A Eugene resident has also taken offense to Al Pettit’s tasteless representation of public employees as “comfortably living off the backs of others” and written a terse rebuttal in the Register Guard. Another public employee, Randy Sanne, recently called for Pettit to be expelled from a county advisory committee tasked with making departments more efficient.
Public employees aren’t parasites
As a public employee, I find it appropriate to remind Alan Pettit (letters, Aug. 23) that everyone lives off the back of someone else in one way or another. That’s how societies work.
Public employees are not parasites and, unlike some members of his tough private sector, we do our level best to provide services that the people of Oregon actually need. And most of us do so, I might add, for significantly less money than is paid for similar work in that glorious private sector.
Pettit also should remember that part of his beloved private sector is entirely responsible for the latest recession and economic downturn. (Yes, government deregulation had something to do with it — at the ceaseless importunities, financial and otherwise, of, yes, the private sector.)
If Pettit is looking for a scapegoat for our economic woes, as a member of the private sector and (presumably) the voting public, he needs to do one thing:
Take a long, hard look in the mirror.
MICHAEL E. STAMM
Eugene
Hopefully the commissioners will have the class and the character to remove Pettit from the committee.
(hat tip/dragon)
Al Pettit told MGx, “If someone isn’t cognizant of where the lines are drawn they usually end up crossing them. In those cases I prefer to skip the warnings and threats and simply take action.”
Now, that raises some questions, like what lines would those be, whose lines are they, and where are they? But, more important, why do some men bully and threaten women?
Some might leap to the conclusion that it has to do with a Napoleon complex. That’s an informal term describing an alleged type of inferiority complex which is said to affect men who are short in stature. But, “Napoleon complex” It does not appear in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and the term is regarded by professionals as a derogatory social stereotype. We certainly don’t want to be stereotyping anybody, and doing that would almost undoubtedly be seen as crossing Al’s hypothetical lines.
What about emotional insecurity? Some men suffer from a lack of self-confidence and are plagued by feelings of anxiety and unease that can be triggered by the perception that their self-image is being threatened in some way. Insecurity may produce paranoia and lead to arrogance, aggression and bullying.
But that certainly doesn’t sound like Al.
I know! I’ll bet it’s pencil envy.
“As Ron Sadler has pointed out numerous times it ain’t gonna happen.”
When you gonna tell Kitzhaber, the port and SCDC it ain’t gonna happen.
They get pushed back a step, then move forward two. This community has been held hostage long enough, it just needs to end.
As Ron Sadler has pointed out numerous times it ain’t gonna happen
“Oregon’s attorney general, joined by a consortium of non-governmental organizations, has challenged the adequacy of the environmental impact statement on the grounds it is inconsistent with the National Environmental Policy Act and its implementing regulations, and has shown a willingness to pursue further litigation should the appeal be denied. Thus, everything is on hold pending resolution of the appeal or litigation.”
ANYONE that supports forcing Eminent Domain Land Seizures on fellow Oregonians, so foreign Corporations can make PROFIT, has no morals, no class, and no business being in politics. But I bet he can sell a lot of Harleys to out of town construction workers, that will be imported to do the work.
Ha! Big Al has already declared himself when he spewed a bunch of ‘statistics’ at a Port meeting a few months back. Jody was disgusted because many of his facts were wrong or misapplied but he is clearly a fan of siting a big ugly bomb on the North Spit and prolonging the nation’s dependence upon dirty fuel.
Do you think the single quote marks above are “defamatory”?
Of course he’s going to make a run at some local office, he’s building his resume with all the different charitable committee work he can get appointed to. I think we’re witnessing right wing political theater with the threats of pulling a lawyer “Dagget” on you. Perhaps he’s trying to impress his “Peers”, what a tough guy he is confronting local bloggers. Al your right, your not elected or appointed to anything yet, except the committee you got got yourself on, and your not discussed much at all until you come in looking to pick a fight.
Here’s the litmus question Al. Where do you stand on Jordan Cove LNG ?
That would be a kick if he runs for office, it would be like having our own Sarah Palin right here in Coos County
Al must be planning on making more outrageous public comments, just like the one below. Wanna bet they are in a candidate statement for public office?
