12/07/2005
Spokane Mayor James West Finally Ousted from Office
Anti-gay Spokane Mayor James West has been recalled from office after months of kicking and screaming.
The former Mayor, whose achievements against gays include opposing domestic partner benefits for city workers, holding up a gay rights bill in a Senate committee where it died, opposing gay rights bills in '85 and '87, and voting for the Defense of Marriage Act, was discovered to have been visiting Gay.com chat rooms while on city time and on city computers, and offering city jobs to young men he met in those chat rooms.
The former Mayor was also accused of molesting two young men when they were children but the charges never panned out as the statute of limitations expired long ago.
After the allegations, West contended that he was the victim of a "brutal outing" and that the hundreds of suggestive photos downloaded to his city computer were placed there by automatic caching and weren't downloaded deliberately.
Public sentiment has been strongly against the hypocritical politician for months. In an early count, 65% of Spokane citizens voted to recall the Mayor. West reacted to the news, offering no apologies: "I said I’d abide by the will of the voters, obviously, and they’ve spoken. I’m at peace with their decision — and disappointed. We’ve had a great run."
Spokane Says Bye to West [olympian]
Related
Just Doesn't Get It [tr]
James West Denies Allegations, Refuses to Resign [tr]
Posted 10:00 AM EST by Andy Towle in Current Affairs | Permalink
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What a pig. Good riddance of bad rubbish.
Posted by: Brian | Dec 7, 2005 10:09:37 AM
^_^
This is what we need to do to all the pols out there who are closet-case queens voting against the rights of the rest of us. West is the first, now let's get the rest of 'em out of office.
Posted by: Tread | Dec 7, 2005 11:40:09 AM
"Statute" instead of "statue"!
--Editor Joe
Posted by: Joe | Dec 7, 2005 11:51:39 AM
oops, sorry bout the typo. thanks joe
Posted by: andy | Dec 7, 2005 11:57:16 AM
Actually, while unintended, I think "statue" works in relation to the rest of the debacle. One of my favorite lines from the immortal "...Oz" is Auntie Em's "Well, don't start posing for any statues now." West, and his gay-but-antigay sisters everywhere climb upon a pedestal of imagined impunity, but his statue, as well as the statute of limitations, ran out. And, I totally agree--let's pull them all down. [Resisting the temptation to add, "and their little dogs, too."]
Posted by: Leland | Dec 7, 2005 1:59:37 PM
"This is what we need to do to all the pols out there who are closet-case queens voting against the rights of the rest of us. West is the first, now let's get the rest of 'em out of office."
As long as i have first crack at those young choir boys my handlers and the government can do as they please... and since i am infallible i cannot be voted out of office!
Posted by: HisHolynessDPope | Dec 10, 2005 12:44:36 AM