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The Excesses of Tax-Increment Financing & Urban Renewal

12/4/2017

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The Excesses of Tax-Increment Financing & Urban Renewal
 
Sex scandals aside, taxes are the biggest issue on the table right now, which is understandable when most families are spending more on taxes than they do on housing, food, and clothing combined.  Most people think they are paying too much due to the overspending of government, so it makes sense to shrink the budget.
 
There never seems to be enough revenue for education, infrastructure, and public safety, so eliminating the process of tax-increment financing would stop Urban Renewal Agencies from siphoning money from those and other overlapping taxing districts that provide those services. 
 
According to data collected from the “OR Property Tax Annual Statistics FY 2016-2017” found on the Oregon Department of Revenue’s website, there are 77 Urban Renewal Agencies in the state that manage 113 areas/districts.  Those UR agencies received $223.3-million from the “Revenue from Excess,” while others received an additional $21.1-million from special levies totaling $244.4-million that was diverted from other various taxing districts or directly from the taxpayers.  The revenue from property taxes going to Urban Renewal through the TIF process in FY 2009-2010 was $182-million.
 
“Revenue from Excess,” is the property tax revenue generated by increased property values inside the UR area over the frozen increment when the authorities enacted the plan for the district.  Without the TIF process, the other districts that overlap the UR area would retain that money.  
 
Statewide in FY 2016-2017, Public education lost $87.2-million in potential revenue because of urban renewal activity. Cities lost $73.3-million in that same fiscal year, and counties lost $41.5-million, which includes the $28.2-million taken from Multnomah County alone.  Other districts, including Fire Districts, lost $21.3-million. 
 
Those totals do not include the maintenance of the unfunded projects built with the redirected money.  
 
Politicians use urban renewal funding as seed money to create new taxing districts, or they use tax dollars from existing districts to maintain unnecessary projects at the expense of necessary amenities. Those projects include auditoriums, carousels, conservation easements, convention centers, decorations, estuaries, murals, racetracks, swimming pools, sports stadiums, sculptures, street art, and theaters, which take money directly from colleges, roads, schools, police and fire departments.
 
The idea of redevelopment is to increase the assessed values of property surrounding and within the urban renewal area by artificially inflating the local tax base using public money---all to generate new economic activity that most likely would have taken place with or without public incentives.  It just may not have happened in the area desired by the urban renewal planner but in a place chosen by the private business owner, which alleviates the taxpayers of the financial risk. 
 
Some independent studies have found little evidence that municipalities with Urban Renewal Agencies developed any faster than cities without these programs did.  In fact, one study titled “The Effects of Tax Increment Financing on Economic Development” written in March of 1999 by two professors of economics, Richard F. Dye, and David E. Merriman, it found TIF areas grew slower than areas without it did.  Quote, “If the use of tax increment financing spurs economic development that would not have happened but for the public expenditures, we would expect (after controlling for other growth determinants and for self-selection) a positive relationship between TIF adoption and growth. If the use of tax increment financing merely moves capital around within a municipality, relocating improvements from non-TIF areas of the town to within TIF district borders without changing the productivity of that capital, we would expect (after appropriate controls) to find a zero relationship between TIF adoption and growth. What we find, however, is a negative relationship between TIF adoption and growth. This is consistent with the hypothesis that government subsidies reallocate property improvements in such a way that capital is less productive in its new location.
 
A Senior Fellow at the CATO Institute made the case against urban renewal and tax-increment financing in a policy analysis titled, “The Case against Tax-Increment Financing” by Randal O’Toole.  In the paper, he states, “There are two problems with any attempts to reform TIF. First, no matter how much legislatures may try to focus TIF on genuine examples of blighted neighborhoods, cities will find ways to get around such safeguards. Second, there is little evidence that city gov­ernments are better than private developers at determining the type and location of new development that cities need, and plenty of evidence that they are not as good. Instead of reforming TIF, state legislatures should sim­ply repeal the laws that give cities and coun­ties the authority to use it and similar tools to subsidize economic development.”
 
The politicians intentionally design these types of development schemes to centralize power and money for the utilization of government planners.  Oregon legislators both Democrat and Republican ignore the annual loss of revenue, especially to education, so they can continue the excessiveness of constructing nonessential boondoggles of the future because it benefits the special interest of both parties today.    
 
About the author: 
Rob Taylor is the tentative Chief Petitioner for the “Committee to Shut Down the Coos County URA.”  Go to CoosCountyWatchdog.com for more information.

The Excesses of Tax-Increment Financing & Urban Renewal

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CATO Policy Analysis #676 ~ The Case Against Tax-Increment Financing
Public Comment Due BY December 1, 2017 on Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
The Continuing Saga of the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Coos County Board of Commissioners FINAL VOTE on Extending the URA Debt
Information on the Campaign to Shut Down the North Bay URA
Coos County Proposed Ordinance Adopting North Bay UR Plan ~ FOREVER
Coos County Commissioners Hearing on Extending the Debt of the North Bay URA
Cribbins & Sweet Utilize Voter Suppression on Urban Renewal Extension  
PERS Task Force Recommends Exempting School Districts from Urban Renewal
List of Coos Bay’s Urban Renewal Expenditures from 2006 - 2012
LTE ~ Coos Bay Urban Renewal Giving Away Public Assets Paid for by The Public
#CoosBay Urban Renewal Monies Siphoned from Public Basic Services 
Port of #CoosBay Blowing Through Your Tax Dollars Like Drunken Sailors 
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The Continuing Saga of the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency

11/14/2017

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The Continuing Saga of the CCURA
 
On Monday, October 30, 2017, the Coos County Board of Commissioners held the second hearing to discuss renewing of the county’s urban renewal plan for another twenty years.  The board had to continue the meeting until December 13, 2017, because the Director of the Port of Coos Bay did not submit the suggested changes to the URA plan until a few hours before the meeting. 
 
The urban renewal agency is a county entity, but the UR area is on the North Spit, so the Port of Coos Bay manages its finances and directs the projects under the authority of the board members of the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency.    
 
Some of those changes included adding an ending date out to 2038 and eliminating the special levy.  The levy is a direct tax paid for by all the property owners in the county, approximately $0.0229 per $1,000 assessed value goes toward the CCURA Special Levy.  The URA Board also lowered the amount of the agency’s allotted maximum indebtedness from $60,900,390 to $37,169,510 over the life of the district.  The projected tax increment financing revenues over the 20-year life are supposed to be around $32.4-million.
 
The UR agencies projected revenue is the money that would normally go to ten other regular taxing districts.            
 
Operations and overhead costs are among the allocations listed in the Tier 1 category.  Approximately $500,000 would go to Special Studies and planning, $181,369 would go to Financing Fees, and another $660,000 would go to Administration.  Those speculative figures will change due to increasing cost overruns.   
 
The CCURA has been around since 1986.  By next June of 2018, the agency will have a whopping $1,011,500 on hand as the anticipated bank balance.  A good portion of that funding should have gone to the several taxing districts that the UR area is overlapping instead of sitting idle while county roads deteriorate and jail beds lay vacant.  Those other districts provide essential services to the people of the county, such as roads, schools, and law enforcement to list a few. The UR agency has not undertaken a major project since 2014, which was the safety improvement at the Trans-Pacific Parkway railroad crossing.
 
There are 79 taxing districts in Coos County, seven of which are urban renewal districts.  Five urban renewal agencies supervise those seven UR districts.  Those county UR districts retained 5% or $3-million annually from the revenue collected by the county in property taxes from all the districts, which in FYE 2017 was $65.2-million.  $3-million is roughly the same amount of taxes designated to the county’s ports and libraries.  The county, which is a taxing district itself, loses roughly $300,000 annually from the general fund due to the drainage of the Tax Increment Financing process.
 
Urban Renewal and the process of TIF is a scheme to circumvent funding from the necessary county services while rewarding the agency that is taking the money in the first place.  Many of the beneficiaries of this process are supporters of Commissioners Cribbins and Sweet, so they have no incentive to stop the drain until the people demand a change.   
 
To find out more information go to
www.cooscountywatchdog.com/shut-down-the-coos-county-urban-renewal-agency.html
Related Posts:
Coos County Board of Commissioners FINAL VOTE on Extending the URA Debt
Information on the Campaign to Shut Down the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Coos County Republican Party Resolution Opposing School Bond Measure #6-166
Coos County Proposed Ordinance Adopting North Bay UR Plan ~ FOREVER
Coos County Commissioners Hearing on Extending the Debt of the North Bay URA
Cribbins & Sweet Utilize Voter Suppression on Urban Renewal Extension
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Cribbins & Sweet Utilize Voter Suppression on Urban Renewal Extension

8/22/2017

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 On Thursday, August 31, 2017, at 1:30 pm in the Owen Building, the Coos County Board of Commissioners will consider adopting an ordinance to amend the North Bay Urban Renewal Plan.  The final vote will be on September 12. 
 
Commissioners Cribbins & Sweet are going to delete the expiration date from the current plan, allowing the debt to exist in perpetuity.  The agency has the capability of a maximum indebtedness of Sixty Million Dollars.  They are going to enact the extension by just a vote of the Board of Commissioners thus eliminating the voice of the voters.
 
Imposing a time limit on the UR debt meant it had an ending date, but no expiration means the politicians never have to pay off this $60 million dollar Charge Card.   
 
The alternatives for the county Board of Commissioners is to pay off the current UR debt of $50,000, shut down the agency, and allow those property taxes to flow into the districts that were supposed to get the money in the first place.       
 
The county's Urban Renewal Agency formed the North Bay Urban Renewal District back in 1986, and they updated the plan for that district three times since, once in 1998, then again in 2000, and again in 2006.  The most recent plan allows the district to sunset in 2018.  
 
The UR agency pays the district's debt through a process called Tax Increment Financing.  TIF is a taxing scheme designed to siphon money from other taxing districts that overlap the urban renewal area.  Those include the Coos Bay Fire District, the cities of North Bend and Coos Bay, and the Coos Bay & North Bend School District.  Also, there are several countywide districts including the airport district, the county, the library district, and SWOCC, so every property owner in the county contributes to the North Bay URA. 
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The idea of redevelopment is to increase the property values of the urban renewal area as a way to bolster the local tax base---all to create economic development that most likely would have taken place with or without these business incentives.  
 
When a city or a county wants to obtain TIF funding, they create a boundary around an underdeveloped, blighted area of their choosing and that is the urban renewal taxing district.  The revenue generated from the property taxes remains in a frozen state from that point on, and that becomes the base taxes, which will continue to fund the other overlapping taxing districts.  However, after that day, the UR agency retains all the increase over the frozen tax base, which is the tax increment. 
 
The districts that are losing money due to TIF eventually have to replace that loss by either raising fees and new taxes or cutting essential services to the public, which is the usual practice. These budget cuts have had damaging effects on the community, especially when it comes to public safety. 
 
The taxes collected through the UR district is nondiscretionary funding.  The members of the URA board can spend it on any political pet project they deem necessary, which concentrates too much money and power into the hands of the political elite.  Many of these projects are nothing more than welfare for private corporations paid for with public dollars. 
 
The worst aspect of the agency is the ability to use its authority to make "eminent domain" claims against any private property inside the UR area.   Private ownership is the cornerstone of a free society.  Allowing bureaucrats the power to seize assets undermines those values and destabilizes the market.    
 
The original purpose of urban renewal was to eliminate blighted areas by removing abandoned buildings, deteriorated houses or debris left from past industrial projects, but the government has expanded the definition of blight.  Now, in some cases, the money goes directly to developers to pay for construction costs and building improvements.  Some UR money has gone to cover mortgages and even to pay for advertising for private business.   
 
There is no proof that Urban Renewal will generate new jobs or increase the tax base.  In fact, most studies have found no evidence that municipalities with Urban Renewal Agencies developed any faster than ones without it did.  In one thorough study from September of 1999 titled "The Effects of Tax Increment Financing on Economic Development" it stated,  In summary, the empirical evidence suggests that TIF adoption has a real cost for municipal growth rates. Municipalities that elect to adopt TIF stimulate the growth of blighted areas at the expense of the larger town. We doubt that most municipal decision-makers are aware of this tradeoff or that they would willingly sacrifice significant municipal growth to create TIF districts. Our results present an opportunity to ponder the issue of whether, and how much, overall municipal growth should be sacrificed to encourage the development of blighted areas.
 
The people of Coos County are weary of the shenanigans of our local politicians and the special interest groups in which they serve. Demand that Commissioners Cribbins and Sweet honor the will of the people, or suffer the consequences in the next election.  Saving money is simple as conveying the message, so show up at 1:30 pm to the Public Hearing on August 31, 2017, and the Final Vote on September 12, 2017, in the Owen Building, Coquille Oregon.   
 
About the author:
Rob Taylor is the founder of a virtual network of activists at CoosCountyWatchdog.com and the chief petitioner for the Second Amendment Preservation Ordinance. 

