The Commish

Ron Sims has named a commission to investigate the boo-boos of the 2004 election, how they can be repaired, how to instill confidence in the county’s election department, and, if there is time, the proper way to re-tile a bathroom wall . The panel will be composed of civic leaders, legal experts, election officials from across the Northwest, and will be chaired by retired Group Health Cooperative president and CEO Cheryl Scott.

"I'm going to try to be Switzerland," Scott told the Times, hopefully referring to that nation’s neutrality and not because of its reputation as a tourist destination.

The commission will issue a report in July, with follow-ups in September and January.

Meanwhile the county council is looking to implement an audit by an outside firm . The proposal, which was introduced by Council Member Julia Patterson, has the support of her six fellow Democrats and Republicans Kathy Lambert and Reagan Dunn. The proposal aims to "procure an independent, outside management consultant."

Sims’ office said that they would go along with the proposal if the council passed it. However Sims’ spokesperson Carolyn Duncan told the P-I why they preferred their commission to such an audit. Duncan claimed this audit would "look at different systems" than Sims' panel, adding, "Many or most [commission] members come from large organizations with processes and experiences that would be beneficial to a review."

Whatever the results of these investigations they will no doubt make for enjoyable letters to the editor over the next few months.