The CCAP (Coos County Alliance for Progress) PAC board consists of four local businessmen, Jon Knutson, Joe Benetti, Ron Stuntzner, Al Pettit and Jon Barton who casts himself as a “consultant”. The PAC was originally organized February 24 to support “economic expansion” candidates or causes and was amended October 2 to include support for ballot measure 6-144 and to oppose measure 6-143. To date CCAP has raised $29,575 which includes a $10,000 contribution last May from Knutson pal, Sause Bros, Inc. PAC support for economic expansion apparently includes eliminating free market competition because it contributed $5,000 to a state senator who carried the controversial towboat bill to committee that effectively put Knutson towboat’s competitor out of business.

Although the PAC didn’t officially register with OreStar until last February, plans for it were in the works at least as early as January because Al Pettit’s LinkedIn profile listed hims as a Southwest Oregon PAC board member on the 16th of January. Plans were likely in the works to replace the ailing Nikki Whitty with Fred Messerle, or someone like him, even before the unexpected death of Andy Jackson. Parry and Main’s decision to make Messerle the first ever budget committee alternate helped assure his appointment as a replacement for Whitty.

To date, CCAP has $10,250 supporting candidates who meet its definition of economic expansion including $7,500 to Messerle. OreStar records indicate $2,489.40 have been spent to oppose the home rule charter initiative and $6,074.40 supporting the governance ordinance which creates the position of county administrator and adds two commissioners. All CCAP approved candidates support hiring an administrator for “single point of control” which is really the crux of the PAC agenda. In their minds, economic expansion requires the elimination of pesky regulatory problems like land use permits and easy access to public assets like county minerals and that requires conducting business behind closed doors.

Despite all the PAC rhetoric declaring how the ordinance will increase revenue, save money, improve efficiency, improve employee morale, provide cohesiveness and somehow launch the county into the 21st century, the real reason for the ordinance is obscured amidst the jumble of “whereas” and “wherefore” sections and artfully placed in the passage below, in particular the highlighted sentence.

SECTION 01.06.070 Interaction with County Administrator, Employees
In the exercise of their authority as members of the governing body of the County, Board members may individually, or as a group in a public meeting, discuss fully and freely with the County Administrator any matter pertaining to County affairs or the interests of the County. Board members may not direct any County employees, other than the County Administrator or County Counsel, in the performance of their duties. This section shall not be construed to prohibit a Board member from pursuing his or her role as ombudsman or liaison in making inquires of County employees concerning the day to day conduct of County affairs.

Even though the county mandated services have nothing to do with job creation the PAC wants it to operate precisely like an economic development agency, namely the Port of Coos Bay. This clearly demonstrates that the board members still have no clue what the differences between business and government really are and more important why they are different. Worse, however, is that economic development agencies are a dismal failure across the nation and the Port probably ranks in the top ten for wasting public money on hair brained development schemes. (Read the Job Messiahs).

CCAP wants to insert an administrator not to increase efficiencies or modernize the county, the administrator model is over a hundred years old in this country, they just want to be able to pitch schemes and poll the commission outside of public view. Its the CCAP version of the Manchurian Candidate.