Condescension of previous letter writer addressed

To the Eagle:

Poul Toftemark deserves extra high marks for his literary efforts in these pages two weeks ago. Not only did he treat us to some wry and incisive observations on the frustrations of dealing with our Olympian overseers, but he also provoked a piece of equally entertaining vainglorious puffery in response. In answer to Paul's comment that the State Auditor requires a "lengthy full report," the auditor's DDT (Deputy Director of Talking) asserts that he is incorrect -- it is a requirement of those nasty old legislators in RCW 43.09.230 which is 105 years old. Looking that up (which ain't easy, deciphering those quill and parchment scribbles), you'll find that the RCW requires "in summarized form ... collections made ...receipts received ... and all expenditures." For an outfit the size of the Grays River Habitat Enhancement District, that info could be inscribed, Abe Lincoln style, on the back of an envelope. Turns out the mandate for a full lengthy (computerized) report is indeed a product of the State Auditor.

The DDT then goes on to quibble about Poul's arithmetic in his observation that the fees charged for the various audits siphon off a significant portion of the district's operating funds; a quibble that is beside the point. We taxpayers pay the salary of a State Auditor and all of his minions, plus supplying all the necessary offices, abacuses, transportation, and whatnot necessary to keep the other government agencies honest. So, in effect, the State Auditor's office is extracting cash from the taxpayers of Grays River for carrying out the duties of their agency -- already handsomely paid for by the taxpayers of the state. Calling this practice extortion or even corruption might be a bit strong, but there's a nice old Persian word for it that's used extensively around the Middle East and North Africa: "baksheesh."

Toward the end of the officious epistle, our communicator does devote a tiny paragraph to the praise of Mr. Toftemark and his ilk, but that does little to compensate for the imperial condescension of the letter. One hopes it was penned by a neophyte PR flack without the knowledge of Mr. Kelley, the auditor (who actually does pretty good work), who is now squirming in embarrassment, but that's probably a forlorn hope.

Howard Brawn

Puget Island