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Shogan aside draws protest
Council president blasts GOP leader
Shogan
November 12, 2011 - Updated: 1:30 a.m.
After years of frustration over Spokane City Council President Joe Shogan’s temper, a majority of council members for the first time this week engaged in a minor protest of Shogan’s behavior during a council meeting.
When he leaves office at year’s end, he may be ending his tenure on a sour note.
Shogan has a reputation for sparking heated arguments with other council members and with the public. He used a portion of Monday’s televised City Council meeting to call for the resignation of the state Republican Party head over critical comments he made about Mayor Mary Verner during her re-election bid this fall. Four council members walked out on Shogan, and the other two later said he inappropriately used the meeting to talk campaign politics.
Shogan was responding to comments that Peter Graves, executive director of the state GOP, made Nov. 3 to The Spokesman-Review about the party’s $25,000 donation late last month to the campaign of Mayor-elect David Condon.
Graves said the party contributed to Condon to “take her (Verner) out before she gets a chance at a free shot at a great congresswoman in the Fifth District.” He was referring to Condon’s former boss, Republican U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, and said that some have speculated Verner might one day run for Congress.
Shogan called Graves’ comments “reprehensible, repugnant and cowardly.”
“I and Mr. David Condon know the meaning of the last definition of taking somebody out ’cause I’ve been in combat and I know that meaning, and Mr. Condon has been in a combat support hospital, so he knows firsthand what taking somebody out can mean,” said Shogan, a Vietnam War veteran.
Josh Amato, spokesman for the state Republican Party, said it would be ridiculous for anyone to believe that Graves’ use of the term “take out” was meant to refer to an act of violence.
“Has this guy run for public office, been elected and not understand what the words ‘take out’ mean in a political sense? It seems like faux outrage,” Amato said. “We were obviously talking about removing (her) from office.”
Councilman Jon Snyder said he disapproved of the venue Shogan used but shares Shogan’s concern.
“Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot by a deranged individual less than one year ago after she was targeted with similar political language,” Snyder wrote on his blog. “Anyone who thinks there is no connection between this sort of rhetoric and actual threats to elected officials is ignoring reality.”
Each week, council members have time to discuss happenings in their districts and other council business. After hearing routine presentations Monday night, Shogan announced that he would be giving his weekly “council comment” at that point.
A council member tried unsuccessfully to object.
“Don’t even try to object, ’cause you’re not going to object,” Shogan said. “I’m not going to take any objections. I’m going to say what I’m going to say.”
That’s when council members Bob Apple, Steve Corker, Nancy McLaughlin and Richard Rush left the dais.
They returned when Shogan was through, and the council continued with its agenda. When other council members made their routine comments at the end of the meeting, Councilwoman Amber Waldref said she “strongly” objected to Shogan’s statements.
“Even commenting on any campaigns that are going on can cross the line,” Waldref said. “So I feel that your comments were inappropriate, and they didn’t add any value to this meeting.”
Shogan said he was responding to “language indicating a threat to a public official, including to us.”
“My responsibility is for the safety of this council,” Shogan said. “I accept your concern, but if I had to do again, I would do it again.”
Corker publicly apologized to the crowd for Shogan using the council meeting to make the comments.
Shogan interrupted: “You can apologize for yourself, Mr. Corker. Don’t include me in your apology.”
After election results were released Tuesday night, Verner told reporters that Graves’ comment “reveals what my opponent’s campaign was all about.”
“The party’s explanation that my opponent has been running against a figment of the party’s imagination was very telling,” she said. “I’m committed to serving this community.”
On the Web: Listen to Mayor Mary Verner’s comments to supporters and reporters on election night at spokesman.com/audio.
His contempt for free speech is eclipsed only by his…._______.
Have fun and don’t be too acidic.
Last Monday, Council President Shogan stepped over the line
trying to defend Mayor Verner against the Republican Party. City Council meetings are televised and Shogan inappropriately used this tax payer supporter media to blast Verner’s opponent on the night before the election.
Mayor elect Condon may have been running in a non-partisian
race. I don’t think anyone was fooled by this claim on his yard signs. The Otto Zehm homicide and cover-up didn’t follow party lines.
As many folks have already stated “this was Verner’s election to lose”. She had it in the bag but her mis-steps on the Otto Zehm case were only magnified by her silence.
Attacking a campaign contributor using public media was very inapropriate. Mr. Shogan were you prepared to give the other side equal time?
One of the reasons why Mayor Mary Verner was not re-elected has to do with the fact she rarely participated in or attended the weekly city council meetings.
Mayor Verner and Council President Shogan (apparently strong members of the same political party) did not mix.
They did not mix because President Shogan made every council meeting a kind of hell, a very unwelcome place, a place where one would be vilified if she, even innocently and unwittingly, offended the President.
Mayor Verner did not want to associate herself with such negativity. In addition, she must have feared that the Shogan anger might be turned on her — that Shogan’s ego deflating ire might be turned on her.
The impression the electorate had to have was that the Mayor was not a leader because she was rarely a part of the weekly work of the Spokane City Council.
As an aside — under the council - city management form of government the city manager always attended city council meetings and always played an active role in each council meeting.
Two things… I was unaware of the rumor that Mary Verner had hopes of running for Congress. I bet most other folks didn’t either. We all just voted against her because, adding it all up, she hadn’t done a good job as mayor.
Also: In the print version of today’s paper, in the sports section, I noticed the big headline: “CV TAKES OUT FERRIS” Hmmm. I suspect everybody but Mr. Shogun understands that one school’s athletic team outscored another, and that everybody lived to talk about it!
Council President Shogan made city council meetings a waste of time to be heard in spokane, hopefully he will run into one of Karl the Klubbers buddies while he is buying a snickers bar.
I seldom watch city council meetings anymore because of the decisions which most of the time, merely agree with the city`s officials and do not ask the tough questions. Because of the Otto Zehm crime, I tuned in to the council meeting Monday night and watched in disbelieve, Joe Shogan`s outrages behavior. Shogan stepped so far over the line of decency, he should be ashamed of himself. Its not the first time he has displayed his temper, but the worst of the worst on Monday. The few times I have watched the pathetically run Monday night meetings, President Joe Shogan, in my opinion, disgraced the city of Spokane with his outrages behavior most of the time. As an exercise in futility I`d usually would opine the city council, that Shogan`s behavior was unacceptable with a copy to Mayor Verner. This Monday night when Councilman Jon Snyder said he disapproved of the venue Shogan used “but shares Shogan’s concern”, I wondered what the concern was they both shared? As I listened to the discussion, I thought they both used moronic logic regarding their concerns.
Shogun’s always been a wildcard, I’m sorry to have to say it, but I think’s he’s cracked in the head, and, sadly, it’s probably related to his military service.
He’s constantly over-reacted and bullied people around.
Of course the whole money-laundering scheme that Condon pulled was outrageous, but that’s a whole different story, it contributed to his victory, buy Verner’s actions and non-actions are what sunk her.
My primary issue with Mr. Shogan is how he would differentially allow some citizens more than their allotted three minute speaking time and abruptly interrupt and dismiss others before their three minutes were elapsed.
Don’t take my word for it, watch a few recordings of city council meetings.
Ed Byrnes
So much for the golden rule in the city council chambers. Shogun attacks the public more than the Police force. I am surprised he was ever elected. I must admit it is hard to fall asleep during one of his televised meetings. LOL