Coos County Commissioners Hearing on Extending the Debt of the North Bay URA

Coos County Proposed Ordinance Adopting North Bay UR Plan ~ FOREVER

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Measure 6-162 ~ The Sustainable Energy Ordinance Violates the Right to Commerce

5/7/2017

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The Sustainable Energy Ordinance
Violates the Right to Commerce
 
Since the first time cavemen traded bones for beads humans have participated in the most basic ritual of shopping the marketplace commonly referred to as the Right to Commerce.  Preceding any government or religion, the market is an organic element existing because we exist surviving on the unique trait of adaptability, not the artificial illusion of sustainability.        
 
Currently, there is an effort by a group of rabid environmentalist to deny people this right by democratizing trade and allowing voters the power to dictate over who can and cannot buy and sell products to willing consumers.  It is a threat to liberty looming over Coos County in the form of an ordinance titled, Establishing a Community Bill of Rights Providing for a Sustainable Energy Future, or Measure 6-162, which will be on the May ballot in a countywide election.
 
Measure 6-162 is supposed to be the silver bullet that will kill the LNG project in Coos Bay, but the people promoting this tyranny by the majority have stated that their end goal is to eliminate all use of fossil fuels and replace those affordable, dependable energy sources with more costly and unproven experimental alternatives.  The bill will also impose new draconian regulations that will limit growth potential through the hindrance of private ownership to the point of crippling the economy.  In an effort to find fuel smugglers or to detect illegal infractions, the local government will have to establish checkpoints on its borders, stifling traffic and free travel.  The process will make it more difficult and more expensive to heat houses and businesses or simply fill-up a car, effectively closing down the county.   
 
The nihilistic sponsors of the bill have even stated that, “if a town goes bankrupt trying to defend one of our ordinances, well, perhaps that’s exactly what is needed to trigger a national movement,” which shows a cruel indifference towards the very people they claim to be helping.   It also demonstrates the group’s blind faith adherence to a radical ideology even when those beliefs are detrimental to their fellow citizens.   It is the height of irrationality. 
 
The people of Coos have a chance to retain sanity by rejecting the idea that a vote can eliminate a right.  More importantly, its defeat will send a message to the anticapitalistic crowd who may use this same initiative to try to destroy the economy of other Oregon counties.  Oppose the regression of society and Vote NO on Measure 6-162 before the extremists relegate the community back to the Stone Age.
 
About the author:
Rob Taylor is the founder of a virtual network of local activist at CoosCountyWatchdog.com, and a chief petitioner for the Second Amendment Preservation Ordinance. 

http://oregoncatalyst.com/35847-sustainable-energy-ordinance-violates-commerce.html
Measure 6-162 Full Ballot filing
File Size: 1741 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Original Filing of Measure 6-162

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The Oregon Jury Nullification Bill & the Fully Informed Jury

3/15/2017

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March 14, 2017
The Oregon Jury Nullification Bill
 
Throughout the history of western civilization, there is a legal concept wherein individual jurors or an entire jury will either forgo and set aside the evidence as presented or the instructions given to them by the judge, or both and reach a verdict based on their own conscience.   It comes from a sanctioned doctrine subscribing that jurors are the judges of the facts, the law, and the moral imperative.   
 
Oregon is unique in the sense of already having a state constitution that enumerates this exalted tradition of jury discretion.  The sixteenth amendment states that, “In all criminal cases whatever, the jury shall have the right to determine the law, and the facts under the direction of the Court as to the law, and the right of new trial, as in civil cases,” which should be fully disclosed to every jury at every trial to ensure their impartiality.
 
Since this is presently not the case, State Senator Kim Thatcher recently introduced a bill, SB924, which would interject wording pertaining to jury discretion into the jury instructions.  The bill states that, “As jurors, if you feel that a conviction would not be a fair or just result in this case, it is within your power to find the defendant not guilty even if you find that the state has proven the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.”  Many legal experts, including Constitutional Attorney KrisAnne Hall and Professor Roger Roots PhD, are confident that adding this single sentence, or a similar statement to the jury instructions in every courtroom is one lawful remedy to level an imbalance that is absent in the Judicial Branch of government today.  In Oregon, it would help restore the dwindling confidence and pride in the state’s legal system. 
 
The Sixth Amendment espouses that every individual has a right to an impartial jury. 
 
The impartiality of a juror will always be in question unless they are knowingly informed of the jury’s “power to acquit” and “right to nullify” even if guilt of the defendant is proven beyond reasonable doubt.  The only way for a defendant to have absolute knowledge that a jury of their peers is aware of this inherent authority is if the Judge in their case explains this right to the jury from the jury instructions before deliberations. 
 
 The term for this authority is “Jury Nullification,” which does not actually invalidate any law. It just nullifies the law in a particular case at the jury’s discretion.     
 
The court system has been overlooking the jury’s “power to acquit” and the “right to nullify” to the point of nonexistence.  Many times during US history, precedence has been set allowing the jury to find a defendant innocent, even when the decision was clearly contradictory to the law.  Yet today many Judges tell the juries that there is no such right.   In some cases, judges have rejected jurors from the jury panel due to their intent to nullify the law, and the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit validated this practice in a decision made in 1997.  
 
Consider this, before every interrogation of a suspect, an officer is supposed to read that person their Miranda Rights to afford them the opportunity of making an objective decision pertaining to their legal situation.  More importantly, it reiterates the fact that for the record the suspect was knowingly aware of their rights thus preserving the admissibility of their statements against them in criminal proceedings, which could possibly prevent the government losing the case on appeal.  Now extend that theory of acknowledgement to a jury.  A jurist that is unaware of their legal authority and individual rights, the “power to acquit” and the “right to nullify,”  would automatically be partial to the prosecution’s position in any trial due to this omission, thereby abolishing the defendant’s ability to receive an unbiased verdict by an impartial jury of their peers.     
 
The Fifth Amendment states, “nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb,” which establishes double jeopardy protections.  During the colonial era, the king would prosecute revolutionary colonists repeatedly until the royal court found them guilty.  The Founding Fathers were accustomed to this legal treachery and it is the reason why they held trial by jury as a very revered institution, and that the decision made by the jury was final, no matter what the court may have proven.  Jury discretion was and still is one of the few mechanisms a free society utilizes to keep the chains on unrestrained government. 
 
Unfortunately, the US court system currently operates on the assumption that individuals on a jury may or may not be aware of their rights as a jurist and for Judges and Prosecutors ignorance is bliss, but for defendants it is a dangerous bias.  In many other jurisdictions, the jury instructions have gone from “may” convict to “must” convict when the prosecution proves that a defendant is guilty of breaking a law, which eliminates any chance for a jury to use their own discretionary authority and common sense when deliberating a case.  
 
The ingrained system for both the federal and state courts are not going to exert any effort in explaining to prospective jurors of their legitimate duty, because it benefits the government’s ability for an easy conviction. 
 
The Legislature will have to initiate change to reform this systemic failure of the Judiciary.   Federal and state lawmakers will have to write new laws to compel the courts to inform the jury of their duties and rights by passing legislation that will forcibly insert that information into the jury instructions and compel the Judges to read those instructions before deliberations, or suffer the specified consequences.     
 
Click the following link to find out more information on SB924 the Oregon Jury Nullification Bill.  www.facebook.com/oregonjurynullificationlaw & www.CoosCountyWatchdog.com   
 
Keep track of the bill on OLIS at
https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2017R1/Measures/Overview/SB924.                                     
 
About the author:
Rob Taylor is the founder of a virtual network of local activist at CoosCountyWatchdog.com, and a chief petitioner for the Second Amendment Preservation Ordinance. 

Related Posts:
ACTION ALERT:  Support Needed for SB924 The Oregon Jury Nullification Bill 
Jury Nullification in American History
Quotes on the Fully Informed Jury
FIJA ~ Jury Rights Day ~ KrisAnne Hall Explains Jury Nullification
Judge Will Reportedly Misinform Jurors in the Trial of Ammon Bundy & Six Others

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Time to Teach a Lesson to the Local Politicians

7/15/2016

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July 15, 2016
Time to Teach a Lesson to the Local Politicians
 
The city councilors of Coos Bay have finished two Ballot Measures dealing with the issue of taxing and licensing the marijuana industry.  The first measure is a three percent tax on the sale of recreational marijuana inside city limits and the other measure is for issuing business licenses to recreational marijuana dispensaries. 
 
If enacted, the new city tax will go to the general fund and may be spent at the discretion of the city officials.   The city officials messed with their citizens’ vote by denying the results of Measure 91 when they decided to put the question on the ballot for a second time when there was a clear and decisive victory of 58% percent in-favor of the sale of recreational marijuana.    
 
The General Election in November will be the opportune time for voters to reeducate these city officials. 
 
Voters should reiterate their vote by supporting the issuing of business license to recreational dispensaries, so they can participate in the marketplace as originally intended.  Then, the voters should reject the three percent tax for the city to punish Mayor Shoji and councilors Daily, Kramer, Leahy, and Vaughn for voting in-favor of putting it on the ballot again.  They denied the Right of Commerce to their constituents and the business owners in the recreational marijuana industry.
 
Protecting the Rights of the individual is the only legitimate job of the elected representative and anything less is a dereliction of their constitutionally sworn duty.  In direct contrast, it appeared that the city officials acted overcautiously, which unfortunately placed an undue financial burden on the industry due to the councilors’ choice of protectionism of their positions over the rights of the individual.  
 
Coos Bay should learn the lesson that it is not nice to fool with “We the People.”
 
However, when politicians do the right thing then the people should reward them in-kind.
 
The Coos County Board of Commissioners was going to enact dozens of pages of new county regulations on the marijuana industry, on top of the countless new regulations spawned by the passage of Measure 91.  The commissioners decided to listen to the community, chose not to enact any new regulations, and did the very least required by passing the state mandated definitions, so for not hindering the marijuana industry the people should reward the county.
 
The BOC has put a measure on the November ballot for a three percent tax on the sale of recreational marijuana in the unincorporated areas of the county.  The voters should support the county and VOTE YES for the new marijuana tax to show the politicians that there are good consequences as well as bad consequences when making those important decisions. Then maybe next time the City Councilors of Coos Bay will learn this important lesson and make the right choice.  
 
About the author:
Rob Taylor is the founder of a virtual network of local activist at www.CoosCountyWatchdog.com.
Related Posts:
BBQ & Beach Clean-Up at Bullard’s Beach High Noon on Saturday, June 25, 2016
An Election Message to Second Amendment Supporters
Join the Oregon Citizens Lobby
Coosville Chooses to Preserve the Second While Rejecting Another Tax
Vote NO on the Transient Occupancy Tax ~ Measure 6-152
Outsourcing US Land Management to the Indians  
Important Town Hall for Second Amendment Supporters
New Bandon Initiative is About More Choice
Cribbins & Sweet Reject Second Amendment Preservation Resolution  
Support Needed for the Second Amendment Preservation Resolution
Blame Big Government, not the Police
Officials Obscuring Facts on the Bandon Marsh Mosquito Infestation
Yes to LNG, No to the CEP
#USFWS Admits Fault for the Bandon Mosquito Infestation
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BBQ & Beach Clean-Up at Bullard’s Beach High Noon on Saturday, June 25, 2016

6/17/2016

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June 17, 2016

BBQ & Beach Clean-Up at Bullard’s Beach
 
Please join Coos County Watchdog and the Coos County Chapter of Oregon III% for a beach cleanup and no-host BBQ at Bullard's Beach State Park on Saturday June 25th beginning at 12 Noon.
 
It was recently announced that the nonprofit organization SOLVE has scheduled a beach cleanup at Bullard's Beach for the end of June and has invited twenty-two European undergraduate students to attend.
 
SOLVE is supported by environmental extremist such as The Nature Conservancy, and the reason they are bringing out people from Europe is to espouse socialism disguised as conservation, or otherwise, it would be a great endeavor to support.
 
The folks from “Leaven No Trace” are a good example of average citizens applying rudimentary solutions to solve local problems. Go Americans....
 
While we appreciate the efforts of SOLVE in cleaning up our beautiful state, local residents must take a personal interest in the health of our outdoor areas. The cleanliness of Oregon beaches and forests is the responsibility of Oregonians, so let us tidy up before our foreign guests arrive.
 
We would not want them to see our dirty laundry.  
 
All concerned residents of Coos County are invited to join us. Volunteers are asked to provide their own trash bags and gloves.  Several vehicles will be present to haul away the trash.
 
Volunteers should meet at the East Picnic Shelter near the Boat Ramp at High Noon to organize for the clean-up and the BBQ will be held at the same location.
 
The no-host, potluck, BBQ will commence as soon as the cleanup is complete. Grills and beverages will be provided, so please bring your favorite dish.
 
