There has been a lot of criticism of the structure advisory committee for not releasing the materials used in its deliberations and for deliberating electronically, outside the public view and an ethics complaint was filed with OGEC last week. The report has also been criticized as being nothing more than an opinion piece and provides no citation, no description of the methodology used to reach its conclusions, no access to original data to support the conclusions and the report begs criticism with the ominous admission in the first few paragraphs of a “bias” and the omission of details because facts would only render the report “meaningless”. It is laughable that anyone is expected to take it seriously.
The committee has published draft conclusions that have not been voted upon in public or are not the consensus of the entire committee but rather the bias driven agenda of two committee members and this last matter has drawn the ire of Commissioner Bob Main as the unsubstantiated report has spread statewide and raised concerns with other county commissions. The word “DRAFT” on the report would imply that the committee has not adopted the findings and that perhaps the conclusions are up for revision yet the draft has been reported in the local paper as complete and is now being widely disseminated as a final product from which the governance committee is supposed to draw inspiration for a new form of county governance.
The committee has worked together for months but only this week adopted bylaws governing how it conducts its duties. The report is un-vetted even by its own committee and Main is right to be concerned that inaccurate information is being irresponsibly loosed upon the public. Meanwhile The World, in an editorial published today, accuses Main of being a hypocrite.
Main’s criticism of the county’s structure review committee is ironic, given the committee’s history. Back in August, the then-fledgling committee came under criticism for using a private online ‘drop box,” which thwarted public access to some preliminary information. The group contritely changed its procedures to be more transparent. Now Main is unhappy because the group didn’t withhold its draft report from legal public scrutiny.
The World has yet to call for the release of the materials used by the committee to reach its conclusions, something Oregon statures require.
At Tuesday’s BOC meeting I raised the matter of holding public hearings to find viable revenue solutions to anticipated budget shortfalls and referred to the Governor’s Task Force on Federal Forest Payments and County Services issued in 2009. The problems detailed in the report are complicated and would benefit from a wide range of experience and expertise that might emerge from public hearings held after work hours but the commission did not show any enthusiasm for inviting the public to discuss the recommendations made in the report. Instead, Main said
they have invited and would welcome recommendations delivered to the board. Later, Commissioner Fred Messerle affirmed this sentiment asking for written reports but acknowledged the reports might just get shuffled around on the desk.
I found this today reading, I’m very afraid this is behind all this:
Published on Monday, January 16, 2012 by Common Dreams
Rumblings of Shock Doctrine: Long Beach, NY to Declare ‘Emergency’
Resolution exptected to pass Tuesday would give City Manager power to push austerity
– Common Dreams staff
The Associated Press reports that the city of Long Beach, New York is about to declare fiscal emergency.
From the Long Beach Patch:
When people accessed the City of Long Beach’s website to read the City Council agenda that’s posted there each Friday before the following Tuesday’s meeting, they found that City Manager Jack Schnirman proposes a resolution to formally declare a fiscal emergency that will give him greater authority to control and veto spending.
The extent of the city’s financial crisis has become increasingly more evident, with one recent report showing that nine departments have already exceeded their overtime budgets just six months into the fiscal year for 2011-12, according to Newsday:
Schnirman said:
“We will scrutinize and sign everything by hand. We are not shy about sending things back for more information, more documentation or just plain saying no.”
The Long Island Herald reports:
City Manager Jack Schnirman said that if approved, the resolution to declare such a crisis will be the first step toward a “corrective action plan” that will allow him to immediately “implement enhanced budget discipline and budgetary relief to assist to return the city to fiscal stability, while ensuring the continuation of essential services.”
The situation also echoes that of Michigan, where the governor passed the “emergency financial manager law,” and several cities have already been appointed emergency managers.
NEVER FORGET, THESE GUYS WANT THIS, AND THEY WILL GET IT IF THE PEOPLE DON’T PUSH THEM BACK. IMAGINE RUNNING FOR AN OFFICE YOU WANT TO DESTROY. IS THAT THE AMERICAN WAY?
Thank you to all of you “in the trenches” fighting for all of us, every meeting. These characters won’t quit, they’ve got lots of money on the line, not much sentiment for the workers of the county, or our government, but they got ALL the money honey.
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Posted by GwNorth
Jan 16 2012 – 12:48pm
I know……cut taxes!! That will solve all problems.
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Posted by Tom Joad
Jan 16 2012 – 1:33pm
Yes! And let’s privatize more of those pesky municipal services. You know, like fire and police protection. Halliburton and Blackwater can do these so much more efficiently. Of course, since Barry signed the NDAA into law, we don’t need municipal police since the military can kick your door in and disappear you and your family on the president’s whim. 🙁
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Posted by Michael Desautels
Jan 16 2012 – 1:03pm
Clearly, the world situation is imploding.
This article is about one small fractal-sized event in a larger picture.
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“Americans today must reckon with a contradiction of gaping proportions. Promising prosperity and peace, the Washington rules are propelling the United States towards insolvency and perpetual war. Over the horizon a shipwreck of epic proportions awaits. To acknowledge the danger we face is to make learning – and perhaps even a course change – possible.”
Andrew J. Bacevich; Colonel (retired – United States Army); Professor of History, Boston University (from his book “Washington Rules: America’s Path to Permanent War’ ”
Manysummits in Calgary
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Seemed pretty clear that Main hated the work of Barton and Pettit, and Messerle loved it just as much. The lines seem drawn, and Parry must decide whats more important, loyalty to SCDC or will he break ranks and side for the public.