Shelby Rognstad and Glen Bailey (from left).
Coming Tuesday, January 19: The KRFY Morning Show delves into one of the most contentious of current local issues, with Sandpoint Mayor Shelby Rognstad and Bonner County Commissioner Glen Bailey in the studio for a discussion of the city and county resolutions on refugee resettlement. Airtime is at 8 a.m., at 88.5 FM.
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The talk Tuesday with Rognstad and Bailey will cover the differing city and county resolutions.
The Bonner County commissioners passed a resolution in December supporting Gov. Butch Otter’s call for President Barack Obama to halt refugee resettlement until the vetting process and state concerns are addressed. Meantime, the Sandpoint City Council in early January considered but tabled a resolution declaring that Sandpoint remains a tolerant and non-discriminatory city and welcomes anyone who is properly screened.
The KRFY show will air the day before the city council picks up consideration of its resolution, on Wednesday, January 20. Both the commission and council meetings were attended by scores of citizens, most of whom have spoken against refugee resettlement.
“We are going into this talk with the premise that both sides have valid reasons to hold the opinions they do,” said KRFY’s Chris Bessler, who is co-host of the Morning Show with Suzy Prez. “Like any complicated public policy issue, there’s no simple black-and-white solution that addresses all concerns. The show will give the mayor and commissioner a chance to discuss their reasoning in detail, and we hope give the community more information to weigh out what is the best answer.”
“Who knows,” added Prez, “maybe we’ll find there is more common ground then some might think.