Two opportunities to learn more about the proposed county charter and governance change ordinance next Wednesday will begin with proponents for both options squaring off at the chamber of commerce luncheon at The Mill Casino. Representing the charter are Ronnie Herne and Jaye Bell while the governance ordinance is to be promoted by Al Pettit, Bill Grile and Jon Barton who appear to think hospitals, school districts, cities and county governments are all interchangeable.
Later that same evening The League of Women Voters will host a similar debate at The Red Lion. Interim county counsel, Josh Soper, who frequently conflates the terms “possible” and “pending” will pair up with talk radio host Cam Parry who will arrive cunningly disguised as an interim county commissioner to argue in favor of the ordinance. The LOWV event begins at 7PM with Arnie Roblan vs Scott Roberts. Herne and Bell will represent the charter beginning at approximately 8PM. John Shank, Tressa Johnson and Rob Taylor will also be part of the charter panel at both events.
I don’t buy Fred Messerle’s remarks on the need for an Administrator. The problem is not the SYSTEM, the problem is two of the very, very inexperienced and obviously over challenged “appointed” Commissioners, Fred Messerle and Cam Parry. Both complained that the job was beyond them from the get go! ( It is interesting to me that both interviewed for the job and told the respective committees that they were “qualified” to lead our County.) The very first day Fred was voted in by Bob Main & Cam Parry they proposed a resolution to form a committee to work on making the County Commission and working of the County more efficient. They barely knew WHAT they were part of and, I might add, none of them took the training the League of Oregon Counties offered free of charge to all new County Commissioners in the state. These two are idiots – again Fred Messerle and lame duck Parry conspired to “change” the system prior to even being appointed. It seems to me that they wanted the money, but no real work. I’m appauled at all of the supposedly leading citizens who veted these two worthless non-leaders to run our County.
Letter to Ed
Viva The Revolution, in Coos County, the next step, put in place the Oligarchy, County Administrator.
You have a choice, the County Administrator Ordinance will put the final nail in the coffin of Representative Government in Coos County,
Viva the Revolution, right here in Oregon. A text book example. When the chaos begins, those who have their organization in place, move in and fill the void.
Two County Commissioners, die, the Chaos. The Progresses and Statist organizational structures are already in place in the County, they initiate the Revolution, and move their people, appointed Commissioners into the Void.
As the Revolution proceeds, they begin to dismantle the current Representative Republic form of government by decreasing representation by the general population. Dismantling County Self sufficient infrastructure, the Beaver hill facility, give away tax abatements to the favored few, ORC, Urban renewal redistribution to favored districts, Bandon. And, planning to dismantle and redistribute the County forest, giving mineral rights away at the cost of future County forest production, and sharing the Coos Wagon Road timber with the Tribe.
Non-governmental committees are formed. Governance Committee, Structure Committee. They are membered with selected progressive’s, and Statist. The Committees are officially recognized as part of the County Governance. The Committees become the official representatives of the voice of the people, which is now limited.
Choice one. Proceed with the Revolution. Choice two, just vote for the commissioners of your choice. Choice three, vote for the Home Rule Charter.
Choice one is an Oligarchy, the Revolution. Choice two is a crap shoot, position two, is part of the Oligarchy, position 1 and 3 will either go to the Revolution/Oligarchy, or to the possible continuance of a representative form of governance.
Choice three, the only real chance to have representation by the registered voters of the County, and maybe the last chance, is the Home rule charter. Voting Home rule, and it passing, will bind all the Commissioners no matter who wins, by law to follow the rules of the Charter, stopping the Oligarchy, administrator, for now, without a required vote of the registered voters of Coos County to put in place an administrator.
Yes Main and Gurney say they do not support the Ordinance for an administrator. However, they can change their mind, with out the vote of the people. In my mind the commissioner’s have lost my respect in regard to this kind of decisions without a vote of the people.
The Home Rule Charter, and nothing else will continue our current form of representative government in Coos County with, all citizens involvement, and register voters having more say in the operation of Coos County Government.
The Charter is a rule book, a guide backed by the law as it is. But it can be amended, by a vote of the people.
The Current commissioners have forgotten the rules and are using each, their own rules as they see fit to progress their own agendas.
den
Al, perhaps you can spend some of that CCAP money buying more qualified bobblehead candidates next time. Sweet is qualified and will get my vote. Please when debating the administrator subject, explain why Messerle (the Joe Biden of local politics) has now told us that the annual cost will be approximately $500,000 and you, Grile, Lehman and others have told the people its a small part of that amount. Please dont insult the people telling them the commissioners salaries will go to $1,000 / month.
