Forgive me for putting the mayoral race in the “Food & Drink” section today, but I promise it’s worth your time.
On this week’s episode of “The Latino Card,” the Radio Boise show wrapped up interviews with the two leading mayoral candidates. The interviewers are Idaho Statesman reporter Rachel Spacek and the late J.J. Saldaña, as the two-part series was recorded before Saldaña’s passing.
In the first episode, Spacek and Saldaña asked former police chief Mike Masterson and Mayor Lauren McLean how they would approach housing and policing problems for Boise’s Latino community, if elected. It’s both an educational episode and a testament to Saldaña’s love for our city.
The new episode is well worth listening to in its entirety, but at about 14 minutes in, the vibe shifts as the candidates are asked where their favorite Mexican restaurants are in Boise.
Despite living in a region with a lot of Mexican restaurants for decades, Masterson couldn’t name one. What he did say was: “If you were asking in Cabo, I could tell you a number of them.”
McLean was a little more prepared, mentioning Andrade’s and Carniceria Coalcoman — though she was honest in saying that she couldn’t quite pronounce the latter.
Here are a few recommendations that I hope Masterson will try. Better late than never!
Jokes aside, one of the show’s hosts Rebecca De León wrapped up with some added context and clarification about the interview. Listen to the whole thing to find out why she ended up saying: “You would hope that a publicly elected official would have a better understanding of what you need to be able to vote.”
