According to Psalms, false idols “…have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see.” They “…make their worshippers empty.”
An unquestioning belief in someone, even in the face of overwhelming evidence their character is unworthy, is generously referred to as blind faith. Faith, particularly the blind kind may be acceptable, even necessary to maintain religious institutions. But faith in the absence of quantifiable facts, empirical data, critical thinking skills, and reason has no place in governance.
The point of mentioning false idols and blind faith is that considering admitted insurrectionist and Coos County Commissioner Rod Taylor’s idolatry for now-convicted felon Donald Trump, I was curious, though not optimistic if his ardor had cooled. 
In addition to using his county email signature lines,Taylor has sworn to wear a red tie to every Board of Commission meeting to support the reelection of Trump in November. Unsurprisingly, he attended the meeting in full red tie regalia.
In light of Trump’s imminent first meeting with his parole officer and his sentencing hearing on July 11, I would posit that an orange-tie is more appropriate. In fact, I would suggest that orange is the new red when supporting a criminal.
There is an old adage that you can judge a man by the company he keeps. Trump associates with many a felon and criminal from Michael Flynn, Paul Manafort, Roger Stone, Michael Cohen, Peter Navarro, and the soon-to-be incarcerated Steve Bannon to name only a few. Even his lawyers, from Rudy Giuliani and his beloved late Roy Cohn have been disbarred.
From Psalms, “Those who make them are like them; so are all who trust in them.”
Taylor is having to make excuses and rationalize his beliefs as so many of his idols begin to fall. Trump has been convicted of 34 felonies for trying to tamper with the 2016 election, he is an adjudged rapist and defamer but also his companies have been found to have conducted business fraudulently and still he awaits three more criminal trials. Taylor’s other heroes aren’t faring much better. Defamer and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones is finally about to go under and the Falun Gong backed The Epoch Times financial officer is accused of money laundering. Taylor, as stated in a recent email he sent to State Representative blames all this, no doubt, on another conspiracy theory he believes in known as the Deep State.
Even the completely debunked 2000 Mules has been pulled from distribution and a formal apology issued.
In truth, Taylor’s adherence to the Big Lie and belief in a Deep State is simply immature escapism that enables him to be cruel to gays and to forgive his traitorous behavior on January 6.
“Those who make them are like them…”
Many do not want to discuss politics but to ignore politics to give up any agency in their future. It becomes a kind of learned helplessness more akin to the Russian people who are unable to see political change as a mechanism to improve their lives. When Taylor and his fellow commissioner Bob Main cast doubts upon our electoral system they are feeding that same hopelessness that allows autocrats like Putin and want to be autocrats like Trump to thrive.
Ignoring politics enables someone like Taylor to impose his conspiracy theories, worm’s eye view dogmatic thinking and Christian nationalist views upon the entire county by using his official email signature to degrade the LGBTQ+ community and to spread his idolatry for Donald Trump. Meanwhile, the county has a serious budget shortfall…
They make their worshippers empty…
“All:
In case you wish to observe or participate in tomorrow’s (6/5/2024) 10 AM budget meeting, here is the link.
https://meet.goto.com/730941533
We are still scrambling for ways to continue moving forward with the proposed budget without cuts, and a couple ideas (not yet ready for prime time) are under review and consideration.
Thanks to you all for the amazing service you provide to Coos County taxpayers – please hang in there with us as we try to resolve this shortfall.
At your service,
Rod Taylor
Chair, Coos County Board of Commissioners
My pronouns are kept in a jar next to my Trump bobblehead
(541) 396-7539
Taylor and Main surround themselves with the like minded although fewer and fewer of the Citizens Restoring Liberty crowd have been attending the meetings. Still, enough show up that both of them feel that they can spew their nonsense unchallenged. Main thinks he is currying favor and gaining votes amongst the far right but unaffiliatd voters are the biggest voting block in the county and I know many of them still believe in democracy.
Every self respecting democracy loving American should make it a point to attend these meetings, first and third Tuesdays in Coquille, and I would suggest wearing an orange tie to support the former president doing his time in Riker’s Island or at the very least on house arrest with an ankle monitor.
Main should know he has no business insulting liberals or anyone with differing views during his commissioner comments.
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