According to The World, Commissioner Bob Main continues to claim tribal management of the Coos Bay Wagon Road lands will generate millions in county revenue but cannot provide any supporting data. Responding to news that federal payments to counties may continue for another five years the paper reports, “The bill will not affect a plan by Coos County and the Coquille Indian Tribe to harvest $3.5 million to $8.5 million in timber on the Coos Bay Wagon Road Lands, says Commissioner Main.”

During Tuesday’s BOC meeting I raised the same requests I have sent via email to please share the data that supports these million dollar claims and the commission’s claim to comply with all environmental laws. There is no supporting data/metric/formula provided to the public and these figures of “$3.5 million to $8.5 million” are literally being pulled from thin air. This commission is proceeding with the same reckless abandon and magical thinking that pushed the county into building the $51 million pipeline. The pipeline, if you remember, promised 2,900 jobs, required the condemnation of private properties to secure the right-of-way, caused enormous environmental damage costing the county millions in restoration costs and unemployment has still risen by 50%.

If the commissioners cannot support and explain these numbers then they should just keep their mouths shut until they can backup their claims. Main’s lack of an explanation and irresponsible behavior is not surprising considering how he rudely interrupts speakers during public comment and angrily decried “analysis doesn’t do it.” Parry and Messerle are equally irresponsible and neither one has bothered to validate these claims or explain them to the public.