We would also like to offer our sincerest condolences to the family and friends of the victims of the recent terrorist attack in Orlando by a radical Muslim extremist.  Our greatest goal is to make sure every individual has the Right to self-preservation, especially those most vulnerable 
 
Sincerely,
Rob Taylor ~ www.CoosCountyWatchdog.com
Matthew Wilbanks ~ Coos County Chapter of The Three Percenters

Documentary Film Showing of AGENDA 2 & Discussion Panel Tuesday June 21, 2016

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An Election Message to Second Amendment Supporters

5/13/2016

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May 13, 2016
 
An Election Message to Second Amendment Supporters
 
The election is upon us and many voters are still wondering who to cast their vote for and who will be the right representative to protect the rights of the individual, especially those who believe in the Right to Bear Arms.
 
Oregon State House Representative District One
 
Last year State Rep Wayne Krieger met with groups in the local community, including the leading activists in the Coos County Watchdog network.  He asked them who they would like to see as a candidate.  Wayne was planning on retiring from his position and he wanted an idea of who the people might like to see run for the district, so he could recruit at least one good candidate. 
 
It is a great way to carry on the rural legacy, plus nobody else was concerned enough to file for this position previous the deadline, so it was a good idea to have a quality candidate ready to campaign for the election.  
    
There were several names bantered about, but the only name that seemed acceptable to most of the groups was Curry County Commissioner David Brock Smith, because Mr. Smith has a record of working with others including those he disagrees with politically.  Smith is also well known for standing up for the rights of the individual over the excesses of the federal and state government. 
 
During his career as commissioner Smith was able to enact one of the strictest county coordination programs in the state, which forces the feds to coordinate with the local governing body before a federal agency can begin some overblown project, such as the US Fish & Wildlife’s Bandon Marsh Mosquito Preserve.   He worked to stop those types of land grabs and went even further by joining in the effort to garner resolutions from every city, county, and port on the south coast to oppose NOAA’s plans for a National Marine Sanctuary, which would have eliminated the few remaining fishing jobs up-and-down the west coast.  The commissioner should be commended in his valiant efforts.
 
When a group of concerned citizens approached the Curry Board of Commissioners to ask that the board pass a resolution against the overreach of state law, SB941 the background checks bill, Smith was the only commissioner to show any interest, because he knew his county had to take a stand for the people’s withering freedoms.  He openly supported the county resolution, while the other two commissioners had no clue as to the impact of that very bad antigun legislation.  Their constituents had to drag them to the table to make the right choice, and the board did so unanimously under Smith’s direction.   
 
With a solid record on the Second Amendment and property rights, David Brock Smith is not only the right choice for state house district one, but the only choice for serious gun owners.  
 
Oregon State House Representative District Nine
 
People who still believe in the US Constitution have a decent candidate to write-in for House district nine, Republican Teri Grier.  She is relatively new to the state, but has shown a commitment to the community.  Teri organized numerous candidate forums drawing in several governor and federal congressional candidates.  
 
Unfortunately, one turncoat Republican, Dave Kronsteiner, who is the current Port Commission President for the Port of Coos Bay, is trying to win district nine for the Democratic Party by asking his family and friends to write-in “Caddy McKeown” for the Republican Party write-in candidate.  His support of a big-government Democrat shows a deep betrayal to fellow Republicans, while projecting the continuing attitude of the county’s unelected Port Commissioners, who are better known locally as today’s equivalent of the “Old Boy’s Network.” 
 
More reasons to write-in a legitimate fiscal conservative and Second Amendment supporter, Teri Grier.  She will work to get the port under the authority of the voters again, so the people will no longer have to live under the misguided decisions of governor appointed lackeys.  
 
Oregon State Senate District Five
 
The only candidate in the Republican primary for district five is currently a city councilor and named 2014 Man of the Year for Lincoln City, Dick Anderson.
 
The best thing about Mr. Anderson is that he is NOT, Arnie Roblan. 
 
Senator Roblan voted for SB941 and he will continue to vote for more gun regulation until the state has disarmed every citizen in Oregon, leaving the honest defenseless.  The Oregon Firearm Federation gave Arnie an F for continuously voting against the Right to Bear Arms. 
 
Mr. Anderson received a B+ from OFF and he firmly supports the Second Amendment.  
 
Remember to sign and seal your ballots before sending.    
 
About the author:
Rob Taylor is the founder of a virtual network of local activist at www.CoosCountyWatchdog.com, and the chief petitioner for the Second Amendment Preservation Ordinance. 

The Oregon Catalyst

http://oregoncatalyst.com/33556-recommendations-oregon-hd1-hd9-sd5-primary.html

The World

http://theworldlink.com/news/opinion/local/an-election-guide-for-second-amendment-supporters/article_9d65843f-c737-5cc2-9c47-bf91ef214d95.html

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Join the Oregon Citizens Lobby

2/18/2016

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Call to join the Oregon Citizens Lobby
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February 18, 2016
 
Join the Oregon Citizens Lobby
 
Warning, the Oregon legislature is in the 35-day short session, and even though the procedure limits legislators to introduce two bills each your money and freedom is still in serious risk from the overreach of overbearing politicians.
 
How do you stop the onslaught of these tyrannical hacks without having to occupy a desolate national refuge only to face certain death in a shootout with law enforcement?
 
One way to defend yourself is to go on the offensive by becoming a government watchdog and using the existing system to defeat, or at least stifle your opponent’s agenda.
 
The Oregon Citizens Lobby is a nonprofit organization, which uses to their advantage the information provided on the Oregon Legislative Information System, located on the net at www.olis.leg.state.or.us.  The group monitors and even analyzes the bills introduced by State Senators and State Representatives.  Legislation on topics such as, the right to bear arms, economic devolvement and land use laws, plus many other issues that should be of concern for any citizen worried about the growth of Big Government.
 
Want to learn more about how you can keep OR Legislators accountable, visit the interactive website at http://www.oregoncitizenslobby.org/ and complete a Volunteer Form, or update your records at oregoncitizenslobby.org/volunteer.
 
The best thing about being a virtual activist is that you do not have to drive to Salem to participate in any long drawn out meetings talking with self-absorbed political blowhards.  You can work from home, taking as much time as you can offer.  If you are not comfortable as an analyst then select the Volunteer Activity best suited to your skillset and time available.  You may select the areas that you are interested and please share in the space provided any special abilities or expertise, and the organizers at OCL will match you with the appropriate area.
 
The Mission of the Oregon Citizens Lobby:
 
Our mission is to help empower Oregonians by monitoring the legislative process in this state.  We analyze bills and track them throughout their life cycle.  We also track the actions of state representatives and senators as they work through and vote on these bills.  The bills and legislators receive a grade based upon the five core principles of the OCL.  We leave the politics to the politicians.  We post the results of our work at www.tracktheirvote.org for the public to review.
 
The Oregon Citizens Lobby interactive website provides information on how you can get involved and posts Alert bills for review and feedback.
 
The Five Core Principles
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY
Government should have a limited budget that reflects the vitality of the state’s economy.
LOCAL CONTROL
Governmental power and functions should be as close to the citizens as possible for maximum oversight, control, and responsiveness.
FREE MARKETS
Production and prices should be dictated by the laws of supply and demand without the interference of government in the way of subsidies, price controls, or over-burdensome regulation.
LIMITED GOVERNMENT
Our government should be charged with administering only those functions essential to society and that cannot be performed by private entities.
PERSONAL CHOICE AND RESPONSIBILITY
Citizens must be free to pursue life, liberty, and property without undue government interference and to reap the rewards or bear the consequences of their decisions.
 
Their hope is that this information will help citizens better understand proposed legislation, which will in turn allow them to give relevant testimony on bills, lobby their legislators, and hold these politicians accountable for their actions.

Contact the Oregon Citizens lobby at [email protected]
 
Rob Taylor is the founder of a virtual network of local activist at CoosCountyWatchdog.com.
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Coosville Chooses to Preserve the Second While Rejecting Another Tax

11/20/2015

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November 17, 2015
 
Coosville Chooses to Preserve the Second While Rejecting Another Tax
 
Despite the irrational warnings coming from the gun control alarmists, 8,905 Coos county voters decided to preserve a valued right of the individual to keep and bear arms by successfully ratifying the Second Amendment measure 6-151 with a 61% majority. 
 
In turn, and in a display of sheer dissatisfaction with the leadership on the Board of Commissioners, those same voters rejected another government grab for the people’s hard-earned cash by vetoing the Transient Occupancy Tax, measure 6-152. 
 
One of the better resulting factors of the election was the national media coverage debating the legal validity of the preservation ordinance, which keeps the issue at the forefront of discussion.  The spokespersons for the leftist news outlets immediately brought out several law experts rebuking the idea of reaffirming the sacred right of self-defense, while the more constitutionally adherent legal professionals presented rebuttals to the contrary.     
 
The Huffington Post immediately posted this very biased headline on November 03, 2015, “Oregon County Passes Measure Directing Sheriff To Block State And Federal Gun Laws P.S.  This is illegal.”
 
The following is a quote from the article:
“Charlie Hinkle, a constitutional law expert in Portland, Oregon, said (Sheriff) Zanni would be violating his oath of office by enforcing a county ordinance that is contrary to state or federal law.
 
"Of course local officials can’t decide what laws are constitutional.  That’s why Kim Davis went to jail," Hinkle told The Huffington Post.  "Even the president can't decide what’s constitutional -- that’s why a federal court enjoined his executive orders regarding immigration."” 
The next day on November 4, The Raw Story had this little provocative teaser, “Oregon voters pass right-wing measure forcing sheriff to act like an Oath Keeper militia member.”
 
Sporting such an outrageous title, it was no surprise their expert espoused this bit of legalese opposing the measure.
 ““The Coos County referendum to nullify state firearms law and require the sheriff to analyze whether federal and state firearms laws are constitutional displays a gross misunderstanding of the U.S. Constitution,” said Robyn Thomas, executive director of the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.  “The measure misuses constitutional provisions to support the proposition that a jurisdiction may disobey federal and state laws when residents disagree with those laws on political grounds.””
Even the legal beagles over at The Heritage Foundation were unusually contradictive on the matter with this gem printed in The Daily Signal. 
“Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation, said the Supremacy Clause in the Constitution leaves “no question that federal law trumps state law” and that any sheriff who violates a state law requirement could run into legal issues.”
“On the other hand, while federal law can override state and local laws, the federal government cannot force local officials to enforce federal law,” he noted.
However, not all the lawyers were willing to give up these freedoms without a fight.
 
On Sunday, November 8, the publication, The New American, came to the defence of the people’s right to act as the “principal” of the country, and “nullify” unconstitutional laws. 
The most effective weapon in the war against small and large tyrannical attacks on liberty is nullification. Nullification occurs when a state, county, city, or other local entity holds as null, void, and of no legal effect any act of any government body that exceeds the boundaries of its constitutional powers. 
 
As the Coos County ordinance demonstrates, the law of agency applies when one party gives another party legal authority to act on the first party’s behalf. The first party is called the principal and the second party is called the agent. The principal may grant the agent as much or as little authority as suits his purpose. That is to say, by simply giving an agent certain powers, that agent is not authorized to act outside of that defined sphere of authority. 
Using a different argument, the most astute analysis came from constitutional attorney Kris Anne Hall, which the Western Journal published on November 10. 
First, the Sheriff is NOT an agent of the State.  He is an elected representative of The People.  The State does not hire a Sheriff; the People elect him, and they expect him to keep his oath to the people.  Inherent in that oath is the requirement of the Sheriff to protect the people from all who would take their property in violation of their rights.  We expect that our Sheriff, as much as he is able, will help to protect our homes, our property, our lives, and our families from the acts of those who would violate our rights.  But what happens when it’s the government itself that takes up the role of one who would take our rights, the role of the criminal?
Mrs. Hall continues to explain:  “we must educate ourselves on the Truth regarding the application of the Constitution and the proper role and duty of our Constitutional Sheriffs.  May I encourage you to support Coos County, Oregon, and their Sheriff as they act in defense of our inherent Right to keep and bear arms?”
Rob Taylor is the founder of a virtual network of local activist at CoosCountyWatchdog.com.

Coosville preserves 2nd Amendment and rejects new tax

Related Posts:
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OFF ~ Stop the EMERGENCY (clause) ‏~ Sign the Petition ~ Defend the People's Right
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LTE ~ VOTE YES on 2A Preservation Ordinance
OFF ~ OR Legislature Possible New Laws & COURT RULES on GUN BAN
ACTION ALERT ~ Coos County Vote YES ON measure 6-151 ~ November 3, 2015
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Resistance to 941 Grows ‏Especially Here in Coos County ~ Time to Rally
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VOTE YES!!! ~ Measure 6-151 The Second Amendment Preservation Ordinance
LTE ~ The Second Amendment Preservation Petition Submitted to County Clerk
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Cribbins & Sweet Snub Second Amendment Supporters Again
History of the Second Amendment Preservation Ordinance
OFF ~ Recall Petitioners Take Heat ~ Sweet Recall Continues
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Vote NO on the Transient Occupancy Tax ~ Measure 6-152

10/28/2015

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October 26, 2015
 
Vote NO on the Transient Occupancy Tax
 
The Transient Occupancy Tax or Measure 6-152 will be on the ballot for voters in Coos County, Oregon, on November 3, 2015.
 
