Cantankerous and loveable veteran, Bob Arnold, was disturbed about improper handicapped access at the Charleston meeting on July 10. Commissioner Fred Messerle felt Arnold was discussing the matter at the wrong time but Arnold persisted. What ensued was a verbal tussle that could have ended when Arnold sat down… unfortunately Messerle couldn’t let it go. Arnold took one for the team Tuesday. Watch the video
Arnold may not stop at being thrown out of meetings. He believes the entire July 10 meeting was illegal because the notice incorrectly stated there was handicap access when there was none. Stay tuned.
While I, personally, would love to have a meeting in the esteemed company of the OIMB, what I am taking from the BOC’s behavior of tossing people out of meetings, holding meetings in unsavory or ill-equipped venues, holding 2 meetings a month on weekday mornings, is that they really don’t want anyone participating or even knowing what they are doing to our beloved county.
Of course they wouldn’t want anyone to know that they are doing very, very detrimental things that will take us years – or decades – to correct, and by that time most of them will have “gotten theirs” and died off. A wonderful legacy that we seem to repeat over and over again. The smart kids are the ones that bail out of here as soon as they can.
I work 40-50 hours a week, I cannot afford nor would be allowed to take 2-4 hours out of a workday to participate in my local governmental proceedings. Add to that meetings held in odd places with little advance knowledge and a belligerent BOC, and it all just serves to alienate the voting public, and we end up being represented only by those folks who can afford to carve up their day to be berated by the three dimmest bulbs in our county chandelier. Sad.
Apparently, even the commissioners weren’t aware of the relationship between the CG and the OIMB building or that Arnold could have driven past the gates and parked by the boathouse because Parry told him they would have offered him a ride if he had called first. Another problem with the venue was acoustics for the hard of hearing but that is often a problem at the courthouse as well.
Here is an important point that has not been made by anybody. The Boat House Auditorium at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology is fully accessible to handicapped individuals. There is parking immediately outside the building and a legal ramp inside the building that gives handicapped individuals access to the auditorium room without ascending any stairs. Mr. Arnold’s problem stemmed not from an inaccessible building, but from signs posted by the Coast Guard to keep trespassers out of their housing complex. Handicapped individuals are accommodated in the OIMB auditorium all the time. I know because I am the director of OIMB and my wife, who has attended many events at this location, is in a wheelchair.
Remember when Mittens told us that financial wheeling and dealing “should take place in quiet rooms?”
THIS is what he was talking about, and the suits and ties are all over it. They don’t WANT you to have a voice, they don’t WANT representative government for and by the people. They want these decisions to be made quietly, in boardrooms, by them, not you.
So far, they’re winning.
And YOU, dear public are vulgar (little al) for speaking up to their power and abuse.
Just to also clarify
ORS 192.630 –
“(3) A governing body shall not hold a meeting at any place where discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, age, national origin or disability is practiced.”
Why do we citizens have to point these things out? How much are we paying people at the county who should know this…?
Is it any wonder citizens in the county are upset with these guys…!
Fred throwing Bob out of this meeting does not change the fact that the meeting held in Charleston by the Commission where public comment was taken and decisions were made by them, was in fact an illegally held public meeting. Continuing to ignore Bob on this issue will not change that fact. The BOC is not above the law. Perhaps if they would give Bob a little more respect, that respect would be returned by him.
ORS 192.630 –
“(5)(a) It shall be considered discrimination on the basis of disability for a governing body of a public body to meet in a place inaccessible to the disabled…”
Perhaps if the BOC would start following the law instead of continuing to ignore it, Bob would stop being so cantankerous.
I vehemently disagree that the Commissioners, Mike Lehman, Craig Zanni or anyone else in or out of the room is responsible for Bob’s behavior. If we make excuses for Bob then we have to ignore boorish behavior from everyone and anyone who chooses to be disruptive at these meetings. It is exactly this sort of thing that department managers told the Structure Committee they deplore.