Have at it Big Al
I think you get the point: your blog is often loose with the facts and rife with innuendo, and I know that you have had to publish retractions in the past. Consequently, I’m merely suggesting that you sharpen your journalistic skills. And this is not a threat. If someone isn’t cognizant of where the lines are drawn they usually end up crossing them. In those cases I prefer to skip the warnings and threats and simply take action. As I’ve stated before; I’m not elected, appointed or paid. I’m doing volunteer work that will have ZERO impact on your daily life, so my tolerance level for the usual B.S. that is shoveled on this site will be relatively low.
Al, you offended a lot of people with your remarks, there is another letter in the Guard. Instead of threatening defamation why don’t you apologize
“Lack of benefits is the problem
Recent letter writers either condemning public employees or complaining about lost contract benefits seem to be missing what’s really going on in our country’s economy.
It’s certainly easier to scapegoat others than to really look at what’s causing such unrest and turning one group of workers against another. Allan Pettit (letters, Aug. 22) claims public employees — be they teachers, professors, firemen, policemen, clerks, secretaries or managers — all “live comfortably off the backs of others.” Those workers provide services, just as every CEO, business owner and company or corporate leader does. Don’t the CEOs and corporate leaders also live “comfortably” off the backs or sweat of others?
Of course they do. Are they any less on the public dole? Don’t we all pay their salaries and bonuses? Every working American works for his or her pay and we, the public, pony up or dole out their salaries or wages based on the purchase or use of products and services that their labors provide.
The problem so many Americans face isn’t that public employees still have job benefits, it’s that so many other workers have lost their benefits, even as corporate profits have increased. That has led to our current situation in which 90 percent of our working population is fighting over 10 to 15 percent of our total wealth. That’s what’s causing so many Americans to feel the need to scapegoat other people as the source of their and our country’s financial problems.
HAL HUESTIS
Eugene”
Al, quotation marks can also infer a reference to something else, like an abbreviation for “living off the backs of others” or another source – in this case a second letter writer who construed your statement to mean the word “parasite”. Threatening me with defamation is really ridiculus
Mary: your use of single quotations around the word ‘parasite’ implies a direct quotation which, of course, it is not. Mis-quoting people or creating quotes could be interpreted as defamatory.
If the public sector are parasites Al, why try so hard to be a parasite too? Oh, so the inbreeding will destroy the specie? Brilliant idea ! Seems to be working here in Coos County Oregone.
Lots of words used for Al to cover his absolutely disdain for public employees and the system. Let’s not forget Al, and Jon and the Chamber of Consorts all are working to destroy government as we know it.
I support the government of the USA,I want it to function even better and more efficiently.
You don’t want government boys?
Then get your sorry arses to Haiti, a Teabaggers’ wet dream. And let the citizens that love this nation fix what you have broken.
Yes, remember neither Fred nor Cam attended regular BOC meetings before being appointed.
Al, if you and your co-members ever actually attended regular BOC meetings you would already know what goes on at the county and Sanne’s contributions.
I am sure you are the pride of your union family.
Randy – wonder no more. I don’t think anyone has every accused me of being a wimp and I’m certainly not second-guessing myself on the editorial response. I responded to an arrogant, insensitive and moronic letter, and I certainly wasn’t the only Oregonion who responded in kind. And if Mr. Stamm truly believes that the “private sector is entirely responsible for the latest recession and economic downturn” then he’s…shall we say..intellectually wanting as well. Personally, I would prefer that all Americans understand the serious situation we’re in and pull together to get us out. But alas…there are just too many people like our Wisconsin friend who believe it’s someone else’s problem to fix. By the way, I’m sorry I missed our last meeting but I was fishing with my father and uncles in Michigan. One of my fishing partners was my Uncle Lavere, who is a retired Hillsdale County road worker (union). He has two daughters teaching in Michigan (union). Another uncle’s wife is a union teacher in Michigan as well. And my father is a retired, life-long AFL-CIO member. It’s pretty hard to grow up in Michigan and not be surrounded by current or former union members. Any wild assumptions you want to make from that data? I’m sure you’re a bit confused, so let me help you: the difference between that arrogant twit from Wisconsin and my union family members is this (in a nutshell): self-respect, respect for others, self-reliance, knowledge, a strong sense of community, and taking nothing for granted – especially their neighbors. As I wrote and you noted: we all live off the backs of others, including me. And that’s why I and my staff take none of our customers for granted. (And that’s why we rank among the top ten percent of all dealerships in customer satisfaction, nation-wide.)
