Hypocrisy About the North Idaho College Board of Trustees

I am shocked at the blatant hypocrisy in the coverage of the NIC Board of Trustees race. When two separate registered Republican candidates decided to run independently for the Board, it is front-page news and labeled as a “partisan takeover.” Michael Barnes and my husband, Greg McKenzie, both separately have disagreed with years of board decisions and want to serve the college. When two registered Democrats declare their candidacy in a joint statement and are jointly endorsed by the Kootenai Democratic Central Committee, it isn’t called a “partisan takeover.” Instead, the story is how these Doctorates in education are saving our students and how qualified they are — no mention of their own partisan standings or endorsements. 

If a conservative Board majority can, as retired faculty have argued, cause the college’s accreditation to be “at stake,” then that is a bigger issue than partisan sniping. If the college could truly “lose accreditation” because someone with a different opinion sits on the Board and advocates for free speech, then free speech is already dead — and Greg is needed in this role more than ever. 

I urge all Kootenai County voters to see past the partisan smokescreen cast over this race. Examine the Board’s record: regular property tax increases and cutting of important programs, while still not addressing the root issues related to student enrollment being down by nearly half. Examine the candidates’ statements and see if their values align with your own. Be an informed voter on Nov. 3.

JEN McKENZIE

Coeur d’Alene

Click here to see the original letter to the editor.