True's Pick: Don Davison for County Attorney

Most folks in the county probably don't know a lot about the county attorney candidates, Don Davison and Tim Scannell. They don't show up in the paper very often so unless you have some dealings with them as lawyers or (in Scannell's case) the court system you probably can't actually judge them accurately.
Scannell is already assistant county attorney, and as such he represents more of the same; he is part of the old-boy club that has ruled this county for years. This is the same club that decided not to prosecute a man who beat a cat to death, leaving it to be found by tourists in Rec Park, but did prosecute a native American who threw his coffee cup at someone who was baiting him. The same club that has declined routinely to challenge potential conflicts of interest between elected officials and their business interests.
Don Davison, on the other hand, has handled his office of City Attorney with integrity. He has frequently cited statutes challenging decisions made by the reigning City Council. The latest example happened at the most recent City Council meeting. The council had voted to allow the East Bay Condominiums the right to use city-owned land for a handicap ramp that had not been planned for in their big footprint development. No fee was to be charged and the question of termination of contract was left rather open-ended. The Swanson law firm, representing the developers known as the "Gunflint Gals," believed that the council had promised their clients this de facto ownership; attorney Dehlia Seim was visibly upset when Mr. Davison recommended that the city should not in essence give away its land to a private entity. Even though the council overruled his vote, he later persuaded them to request an opinion from the Attorney General.
This kind of courage is rare. It is not bidness as usual.