Approval of this measure would create a 10% countywide lodging tax on consumers, including local residents who stay in a hotel, motel, campground, RV park, or vacation rental in Coos County.  Cities that currently have a lodging tax will charge only the difference between the cities tax and the counties 10%, so if a city imposes a 7% tax it will only charge the consumer an additional 3% up to the total amount of 10%, which means the city and county taxes, would not be compounded.  
 
Cities in Coos County with a room tax:
Bandon            6%
Coos Bay        7%
North Bend     7%,
Lakeside         7.5% 
Oregon            1% statewide room tax for the Oregon Tourism Commission
 
Officials speculate the combined TOT could possibly yield $3.8 million dollars annually.  After the cities take their cut of 1.1 million that will leave 2.7 million for the county.  State law requires that the county spend 70% of the money on promoting tourism, which means the overall budget sacrifices $1.9 million of the room tax on advertising and marketing outside the county.  The county itself retains a measly 30% or $800,000 annually for the general fund---all of it discretionary. 
 
There is no guarantee in the wording on the ballot that the money would go to public safety, and the commissioners could save much more money by eliminating the five Urban Renewal Agencies that are draining property taxes from county coffers. 
 
Of course, that would reduce the tax burden on property owners.
 
The Board of Commissioners released a statement making the promise that, “The other 30% is unrestricted and would be used to fund public safety, including the Coos County jail, the District Attorney's Office, and the Sheriff's department.”
 
However, there are some things to consider before voting. 
 
At a time when the county is expecting a 10% shortfall in the budget, the equivalent of $3.1 million, can Commissioners Cribbins and Sweet be trusted to direct the funds towards public safety and not one of their pet projects?   
 
These same two commissioners are still trying to hire a County Administrator by changing the title of the job to Finance Director after the voters rejected spending the money to create that position.  
 
In addition, the tax is unfair to the unincorporated parts of the county, because the cities retain their portion of the TOT leaving the rural areas the responsibility of having to pay a disproportionate part of the basic services provided for by this tax.  There are more city dwellers incarcerated in the county jail than there are rural residents, so who is paying for whom in this deal.  
 
The BOC plans to create a new tourism committee to oversee where the county will spend the 70% of the taxes that has to go to tourism.  Some of the players on the committee will consist of the larger tourist industries and nonprofit groups, such as The Dunes, The Mill Casino, The Bandon Chamber of Commerce, The Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, and the infamous, South Coast Development Council. 
 
Most of the smaller businesses in the tourism industry will not receive the same representation on the committee as the bigger corporations, or special interest groups.  The TOT will eventually become a slush fund subsidy for “big business”---all to the detriment of their smaller competitors. 
 
One more thing to consider, when citizen activists asked the BOC to reaffirm the Second Amendment by enacting a preservation ordinance through a vote of the board, Cribbins and Sweet refused.  Instead, they chose to turn their backs on the people. 
 
Why should the citizens vote for a tax increase, and give the commissioners access to more money if they will not do the simple job of defending the rights of the individual? 
 
Sign-up at CoosCountyWatchdog.com to receive more information, or join the conversation on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cooscountywatchdog.  
 
Rob Taylor is the founder of CoosCountyWatchdog.com, which is a virtual network of local activist. 
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LTE ~ LNG Pipeline Man and His Bag of Money  
LTE ~ Should We Be Worried Dealing with Veresen and the LNG
LTE~ A Package of Rancor for Coos County Commissioner John Sweet
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Outsourcing US Land Management to the Indians  

9/1/2015

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September 1, 2015  

Outsourcing US Land Management to the Indians  

Recently, the US House of Representatives passed the Resilient Federal Forest Act of 2015 and it has wording buried deep in the bill that would have some serious consequences for the people of Coos County, while fundamentally changing the structure of management for the Coos Bay Wagon Road lands.   

The following are some excerpts from federal legislation H.R.2647, Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015, which pertains to the management of the National Forest System and public lands.  The Sections that should be of most concern is Section 702, and Sections 808, and 809, which relates to the management of lands in Coos County.  

In Section 702, it authorizes supposedly independent Indian Nations to include US National Forest Lands and public lands in the forest management plans of the individual tribes.  The legislation imposes some weak limitations on any other designations for using the land other than stated in the legislation, neutralizing the ability of any of the Indian Nations who may try to usurp the property.  The problems with these restrictions are the legal interpretations of the law, especially when dealing with a sovereign nation. 

SEC. 702. Management of Indian forest land authorized to include related National Forest System lands and public lands.

Section 305 of the National Indian Forest Resources Management Act (25 U.S.C. 3104) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

“(c) Inclusion of certain National Forest System land and public land.--

“(1) AUTHORITY.—At the request of an Indian tribe, the Secretary concerned may treat Federal forest land as Indian forest land for purposes of planning and conducting forest land management activities under this section if the Federal forest land is located within, or mostly within, a geographic area that presents a feature or involves circumstances principally relevant to that Indian tribe, such as Federal forest land ceded to the United States by treaty, Federal forest land within the boundaries of a current or former reservation, or Federal forest land adjudicated to be tribal homelands.

“(2) REQUIREMENTS.—As part of the agreement to treat Federal forest land as Indian forest land under paragraph (1), the Secretary concerned and the Indian tribe making the request shall--

“(A) provide for continued public access applicable to the Federal forest land prior to the agreement, except that the Secretary concerned may limit or prohibit such access as needed;

“(B) continue sharing revenue generated by the Federal forest land with State and local governments either--

“(i) on the terms applicable to the Federal forest land prior to the agreement, including, where applicable, 25-percent payments or 50-percent payments; or

“(ii) at the option of the Indian tribe, on terms agreed upon by the Indian tribe, the Secretary concerned, and State and county governments participating in a revenue sharing agreement for the Federal forest land;

“(C) comply with applicable prohibitions on the export of unprocessed logs harvested from the Federal forest land;

“(D) recognize all right-of-way agreements in place on Federal forest land prior to commencement of tribal management activities; and

“(E) ensure that all commercial timber removed from the Federal forest land is sold on a competitive bid basis.

“(3) LIMITATION.—Treating Federal forest land as Indian forest land for purposes of planning and conducting management activities pursuant to paragraph (1) shall not be construed to designate the Federal forest land as Indian forest lands for any other purpose.

“(4) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection:

“(A) FEDERAL FOREST LAND.—The term ‘Federal forest land’ means--

“(i) National Forest System lands; and

“(ii) public lands (as defined in section 103(e) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702(e))), including Coos Bay Wagon Road Grant lands reconveyed to the United States pursuant to the first section of the Act of February 26, 1919 (40 Stat. 1179), and Oregon and California Railroad Grant lands.

“(B) SECRETARY CONCERNED.—The term ‘Secretary concerned’ means--

“(i) the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to the Federal forest land referred to in subparagraph (A)(i); and

“(ii) the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to the Federal forest land referred to in subparagraph (A)(ii).”.

Section 808, discusses land in Western Oregon under the authority of the Bureau of Land Management.  It provides for the deposit of revenue from the Oregon & California Grant land, which are subject to provisions of title II of the 1937 O&C Act.  It excludes the Coos Bay Wagon Road fund according to the provisions in a succeeding Act passed in 1939, which defines the separations of the Wagon Road lands from the O&C Lands.  The distinction gives the government of Coos County the ability to collect revenue from the resources on the Wagon Road land without having to share the money with other members of the O&C Act, but only if the county is allowed to harvest it without the interference of lawsuits by environmental extremist.      

SEC. 808. Management of Bureau of Land Management lands in western Oregon.

(a) General rule.—All of the public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management in the Salem District, Eugene District, Roseburg District, Coos Bay District, Medford District, and the Klamath Resource Area of the Lakeview District in the State of Oregon shall hereafter be managed pursuant to title I of the of the Act of August 28, 1937 (43 U.S.C. 1181a through 1181e). Except as provided in subsection (b), all of the revenue produced from such land shall be deposited in the Treasury of the United States in the Oregon and California land-grant fund and be subject to the provisions of title II of the Act of August 28, 1937 (43 U.S.C. 1181f).

(b) Certain lands excluded.—Subsection (a) does not apply to any revenue that is required to be deposited in the Coos Bay Wagon Road grant fund pursuant to sections 1 through 4 of the Act of May 24, 1939 (43 U.S.C. 1181f–1 through f–4).

In Section 809, it devises a scheme to allow the Secretary of the Interior to develop an analytical plan with two additional alternatives on the management of the land to present to the people of Western Oregon.  All the options the Secretary will present to the public will be a list of bounded choices, so no matter what the public decides the Department of Interior will get their desired outcome.  These tactics eliminate all other options for using this property
SEC. 809. Bureau of Land Management resource management plans.

(a) Additional Analysis and Alternatives.—To develop a full range of reasonable alternatives as required by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Secretary of the Interior shall develop and consider in detail a reference analysis and two additional alternatives as part of the revisions of the resource management plans for the Bureau of Land Management’s Salem, Eugene, Coos Bay, Roseburg, and Medford Districts and the Klamath Resource Area of the Lakeview District.

(b) Reference Analysis.—The reference analysis required by subsection (a) shall measure and assume the harvest of the annual growth net of natural mortality for all forested land in the planning area in order to determine the maximum sustained yield capacity of the forested land base and to establish a baseline by which the Secretary of the Interior shall measure incremental effects on the sustained yield capacity and environmental impacts from management prescriptions in all other alternatives.

(c) Additional Alternatives.--

(1) CARBON SEQUESTRATION ALTERNATIVE.—The Secretary of the Interior shall develop and consider an additional alternative with the goal of maximizing the total carbon benefits from forest storage and wood product storage. To the extent practicable, the analysis shall consider--

(A) the future risks to forest carbon from wildfires, insects, and disease;

(B) the amount of carbon stored in products or in landfills;

(C) the life cycle benefits of harvested wood products compared to non-renewable products; and

(D) the energy produced from wood residues.

(2) SUSTAINED YIELD ALTERNATIVE.—The Secretary of the Interior shall develop and consider an additional alternative that produces the greater of 500 million board feet or the annual net growth on the acres classified as timberland, excluding any congressionally reserved areas. The projected harvest levels, as nearly as practicable, shall be distributed among the Districts referred to in subsection (a) in the same proportion as the maximum yield capacity of each such District bears to maximum yield capacity of the planning area as a whole.

(d) Additional Analysis and Public Participation.—The Secretary of the Interior shall publish the reference analysis and additional alternatives and analyze their environmental and economic consequences in a supplemental draft environmental impact statement. The draft environmental impact statement and supplemental draft environmental impact statement shall be made available for public comment for a period of not less than 180 days. The Secretary shall respond to any comments received before making a final decision between all alternatives.

(e) Rule of construction.—Nothing in this section shall affect the obligation of the Secretary of the Interior to manage the timberlands as required by the Act of August 28, 1937 (50 Stat. 874; 43 U.S.C. 1181a–1181j).

In conclusion, the people of Coos County should be contacting their federal Senator and the Senators of the public lands committee to demand that H.R.2647 exclude public lands in America from the management of any sovereign nation other than the US government, including an Indian Nation.  The Senate should know that our county government is capable of managing these lands, if the county had the same protections from lawsuits that are the advantage of the Indian Nations.   

Moreover, the US Federal government should allow the county to sell these lands on the open market, and all other land owned by the US Federal Government should be reverted to the state of origin, so those lands can go back into production for the betterment of humankind.  
https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/2647/text
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Important Town Hall for Second Amendment Supporters

3/24/2015

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Picture
March 23, 2015,

Important Town Hall for Second Amendment Supporters  

Finally, on Saint Patrick’s Day, March 17, 2015, it became official.  The Coos County Clerk gave authorization to circulate the Second Amendment Preservation Ordinance petition to place the initiative on the ballot.    

The announcement was the perfect follow-up to the meeting held in Bandon on March 14, 2015 by The Committee to Preserve the Second Amendment.  Over 40 people showed up to support the initiative and learn the finer points of gathering signatures.  The meeting ended with a unanimous vote to start the process of recall for both commissioners Cribbins and Sweet.  Since recall cannot occur until they have served six months in office, the group will reconvene near the end of June to ascertain the amount of public support there is in the community to undertake this type of political endeavor.     

On March 21, the owners of Empire Firearms graciously sponsored a Second Amendment Saturday to launch the petition.  Over 200 people showed up to sign their name and lend their support.  Many of them left with copies of the petition vowing to fill every space.  The group needs the signatures of 1436 active registered voters to make the ballot.  Commissioner Bob Main was one of the first signers, because he understands, that if enacted, the ordinance demands the legal protections to the right of the people to bear arms.  He was one of the first to arrive to the event and one of the last to leave, which went well beyond the call of duty.    

