Early in his 2005 re-election campaign, Snohomish County Councilman Jeff Sax sat down for a political roast meant to poke premeditated fun at his bull-in-the-china-shop style. No one mentioned the embarrassing fact that a house was built on his property without a building permit. Ho, ho, ho, ha, ha, ha.
Sax and his supporters were obviously trying to disarm opponents with a list of his political faux pas. But there are limits to partisan joshing. Imagine, a senior, elected county official being such a silly goose. Not a deck or fence or, oh, heck, a family room. A whole damn house! Like it wasn't even there!! Oh, stop, you're killing me, I'm practically incontinent.
So what happens when he and his extended family get caught with no permit? Does Sax plead forehead-slapping ignorance, which his critics might concede? No, he said such offenses were common. His defense was to defame everyone else. Of course, that's not true. Most landowners follow the law and pay up.
Sax has been the mouth that roars at the Snohomish County Courthouse for four years. His persona is of contempt for government as the source of anything, other than, apparently, a personal paycheck.
