Friends and supporters of Commissioner Kevin Stufflebean have come together to raise funds and fight the recall effort launched in January by Citizens for Fair and Open Government. Kathe Stufflebean, wife of the beleaguered commissioner, wrote a letter of support this week in defense of her husband by blaming recall petitioner and former roadmaster, Larry Van Elsberg.
When the road master resigned, Kevin had to step into that position until a new road master could be hired. During this time, Kevin’s work hours were often from 6 a.m. to 8 or 10 p.m. One day Kevin put 400 miles on his personal vehicle.
While his wife is touting his work ethic, Stufflebean continues to cry discrimination and accuse committee members of attacking his family.
They claim they’re recalling because of road layoffs and lack of transparency, but they discuss every issue but that,†Stufflebean said. “They’ve attacked my family, attacked my ethnicity, driving by my house, taking pictures of us constantly. I had a man in my office screaming at me, telling me he was going to do everything he can to bury me. My clerk follows the blogs, and they ask whether I have my green card. I’m a Coos County native.
Asked about these claims, Van Elsberg and recall committee members say they do not condone such conduct and have no knowledge of these events and hope Stufflebean called police. The clerk, Bobbi Brooks, sent an exploratory email to Van Elsberg asking for proof of the committee’s “allegations” but does not specify what reported allegations she is talking about.
Subject: I’d like to see proof
HI Larry-
Now that the ballots will be going out for Kevin’s recall, I feel that I can ask you for proof of the allegations that have been made by you and the group gathering signatures. I have been checking the recall site on a regular basis, but I haven’t seen anything there. I’m not asking as a county employee or even as Kevin’s employee. If Kevin did things illegally I want to know what they are before I get my ballot and vote. I’m one of those people that read the voters pamphlet for every election, but since there won’t be one for this, I need facts before I vote. I haven’t heard of any forums where you will asked to prove your petition statement so that’s why I’m asking you to provide it. You can either email me, or ask Shawn Jennings or one of the guys to bring it to the next Board meeting;I am asking for myself, and for others here in Coquille that have asked me for it, and I don’t plan on sharing your information with anyone in the office. I just need to be informed before I cast a ballot, either for or against the recall.
Thanks
Bobbi Brooks
Van Elsberg says he wasn’t sure what allegations she was referring to other than the lack of transparency in the commissioners office but sent this response.
Bobbi,
The subject line in your e-mail says a lot and apparently you are not convinced that your boss has not violated the public’s trust.
In a recent article in the Register Guard Kevin says: “My clerk follows the blogs…”. Was he referring to you? Everybody I talked to thinks so.
I’m sure you and your friends in Coquille will closely follow the election, read Kevin’s and our committee’s recall statements and vote as your conscience dictates.
Larry Van Elsberg
If the clerk is following the blogs perhaps she would forward links to any blogs referring to Stufflebean’s ethnicity for I have never seen anything about that until he brought it up. If anyone else has seen such a thing, please forward me links. A search on Google and various blog catalogs reveals nothing so far.
The only allegations I hear about relate to public transparency and job competency though many people bring up a perceived conflict of interest with the dual roles of liaison to both the road department and the IT department while also acting as interim roadmaster and head of the IT department. Certainly this put employees in each of these departments in a very difficult situation with no one to turn to with grievances or concerns. Personally, I believe the Board was terribly remiss in allowing a commissioner to hold multiple roles, particularly considering he had no experience to run either department.
Finally, the inbox has been flooded with safety issues and ongoing violations of the Unfair Labor Practice complaint filed with the Employment Relations Board. Once confirmed, these occurrences must be made known to the public.
Anyone catch Wednesday’s BOC meeting on Ch 14? Apparently, it is very entertaining and I am sorry I missed it. Luckily I have some Easter bunnies that bring me copies to watch on the ‘puter.
Nice to see themguys too. I had lunch with some Easter Bunnies today. We be gearing up for a pint in a poke & a shootout at the OK coral come April 15. It’s gonna B like the Fourth of July & Christmas in a Nuns britches all at the same time. YeeHa!
Bottle of Colt?
My Grandpappy Jones cudda tukken care of that thar thirst ya got.
yup, a pint in a poke.
Good to see ya Cajun.
themguys,
I had to share this with you. When I wuz kickin it on the porch today with a ciggy in one & a bottle a colt in da utter, I passed out n awoke to find I had a Whitty Dream! I thought ide a never dried out…
There is going to be a recall debate, April 15 at the IBO luncheon held at the Mill Casino. Be there or be square!!!
Oh my, such thoughtful and reasoned missives here this morning, so glad you are back M.
As for Stufflebutt and the Mrss’s,what can one say? Any wife who sees such shortcomings in her own mate (ugh, the thought), she has to resort to defending him publicly, tells us all we need to know about his personal life. Obviously lacking, just like his public life.
But Cajun, you have it spot-on,he’s a weak and simple male. He knows it, and derives his ‘maleness’ through public power plays over other males he deems a threat to his territory. Ring a bell Kev? Huh? Larry?
Problem is, this one has his hands in the publics’ pocket.
And his mouth clearly clenched on the Publics’ Teat.
This Little Napolean wants to be the Preznit. Just like his hero Geo. BushBoy. Hell, can’t ya just see it? Kev and the Mrs’es cuddled up at night, ugh there I go again. Watching re-runs of BushBoy, and Kev saying “See Baby? if that numbskull can do it, so can I”.