The reason for going through with an initiative is the inevitable threat of Oregon legislators passing a bill that would expand background checks to cover all gun transfers, which would lead to universal gun registration.   

State Rep Caddy McKeown and Senator Arnie Roblan are having a Town Hall in Coos Bay this Saturday, March 28, 2015 at the Coos Historical & Maritime Museum on Hwy 101.  The best way to prevent a bad gun law is to convince congressional representatives not to vote for it.  The event starts at 3:30 pm.  The Committee to Preserve the Second Amendment is encouraging supporters to show up early to help gather signatures and sign up to participate in the public comment section of the meeting.   

The petition has a shelf life of two years and elapses by March 17, 2017, but the committee has set June 1, 2015 as the return date for all completed signature sheets. The return address of the Chief Petitioner is on the back of the petition.  Anyone who is currently a registered voter in Coos County can go to Empire Firearms on Newmark Ave in Empire, Industrial Resources on Rosa Road in Bandon, or The Sentinel on First Street in Coquille to sign a copy of the Second Amendment Preservation petition.  Those who cannot make it to any of these locations, but have access to a computer, can download an individual electronic signature sheet from the internet at www.CoosCountyWatchdog.com.  Print it, sign it, and send it in.  Then be sure to sign up for the E-newsletter for the latest information.  

Sincerely, Rob Taylor 

Related Posts:
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LTE ~ Betrayal of the People by County Commissioners, Cribbins & Sweet
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Comments

New Bandon Initiative is About More Choice

2/19/2015

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Picture
February 17, 2015,  

New Bandon Initiative is About More Choice  

Thirty flavors of ice cream are better than one, so why would anyone object to having more choices?  

The idea had been going around Bandon on ways to open up the candidate base in city government, so maybe more people would participate in local politics.  Many of the councilors and the mayor have been in office for more than a decade and they have become too comfortable in their positions. 

 Term limits was one suggestion bantered about, but like the title states, it puts limitations on the electorates ability to pick their leaders.  Eventually, someone came up with the idea of doubling the size of the candidate pool and expanding it to cover the Bandon School district.  A lawyer drafted the document in simple terms, so anyone can understand it.  It simply states, “This amendment would allow those individuals who own real property within the City during the twelve months immediately preceding the election as indicated by the Coos County Tax and Assessment records, who maintains his or her ownership of that property during the term of office, and who resides within the Bandon School District during the term of office, to be eligible for an elective office.  It does not change the law providing that only City residents may vote in an election for City elected officials.” 

The last portion is to insure that only the voters of Bandon have authority over the elections.   

On February 05, 2015, a local newspaper in Bandon, The Western World, ran an attack letter from the Mayor questioning the motives behind the people promoting the initiative.  The only motivation was the desire to have more choices, so it was astonishing to witness a seasoned politician take a very simple issue and complicate it with suspicions and vague accusations to confuse the voters, without examining it in a rational, objective manner.  The mayor insinuated that I embellished on a trivial issue about how many times the councilors and the mayor had faced opponents in past elections, which is irrelevant to the point.  

The mayor is suffering from misplaced anger derived from her own guilty conscience.     

During the General Election last year, she acted as the official campaign spokesperson for her friend, Commissioner John Sweet.  The Mayor repeatedly claimed in a campaign commercial that Sweet had fixed the mosquito infestation caused by the Bandon Marsh expansion.    At a city council meeting on December 8, 2014, the Mayor explained that she never said the mosquito problem was fixed, but that she was reading from a script for the commercial.  It was an obvious lie.  She cannot accept the fact that she turned her back on the people of Bandon to go along with a political fabrication for the benefit of a crony, so she has to strike back at anyone who calls her out on the subject.    

The Mayor got one thing right, but for the wrong reason.  I do not like Urban Renewal.  However, it has nothing to do with the cheese factory.  The problem is the process of inequity.  What makes Urban Renewal controversial is that it creates an artificial market of government compensation where only a select few can participate, instead of a market based on fair competition where everyone is involved.  I hope all the best for the Face Rock Creamery, but I support every individual’s right to participate in the free-market and that is what I defend.   

The new Bandon Initiative is not a slap in the face of the voters, but to the contrary, it is an opportunity to have the choice to have more choices, but only if enough registered voters sign the petition and vote in the election.  Drop by Bandon Supply to sign the petition or get a copy to gather the signatures of others, but do not listen to the opinion of a disgruntled politician.  Find more information at www.CoosCountyWatchdog.com.    

Article in question: http://theworldlink.com/bandon/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/slap-in-the-face-to-residents/article_1f5454bc-288b-50e8-8933-dc9d1b977a85.html

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Cribbins & Sweet Reject Second Amendment Preservation Resolution  
Support Needed for the Second Amendment Preservation Resolution
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Blame Big Government, not the Police
Officials Obscuring Facts on the Bandon Marsh Mosquito Infestation
Yes to LNG, No to the CEP
#USFWS Admits Fault for the Bandon Mosquito Infestation
GROUP IN NEED OF DONATIONS
The Bandon Marsh Mosquito Farm
The Republican Party of Coos County Should Take a Stand
The Ghost of Tricky Dick
Comments

Cribbins & Sweet Reject Second Amendment Preservation Resolution  

2/18/2015

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Picture
February 17, 2015,  

Cribbins & Sweet Reject Second Amendment Preservation Resolution  

Over the past several weeks, a group of devoted defenders of the Second Amendment has been lobbying the Coos County commissioners for a Second Amendment Preservation Resolution, or ordinance to stave off any attempts of the state legislature from instituting more restrictive gun laws.  

The Board of Commissioners set the vote for February 17, 2015.  A larger crowd than normal attended, with members of the community lining the walls of the room.  Commissioner Cribbins was absent on a trip to DC tying to retain funding from the Secure Rural Schools program.  The meeting came to order, and the commissioners took public comment from over a dozen people in support of the resolution, including the current sheriff.  Only one member of the crowd spoke against the proposal.      

The chair brought the measure up for discussion.  Sweet spoke first and explained that it was not the job of county commissioners to get involved with state or federal legislative procedure.  He said, “The duty of a commissioner was to take care of county roads and streets.”   

Prior to the meeting, Commissioner Cribbins arranged to have the county’s legal counsel read a statement stating she would not vote for a resolution until there was an actual bill introduced in the Oregon legislature.    

When it was time, Commissioner Bob Main voted in favor and, as expected, Commissioner John Sweet voted against enacting a Second Amendment Preservation Resolution knowing that thirteen other counties have ratified similar resolutions.  It failed to get a majority.  

Afterwards, Former Sheriff, Mike Cook, posted on Facebook, “Well I hate to say it, but the voters of Coos County have been lied to again.  Both John Sweet and Melissa Cribbins told the voters prior to the last election that they supported the second amendment and gun rights.”  

When asked his opinion, Don Gurney said, “The people would have gotten their resolution if I had won the election.”   

The crowd of mainly supporters was understandable disappointed that Coos is setting precedence for the other counties that have not enacted their own resolution, which is an embarrassing example to set.  

Fortunately, several attendees got together after the board took the vote and decided to form a committee to put an initiative on the ballot for a Second Amendment Preservation Ordinance, which will be enforceable, where a resolution is only symbolic. It will be identical to the resolution passed in Wheeler County.  The group also decided it was time to start considering a recall of Commissioners Cribbins and Sweet for betraying the duty of office by not upholding their oath to the US Constitution.    They have to be in office six months before citizens can start the recall process and that will be on Monday, July 6, 2015.     

There is a public meeting happening for anyone interested in the preservation of the Second Amendment on Saturday, March 14, 2015 at 11:00 am in the large conference room of the Bandon Public Library.  The group is planning other meetings throughout the county.  To stay informed go to www.CoosCountyWatchdog.com and sign up for email notices.      

Rob Taylor is the founder of www.CoosCountyWatchdog.com, which is a network of individual local government watchdogs.

Our View: Gun rights debate misses on responsiblity
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#USFWS Admits Fault for the Bandon Mosquito Infestation
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NO on Measure 6-148 The Bandon Lighting Ordinance
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Wheeler County-2nd-2015
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Support Needed for the Second Amendment Preservation Resolution

2/11/2015

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Picture
February 10, 2015  

Support Needed for the Second Amendment Preservation Resolution  

Since the start of the 2015 Legislative session, several antigun legislators have been rumbling about passing more restrictions on the Second Amendment starting from closing the gun show loophole to a universal background check for every personal gun transfer, including those between family members.   

The worry is that tracking every transfer of arms would drastically affect the way family heirlooms pass from one generation to the next.  The more apprehensive believe it is a backdoor avenue to an all-out gun registration, which historically leads to gun confiscation.   

As a preemptive strike against the deluge of more gun laws, several counties, including Coos County, are considering adopting resolutions, or ordinances opposing any more obstacles to the ability of self-protection.  The counties of Yamhill, Sherman, Polk, Klamath, Clackamas, and Douglas, have passed a Second Amendment Preservation Resolution, while Wallowa and Wheeler went even further and enacted an enforceable ordinance in defense of gun owners.   

At the last Coos County Board of Commissioners meeting over a dozen citizens spoke in support of passing a resolution.  Even our own county sheriff, Craig Zanni, spoke in favor of a strongly worded resolution and received a standing ovation for his heartfelt speech.  The Chair of the Board, Commissioner Bob Main, requested that the county’s legal counsel draft a resolution for approval.  The board has scheduled the vote on the agenda at the next regular meeting on Tuesday, February 17, 2015 in the Owen Building.  Citizens are encouraged to participate in the process.  Sign in starts at 9:00 am and the meeting begins at 9:30.   

Currently, Commissioners Cribbins and Sweet are hesitant to vote for this proposal, even though there appears to be broad public support for the measure.  In past actions, the board voted unanimously on a resolution opposing the creation of a National Marine Sanctuary off our coastline.  More daringly, Cribbins and Main passed a resolution opposing the unconstitutional provisions of the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act, so it is hard to understand any resistance to protecting the rights enumerated in the Second Amendment.  Pursuing a resolution or ordinance from elected representatives reflecting the opinions of the citizens is how a constitutional republic is supposed to function.    

Citizens who are concerned with the direction of the state and the county can contact the commissioners any time before the vote on Tuesday.  There is a petition and a poll question on the Second Amendment Preservation Resolution with more relevant information at www.CoosCountyWatchdog.com.  Without the input of the people, Cribbins and Sweet might not make the right decision, so the more voters who show up to the meeting, the greater the possibility.  

Contact information for Coos County Commissioners:  

John Sweet
(541) 396-7541
Email: [email protected]
Melissa Cribbins
(541) 396-7539
Email: [email protected]
Robert "Bob" Main
(541) 396-7540
Email: [email protected]
Rob Taylor is the founder of www.CoosCountyWatchdog.com, which is a network of individual local government watchdogs.

References:
http://www.gunfacts.info/  

http://www.gunfacts.info/pdfs/gun-facts/6.2/gun-facts-6-2-print.pdf  

http://www.oregonfirearms.org/
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#USFWS Admits Fault for the Bandon Mosquito Infestation
GROUP IN NEED OF DONATIONS
The Bandon Marsh Mosquito Farm
The Republican Party of Coos County Should Take a Stand
The Ghost of Tricky Dick
The Better Candidates for the Port of Bandon
Public Meetings on Agenda 21
Support SB478
NO on Measure 6-148 The Bandon Lighting Ordinance
City of Bandon---Outdoor Lighting Ordinance Measure 6-148
Bandon: The City of Ordinances
Keep the Lights ON in Bandon
Comments

Blame Big Government, not the Police

12/27/2014

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Picture
December 21, 2014,  

Blame Big Government, not the Police  

The Senator from Kentucky, Rand Paul, made an astute observation in the death of Eric Garner when he explained to a reporter that Big Government and bad policies triggered the incident in New York that killed the young black man, not racism.    

Ambitious legislators trying to look tough on crime have to pass laws to validate their positions,  which force police officers to uphold bad laws and suffer the consequences of being the enforces to power hungry politicians.  The cause and effect of lousy legislation is the establishment of a new class of criminal and the results resonates in the impoverished neighborhoods that are more prone to having violators of these new offenses.  The process situates police enforcement in an unnatural adversarial position against average citizens, who turnaround and wrongly blame the police and not the power-wielding politicians whose actions caused the problem.  In-turn, law officers begin to build animosity and resentment towards those that they have growing authority over, which is the attitude seen and experienced by the public.   

Ironically, both the police and the people equally share the same disposition, because cops do not like enforcing dumb laws no more than most people like obeying them.  Without any culpability, the clueless electorate reelects the same politicians to office, which perpetuates the endless cycle of a growing intrusive government.   

