According to Ballotpedia, even after the Oregon District 5 Senate seat, long held by Democrats was taken over by a Republican this November, Democrats still control 63% of the State House and 60% of the State Senate. Exactly how much of the legislature do Democrats need to control before they enact some real change? I’m […]
Commissioner John Sweet bristles whenever anyone dares to note the similarities between the newly created position of finance director and a county administrator. The latter, as everyone will remember, was brought before the voters in 2012 asking whether the county should transition to an administrator model of government and soundly defeated. Nevertheless, the local oligarchy […]
As tedious as many public meetings are to sit through one can almost always mine little nuggets of gold from statements made by elected officials. From the inception of the CEP (Community Enhancement Plan) elected leaders from Rep Caddy McKeown to Commissioner Melissa Cribbins denied or questioned whether the so-called community service fees paid into […]
During a discussion hosted by the League of Women Voters, Commissioner John Sweet informed the audience that without the waterfront revitalization component of the Community Enhancement Plan (CEP) neither Coos Bay nor North Bend would receive any direct tax benefit from the proposed $4 – $6 billion Jordan Cove LNG export terminal. Sweet is correct, […]
Despite the rosy picture painted by The World newspaper, the strategic planning effort undertaken by Commissioner Melissa Cribbins is a bust. Began her first term with a promise of preparing a strategic plan as quickly as possible. “Let’s git ‘er done,” she explained to KCBY. A year later she brought in a strategic planning coach, […]
The League of Women Voters held a discussion yesterday at the Coos Bay Fire Hall about the CEP (Community Enhancement Plan). It was more a promotion than a discussion, actually, because the only people presenting or taking questions were proponents of the plan. Commissioner John Sweet and Coos Bay City Councilwoman Jennifer Groth offered a […]
Recently Commissioner Cribbins justified a $3,000 a year raise for the county’s HR director, Shari Jackson, by alluding that she was entitled to the same pay as men. According to The World “…Cribbins said she saw it as an issue of fairness. She also mentioned the fact that Jackson was a woman doing the job […]
More bad news for gas loving county commissioners John Sweet and Melissa Cribbins. A slump in oil and gas prices has put a hold on a floating LNG export terminal Excelerate Energy’s Texan liquefied natural gas terminal plan has become the first victim of an oil price slump threatening the economics of U.S. LNG export […]
One of the many deficiencies in the draft EIS (environmental impact statement) raised during last night’s FERC meeting regarding the Jordan Cove LNG proposal is that out of 5,048 pages there is no discussion about alternatives. Other locations for the proposed project must also be considered along with sustainable and less invasive development. Aother alternative the […]
The BOC has been entertaining the possibility of awarding a $15,000 a year or 25% pay raise to the Coos County HR Director Shari Jackson. One of the reasons given for this salary increase is that Jackson is doing work above and beyond what she expected when she replaced Mike Lehman. During a work session […]