I think the people of the county see clearly now what this man has cost us, we simply cannot afford another re-run of Dumb and Dumber.
Hat Tip to Den, thank you, I also saw the exchange at the meeting, I also urge everyone to watch Channel 14, just watch Blondie whisper in Kev’s ear, Nikky Wittless’ whip-lash trying to decide which side of the fence she wants to jump on, and Bob Main, the educated one, trying calmly to teach the Three Mousketeers what the law is.
Amusing if not so dangerous, huh?
Pulling the race card and claiming harassment are acts of desperation. Are there police reports to back up these claims?
Accusing your detractors of bad conduct is just another example of poor leadership skills, and again, desperation.
Desperate people rarely make good decisions. Whether Stufflebean has complicated personal finances or little formal training in personnel management or apparently no mastery of language mechanics (except for the latter, I don’t know) he appears more manic than level headed. More street smart than professional. More desperate than decisive.
Friends or Friend?
An adult male has the primary purpose of protecting & providing for his wife and family. The fact that the wife has to defend her spouse with such weak examples of competence, suggests fundamental catastrophic failure of ones duty at the most primitive level of fulfilling the definition of a man.
A green card is not the principle in question. I would be inclined to start with a man card.
A man would directly address the allegations in focus. A man would not cloud the issues with irrelevant unconfirmed accusations. The issue at hand is in writing and is going to be resolved through a legal diplomatic process. If one was a man it would not be necessary to invoke such measures.
It is all starting to add up.
1.2 million dollars was + or – fuzzy math = to 22 Men who unjustifiably lost their livelihoods with NO advance notice.
1.2 Million dollars is roughly fuzzy math = to the combined total of Beaver Hill road and new equipment.
As the undisclosed information begins to dribble out it becomes simple. We have observed the workings of a simple mind. One who has apparently been pre-dating estimates on equipment? Most of the time people who are recreating history post date documents. Further proof of a simple mind at work.
Weak and wounded animals lash out in desperation. Is it a stretch to conclude from a preponderance of the evidence that our subject in question is reaching the point of desperation? Acts such as ones displayed would suggest so. I contend all who desire to exercise their right as an American to the first amendment, make it clear items discussed are of your opinion. It is mine opinion he is recruiting employees to entrap organizers of the Recall. Entrapment as is slander illegal.
Once again, the signs and symptoms of a weak and wounded simple mind who is failing in the challenge of being a man.
Ouch! It is a good thing Coos County does not have 13 story buildings.
My internal clock is still off but I did at least get some good sleep last night and in rereading see a couple things I hadn’t keyed in on before.
Obviously, Kevin did not HAVE to become interim roadmaster and at least 14 people applied for the position, some with more paving experience than John Rowe. They never received an interview.
Likewise, Kevin did not HAVE to become IT director.
People should ask why departments Kevin became liaison to lost their management so quickly? Likewise, did Griffith and Whitty lose department heads in their liaison assignments?
You are right, den, twice yesterday Rowe, when pressed about the manpower to run this new equipment,lamented “I have to work with what I have.”
Not once have Whitty or Stufflebean publicly addressed the drowning death of Dean Caudle.
The recall committees official statement relates to public safety and public transparency – Stufflebean has not cited one statement from the public record that indicates 22 people were about to be laid off. He has not proven he was transparent but continues to accuse the committee through his clerk, wife and friends of false accusations.
The Coos County Road Master, replacing Kevin Stufflebean, was in-between a rock and a hard place today at the Commissioners worksession-Equipment Evaluation- Commissioners Courtroom, 2 P.M.
Here he is suggesting the purchase of $766,000.00 of new replacement Road Department equipment, right away. And, at the same time having an out of County Auction to unload older equipment.
Why, a rock and a hard place. Bob Main informed the road master, that time spend on selecting, and preparing old equipment for disposal and sale, and time spend for needs of new equipment including cost and preparing of bid proposals is time spend at the approval of the County Commissioners.
Mr. Main continues with, that request had not come before the County Commissioners. The tension of the situation was further escalated by Mr. Main pointing out that two pieces of new equipment had “bid date April 13th, 09â€, and another new piece of equipment a “bid date of April 20th, 09â€
In defense, the road master expressed he had to do the best with the resources available, and that he had received directions from the Liaison of the Department. (Also the person who hired him).
Mr., Main again explained procedures for purchase and sale of equipment first start with the approval of the Commissioners.
Kevin spoke in, the procedure used by him, Kevin, has been the way it has always been done by the County.
As the two titans, on both side of Nikki Whitty went at it, it was about all she could do to control the situation.
The road master helped, alone with Nikki to defuse the disagreement, by indicating this is now what is being done, a description of new equipment request, request of sale of older equipment, and some time periods where this could be accomplished. No decisions today.
Bob, indicated all of this was way ahead of schedule, and is this the time to be doing this?
Kevin, indicated the Road department is right on schedule.
Nikki, the mediator.
The road master, doing the best with what I have.
Do you believe this happen. Watch Channel 14, the government channel, they were there and filmed it. Then you decide. You can purchase a DVD of this meeting from Channel 14. or from the County.
Note, The Road Department is suffering a budget loss of one million dollars in the next budget cycle. Therefore the reorganization of this department has accounted for this coming budget shortfall. Interesting enough the reorganization has created available funds for the proposed spending of $450,000.00 on Beaver Hill Road, and $766,000.00 on new equipment. You go figure.
den