Lawmakers should be aware that anytime they pass a law a police officer may have to use deadly force and kill some individual to enforce that law.  

Is a death penalty worth the enforcement of a seat-belt violation?     

In my town of Bandon OR, the city councilors rescinded an ordinance that had been on the books for years, which made it illegal for homeowners to park their vehicles in their own driveway.  Imagine one of Bandon’s easygoing small-town cops having to use deadly force against an angry citizen who was ardently opposed to obeying a silly ordinance---all to appease the ridicules whims of local policy makers.  It is just one of many potentially violent scenarios.  The argument is the policy, not the perpetrator, is to blame for dangerously escalating the situation.    

Every day the police have to use deadly force to confront people who commit nonviolent crimes.  Nowhere is that more evident than with the War on Drugs and nowhere does that happen more than in the neighborhoods where minorities live and those incidents advances the perception of a racist system.  In Bandon, the ordinances are complaint driven, so unless someone notifies the city, the city officials do not enforce the code.  That is not the case with aggressive, proactive laws like drug offenses where there is less police discretion compounding the perception of bias adding to the mistrust.     

It is time to stop blaming cops for the misdeeds and overreach of the political elite.  There is no excuse for a bad cop, but most of the men and women in Blue are decent humans trying to do a difficult job made more difficult with every new piece of legislation.  Their protection allows us the comfort to wallow in liberty.  Otherwise, we would be using the Second Amendment against “Mob Rule.”  

Americans have to ask themselves how much authority they will allow the government to exert for the purpose of public tranquility.  Absent an answer, we may have to get used to watching riots and lootings disguised as protests for the advancement of civil rights until the voting public has enough trust in each other to elect representatives that will not hinder a free society with mandated misery.  Start by connecting with politicians before they pass bad laws.     

Rob Taylor is the founder of the website, www.CoosCountyWatchdog.com, which is a network of individual government watchdogs.   

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#USFWS Admits Fault for the Bandon Mosquito Infestation
GROUP IN NEED OF DONATIONS
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The Ghost of Tricky Dick
The Better Candidates for the Port of Bandon
Public Meetings on Agenda 21
Support SB478
NO on Measure 6-148 The Bandon Lighting Ordinance
City of Bandon---Outdoor Lighting Ordinance Measure 6-148
Bandon: The City of Ordinances
Keep the Lights ON in Bandon
Comments

Officials Obscuring Facts on the Bandon Marsh Mosquito Infestation

9/2/2014

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Picture
August 25, 2014,

Officials Obscuring Facts on the Bandon Marsh Mosquito Infestation

The saga of The Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge & Mosquito Preserve is continuing to unfold as the people of the Coquille Valley are learning to live with what the US Fish & Wildlife Service is calling an “acceptable” amount of mosquitoes.     

Of course, there are differences of opinion on the term “acceptable.” 

The officials at Bullards Beach State Park, which is next to the Bandon Marsh, released this advisory in July of 2014, “US Fish and Wildlife Service has been applying larvacide to the Bandon Marsh since early May.  The larvacide has reduced the saltwater mosquito population significantly.  Due to the dry conditions this year the drainage ditches at Bullards Beach have been dry for at least a month.  As a result we have seen very few of our “normal” mosquitoes, but a few are present.  Coos County Health Department has traps set up at the park to monitor the mosquito population.”

What is “normal” and who decides those standards based on what evidence?

It is true there are fewer mosquitoes than there was during last year’s infestation.  Nonetheless, some properties surrounding the marsh are still suffering “swarm levels” of significant proportions that did not exist until The Service pulled the tide gates on the Ni-les-tuna section of the marsh and flooded the valley.  Thankfully, the temporary suspension of the second phase of the planned expansion stopped the formation of 4500-acres worth of breeding ponds.

Beginning in the spring of 2014, certain parts of the city of Bandon has, and continues to experience, a small influx of mosquitoes, which is more than there were before the first phase of the expansion was completed.  The decrease from the previous year is due to the direct treatment of the infested area on the marsh, so the problem is somewhat managed, but it has by no means been eliminated.  According to the experts, the application of larvacides and pesticides could continue for the next 6 years, or indefinitely, depending on nature’s ability to produce enough natural predators to kill off the mosquitoes. 

The government officials assigned with solving this dilemma have chosen to treat the symptoms, instead of curing the disease.  Dredging new channels combined with the expense of continuous vector abatement will eventually cost several millions in public funding.  Outside the marsh, the private sector is suffering infestations from previous fly offs and there is some concern among the professionals on whether there will ever be enough mosquito predators in the higher elevations of the valley to control the insect populations, which will permanently devalue the quality of life for those residents.. 

Alarmingly, there are different varieties of mosquitoes starting to appear in other parts of the valley and in the city of Bandon besides the summer salt marsh mosquito, the Aedes dorsalis.  The Service is blaming standing water on private property for these new bugs, but the fact remains, these insects were not present until The Service flooded the marsh.  No matter how they try to obscure the issue, the topic should be about solutions, not public housing for bats and mosquito magnets.  How many different species there are is hard to determine since the officials have only five traps actively collecting mosquitoes in the infested part of the county.  A PhD Biologist, who is also a member of the county mosquito committee, recommended at least fifty traps.  Is there a reason the officials do not want this data collected? 

Ten leading American biologists in the field of vector abatement were asked in a phone survey if the Service’s Integrated Marsh Management plan would be effective for this specific situation.  Only six responded with “more than likely”, three said “maybe”, and one claimed that it would not be a good solution.  The same ten biologists were asked if diking the marsh and draining the swamp would solve the problem, and without hesitation, all of them said, “yes”.  All ten agreed that removing the standing water, is, and has always been, the most cost effective way to eliminate mosquitoes without having to use toxic chemicals on a perpetual basis and history has proven it.  Why has there been no discussion on using this established alternative?   

The county’s inaction is the fault of the county commissioner in charge of resolving this issue, John Sweet.  Sweet had an opportunity to take the question to the voters, but refused to put it on the ballot.  He was late in forming the Vector Assessment & Control Advisory Committee and once formed, he appointed members of the community who are sympathetic with the agenda of the USFWS.  It is no accident, nor surprise, the committee overwhelmingly decided to back Fish & Wildlife and support the agency’s IMM plan

Currently, Sweet is an incumbent desperately campaigning to retain his seat on the Coos County Board of Commissioners, which has proven difficult with an opponent as experienced and well respected in the community as Mr. Don Gurney, who is also running for the same position. 

Mr. Gurney has openly stated that he would support a ballot measure asking the citizens of Coos County to determine how they would resolve the problem.  Integrated Marsh Management plan, or Dike the Marsh and Drain the Swamp, most voters would support the ladder and that is why Sweet refuses to use the power of the people to smite The US Fish & Wildlife Service.  Those same voters should support Gurney in November. 

CoosCountyWatchdog.com is a virtual network of government watchdogs founded by Rob Taylor. 

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NO on Measure 6-148 The Bandon Lighting Ordinance
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The Voice of the Voters
The Administrator
Matt Rowe for Mayor Rally
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Comments

Yes to LNG, No to the CEP

8/25/2014

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Picture
 July 7, 2014

Yes to LNG, No to the CEP

Since the inevitability of the Jordan Cove Project is becoming apparent, many in the community are excited at the proposal of the real, and the perceived economic activity this facility will generate.  With the expectation of promises and change, support for the LNG has grown. 

However, a good percentage of the taxpayers have a serious problem with the way the Port of Coos Bay, the cities of Coos Bay and North Bend, and the Coos County Board of Commissioners are going to divvy up the property taxes between the groups involved with the Community Enhancement Plan. 

The most valuable part of the project for the LNG is in an Enterprise Zone and the local officials are going to allow the owners of the company to keep all the property taxes for "almost" 20 years.  In-turn, the business is going to charge the people of Coos County interest to give that money back to the community through a process of fees, so the political elite can put it into a nonprofit they and their cronies have control over. 

The governor appointed politicians on the Port of Coos Bay are doing this as a way to circumvent the equalization process that back-fills the money lost from the school district to the Enterprise Zone.  The state coffers per the student compensate school districts and by law must have the budget to allot for every student.

In the private market, businesses and individuals would face fines and jail time for trying to rig the property tax system.  Today, that is the standard practice of business for local governments.  It still amounts to a way to take advantage of a flawed process and game the system, no matter how the political class explains the formula.

In a regular property tax structure, most of the funding would revert to several other taxing districts, which the district would designate to the basic, necessary, services that everyone in the county uses.  These districts will have to raise property taxes when the districts need to replace the funding to provide for the influx of people who will demand these services. 

The Coos Bay fire department, the county Sheriff’s Department, and the county itself are just a few taxing districts that would normally feed off the money provided by the property taxes collected from the Jordan Cove Project.  Unless, the politicians devise a way of corralling the money to a centralized, unsecured, nonprofit, which will be used for stockpiling discretionary funding to serve as a petty cash drawer for the politically connected. 

The Community Enhancement Plan might be good for Coos County’s In-Crowd, but once implemented, those on the out will be in the cold.  

Keep up-to-date on this issue and more at
www.CoosCountyWatchdog.com.

Sincerely,
Rob Taylor 

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NO on Measure 6-148 The Bandon Lighting Ordinance
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Bandon: The City of Ordinances
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The Voice of the Voters
The Administrator
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There was an incident at the Fair.
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Comments

#USFWS Admits Fault for the Bandon Mosquito Infestation

8/25/2014

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Picture
Originally Published:
April 3, 2014, 

USFWS Admits Fault for the Bandon Mosquito Infestation 

The US Fish and Wildlife Service released the anxiously anticipated Draft Plan and Environmental Assessment for Mosquito Control for The Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge on March 11, 2014, which was followed-up a week later with an open house in Bandon on March 18, 2014. 

The 209-page document was a thorough evaluation of the mosquito infestation with The USFWS repeatedly and rightfully admitting to the agency’s guilt as sole perpetrator of this biological disaster.  Nevertheless, The Service, already having issues with public relations due to their unsophisticated handling of the Bandon Marsh expansion, now has trouble with their credibility starting on page one of the Environmental Assessment. 

The report states, “In summer 2012, refuge staff noted an increase in mosquito numbers within the newly restored salt marsh habitat and received several telephone calls and one letter describing increased mosquito numbers from landowners directly across the river from the Ni-les’tun Unit.”  It continues on to make the claim that, “In the fall of 2012, refuge staff began coordinating with Coos County Public Health (CCPH) concerning the complaints of increased mosquito numbers.”  It is evident that The Service did very little to nothing to coordinate with the CCPH, when The Public Health Director, Nikki Zogg, was not aware of the problem until mid-summer of 2013.   

The Service contends that due to a large bank of viable eggs left on the Refuge, mosquito populations are likely to remain high indefinitely unless actively managed.  They are developing an Integrated Marsh Management approach to create a long-term solution of modifying the restoration site.  Until then, the agency plans to apply larvicide directly to the infested ponds as one part of a multi-tier solution.  In conjunction, The Service will continue to dig tidal channels to cause more hydrological flow in the marsh, so there will be no more breeding pools remaining.  They theorize that the mosquitos will not be able to lay eggs in the increased turbidity, thus eliminating the insect’s ability to mature into adults. 

However, removing tide gates, digging ditches, and increasing hydrology, is exactly what caused the problem in the first place and the agency’s own vector control experts do not know if these steps will solve the problem.  The USFWS makes no guarantee at all that any of these measures will stop the mosquitoes.  In contrast, most of the professionals and many environmentalists agree that replacing the original tide gates and draining the swamp would be the perfect solution, because it would eliminate the mosquitoes without having to use insecticides once or twice a year.  The main reason for the expansion of the marsh was to promote healthier water qualities, but the threat of adding harsh chemicals to control the infestation would be counterintuitive to the original intent of the expansion.  Diking the marsh would also take away a need to institute a Vector Abatement District, which is a taxing district. 

Just imagine the size of the infestation if The USFWS had begun the 4,500-acre expansion, pulled more tidal gates, and dug more channels further up the Coquille Valley.

The original price tag for the 1000-acre restoration project was $4 million dollars.  It has inflated to $10 million plus and could have grown upwards of $100 million dollars if it were not for the temporary suspension of the marsh expansion this past September.

Considering the enormity of the budget, it is hard to believe that The Service failed to locate outside funding for the inventorying and monitoring of mosquitos, when they were willing to spend so much of our tax dollars on land acquisitions.  The agency’s prioritization of the situation demonstrates their willingness to elevate wildlife over the lives of humans. 

