by Larry Van Elsberg
I recently watched a video (http://coosmediacenter.pegcentral.com) from a candidates forum that the group “American for Prosperity” held. I was somewhat amazed when candidate Tim Bishop publicly stated that the current candidates including him were not qualified for the job and he thought a county administrator was the answer to all of the county’s woes. How arrogant of a statement. This is the mentality of his group of supporters and how much they would like to add another layer of government to further depress public involvement in county matters. He touts his involvement over the last 30 years in getting jobs to Coos County. Where are they? To quote late Commissioner Nikki Whitty, “no one is tracking this”. As a member of “Friends of New and Sustainable Industry” (FONSI), his group was involved in selecting the project managers for the County’s 12” gas pipeline. Having been involved in that project, it was clear to our department in several weeks these people were in over their heads, which resulted in a multimillion dollar lawsuit. Will we get the same results if they are involved in hiring a county administrator?
When you cast your vote, get past the hoopla of job creation. Everybody wants jobs in Coos County, it sounds good, but in reality it’s much more difficult.
The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions of MGx.
goinnuts isn’t – he is there! That bottle you shared when laid off from Apple before you saved the company affected you. You can change your IP but you can not change your writing style. Tomorrow is Adolf Hitler’s birthday. So, it’s only appropriate that you be reminded of what good ol Dolf said. “What good fortune for governments that people do not think.” People here do think and will tell Mr. Nuts, friend of self described Mr. Sidewinder Snake Messerle, and Ms. Tribe is buying a seat on the BOC, that we do think at the ballot box. Next time that you send out letters inviting people to meet the World paper endorsed candidates, don’t do it weeks before the endorsement. See you at the meet the annointed breakfast tomorrow.
Goinuts, perhaps you will answer my questions regarding ORC, I’m glad you are here. Will you please answer the following questions?
1. Did ORC build a state of the art (no taxes included) facility which separates sand from gold and platinum?
2. Who is monitoring the gold and precious metals coming out of OUR sands?
2. How much gold and platinum has been taken from OUR sands.
Thank you.
To “goinnuts” Pettit and Barton said the matter of an administrator should not be put to a public vote because that would require a huge effort to “educate the voters”. All the projects you have credited SCDC, et al with are the very same failed projects that are the reason the agency is not respected or appreciated. Lastly, using a different computer and IP address still doesn’t disguise who you really are.
Any government anywhere does not create anything. Government is a process that simply re-distributes everything. This includes “jobs”, the magic word in Coos County. Say “jobs” and you are supported, say “jobs” and you are elected.
The government did not “create jobs” at ORC or anywhere else. “jobs” were created at ORC when big money decided it could make bigger money taking rare earths from Coos County, poof, jobs were created. If anything, government got in the way of that creation. NO, I don’t support ORC I would have preferred a local undertaking, but, the point is, no one elected created those “jobs”.
Anyone running for election in the County by saying they will “bring jobs” is announcing their intent to lie to you from now on.
Wait, maybe I am wrong, several candidates want to create the “job” of County Administrator, but, they want you to pay for it. I would rather pay for a new garbage dump than a new County Administrator “job”.
This small group of conspiratorialists, with nothing better to do (certainly not gainfully employed) but sit around pilloring those who own small businesses or work full time to feed their families is enough to drive anyone nuts. If you are going to attack people at least get your facts straight. Pettit, Barton & Slater have never publically (or privately, for that matter, that I am aware of) said the public was “too stupid” to vote on a change of government for the county. When one says an administrator will cost hundreds of thousans of dollars, that assumes facts not in evidence. Referring to Jackson County’s costs, you conveniently overlook the differences in size. You also conveniently overlook the JC commissioners’ statements as to how much this form of government has saved the county. Then there is the vitriol you like to spew about the SCDC. SCDC doesn’t create jobs. No economic development agency does. Investment creates jobs. SCDC, like its counterparts elsewhere, exist to encourage and facilitate investment in an area, both by outsiders and people already operating in the local economy, And since you obviously don’t know, or choose not to recognize, SCDC has played significant roles in facilitating ORCs investment here (I know you’ll all love that), assisting the Port in securing the rail line, promoting the formation of the airport district and attracting southbound air service and recenty, SCDC is playing a key roll in working with the state administration to find ways to reduce the bureaucratic regulatory morass that really discourages investment. Further on the administrator issue, this board of commissioner structure that you seem to be in love with has failed miserably to keep this county solvent and providing needed services over the last several decades. That is not necessarly the fault of any individuals. It is clearly the fault of the governance structure. Imagine 26 talented musicians in an orchestral setting trying to play a symphony with three conductors, each unseen by the other. The results would be cacaphenous! That is metaphorically what you have at the county; talented department heads divvied up and overseen by three commissioners who only occasionally of common mind and can’t talk to each other except in a duly noticed public meeting. Name me three, or even two, examples of organizations of any size or complexity (other than a few other similarly handicapped counties) that operate this way.
Perhaps my rant will allow me a few more days of mental health before going completely nuts. What would serve this community well is if the people who sit around expending significant energies carping about all the things people who are working very hard to improve the community is which we live do and say and applied those energies to something constructive. I don’t see any of you standing for puclic office, working for charitable causes or, frankly, contributing much of anything to the betterment of this community.
“They don’t know how to “create” jobs. If you folks, like me, would have checked with the people in Elkhart Mayor Moore’s office when the SCDC lady came to town and Jeff McKeown told us that she walked on water, you would have found that she has NEVER created a job.”
Perhaps Sandy, like myself, believed the lies put out by SCDC about this county, and thought she was “marrying up” ?
At least I don’t have to sleep with it !!!!!!
As one of those former people who you love to hate – saved and created many jobs in the US but, under “Industrial Offset” agreements with other countries, sent many jobs off shore, Larry is correct. The professional politicians of the area, at every level, lie to you. They don’t know how to “create” jobs. If you folks, like me, would have checked with the people in Elkhart Mayor Moore’s office when the SCDC lady came to town and Jeff McKeown told us that she walked on water, you would have found that she has NEVER created a job. She did manage a facade program. Why should we expect her to create jobs now? There are possibly 20 solid reasons why companies do not and should not locate here. Annointed and elected politicians violating written agreemnts is one. Metro Ports and Mitsui are probably furious. Bishop lives about a three hour drive (total) daily from the court house. Do you believe that he intended to schlep that every day? Remember also that it was annointed candidates Messerle and Sweet (and their pals Pettit, Barton, and Slater) who in recorded statements told us that we are too stupid to vote on a change of Coos County government. I will wager that you will have a couinty adminsitrator position created by year end. Parry and Messerle wont wait for the new board. Open your wallet. If the often touted Jackson County is a good example, you are about to pay from $400,000 to $600,000 annually (from the funds that the county does not have) for that experience. Got cash? PLEASE vote anthing but Messerle, Cribbins, Sweet, and Bishop.