This week we told you about Mount Vernon Mayor Bud Norris and his insistence that a certain Mexican restaurant/bar not be allowed to open. Critics are saying that Norris’ reason for opposing the restaurant’s liquor license is because he hates Latinos. The fact that Norris wants to abolish the Spanish language in town and has a creepy devotion to Glenn Beck would seem to support that hypothesis.But we also revealed that Norris may have a rather classic reason for opposing the new restaurant, but one that’s no less unfair. Essentially, a competing restaurant across the street is friends with Norris, and it’s in that business’ best interest to keep this new one from opening.One reader summed up the implication into 10 easy words.Blue Light writes:Sounds like he is more a “politician” than a “racist.” When explaining his reason for opposing the Mexican restaurant’s (called Calle Tacos Tequila) opening, Norris said that too many 911 calls had been fielded from that address. This claim turned out to be utterly bogus when the Skagit Valley Herald

pulled 911 call data and found that only 16 calls had been fielded by police at that address since 2000.Meanwhile, the restaurant across the street, Draft Pic’s sports bar, has had 471 calls fielded in that same time. Norris defended Draft Pic’s, saying that the bar is a bigger building, so more crime is to be expected.But as we revealed, the owners of Draft Pic’s, Lawrence and Lance Pirkle, contributed heavily (as small-town mayoral races go) to Norris’ last campaign.At no point has Norris mentioned this little tidbit.So while a dislike of all things Latino may play a part in Norris’ bizarre decision to fight against a restaurant based on an easily disprovable thesis, often the simplest answer is the right one.And in this case Norris’ role as a “politician” appears more in play than his role as a “racist.” At times it’s unclear which is worse. Follow The Daily Weekly on Facebook and Twitter.