James Lunders is the Manager and Biologist of the Jackson County Vector Control District and The North Pacific Director of the American Mosquito Control Association.  During the first week of February, he gave a presentation at the AMCA Annual Conference in Seattle, Washington, which he cleverly titled, “USFWS Bandon Marsh Wetland Restoration Project-failure to plan is planning to fail!”  Lunders’ presentation is an explanation of how The Service failed to learn the history of the area before beginning the largest wetland restoration project in the state.  He explains how the agency failed to learn from their own mistakes with wetland restoration projects on the east coast.  Many in our community believe the entire infestation was a planned event as a way to coerce property owners into becoming “willing sellers,” thus eliminating the main obstacle to the marsh expansion. 

It was very disappointing that Coos County Commissioner John Sweet procrastinated on convening a citizen committee to analyze the situation and review the actions of The USFWS.  He is the commissioner in charge of this issue.  Sweet’s delayed response and indecisiveness may cause voters to lose confidence in his ability to lead, which may hurt his bid for reelection. 

The USFWS released the EA the same week applicants for the county’s Mosquito Committee received the notification letter.  The lapse in time will make it difficult for this group to have any influence in the final solution to the mosquito problem.  More disturbingly, Commissioner Sweet ignored the advice of the former Public Health Director and did not choose the Director’s recommendations for the committee, instead opting for a more politically correct panel as a way to placate The Service. 

Rob Taylor is the founder of www.CoosCountyWatchdog.com a network of individual government watchdogs.
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The Ghost of Tricky Dick
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Public Meetings on Agenda 21
Support SB478
NO on Measure 6-148 The Bandon Lighting Ordinance
City of Bandon---Outdoor Lighting Ordinance Measure 6-148
Bandon: The City of Ordinances
Keep the Lights ON in Bandon
Public Law 107-40
The National Defense Authorization Act of 2013
The National Fish & Wildlife Foundation
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My choices for the Ballot in the General Election of November 2012
The Voice of the Voters
The Administrator
Matt Rowe for Mayor Rally
“Coos County Today”
Silent victory over Urban Renewal in Coos County
There was an incident at the Fair.
The Realm of Business
A Meeting About Nothing....

Comments

The Bandon Marsh Mosquito Farm

9/19/2013

Comments

 
Picture


The Bandon Marsh Mosquito Farm

September 12, 2013

We are the federal government, we can do what we want, and you can do nothing to stop us.
In November 2011, the US Fish & Wildlife Service sent a letter to owners whose properties lay within an area proposed for expansion of the Bandon Marsh outlining a proposal to acquire their land.  Since then, this federal agency has tried to bully the people of Coos County while displaying only indifference to the needs of farmers, their livelihoods, and our local rural economy.   The Bandon Marsh is located next to the city of Bandon, Oregon, near the mouth of the Coquille River and the Pacific Ocean.  Currently the marsh incudes less than 1000 acres divided into two parcels, the Bandon Marsh Unit and the Ni-les’tun Unit, separated by Bullard’s Bridge on Highway 101.  The Service has plans to expand the marsh by 4500 acres, extending its area up both sides of the Coquille River to the 10-mile marker.  Under its plan, known as The Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge Restoration Project, the Service wants to buy land from “willing sellers.”  To date, most property owners in the proposed expansion area have made clear they do not wish to be “willing sellers,”creating a major obstacle for the agency. 
 
The USF&WS completed the first phase of the marsh expansion on the Ni-les’tun unit in 2011.   The following is the agency’s own description of their efforts: “In September 2011, the Refuge completed marsh restoration for this unit.  The influx of saltwater and freshwater will allow re-establishment of mudflats and marsh plants, and interconnecting tidal channels bisect the wildlife habitat south of the overlook deck.  As the land returns to a rich functioning intertidal marsh, flocks of seasonally driven migratory birds and young fish will use the restored habitat.”  
  
What the Service failed to mention in their report is that their work on this project would also spawn millions of mosquitos -- destroying residents’ quality of life, harming livelihoods and endangering the health of humans, animals, and wildlife.  Many people, including biologists and health professionals, believe the explosion of mosquito larvae populations directly resulted from work done by the agency during the first phase of the marsh expansion.  Some even believe the mosquito invasion may have been a deliberate tactic to turn current property owners into “willing sellers”, thereby eliminating the biggest barrier to marsh expansion.   
 
It is hard to believe the Service could not have foreseen the mosquito problem.   It is not new.  In fact, efforts to fight mosquitoes in this area began more than a century ago.
 
The Swamp-Land Act of 1860 empowered the state of Oregon to dike marshes and drain swamps for mosquito abatement.  In the early 1900s, The Army Corps of Engineers repaired tide gates on the Coquille River to prevent tidal waters from moving into the valley.   Before the construction of these gates, the tide would rise into the valley, while the receding water pooled in stagnant ponds, creating perfect breeding grounds for mosquitos.   Fear of mosquito-borne diseases, which include malaria, yellow fever, encephalitis and others, led the Corps and local interests to install the original tide gates.  The Service should have known the history of the area before they removed the tide gates during the first phase of the project.   With all the available, historical documentation and professional experience with other wetland restoration projects, one wonders if the agency’s conduct was a case of inexcusable ignorance or, even worse, willful malfeasance. 
  
Recently, there has been a spate of news stories about Bandon’s mosquito problem. It has become such a serious issue that, on August 30, 2013, Senators Wyden and Merkley, and Congressman DeFazio wrote a letter to the new Secretary of Interior, Sally Jewel, demanding that The Department of Interior take immediate action to alleviate the problem. In the letter, the Congressmen put the blame for the “mosquito invasion”directly on the expansion of the marsh and at the feet of the US Fish & Wildlife Service.  
 
In early August 2013, the Service issued a press release announcing that the Bandon Marsh expansion was “suspended” due to lack of funding.   The suspension is a small victory for the opponents of the marsh expansion, proving that the people of Coos County can stop government action – in this case, a federal land grab -that harms our area when we set aside differences and work together. 
 
This same, unified approach is needed to help people dealing with aggressive mosquitoes and caustic chemicals for vector control.  This catastrophe was manmade and avoidable.   Those responsible must be held accountable.   The fight to rid the county of the agency’s unwanted actions must escalate or the residents of the region will have to tolerate swarming mosquitos and exposure to insecticides from aerial spraying for the foreseeable future.  The only real remedy for this problem is a class-action lawsuit against The US Fish & Wildlife Service that uses the force of the courts to get the agency to replace the dikes and drain the marsh.  The people who have suffered tangible loss should seek compensation through legal action. 
 
In addition, the battle against government-created wetlands will have to expand to include projects such as the one in the China Creek, Winter Lake area.   According to a seven-stage priority restoration map produced by The Nature Conservancy, The USF&WS and the Conservancy are making plans to acquire another 15,000 acres in the Coquille Valley, which was evident in the Conservancy’s application for a grant from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board. If they execute the plan properly, the Bandon Marsh expansion area will connect to the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Winter Lake Restoration Project.   At that point, the entire valley would become one large mosquito farm.

Where would that leave the people of Coos County?  

Lawsuit is Answer to Marsh Issue---The World---September 17, 2013

Stop Fed government expansion of Coos County mosquito population---Oregon Catalyst---September 19, 2013

Related Posts:
The Republican Party of Coos County Should Take a Stand
The Ghost of Tricky Dick
The Better Candidates for the Port of Bandon
Public Meetings on Agenda 21
Support SB478
NO on Measure 6-148 The Bandon Lighting Ordinance
City of Bandon---Outdoor Lighting Ordinance Measure 6-148
Bandon: The City of Ordinances
Keep the Lights ON in Bandon
Public Law 107-40
The National Defense Authorization Act of 2013
The National Fish & Wildlife Foundation
The US Forest Service Is Involved With Another Land Grab in Coos County 
My choices for the Ballot in the General Election of November 2012
The Voice of the Voters
The Administrator
Matt Rowe for Mayor Rally
“Coos County Today”
Silent victory over Urban Renewal in Coos County
There was an incident at the Fair.
The Realm of Business
A Meeting About Nothing....
Comments

The Republican Party of Coos County Should Take a Stand

6/17/2013

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Picture
June 13, 2013
 
Members of the Republican Party are desperately looking for new ways to convince people from the younger demographics to join the party of Lincoln and support GOP candidates.  Party membership is slowly being dwindling through the attrition of time.   People in their twenties and thirties are not interested in politics or simply, they do not want to associate with either political party.   Both the Democrats and the Republicans are vastly losing potential members to third parties, individuals registering as the nonaffiliated voter, or those who have fallen into an apathetic haze by choosing not to participate at all.  
 
With the hypocrisy, infighting, and arrogance proliferating in all segments of politics, including the Republican Party, it is understandable why a fresher generation would not want to mess with the dirty laundry of the party’s older generation.  Party members must resist the natural urge of getting mad and defensive.  Instead, if they want the party to survive, Republicans must become more introspective, and reflect on the mistakes that have caused people to view the party from a negative perspective, especially those who are new to politics.  First impressions are everlasting.   
 
It was the quintessential charm of the Great Communicator, Ronald Reagan, which attracted my generation to libertarianism or fiscal conservatism as an ideology, and eventually to the Republican Party.   He spoke of integrity and the importance of consistency in leadership.  Many believed it was a new day for republicans, but with all good things, it eventually ended.  
 
We towed the party line only to watch those in powerful political positions betray their conservative values.  Every year federal and state Republican Congressmen in both houses voted for more spending,  more taxing and more debt.  They created laws that expanded the powers of the regulatory bureaucracy, while simultaneously promoting the Constitutional ideals of a representative form of government and the party rightfully suffered.  It should be of no surprise that party involvement has literally dropped off the proverbial cliff.   
  
What can republicans do before we hit the jagged rocks below?
 
First, republicans have to remember why they joined the Republican Party.   Martin Luther King was a registered Republican.  In post-civil war America, most African Americans registered with the Republican Party and that trend continued until the latter part of the 20thCentury.  What happened?  The GOP was the political party that stood up for the rights of all Americans with particular attention to the underdog and downtrodden.  Moreover, republicans did this without promising handouts or social programs, but by speaking of self-reliance and  individual rights for everybody, equally.   The party has to return to these humble beginnings and become the
political party that Reverend King would be proud to be a member.  
 
Second, republicans have to remember what it was like to be young.  People are the same and our differences and similarities transcend the generational divide, so older Republicans cannot make a predetermined judgment of people who are fledglings.   Republican ideas are solid and the philosophy of fiscal conservatism mingled with civil libertarianism will appeal to them and future generations.  However, fiduciary  responsibilities are not important to those driven by youthful compulsions or whimsical passions.  They want to
be left alone and that too is part of limiting the authority and growth of government and we, as republicans, have to be genuine in finding real solutions to these legitimate concerns.  
 
The issue of the unconstitutionality of certain sections of the National Defense Authorization Act has become a political hotbed of an issue, which is appealing to people directly affected by these laws, hence the younger more technologically advanced group.  I would advise the Old Guard of the Republican Party to capitalize on this situation or face the peril of indecision.  
  
The Republican Party of Coos County should take a stand on this issue and vote in favor of a  party resolution opposing sections 1021 and 1022 of the NDAA on the grounds they are unconstitutional and un-American.  The membership should discuss this issue, along with the county resolution at their next public meeting on Thursday, June 27, 2013.  Then they would be wise to promote their actions to the very people they want to attract to their side of the aisle.
 
The group “Oath Keepers” is having a Town Hall to discuss the NDAA Resolution at the North Bend Library on 1800 Sherman Ave, North Bend, OR ‎ in the large conference room on Monday, July 15, 2013 at 6:00 PM and everyone is encouraged to attend. Here is a link to a Google map: http://goo.gl/maps/rlxTu.  There is more information and current updates on the situation at www.CoosCountyWatchdog.com and sign up for the newsletter to stay informed.   
 
The following day The NDAA Resolution is tentatively on the agenda at the regularly scheduled BOC meeting, which is at 9:30 am on Tuesday July 16, 2013.   People must be present to speak up for their rights.  Tell the Coos County commissioners to support and vote in favor of the resolution against the National Defense Authorization Act, especially when presidents, congressional representatives, and Supreme Court judges have lost their path in the journey as an exceptional Constitutional Republic.  If you do not sign up and speak out,
they will not hear your voice and you will fail to help the cause.   If you cannot attend the BOC meeting, then you can leave a message with the commissioners by dialing 541-396-7535 or email your message to [email protected] , please be polite.  
 
It would be an astonishingly refreshing change to see The Republican Party take a stand for something and demonstrate through their actions that the party of the “Great Emancipator” was more than just hot air and glimmering lights.   
Related Posts:
The Ghost of Tricky Dick
The Better Candidates for the Port of Bandon
Public Meetings on Agenda 21
Support SB478
NO on Measure 6-148 The Bandon Lighting Ordinance
City of Bandon---Outdoor Lighting Ordinance Measure 6-148
Bandon: The City of Ordinances
Keep the Lights ON in Bandon
Public Law 107-40
The National Defense Authorization Act of 2013
The National Fish & Wildlife Foundation
The US Forest Service Is Involved With Another Land Grab in Coos County 
My choices for the Ballot in the General Election of November 2012
The Voice of the Voters
The Administrator
Matt Rowe for Mayor Rally
“Coos County Today”
Silent victory over Urban Renewal in Coos County
There was an incident at the Fair.
The Realm of Business
A Meeting About Nothing....
Comments

The Ghost of Tricky Dick

5/21/2013

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Picture
May 20, 2013

There are those who believe the ghosts of the dead presidents haunt the halls of the White House.  Some believe these spirits have powers to inspire the decisions of current and future Presidents, but it was rather surprising to find that the lingering ghost of Richard Nixon has possessed President Obama.   
 
