Try not to miss this forum at Brewed Awakenings in Bandon this evening beginning at 6PM. Randy Sanne, Bob Main and Fred Messerle will answer questions and I have reason to believe this will be a very feisty forum.
UPDATE Attendees of tonight’s forum in Bandon report that Messerle had some “splainin’ to do” regarding his campaign finances and recent donations from the Coos County Alliance for Progress. The forum venue was directly across the street from the “glow in the dark” Messerle campaign sign but the extravagant signage didn’t soften the crowd’s disapproval of the donations nor his position on a public administrator or fracking or mineral leases.
Bob Main started out with his usual stump speech about “its unusual for a county commissioner to make money” that he begins with every forum and once again took credit for changing the way the forest department markets timber and as well as DeFazio’s HB 4019. Not sure if he retold the armed federal agent story again or not.
Messerle maintained his pattern of keeping his answers non-specific and simple. Why do you want a county administrator? “Every ship needs a captain” and then adds emphasis with “every orchestra needs a conductor”. How will you pay for an administrator? “The savings from efficiency gains will pay the cost of an administrator”. What efficiency gains? “The gains from having an administrator”. And so on.
Randy Sanne did very well and countered Messerle’s vague answers with specifics regarding the budget, an administrator and long term management.
Ballots go out Friday, I believe, give me till then but in number three from a “least harm” perspective that Loiselle and Gurney are okay and have other positives as well.
For number two…
Its time. With what you know today, who are the best two candidates for positions 2 and 3 – and one is not Cribbins.
Going by reports from people who attended last night, it definitely hurt him with that crowd and the feedback I have received is all negative. Nevertheless, voters may be so saturated with his ads, glow in the dark signs, etc… that they can’t see any other names on the ballot come May.
This is really a golden opportunity for the voters to tell special interests that they will not elect hired guns as their elected officials, no matter how much money they spend.
Do you think the donation helped him or hurt him?