Ten years ago, near the height of the biggest civic meltdown in the city's history, long-time journalist and Spokane historian Bill Stimson set out to write the definitive history of Spokane politics. Called "Insiders & Naysayers," the ten-part series tracks the sharp divide between the city's elite downtown power brokers and the colorful collection of outsiders who, in various waves and guises, fought for a more inclusive decision-making structure, or at least one that was more responsive to the bulk of the city's residents. The series tracks Spokane politics from the early 20th century battle between "saloon men" and the "decent element," to the late 20th century blow-up known as River Park Square.

With the benefit of ten year hindsight, Stimson has written a new introduction to the landmark series and the package is now being republished, online, at the Center for Justice's website. You can link directly to "Insiders and Naysayers," here.

In the hour-long KYRS interview with CFJ Communications Director Tim Connor, Stimson connects the dots from the earliest years of Spokane politics to the dramatic unraveling of River Park Square. He also shares his views on the current economic and institutional shifts in Spokane that, he says, are changing the ground rules for how things get done in the city.

"What Bill did so brilliantly in this series," says CFJ's Communications Director Tim Connor, "is unravel Spokane's political DNA. It certainly helps explain why River Park Square became a political version of the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens, and why we're still looking back, even as we're looking forward to a new type of city with, one hopes, a new kind of politics."

Connor and Stimsom both worked at Spokane Magazine in the early 1980s, where Stimson was the magazine's managing editor. Stimson currently directs the Journalism program at Eastern Washington University and is the author of Spokane: An Illustrated History published in 1999. Insiders & Naysayers was originally published in June, 2000.