The President can now claim ignorance for all his ills, because he has found someone new to blame for everything, including his enemy’s list.  It was Nixon’s fault for why the Attorney General’s Office is spying on the Associated Press reporters.  Nixon went as far as to change the talking points on the consulate attack in Benghazi.   The shamed former president whispered into the ear of the Secretary of State and told her to make excuses to the US Senate Hearing about this foreign policy disaster. Nixon cajoled the IRS to bully the Tea Partiers---all for personal political payback.   As President, Nixon despised dissenters and these actions sound like the modus operandi of the paranoid and the guilty.  Yes, it is the ghoulish works of that horrible specter, The Ghost of Tricky Dick. 

The IRS scandal will be the worst one yet for the administration, because everyone has a natural distain for that agency.  The IRS used delaying tactics to stall Tea Party Groups from establishing a “501(c)4”.  The IRS tried obtaining information not pertaining to the process and it was clearly nontax information that the agents requested from these organizations.   Ideology is the reason the IRS tagged their applications.   Three of the targeted grassroots groups are located here in Oregon.  
 
Jeff Kropf from Capital Watch, Richard Burke from Western Liberty Network, and the Pacific Freedom Foundation claim the IRS targeted their groups when they tried to form a non-profit.  Their leaders complained that the IRS harassed them when they applied for tax-exempt status and they believe the agency singled them out, because of their conservative beliefs.  The chill running down your spine is not the conjuring of a passing ghost; it is the cold steel feel of suppression.    
 
The scandals facing President Obama stem from the same old problem that always occurs with big government.  The bigger the government the bigger the problems created by the bureaucracy. Government is a bad manager and the more segments of society and the market that it tries to manage the more times it will fail.  Those systemic failures create scandals that morph into vexations on the soul of any presidency. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy repeated throughout history.  
  
Americans have to become administrative exorcists.   We must learn how to empower ourselves and find the mechanisms to limit the authority of government.  The Foundation for Applied Conservative Leadership has a school to teach people how to deal with these types of progressive poltergeist.   The Republican Party of Coos County is proud to announce plans to have The Political Leadership School teach our residents how to fend-off government ghouls.   
  
The Political Leadership School will be in session on Saturday June 1, 2013, here in Coos County at the Red  Lion Hotel 1313 North Bayshore Dr. Coos Bay, OR 97420.Registration will be between 8:15 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and the class starts promptly at 9:00 a.m. and goes to 5:00 p.m.  The ticket Price is a moderate $35 a person and that includes lunch.  Together, we can take back our liberty and restore America!

The Foundation’s Political Leadership School is not a class on political philosophy or ideas.  This is practical, no
nonsense, and tested information on how to be effective in politics.  

This intense one-day training covers:
 
The Real Nature of Politics - why just "educating" people alone won't result in change
 
The Biggest Lie in Politics - and how the political class uses your convictions against you
 
How to work effectively at the Capitol - getting a bill sponsor and a roll call vote despite the leadership
 
How to build a group - putting pressure on legislators
 
All of the Foundation’s instructors have years of experience putting these principles to work in multiple states, including Oregon.  They have worked for the cause of freedom with organizations such as National Right to Work Committee, National Association for Gun Rights, and Campaign for Liberty as well as federal, state, and local campaigns.  This includes major presidential campaigns and successful campaigns for U.S. Senate and Congress.  They know what works to get politicians to vote properly and protect our individual rights.  

The class will teach you how to turn your passion into effective action.  You can find more information and a link to the class registration form at www.CoosCountyWatchdog.com.  We sincerely hope you can join us before we are all suffering the sinister sounds of rattling chains and aching moans from a ghost of presidents past defensively exclaiming that famous mantra, “I’m not a crook.” 
Related Posts:
The Better Candidates for the Port of Bandon
Public Meetings on Agenda 21
Support SB478
NO on Measure 6-148 The Bandon Lighting Ordinance
City of Bandon---Outdoor Lighting Ordinance Measure 6-148
Bandon: The City of Ordinances
Keep the Lights ON in Bandon
Public Law 107-40
The National Defense Authorization Act of 2013
The National Fish & Wildlife Foundation
The US Forest Service Is Involved With Another Land Grab in Coos County 
My choices for the Ballot in the General Election of November 2012
The Voice of the Voters
The Administrator
Matt Rowe for Mayor Rally
“Coos County Today”
Silent victory over Urban Renewal in Coos County
There was an incident at the Fair.
The Realm of Business
A Meeting About Nothing....
Comments

The Better Candidates for the Port of Bandon

5/18/2013

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Picture
May 7, 2013
 
The race is on, the ballots are out, and it is heating up in the contest for port commissioner of Bandon.
 
It is a simple clear-cut choice.  The voters can pick between two, tax and spend, big-government progressives or two, limited government, fiscal conservatives. 
 
The two incumbents have a record of wasting money on government boondoggles.  During their terms, they used a half a million in tax dollars to buy and restore a perfectly functional private business and turn it into a government flee market, which is a reference to the blue building that is now the green building. 
 
The port was derelict for not having an economic strategic plan in place for several years.  The error caught the commissioners off guard and unprepared. Now the governor is forcing his own plan on the port, which contains stipulations for the cooperation between the port and the US Fish & Wildlife Service, among other federal agencies. It is these types of mistakes eroding public confidence.  The strategic plan will bring in a considerable amount of money from state and federal grants.  The port will use this money for government economic development projects on the port and it would benefit the taxpayer to have someone with self-control over monetaryissues.
 
When the USFWS sent a letter to the port of Bandon concerning the purchase of port property to use for the Bandon Marsh expansion, not one of the incumbents wrote a letter to the editor to inform their constituents. None of the commissioners held a public meeting to inform the people about this federal land grab.  No radio appearances, no ads in the papers, not one TV spot, not one word from the commissioners about this federal invasion.  It took the actions of private citizens to force the port to take a vote on a resolution against the planned expansion.  The incumbents were MIA, missing in action, until recently, when someone challenged their positions on the port.  Now, the port commissioners are palling around with Jon Barton and Sandra Messerle from the South Coast Development Council.   Even Bill Bradbury is making an appearance to endorse his fellow
Democrats. Too bad, they did not do this for the people they represent. 
 
Jill Halliburton is running for position #1 on the port of Bandon and Don Chance is running for position #3.  Both of these candidates have proven their leadership skills with their actions to prevent the restoration of the Coquille Valley as well as their own personal achievements.  
 
Mrs. Halliburton has been successful in building a thriving local business and has actually created jobs in the county, without one dollar in urban renewal money.  Currently, she is serving on the port’s Economic Development Committee were she has worked to curtail government spending.  She was the first person to write a letter alerting the people to the plans of The Service to use our tax dollars to steal the Coquille Valley. Moreover, she is a founder of the non-profit group, Coos County Today.  She is a graduate of OSU and raised her three successful children in the heart of the valley. 
 
Don Chance is a true outdoorsman with a genuine concern for the people who live in southern Oregon.  He has worked on private restoration projects, but has fought admirably against the creation of government wetlands.  Don believes in free market solutions to environmental problems.  He was instrumental in the development of Heritage Place and served as the first Chief Administrator of this facility, which was a complex project requiring cooperation with many, diverse regulatory agencies and local stakeholders..  
  
Mr. Chance moved to the southern coast of Oregon after serving for six years in the US Navy as a hospital corpsman, primarily with the US Marine Corps, and then he worked for a number of years in the long-term care
industry.
 
On May 21, you will have the chance to vote for two bold and fresh people for the port of Bandon and replace the stagnation. If you are happy with the status-quo then vote for the same old, same old incumbents, but do not complain when the port is stuck with the same results.  Try something new and vote for Don Chance for position #3 and Jill Halliburton for position #1.  
Related Posts:
Public Meetings on Agenda 21
Support SB478
NO on Measure 6-148 The Bandon Lighting Ordinance
City of Bandon---Outdoor Lighting Ordinance Measure 6-148
Bandon: The City of Ordinances
Keep the Lights ON in Bandon
Public Law 107-40
The National Defense Authorization Act of 2013
The National Fish & Wildlife Foundation
The US Forest Service Is Involved With Another Land Grab in Coos County 
My choices for the Ballot in the General Election of November 2012
The Voice of the Voters
The Administrator
Matt Rowe for Mayor Rally
“Coos County Today”
Silent victory over Urban Renewal in Coos County
There was an incident at the Fair.
The Realm of Business
A Meeting About Nothing....
Comments

Public Meetings on Agenda 21

4/24/2013

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Picture
April 22, 2013
 
Before any great construction there has to be a plan, the United Nations, with the cooperation of the U.S. federal government, has plans to construct a matrix to control, catalog, and compartmentalize all the natural resources and every living species on the entire planet.  The plan has a name and it is very real.  It is the agenda, AGENDA 21.
 
It is not a conspiracy theory or a plot to a spy thriller, because there are millions of easily accessible official government documents pertaining to this subject. There is so much of an overabundance of quantitative and qualitative evidence of this agenda that it is impossible for anyone to deny the existence of this plan.  However, there seems to be a stigmatic component to the discussion of any aspects of the Agenda or its effects on the  public domain.  Lucky for the people of Coos County, there are those brave enough to trek headfirst into this  quagmire of political intrigue.   
   
The nonprofit organization “Coos County Today” will be having two meetings, one in Bandon, and one in Coquille, to discuss the subject of Local Agenda 21.  
  
The first meeting will be held on Saturday, April 27, 2013 at 11:00 AM in the Bandon Library located at 1204 11th St SW Bandon OR 97411.  The meeting will take place in the large conference room.  
  
The Second meeting on this subject is on Saturday, May 4, 2013 at 11:00 AM in the Large Conference Room of the Owen Building located on 225 N. Adams Street Coquille OR  97423. For more information, please contact me, Rob Taylor at [email protected] or check out my website at www.CoosCountyWatchdog.com.  
 
I will be giving a power point presentation on Local Agenda 21 and the astounding growth of federal land acquisitions in Oregon and more specifically the Coquille Valley.  Other members of the group, Don Chance  & Jill Halliburton, will be speaking on future strategies for property owners in Coos County.  Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend this family friendly event.  We will have gourmet coffee and cookies available at both events, as long as supplies last.   
  
The group Americans for Prosperity will be having Lieutenant Robert Powell, Retired U.S. Coast Guard as their main speaker for their groups next meeting on Thursday, May 9th, 2013 starting at 5:30 p.m. in the ESD Building located on 1350 Teakwood Avenue Coos Bay OR 97420.   This event is a Potluck Dinner, so please bring your favorite dish.   
 
Lt. Powell will be discussing the liberty damaging factors of Agenda 21 currently occurring in Crook County.  The county officials there have passed an ordinance restricting gatherings on private property,  Ordinance #235.  One new county ordinance, Ordinance #259, adopts new zoning maps from the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, which will further restrict the rights of property owners.  There are many in Crook County who are openly opposing the counties transportation plan, healthy cities campaign and of course, the instillation of smart meters.  All these meetings are open to the public and are recorded and videotaped for posterity.  
  
Eventually the Agenda will affect you and your family, so it would behoove you to educate yourself on what is happening in the community.  The recent “Dark Skies” lighting ordinance passed by the Bandon City council and then defeated by a referendum vote of the people, is very much part of Local Agenda 21.   The planned expansion of the Bandon marsh and the closure of the sand dunes to off-roaders are also part of the agenda and these are just a few examples of what is taking place in our county.  The people of this country are duty  bound to learn about the alternatives and political mechanisms to stop AGENDA 21 or suffer the consequences of its implementation. 
Related Posts:
Support SB478
NO on Measure 6-148 The Bandon Lighting Ordinance
City of Bandon---Outdoor Lighting Ordinance Measure 6-148
Bandon: The City of Ordinances
Keep the Lights ON in Bandon
Public Law 107-40
The National Defense Authorization Act of 2013
The National Fish & Wildlife Foundation
The US Forest Service Is Involved With Another Land Grab in Coos County 
My choices for the Ballot in the General Election of November 2012
The Voice of the Voters
The Administrator
Matt Rowe for Mayor Rally
“Coos County Today”
Silent victory over Urban Renewal in Coos County
There was an incident at the Fair.
The Realm of Business
A Meeting About Nothing....
Comments
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