And, nobody should hire me or any other person with legal training to be a county commissioner. Lawyers love minutiae. The county has enough unskilled or neophyte lawyers already. Cribbins has zero management experience, zero skills at walking the halls of DC or Salem to bring monies or jobs into the county. Would you hire heb to manage your troubled $100 million operation? I doubt it. I would urge her to put her emphasis into that vodka factory.
I’ll take that as a resounding “no” to my question.
Speaking of double standards, I’m curious as to why you would demand management, government and business experience from a lawyer when so many of our elected Commissioners lack these fundamental skills?
Al, yes I did contact Sheriff Zanni following your not so veiled threat to file a complaint with the state alleging his unprofessional or unethical acts. I assure you that he awaits your doing so. There are people around the county, some with skilled legal minds, just waiting to see how far you and you pal will go to capture the county.
And speaking of ethics, what’s wrong with this. Your dream team pal Cribbins is the Coquille Tribes legal voice. There is a 50/50 chance she will not be elected and will still be so after January 1. The Coquille have promised the state that they will operate ONE casino only (all tribes promised that). But, the Coquille plan to operate a second casino in Medford. The nearby Cow Creek Tribe have threatened to sue if they file papers with the feds. The Cow Creek are no dummies and they have made a substantial donation to the campaign of Cribbins – the other fellows lawyer. She accepted the money and reported the receipt to the state. Is that questionalble ethics or stupidity? Certainly brings more questions about her ability to be a commissioner.
Al… I watched one of your performances at the county. Very impressive, your first love was really to co-star as Perry Mason & you settled for selling scooters instead?
Susan – I remind you that Sheriff Zanni hijacked Cam’s outdoor radio program for an entire hour to campaign against an Administrator. Did you ask him to resign?
al, did the Sheriff bring his Personal County Attorney with him, or is he able to go before the people on his own? Why does unelected Cam need his own Personal County Attorney to face the people? Cam couldn’t get elected dog catcher-I’ve met the dog catcher, a great guy – if he had to, but he’s behaving as though he has followers of some magical kind that no one else sees.
Why are we paying Soper to attend dumb-ass meetings outside the parameters of his job? It sure appears that way. Soper is young and being used as their Private Patsy now, sure hope he gets some legal advice and quick. These clowns with Cam will use anybody to get what they want, because they know now the people don’t really want THEM !
This is terribly wrong. It is inappropriate for Mr. Soper to be part of any administrator / home rule debate. Mr. Soper has been a practicing attorney for one year and one week. He has zero management experience. He has zero government and industry experience. He is employed by all of the citizens of Coos County. He is employed to provide counsel, not to make decisions based on that counsel. He is paid to render opinions. He is not an agent of either ballot measure proponent. He is not employed to represent half of the citizens in controversial political matters. Mr. Soper, please withdraw from this planned debate now. If you are unable to do so, please tender your resignation now. Thank you.
Voting for the Charter is a vote to give the registered voters of Coos County a vote, a voice in their government
Is the 2012 Home Rule Charter For Coos County , Oregon, Ballot Measure 6 – 143, going to be a hard sell?
Yes, it will be the worse nightmare for the Politicians, Bureaucrats, Statist, Administrators, and dedicated progressives.
And, a no brainer, easy sell for the citizen who wants his voice heard, and his vote to count.
Recent example, ORC, tax abatement for their processing plant located in an Enterprise Zone. Did you have a vote to let ORC not pay property taxes for a certain number of years? Only if you were a City Councilor or a County Commissioner.
The Voting public had no say, and if you felt your representative was not listening to you, too bad. The County commissioners have the final say, for those taxes to be abated. The county commissioner’s also voted to give up the property taxes, just as the municipalities did.
Under the Home Rule Charter, the County commissioners will be required to have a vote of the registered voters of Coos County to either give up the taxes, or not. That is a good deal for us voters.
Another recent deal. Urban Renewal plan and increase debt for the Bandon Urban Renewal, think Cheese. Did you have a vote, No. That district would take a small amount of tax dollars from all other taxing districts in the Coos County, to pay off the new debt for Bandon. Did you know that? Would you like to have a vote to give away tax money from other districts to pay off Bandon Urban Renewal Debt?
The County Commissioners had the final word in that deal. Did you know that? Did they tell you, did they ask you what you, as a tax payer thought.
Under the Home Rule Charter, the Commissioners under law have to bring the issue to a vote, and thus have to explain why the vote, and the information would be out for all to know, and decide. Not just the politicians making the decisions, and running the show with our tax dollars.
This is just a couple of examples of what the Home Rule Charter is about, go to http://cooscountycharter.com/ to read the charter and find out more.
Den