Coos County Watchdog


  • Home >>>
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Links
    • Whistle-Blower’s Page
  • Blog >>>
    • Info Blogs
  • Issues >>>
    • Johnson Creek Dam
    • Jury Nullification >
      • Jury Nullification on Facebook
    • More Choices in Bandon
    • NO Bandon Marsh Expansion >
      • Bandon Marsh Expansion on Facebook
    • Second Amendment Sanctuary Ordinance >
      • S.A.S.O on FB
    • State of Jefferson >
      • State of Jefferson on Facebook
    • The Coos County Charter
    • Urban Renewal Information

Commissioner Candidate Refuses to Disclose Answers to a Questionnaire

9/14/2014

Comments

 
Picture
Published September 8, 2014

Commissioner Candidate Refuses to Disclose Answers to a Questionnaire

Does nondisclosure mean a candidate is deceitful?

Recently, the Coos County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a Memorandum of Understanding allowing the Coquille Indian Tribe to add 84.3 miles of county road inventory to the Tribal Transportation Program, obligating the county to more regulation in exchange for federal funding.   

In the MOU it states, “Allowing the Tribe to include these roads on the TTP Inventory simply allows the Tribe the opportunity to provide potential funding to future roadway improvement projects.”
Coquille Tribe Letter, Tripp, to Coos County, Rowe, May 12, 2014
File Size: 94 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

MOU Between Coos County & Coquille Indian Tribe August 5, 2014
File Size: 139 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

What the MOU does not entail is that the commissioners may have eliminated the ability of the county’s Road Department to scrutinize road improvement projects, because they obligated the road repairs to the will of a third party.  It may even cause delays in scheduling repairs that should receive a higher priority.  The tribe will have the choice of setting the timing of these projects and the arrangement gives them the ability to choose the companies that will receive the contracts---all of which eliminates the county’s economic flexibility.  The tribe will also be able to use the federal money to leverage the management of the Wagon Road lands and other timber issues.  

The money comes from the Federal Highway Administration, so the taxpayers of Coos County are still paying for the improvements.  The only difference is the money is coming from a much larger taxing pool. 

Many in the public objected to this covert agreement between the county and the tribe, especially when all three county commissioners had to recuse themselves from the first vote, until upon receiving legal counsel.  During the campaign for commissioner, Mellissa Cribbons promised to recuse herself from all votes concerning the Coquille Indian Tribe, since she was one of their former lobbyists.  Unfortunately, in the end, all three commissioners voted in favor of the deal showing the real value of political promises.  

It would have been beneficial for the voter to know this information about the candidates before casting their ballots.  

Picture
The only commissioner up for reelection this fall is incumbent, John Sweet, so it was disconcerting that upon request, he still refuses to release his answers to a questionnaire from the Coquille Indian Tribe, which was given to all the commissioner candidates during the last election cycle.  Why would a candidate oppose releasing these answers?  What is Mr. Sweet hiding? 

The lack of disclosure goes against the integrity of the candidate.  These answers are very important for the voter, because the questions from the tribe cover several important issues that the BOC will face in the future.  The Coquille Indian Tribe functions as a sovereign government and the distinction allows them certain legal abilities that are not granted to other organizations, and certainly not advantageous to the county.  It is this point the commissioners should be very carefully to consider, while negotiating with this group or any foreign nation.  

The questionnaire from the Coquille Indian Tribe covered a variety of topics with seventeen questions. 
Coquille Indian Tribe Candidate Questions 2012
File Size: 1195 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Question 3:   If forced to make budget cuts, what programs would you try to protect?  (How do we express our interest?) 

Question 4:   For many years, Coos County and the Coquille Indian Tribe have worked to develop a cooperative approach (see www.wagonroad.org) to the management of the federal Coos Bay Wagon Road lands.  Our Proposal would generate and sustain thousands of jobs and make Coos County self-sufficient from federal timber “safety net” payments.  Do you support enactment of this proposal by the U.S. Congress?  Please explain the reasons for your answer.   

 Question 6:   What is your position on Indian Gaming and its future in Oregon?  Do you support the right of Oregon’s Tribe to offer gaming? 

 Question 7:   What changes, if any, would you make to the Federal Endangered Species Act to make it more effective in recovering species and minimizing its impact to rural economies? 

 Question 9:   Western Oregon tribes were terminated in the 1950’s and lost their land base.  To this day, these tribes struggle to regain a fraction of their traditional territory and place it in trust with the Bureau of Indian Affairs.  This process is laborious and the backlog of trust applications is significant.  Trust land is exempt from Oregon property taxes.  Would you support changes in law to improve the process for Oregon tribes to have lands placed into trust?  Why or why not? 

 Question 14: What is your position on making the Oregon Reservation Enterprise Zone program a permanent law? 

 All of these are good questions and everyone deserves to know how the candidates answered.  However, the fact Commissioner Sweet refuses to present his answers may not mean he is deceitful, but it does appear to be inappropriate, and some might say, “The appearance of impropriety is impropriety.” 

Related Posts:
Commissioners Campaign Contributors are Champions of Corporate Welfare
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
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

Comments

    Categories

    All
    A.F.P.
    Agenda 21
    Bandon
    B.I.A.
    B.L.M.
    Coos Bay
    Coos County
    Coos County
    Coquille
    County Charter
    Curry County
    C.W.A.
    Democratic Party
    D.E.Q.
    Eco Devo
    Eco Devo
    Economic Development
    Educational
    Elections
    E.P.A.
    F.D.A.
    F.E.M.A.
    Individual Rights
    I Spy Radio
    Jury Nullification
    Legislation
    Letter To Editor
    Mary Geddry
    N.D.A.A.
    News Wave
    N.O.A.A.
    North Bend
    O&C Land
    O.D.F.W.
    O.D.O.T.
    O.F.F.
    O.H.A.
    O.P.R.D.
    O.R.C. Mining
    O.W.E.B.
    P.E.R.S.
    Petitions
    Port Of Coos Bay
    Public Comments
    Public Events
    Regulation
    Republican Party
    S.A.O.V.A.
    State Of Jefferson
    The Bandon Marsh
    The Economy
    The Rob Taylor Report
    The Supreme Court
    The Tea Party
    Urban Renewal
    U.S.A.C.E.
    U.S.D.A.
    U.S.F.S
    U.S.F.W.S.

    Sign-Up Now to Stay Informed

    * indicates required

    View previous campaigns.

    Send Letters to:
    ​cooscountywatchdog@gmail.com​

    Disclaimer: Letters to the Editor and other opinions published in The Coos County Watchdog blog are not necessarily the views of the Editor, Publisher, or possible anyone else in their right mind.  The Watchdog reserves the right to edit, omit, or copy any and all submissions. 
    Letters to the Editor must be attributed with a name, address, and contact phone number. 

    WARNING:
    Political correctness is not practiced on this
    page & some content is inappropriate

    RSS Feed


    Archives

    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photo used under Creative Commons from DieselDemon