As far as the Committee is concerned: I understand your intense concern about public disclosure. As everyone knows, the union rep, our elected sheriff and two other people I never met until we sat at that table could easily conspire to hide something from you. Why or how we could or would do something like that is beyond my comprehension, but you have a right to be concerned and we have a legal responsibility to address your fears. Personally, I don’t understand the fixation on the disclosure issue when there’s another issue looming that’s just a wee bit larger and important – and which happens to be the reason this committee was formed. What would really be helpful is if you – personally – came up with some solid ideas on how the Commissioners can deal with a fiscal crisis that has been kicked down the road for much too long; a fiscal crisis that is about to expand as the economy sinks even further. Personally, I suspect that your recommendation of higher taxes is probably a zero-sum solution. As the economy sinks, more businesses will close their doors which means higher taxes will be offset by fewer payers. So, if higher taxes are not a fix, then put a another solution on the table. Walk the walk, Randy. Complaining is the easiest thing to do in this world, and this blog is party central for local complainers. But actually fixing big problems is another game entirely – one that only a small subset of our citizens have the courage and know-how to do. Maybe I’m wrong (and it would be great if you proved me otherwise) but helping with the fix or taking personal responsibility for the tough decisions doesn’t seem to be part of your agenda. – Al Pettit
Come on, the unions don’t have it that bad at the county. They just got their VEBA (tax free medical savings account) contribution reinstated (the non-union people did not). With over 200 union employees that’s over $240,000 per year – should a quarter million have been given away for no concessions? Our BOC thought so.
They appear to me to be nothing more than a large herd of bipeds who feed at the same trough. Of course Pettit saw nothing wrong with his thoughts, he only surrounds himself with bipeds who think and behave as he does. Thank you for pointing that out. I’ve posted before, what really concerns me, is that these guys see nothing wrong with what they say. They do not mingle with those of us who live in caves, right Al? And Dan?
What is clear is the Chamber, SCDC, Port crowd have no real awareness of how they are viewed by the general populous. Main by embracing that crowd with his picks for commissioners has seriously damaged his chances of reelection if he chooses to run again. The majority of voters hold the current commissioners and their associations in major contempt.
On a side note, there are at least two candidates planning to run for Main’s seat and one each for Parry and Messerle that I am aware of so far.
His political ambitions might hurt his Harley franchise if people complain to his corporate bosses at HD. Trying to follow and ultimately replace Jon Barton or one of the Messerle’s, might cost him more than his business can bear. Their days are numbered, and hitching your cart to their wagon is a mistake for your political career. Kitzhaber’s protection of the port of coos bay and its umbrella coverage of SCDC will fall, and all the players and wannabes will have some hard days ahead, if the OAG will get off its ass and do its job…
I wonder if Mr. Pettit is beginning to re-think his decision to have his polarizing comments published in a real news paper, one that has statewide readership. Having been personally subjected to his rantings I’m not surprised to read what he thinks of hard working, tax paying, merchandise buying public employees and members of organized labor, but even I could not have anticipated that he would expose his venomous feelings to potentially the entire state. Mr. Pettit was selected by our CURRENT Coos County Commissioners to, and is a co-chair of, the Structure Advisory Committee. This committee is tasked with recommending changes in county services to the Commissioners. With his obvious distain for public employees it isn’t hard to imagine what types of recommendations he would promote. I want to thank Mr. Stamm for his comment in the Register Guard and I would encourage everyone who wants to let Mr. Pettit know how you feel to post your comments with MGX or write me at ourcountysite@charter.net and I will get them to Mr. Pettit.
During citizen comments at the last Structure Advisory Committee meeting I recommend that local Unions (and now I would expand that to Unions state wide) put Mr. Pettit’s business on the DO NOT PATRONIZE list.