Sheriff's accusation has flaws

In case you missed it, Sheriff Garry Lucas jumped with both feet into the county commissioner race last night, accusing the incumbent commissioners of deliberately fiddling while the county budget fell to pieces over the last year.

Lucas speculated that it's because the commissioners didn't want to make unpopular decisions until after the election.

Here's the back story: The sheriff's mad because commissioners are backing away from a plan to hire eight new deputies in 2009 and 2010. Commissioner Boldt says the county can't afford new deputies; his opponent, Jeanne Harris, says it can.

There's little question that commissioners could have kept closer eyes on the public purse this year; even Commissioner Morris has said so. But the political side of Lucas' theory has a couple holes.

1) Only one sitting commissioner is up for re-election next week: Lucas' fellow Republican Marc Boldt, whom Lucas sarcastically referred to as "his majesty" on Wednesday night. (Morris is retiring; Commissioner Stuart's term runs through 2010, just like Lucas'.)

2) The commissioners' draft budget is due Tuesday, which means that Boldt will have to vote against hiring cops on the morning of Election Day a Boldt-backed budget that slows cop hiring will come out on the morning of Election Day. If Boldt was really trying to postpone the issue for political reasons, he sure messed up.

As Morris wrote in an e-mail today, "The smart political move would have been for Marc to advocate loud and long for all 16 deputies!"

michael.andersen@columbian.com

Correction 10/31: Tuesday's draft budget won't require a vote. I apologize.