Candidate stresses social issues in Ward 1 council campaign

Steve Davidson sees himself as a chance to diversify the makeup of a Kalispell City Council loaded with homeowners and business people.

"It needs a person like me, a disabled renter, to add a voice that's not heard otherwise," Davidson said.

He is challenging Ward 1 incumbent Bob Hafferman on Nov. 8.

This is Davidson's second attempt at a Ward 1 council seat. He lost to Kari Gabriel in a three-way 2003 race, tallying 74 votes to Gabriel's 276 and Jean Johnson's 204. He emphasized he is not running against any Hafferman positions, but instead wants to serve the community.

Davidson is stressing social issues in his campaign, not the rapid-growth matters that monopolize much of the City Council's time.

In general, he wants Kalispell's growth to slow down, but did not want to address specific growth issues prior to facing them as a council member. "As things come up, I'll have to deal with them on an individual basis," he said.

Davidson wants city government to focus more on fighting crime by adding police officers and have the police crack down more on drunken drivers and teen drinking. He said the City Council should lobby the state Legislature to enact a law that would require a convicted drunken driver to forfeit his or her vehicle on either a second or later offense.

And he wants city government to become more active in lobbying state and federal officials in providing more support of immunizations for the elderly and poor, and to boost programs to reduce teen pregnancies.

Davidson moved to Kalispell in 1997 from Houston, Texas, after spending a couple of summers visiting Glacier National Park. In Houston, Davidson worked for a family-owned laundry business, and then spent seven years with the Harris County government with his final job there being a police dispatcher.

Arriving in Kalispell, Davidson became a taxi driver, a job he left a few years ago because of a disability. He declined to discuss his disability. He also used to work for the Wilderness Treatment Center.

"I worked for minimum wage for quite a time, so I know what it is like," he said.

Davidson stressed his volunteer work, especially with the HIV Prevention Community Planning Group for the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, and involvement with groups that combat drug and alcohol addiction.

And he emphasized the low-key aspect of his campaign, especially not posting any campaign signs.

Campaign signs are "a waste of money. No trees will be killed for any sign with my name on it," he said.

Reporter John Stang may be reached at 758-4429 or by e-mail at jstang@dailyinterlake.com