Coos County Sheriff Craig Zanni stepped up to protect our rights last week and agreed to sign a county resolution opposing provisions of the NDAA that have been deemed unconstitutional by a federal court.
Craig Zanni
Zanni pointed to the wide spread and diverse support in favor of the commission to take a position. “When you look at the audience,” observed Zanni. “You have people from all spectrums, from the left to the right, the middle, from the front to the back. We are all here saying the same thing, we have concerns about certain portions of this Act.”
Dozens of people testified over the course of three separate commission meetings in favor of a county resolution and not a single objection has been heard or made a part of the public record. Even though John Sweet solemnly swore to uphold the US Constitution just last January, he did not consider the people’s testimony compelling enough reason to honor his own oath of office last Tuesday.
Sweet told the audience he agrees that subsections of the NDAA are wrong. “I am with you,” he said. “But!… I don’t feel comfortable imposing my position on this issue to the electorate of the county.” Nevertheless, he immediately proceeded to impose his position on the electorate present at the meeting and refused to vote in favor of a resolution. One has to wonder if by “electorate”, Sweet is actually referring to the Bay Area business community that contributed heavily to his campaign but never took the time to offer any testimony.
Sweet had another reason for voting no. “I also worry about setting a precedent,” he began, “whereby we would weigh in here at the county level on all matters of concern.” The people have a right to petition their government for a redress of grievances and it is the people who set policy and decide what is suitable for discussion. Sweet insists upon imposing his own narrow view of “traditional county business” so as not to “open the door” to public discourse he finds personally unpalatable. It is Sweet who is trying to set a terrible precedent and by ignoring the testimony provided to him he is telling us our voice has no power. Remind Sweet he works for us and we demand much higher standards than he has set for himself.
While the public discussion surrounding this important issue was well worth having, the commission could have adopted a resolution in less time than it took for them to roll around in giant plastic globes at the county fair. It was the board, Sweet and Melissa Cribbins specifically, that strung this out over the course of months and it is hard to understand why although a resolution was finally adopted by a vote of 2 to 1 and signed by Sheriff Zanni.
Sweet and Cribbins have each let it be known they plan to run for reelection next year. Truthfully, I really wanted to like Sweet as a commissioner and Sweet really wants to be liked. He’s affable, friendly, always working the crowd with a handshake and a big smile. “Hello, I am John Sweet, pleased to meet you.” Yet his behavior at last week’s meeting couldn’t have been more condescending, more insulting than if he had held out his ring like the pontiff for the crowd to kiss. This was an example of a caste system and the people in the audience had no status in his hierarchy. He praised them like small children, “I really respect what you are trying to do” while he made it clear he wasn’t to be bothered. Consequently, I will never trust him.
My distant cousin and American statesman Samuel Adams once said, “If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom—go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen!”
Who elects these mediocre bums?! They are screwing us royally.
Confirmed… Cribbins has a bigger set of nuts than Sweet!
Or maybe just a better handle on what is politically correct, especially if you want to be reelected.
Also, what was with Cribbins the follower immature hissy fit? Does that happen often?
Yo Sweet, isn’t it locally where my rights will be injured and where I need the safeguards from law imposed and found to be unconstitutional by a federal court? What is also sad is sitting next to the occasionally daily garbage can liner reporter who emptied a pen of ink onto many pages of writing in her steno pad only to have a minimal effort article in the paper. At a minimum she could have said that Main was the only commissioner responsive to the people.
I hope he does run again just so I can vote against him again.