates" and offer them money to swim naked with you, you're not selecting that commissioner because they're the best person for the job.

The result of that little escapade places in question the appointment of every male since West was elected, through no fault of those appointed. And when you hide decisive information from the voters because you know you wouldn't be elected if you revealed your true sexual practices, then you gained your office through deceit and dishonesty.

It's apparent from what one writer observed as "West Denial Virus" that our mayor sees no real or long term effect from anything he's done, let alone the fact that his past behavior was just plain wrong or that his current behavior is pathetic.

By attacking this newspaper and those who sought the truth with his own allegations of a vendetta, our now infamous mayor hopes to turn public opinion in his favor. I hope he is wrong about that, because I believe the voters of Spokane demand the bar for our elected officials, and especially our mayor, be set a little higher, so that we can look up to that individual for professional and moral leadership.

If Jim West hasn't the courage to step aside, he must be removed.

David Bray is a former Spokane City Council candidate and the head of Taxpayers for Accountable Government.

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