“In a bar” the man would need all pugalistic skills obtained during his military career. The man is not one of this vets favorite humans. But, he is my Coos County citizen neighbor with a right to address and be heard by his government representative. It appears from the video that he was offered an opportunity to speak, his topic being unknown, and the thin skinned commissioner should have anticipated anything from a person who is known as cantankerous. The man is harmless. A professional manager, perhaps someone having experienced the Ginza or Kings Bloody Cross, would understand how to handle the situation better, and will speak with his friend to assure a different reaction next time.
Yes, Mr. Arnold is one of his employers – and so am I. And I go on record to say that I don’t like Bob’s outbursts, rambling and inaccurate accusations and personal insults. A public government meeting is no place for this kind of behavior. In a bar – perhaps.
Mr. Messerle comes across as an ineffective neophyte manager of an organization. Mr. Messerle, like it or not, Mr. Arnold, is one of your employers.
Stetson is about as Texan as George W Bush
Go back to TEXAS Stetson. This is Oregon the state whose Constitution on Freedom of Speech is much more stringent than the US Constitution. First, Shame on appointed Commissioner Messerle for not considering Mr. Arnold’s proposal and courteously, briefly addressing it’s importance for him. Any location that houses public meetings needs/by law to have handicapped accessibility. Shame on sheriff Craig Zanni who is an INDEPENDENTLY elected official and actually does not have the responsibility of escorting the gentleman out. Acturally it is in the Coquille PD Service area if that action needed to occur. Shame on him! Furthermore, as someone said to me in the last few days…..”Why is it that these appointed Commissioners think they need to change everything around while they are in office? Furthermore, the person told me that they are hardly there at the office in any case ” . No wonder they need an Administrator. What kind of job can they be doing?
I respect the fact that Bob’s a veteran, but being a veteran doesn’t give him the right to be disruptive, disrespectful and abusive to people in public meetings. Seriously – telling Mike he should talk to a lawyer over handicapped parking? Numerous times Bob has pointed his finger in a Commissioner’s face and personally abused them. He got personal with members of the Structure committee and the Governance committee in their public meetings. All things considered, I think the BOC has been more than patient with Bob and his antics.
Mr. Arnold CAN be cantankerous. But he is a taxpayer, a US Citizen, a member of the public. He is also a veteran. Expelling a veteran from a public meeting? I’ve been on the fence about Commissioner Messerle, until now. Messerle just made up my mind for me. Time to go. That was the most despicable thing I’ve seen happen in a public meeting in my life.I cannot believe this is what our founding fathers had in mind when they created a system of government whereby the citizens were represented by one of their own. Commissioner Messerle, Shame on you. How do you look yourself in the mirror?
Shouldn’t surprise us, Messerlie,in my humble opinion, isn’t smart enough to discuss policy. He doesn’t even know the meaning of the word. Throwing out Bob Arnold, huh Fred? Big guy aren’t you? Treating the public like this shows who Messerlie really is. Not smart Freddie. See the arrogance folks? See what money buys you in Coos County? Way to go you Movers and Shakers of Coos County. Until the people of this county, who TRUTHFULLY want to see progress come here rid themselves of these pariahs, nothing is going to change. See what you get voters? A Mess. of lies. and hidden agendas, and treatment of the public as if they are in the way of progress. Fred and his ilk have done all they can to keep this county ignorant and poor. They are big fish in a little pond, and until they are stopped from feeding on the funds coming here, not one damn thing is going to change. Job creators my old ass. These people have a fifedom here and they ain’t given up their flow of monies through the Port and the other Welfare Institutions. Fred Messerlie throwing out Bob Arnold. Hope Sheriff Zannie is proud of his part. Was the sheriff legally obligated to follow Messerlies’ orders on this one? THIS is why they want an admin. government. Their cronies will take the heat and they continue to pull the strings. Hope those voters supporting these clowns understand what they just got. They have not a shred of respect for the voters, they consider you an impediment to progress. Unbelievable