COLES SAYS HE WOULD CONSIDER DRUG CZAR JOB

Boise Mayor's Name Given To Bush Team

If he's asked to become George W. Bush's drug czar, Brent Coles will
have a difficult time saying no.

The Boise mayor says he hasn't applied or interviewed for the job and
doesn't know whether he wants it. But listening to him Wednesday,
rattling off a number of drug-fighting approaches and then laying out
how a drug czar could coordinate those approaches and deliver federal
help, could lead one to believe Coles is thinking seriously about a
move to Washington, D.C.

"First of all, I have not been interviewed for the job," Coles said
in an interview from Washington. "But would I consider moving myself
to Washington, D.C.? If the president of the United States calls, I
would have to consider it."

A spokeswoman for the Bush-Cheney transition office wouldn't confirm
Wednesday whether Coles is being considered for the post, or when the
president-elect might make an announcement. Coles confirmed, however,
that a number of organizations have submitted his name to the Bush
team.

Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, has been in contact with the Bush
transition office several times over the past month. But he's home in
Idaho Falls this week, and has not heard from the Bush team about
Coles.

Crapo said he expects to hear from the transition office next week.
"I don't know what the time frame is for picking the drug czar, but
I'm sure we'll have time to express our support for Mayor Coles,"
Crapo said Wednesday.

Efforts to reach Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, who's been consulted by
the transition team on other appointments, were not successful.

Crapo grew up with Coles in the same Idaho Falls neighborhood. The
Boise mayor would be a good fit for the job, he said. "He's already
received national recognition for his efforts to reduce drugs," Crapo
said.

Boise City Council President Carolyn Terteling-Payne woke up
Wednesday to a 6:15 a.m. phone call from a radio newsman asking her
how she felt about the idea of becoming mayor. "It scared me at
first," she said, fearing something had happened to Coles. That call
was the first of several Wednesday among council members and Coles in
response to a Statesman story. If Coles were to resign as mayor to
take an administration post, Terteling-Payne probably would be acting
mayor until the November election.

"As council president, I have always been filling in for the mayor,
and I intend to continue doing that until whatever happens, happens,"
Terteling-Payne said.

Councilman Mike Wetherell is president pro tem of the council, by
virtue of being the longest-serving member. He said council members
could vote among themselves to elect an acting mayor to serve until
November. But Terteling-Payne said she doesn't expect the council to
be divided on who should be acting mayor. The council was divided the
last time a mayor resigned. Council President Sara Baker served as
acting mayor while then-Mayor Dirk Kempthorne was on a leave of
absence to campaign for the U.S. Senate in 1992. After Kempthorne was
elected and resigned as mayor, the council elected then-Councilman
Brent Coles over Baker.

Councilwoman Paula Forney detects a mood among most council members
to stick with Terteling-Payne until the election, should Coles
resign. "That would be my inclination. She's done a great job as
council president and seems to have the time," Forney said.

Terteling-Payne said she hasn't entertained the notion of running for
mayor. "I think it's important to keep things stable, keep things
running until an election can occur. But beyond that, I haven't
thought about running. It's never been in my master plan." If she did
run and was successful, she'd be the first woman elected mayor after
44 men.

But all this is mere speculation that hinges on what happens with Coles.

The mayor is in Washington this week, presiding over the winter
meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

And while talking about how he believes his approach to fighting
drugs will save neighborhoods, he was getting the news that another
of his efforts to preserve neighborhoods was being quashed by a
federal court. U.S. District Court Judge Lynn Winmill threw out
Boise's anti-nudity ordinance, a measure supported by the mayor to
ban nude dancing in the city.

Sticking to his belief in the federal government encouraging local
solutions to drug-fighting, Coles said the drug czar is in a position
to coordinate programs by local governments and non-profits. He
doesn't buy the view of some critics that the government and previous
drug czars have been ineffective in curbing illegal drug use.

"Cities have found programs that make a difference," Coles said. "We
know the basics, that drug treatment and prevention is essential; so
is law enforcement, treatment in the prisons and drug-free
workplaces."

"There's no question, the drug czar has had an impact. But there's a
long way to go, and a lot of work to do."