Caddy McKeown and Cam Parry were the top two choices for commish today, and Main and Whitty chose Parry
The process chosen to select a commissioner to replace the late Andy Jackson has received some fair criticism and raises some questions. Forming a selection committee gave a false and pointless impression of impartiality on the part of the remaining commissioners. Pointless, because if the pair of commissioners could not agree on someone from the first round of picks, the committee would simply go back to the original list and pick more. Therefore, why didn’t Main and Whitty just each pick three or four from the list they wanted to interview and not bother with the selection committee at all?
Next, the committee members chosen were not representative of the electorate and suggestions to include a labor person went ignored by both commissioners. The panelists never attend regular board of commission meetings and, since the panelists were given the duty of picking the top five, their should have been women on the panel. Finally, the committee members were, by their conduct, pretty divisive and insulting.
Then there are the odd choices in both rounds. For example, there were several superior resumes that should have made the first cut and while choices are subjective, four or at least three of the five, were very mediocre. How could the same committee choose Cam Parry as well as Timm Slater or John Sweet? Light years distance them all.
On the second round, after all the interviews, the top vote getter in the first round, Lance Benton, received no votes at all, though several observers thought he ranked at least number two.
Now, I only witnessed Caddy McKeown’s response to the last nine questions and it is clear that McKeown confidently believes she knows a lot about something, however, she was not able to articulate whatever it is she knows to me, the listener. She spoke more than I have ever heard her before but spoke in empty platitudes, like ‘you must have a balanced budget’, ‘you have to make tough decisions’, ‘it is important to be fiscally responsible’, etc… All that goes without saying, everyone acknowledges the truth of such statements but I am always suspicious of people who persist in telling me things I already know. Consequently, there must have been something good in the first half to explain her popularity in the second round because I was stunned to see her name.
It is only fair to say that Parry’s responses toward the end of his interview were getting a bit more rambling and the panel was showing signs of tedium.
Based upon the entire interview, he clearly has a lot of knowledge about process and how to bring badly needed revenue into the county and a wide view on supporting small business – no one else touched him when it came to energy and enthusiasm and in depth knowledge of federal funding sources and about all the untapped potential in the county.
Lastly, Parry worked on Jackson’s election campaign and had continued to work on projects with Jackson before he died. We hope Parry will be a good choice. Personally, if I had chosen five candidates Parry would have been the only one on the list but may not have been in my top three.
Let’s cross our fingers and keep a close watch
Questions asked of the applicants (paraphrased)
Why do you want the job of commissioner? What do you hope to accomplish in the next two years? Where do you see the county headed in the next two years? Fifteen years?
How would you streamline the departments or make them more cost efficient?
What experience do you have dealing with rules from the various programs and agencies in Coos County, i.e. O&C, tribes, coastal zone management act, etc…?
Have you studied the current budget? Past year budgets? What is your opinion?
What would you do to develop sustainable resource management for private and public lands?
Describe how the county might live within its physical means…
Describe how you would innovate and prioritize county services, road safety, etc…
How would you balance job creation with quality of life?
Describe primary top three county obligations to taxpayers
Other than fishing and timber what other industries would you like to see brought to the county?
How comfortable are you saying no to other agencies or NGOs?
Any travel restrictions?
Experience working with $25 million dollar budget?
300 employees and seven bargaining units. What experience?
Whst are you bringing to the county?
Story problem. Controversial land use request. Public hates but county would lose on appeal if denied the use. How would you handle that?
Describe prior work with state, federal, tribal, schools and other agencies
Why now? Why not run in the last election?
What type of cell phone do you use?
How do you solve problems?
And Nikki may as well be a Republican for all the policies she shares with them. A hundred years ago I was a Republican, myself, but have been unaffiliated with any party since 1992. After the mess the Repubs made out of the economy during the Bush years, I would be really embarrassed to be aligned with that party today and I confess, I can’t stop myself from looking at all Republicans with a wary eye… I mean really!
The commissioners position is non-partisan but I bet everyone on the selection committee was a Republican and probably all those selected happened to be Republicans. Parry admits to being a ‘life long Republican’ and two or all three of his references were from Republicans.
My guess, aghast! is no, though it is an interesting speculation.
Do you think the committee deliberately chose the four to make Parry look better? If so, how embarrassing for the four.
Okay, fred, I will put the question list up by tomorrow morning.
Thanks for the kinds words, the answer to your final question is easy. My boy is permanently, 100% disabled because the American people were not told the truth.
Today, in fact, I published a post about ‘Curveball’ and his admission he fabricated tales of weapons of mass destruction. What isn’t in the post (but can be found in the early pages of this blog) is that before the war began journalists knew his information and crap written by Judy Miller, etc.. was questionable but the mainstream media failed to do their job.
My son’s courage and patriotism and willingness to die for you and me was wasted on lies and now, like you and your family, his family will carry that burden forever.
People need to know all the facts to be able to make informed decisions. I didn’t lift a finger to protest the war that disabled my boy, but I can in some small way make up for that now
Praise the Lord! A new face in Coos County government – albeit an unknown face. Hopefully commissioner select Parry has the gonads to represent and lead all of the citizens of Coos County into the future.
We Coos Bay Port Commission meeting watchers (me by TV) have always seen the McKeown that you saw today. She, as the selected candidate, would heve been a disaster! Runner up? Holy crap! The only possible reason would be that she is a safe choice. I eagerly await a posting of the 18 questions asked. Hardball – sofball? Geared to a specific candidate? The whole thing a charade – I suspect so. Money wasted – no. Time wasted – maybe.
Also, I appreciate this blog and the effort that goes into it for timely and accurate local news of imporatnce to all. News that may be published days after the fact and after being edited by the folks at the almost daily paper who are probably not happy that their guy Slater is an also ran – again. Our politics are polar opposite. As you and my wife know too well, the malady that your son and I share does not make life easy for others. That and being consumed with your day job, causes me to ask – some day, please, share with us, your loyal readers who are growing in number each day, why this blog; why the dedicated time that this site must demand?