What do you consider to be your biggest failure?
Can I call it a disappointment? Because it wasn’t a failure. It was the desire ultimately to let go of something the utility had been doing for so long, our appliance repair (program). The private sector part of me, which that’s most of me, (asked if) should we be doing something the private sector’s doing. But we were doing it so well and people loved it. We had one contractor who really didn’t think the public (sector) should be doing something (the private sector should do). But by the same token no one else was servicing or repairing these old electric ceiling cable (heaters). There was no one who wanted to do it because it wasn’t profitable to do it. We kept being challenged by one and then a group of (critics), and during all that time I was so disappointed we couldn’t keep (doing something our customers loved). Yet we just finally gave it up.
What advice do you give to anyone considering running for public office?
I particularly like non-partisan (public office). I have no stomach for partisan politics. I really like that I didn’t have to have a party line. I didn’t have to answer to either set of political positions that I wouldn’t be comfortable with. I can be broad spectrum. It’s a beautiful opportunity to serve your community in a capacity that may help and, in a collective way, make some good decisions. You’ve got to like it, and you’ve got to be willing to not take things personally. If there are people shooting a few stray bullets … if you can’t take that, don’t run.
What will you do after you retire from the utility?
I’m going to move downtown. That’s part of the reason I didn’t run (for re-election). We’re going to be in what you call a live/work (space). (There aren’t) many of those and we’re going through the city process and doing all of the things we’re required to do. We’re really downsizing, because I live out in Salmon Creek now on over an acre. We’ve been there for 20 years, and we’re just ready to really downsize and compress.
What have you read recently?
“Fall of Giants” (by Ken Follett). (Follett) writes really good historical novels. For me, I never really liked history that much, but this makes it more interesting, and it gives you more of a perspective of what was really happening. I’ll tell you, if you want to be provocative in this thing, I’m an Ayn Rand fan. It’s not that I totally embrace everything she says, but there’s enough of it that just makes me feel, “oh my God this is almost happening right now.” I’m a true believer in capitalism, and yet a lot of the problems that we’ve incurred over the last decade or so (have) been created by greed. But I’m not sure it’s just all capitalists that are greedy. There’s a lot of greedy politicians in there, too.
