Yes, it’s true. Jared Fuhriman IS sorry. Today’s Idaho Falls newspaper headline reads: “Mayor Sorry for Storing Bong”.

To catch out-of-the-area readers up to date, Mayor Jared Fuhriman stored 2 boxes of marijuana pipes and other drug paraphernalia from the police evidence room in his home. When a member of the police department, Fuhriman used the items to “educate” parents in the D.A.R.E. program.

On August 12, Fuhriman’s 19-yr-old adopted son, Peyton, and 2 other men were cited for misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia with the intent to use. One of the men told police the “foot-long bong” came from the mayor’s house.

(However, it wasn’t actually the newspaper that broke this story – it was idahofallz.com. [Check out comment #26 dated Aug. 15, 5:04pm, on “Conversation with the Mayor”]. And, by the way, why DID it take the newspaper 9 days to report this story? Was the information intentionally buried at the police department? Was this special treatment for Police Chief Kent Livsey’s boss, who just happens to be a former police officer? Or is this just another example of the incompetence at the Idaho Falls newspaper?)

At any rate, now the mayor is “sorry”. And he should be.

There are few who would cast the first stone at Fuhriman and his wife for having a child who has most certainly behaved in a manner contrary to their teachings. This is a family tragedy in the making. It can happen to any parent, regardless of time and effort spent teaching children the difference between right and wrong. We can only hope the Fuhriman family is able to deal with this problem and move forward.

However, there are very serious questions which must be asked about Mayor Fuhriman’s judgment in storing items from the police evidence room in his home for 15 years.

Have we so quickly forgotten the Kimball Mason case? Mason was convicted of stealing guns from the police evidence room, as well as falsifying public documents. Mason was given a one- to five-year prison term in May, 2006, and a three- to 10-year prison term this March.

Can it really be true that Fuhriman never thought of the boxes of drug paraphernalia stored in his home as Mason’s case became a public scandal? Did it never occur to Fuhriman that it is dangerous to store such items in a home with children present? How could he “forget” items he borrowed from the evidence room?

Remember that an audit of the police evidence room was conducted in August, 2006, as a result of the Mason case. Police Chief Livsey never told his officers to “bring everything back”? As mayor and chief executive of the city, Fuhriman never thought of his own “evidence”?

And what other embarrassing items will be found missing from the Idaho Falls Police evidence room??? Whatever surfaces, don’t expect to read about it in the Idaho Falls newspaper.

In conclusion, Idahoans in general, and residents of Idaho Falls in particular, tend to be forgiving and allow elected officials (at least some of them) the benefit of the doubt when mis-steps are made. However, given the context (and results) of the Mayor’s “oversight”, perhaps a more firm approach is called for.

And how does this incident reflect on the city of Idaho Falls?

I am quite confident that to unbiased outsiders, Idaho Falls appears woefully behind the times.

The newspaper has egg on its face. Again.

Chief Kent Livsey looks incompetent.

And the Mayor looks, well, sorry.

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