And his platform from which to play it
Lately, every other Wednesday, just like clockwork, Chris Cargill is given a “Guest Opinion” platform on the opinion page of the Spokesman Review. From that platform he pecks away at the cost of government, taxes, and unions. Right on cue, on August 24, he assailed the Spokane Public Schools, snidely claiming an inflated budget and substandard performance with a piece entitled “Paying more, getting less from Spokane Public Schools”. In his article Mr. Cargill offers a blur of large numbers as proof of his erudition. Constructive policy suggestions? Not one, none. His tone bespeaks a cheap-shot at the quality and cost of public education.
It was ironic to note a headline on the front page of the same day’s Spokesman Northwest Section: “Spokane Schools has dozens of job openings with two weeks until first day of classes”. In the sort of free market that Mr. Cargill’s employer, the Washington Policy Center, is always touting, the solution might be to offer higher salaries and benefits in hope of attracting staff. Perhaps the budget Mr. Cargill is whining about isn’t inflated, but, instead, insufficient.
Mr. Cargill is the Eastern Washington director of Washington Policy Center based in Spokane. Mr. Cargill’s background is in broadcast communication studies and political science, not education. Mr. Cargill has no children in Spokane Public Schools. Not only does he live in Liberty Lake, but he was recently elected to the Liberty Lake City Council in 2021. Shouldn’t he be writing about Central Valley School District?
Another irony: The Director of the Center For Education at the Washington Policy Center, Liv Finne, offers a position paper on Education Reform in which one of her recommendations is to double teacher pay. Apparently, Mr. Cargill missed the memo. Of course, as a member of a Republican/Libertarian “think” tank, Ms. Finne also strongly advocates for charter schools and school vouchers, that is, for the funding of private schools with public dollars.
An letter to the editor from June 16th puts Mr. Cargill’s use of his Spokesman soapbox in context:
Chris Cargill is paid by Washington Policy Center to write opinion pieces for the S-R, such as last week’s clarion call for transparency in negotiations between city government and unions (“Who will defend the taxpayers? Not the city or its unions,” June 8). As usual for Cargill and WPC, citizenship begins and ends with paying taxes.
As a citizen who has spent a lifetime contributing to the profits of the businesses and owners who make up WPC, I would also like some transparency. How much have I paid for each one of Cargill’s cookie-cutter opinions?
William Siems
Like Sue Lani Madsen, who, from her isolated perch out in Edwall holds forth in the Spokesman on City of Spokane politics, Mr. Cargill sees fit to opine from Liberty Lake on the budget of a school system that doesn’t affect him. The Spokesman should look for opinion writers on City of Spokane issues who actually live here.
Keep to the high ground,
Jerry