Dear Editor –
There is no Season like Political Season to bring out the Chicken Littles among us. If every sky fell that these cluckers say is going to fall, we'd be in darkness. But we're not. Life goes on. And yes, the
sun will rise in the East on November Fifth, regardless.
So, just what is it the Naysayers and Natterers are saying about this “Voice of the Voters” Coos
County Home Rule Charter? Plenty! And they've got it all wrong. (Again.)
Let's start with, The Charter creates nine new positions! How will we pay for them and all their
perks! Well, let's see. The Veteran's officer already exists. So does the Human Resource Director.
Likewise, the two wildlife services officers, and the Forestry guy. The Maintenance Chief and the
Procurement person can be designated from existing staff. That leaves us with two: The two new
commissioners that will be elected next May.
Two new commissioners are one of the featured highlights of this Home Rule Charter. It brings the
total of commissioners to five with four being required to vote “AYE” for an issue to pass. This is a
tremendous protection for the voters: no more two people passing rules that impact 63,000 citizens!
Let's continue with, We're going to have to vote every day! Every week! ...Every morning, the Red
Button or the Green Button! Cluck, cluck... The State sets up four voting days a year: March, May,
September, and November. Surely any qualified commissioner could preplan sufficiently to place any
needed ballots on the calendar for one of those dates? There is no need whatsoever for any special
ballots, not if commissioners are competent.
Here's some more. It's going to hogtie the county government! It's going to slow down county
government! Yes, they've grasped it, however dimly. That is one of the chief goals of the Charter, to
slow things down to a point that the voters get a chance to see what is actually going on behind all
those closed doors. This is a very good thing. It will result in some very enlightened votes by the
people.
Are you ready for this one? The administrative costs may be... millions! The reference here is to the
costs of putting information on the county web site and making available copies of certain ordinances
and documents in the county commissioners' office. How much does each keystroke cost, anyway?
This information should already be available; it shouldn't take this Charter to make it available to you.
This one is fun! The meetings will last six hours! The meetings will last two days! What they are
going on about is the requirement that you be allowed to speak at county meetings, be allowed to ask
questions of your commissioners on any issues before them, before they vote. Imagine that! You get to
be part of the proceedings. And yes, the first couple meetings might be long. We have suggested to the
commissioners that they provide snacks. We were greeted with stony silence.
And this is probably the corker of them all. Why not three to vote in something? Why four? You'll
never get four to agree to anything! This “four” is in place to protect the voters. If four people cannot
agree on an issue that is to impact 63,000 then they can just take it back to the drawing board. This is
not a difficult concept...
The Naysayers don't want this Home Rule Charter because it upends certain perks and privileges,
disturbs the Status Quo. Yes it does. And this is a good thing.
Jaye Belle
There is no Season like Political Season to bring out the Chicken Littles among us. If every sky fell that these cluckers say is going to fall, we'd be in darkness. But we're not. Life goes on. And yes, the
sun will rise in the East on November Fifth, regardless.
So, just what is it the Naysayers and Natterers are saying about this “Voice of the Voters” Coos
County Home Rule Charter? Plenty! And they've got it all wrong. (Again.)
Let's start with, The Charter creates nine new positions! How will we pay for them and all their
perks! Well, let's see. The Veteran's officer already exists. So does the Human Resource Director.
Likewise, the two wildlife services officers, and the Forestry guy. The Maintenance Chief and the
Procurement person can be designated from existing staff. That leaves us with two: The two new
commissioners that will be elected next May.
Two new commissioners are one of the featured highlights of this Home Rule Charter. It brings the
total of commissioners to five with four being required to vote “AYE” for an issue to pass. This is a
tremendous protection for the voters: no more two people passing rules that impact 63,000 citizens!
Let's continue with, We're going to have to vote every day! Every week! ...Every morning, the Red
Button or the Green Button! Cluck, cluck... The State sets up four voting days a year: March, May,
September, and November. Surely any qualified commissioner could preplan sufficiently to place any
needed ballots on the calendar for one of those dates? There is no need whatsoever for any special
ballots, not if commissioners are competent.
Here's some more. It's going to hogtie the county government! It's going to slow down county
government! Yes, they've grasped it, however dimly. That is one of the chief goals of the Charter, to
slow things down to a point that the voters get a chance to see what is actually going on behind all
those closed doors. This is a very good thing. It will result in some very enlightened votes by the
people.
Are you ready for this one? The administrative costs may be... millions! The reference here is to the
costs of putting information on the county web site and making available copies of certain ordinances
and documents in the county commissioners' office. How much does each keystroke cost, anyway?
This information should already be available; it shouldn't take this Charter to make it available to you.
This one is fun! The meetings will last six hours! The meetings will last two days! What they are
going on about is the requirement that you be allowed to speak at county meetings, be allowed to ask
questions of your commissioners on any issues before them, before they vote. Imagine that! You get to
be part of the proceedings. And yes, the first couple meetings might be long. We have suggested to the
commissioners that they provide snacks. We were greeted with stony silence.
And this is probably the corker of them all. Why not three to vote in something? Why four? You'll
never get four to agree to anything! This “four” is in place to protect the voters. If four people cannot
agree on an issue that is to impact 63,000 then they can just take it back to the drawing board. This is
not a difficult concept...
The Naysayers don't want this Home Rule Charter because it upends certain perks and privileges,
disturbs the Status Quo. Yes it does. And this is a good thing.
Jaye Belle
Related Posts:
LTE~ #CoosCounty Citizens have to Take Control & Support the County Charter
LTE~ Response to "The World" Article on the "Home Rule" Charter in #CoosCounty
Letter to Editor ~ In Defense of the Charter for #CoosCounty
MGX~The Irony of Barton Complaining on Proposed #CoosCounty Charter
Oregonian Prints Article on Landowners & Eminent Domain for #JordanCove
Letter to Editor---Curry County Charter does not equal Coos County Charter
BOC---Shared State-County Services and Mosquito Abatement
Letter to Editor---Jordon Cove Expects Tax Relief
Agenda 21---Sustainable Development & Regionalism
Community Vs. Collectivism
Regionalism - The Blueprint for Your Serfdom
Letter to Editor---WHY DID THE CHARTER BALLOT MEASURE 6-143 NOT PASS?
BOC---Regulatory Streamlining and why they want an Administrator
LTE~ #CoosCounty Citizens have to Take Control & Support the County Charter
LTE~ Response to "The World" Article on the "Home Rule" Charter in #CoosCounty
Letter to Editor ~ In Defense of the Charter for #CoosCounty
MGX~The Irony of Barton Complaining on Proposed #CoosCounty Charter
Oregonian Prints Article on Landowners & Eminent Domain for #JordanCove
Letter to Editor---Curry County Charter does not equal Coos County Charter
BOC---Shared State-County Services and Mosquito Abatement
Letter to Editor---Jordon Cove Expects Tax Relief
Agenda 21---Sustainable Development & Regionalism
Community Vs. Collectivism
Regionalism - The Blueprint for Your Serfdom
Letter to Editor---WHY DID THE CHARTER BALLOT MEASURE 6-143 NOT PASS?
BOC---Regulatory Streamlining and why they want an Administrator
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