Politics again

So maybe this is lazy blogging, but here's another taste of our local politics, copies from our local paper www.columbian.com/weblogs/local-politics/2011/may/06/the-gift-of-gab/:

During Wednesday's work session on increasing the 911 tax, the men in the room far outnumbered the women. In addition to the all-male roster of county commissioners, county administrator and director of the Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency, there were male representatives from fire districts and other emergency response agencies.
And it was the men who had the biggest reaction to a comment by Commissioner Tom Mielke.
CRESA Director Tom Griffith was telling commissioners why 911 dispatchers can't take on additional work, which would be necessary if commissioners didn't increase the monthly excise tax from 50 cents to 70 cents. Ten dispatchers would be laid off, Griffith said.
Griffith was describing how he marvels at how fluidly dispatchers switch between conversations, as a dispatcher is often carrying on two conversations at once. A dispatcher might be relaying information to a police officer while also taking a call from a citizen who is reporting a crime or calling for medical help, for example.
It's difficult to keep all the facts straight, Griffith said.
"Isn't that the reason we have women to do that work?" Mielke asked.
Well, that stopped the discussion.
Commissioner Marc Boldt looked at me writing in my notebook and said, "That wasn't me who said that."
The rumblings in the room prompted Mielke to add, "That's a compliment, by the way."