The Sentinel 07/25/2012
THE TEA PARTYER
July 23, 2012
Anyone who has ever read my articles knows from the lack of journalistic quality that I am an activist and not a writer. In turn, this also means there will be times when I have to report on my own actions to inform the public of current issues. This article is a public notice to the Bandon City Council and it will be helpful to anyone in the public who might want to learn about the subject. It is a message intended to inform the councilors that a group of us will be filling a Referendum Petition on the new Lighting Ordinance.
The Bandon city council denied me the opportunity to speak at the last city council meeting, or otherwise they would know of this endeavor. If we are successful in a referendum petition it will trigger a March election, which will cost the city up to $5,000 in tax dollars. There are added costs to special elections. The timing of the vote is set by The Council, so they are solely responsible for the schedule we have to follow.
Please, Councilors, reconsider the motion and either table the measure until it can be put on a May or Nov ballot or just vote against this harassing law. Here are the factors why: One, we only missed completing the last petition by 28 signatures and it rained heavily the entire time. This time the weather will be much more agreeable to gathering signatures. Two, the last issue had an unanimous vote, but this time one councilor voted against the measure demonstrating a level of opposition on the council. Three, our group has grown and we have a much more organized political force. Four, we have learned from the mistakes of our last petition
and are better prepared. Five, this is a black and white issue and not nearly as convoluted as a petition on
Urban Renewal. Six, The US Fish & Wildlife Service is promoting this ordinance. The Service is already responsible for the Bandon marsh expansion and has no business influencing local law.
Bandon is dark enough. In fact, the name of our committee is going to be "The Committee to Keep the Lights ON in Bandon." It’s catchy, huh?
The lighting atmosphere is perfectly fine in our small town and there is no need for more city regulations.
The Dark/Starry Skies ordinance deals with much more than just the direction of light, conservation, or the consideration for neighbors or wildlife. I have read the ordinance, but unlike the Bandon city council, I can comprehend the negative ramifications of these new intrusive regulations. Of course, nobody knows what unintended consequences will occur after this over-reaching law is passed. Unintended consequences never seem to be the concern of politicians who want to create regulations for the pursuit of leftist ideology.
The major problem with this law is that it gives the city total authority to tell property owners what kind of outdoor lighting they can utilize, which is NOT the domain of government. The city does not know what kind of lighting people will need to make their property safer or how to accommodate the needs of everyone. Part of the ordinance would make it illegal to have lighting on your deck, if the deck is facing the ocean or can be seen by your neighbors. The enforcement of this law is questionable. All of this is subjective and will lead to serious abuses. Given that the city body has proved that it can be vindictive against people with whom they do not agree it is not a matter of if it will happen, but when. It will be similar to when the city rejected someone having access to water, merely on the grounds that that person opposed annexation.
Thank you for taking the time to read this—the time you, the councilors, should have allowed me to speak at the last city council meeting. The Bandon City Council is supposed to be a reflection of its constituents and the council should end its constant heavy-handed manipulation of the system to affect ending results.
Here is a link to information concerning this referendum:
www.CoosCountyWatchdog.com
“Rob Taylor was the original organizer of the TEA Parties in Coos County and is currently an independent activist working to promote the rights of the individual.”
THE TEA PARTYER
July 23, 2012
Anyone who has ever read my articles knows from the lack of journalistic quality that I am an activist and not a writer. In turn, this also means there will be times when I have to report on my own actions to inform the public of current issues. This article is a public notice to the Bandon City Council and it will be helpful to anyone in the public who might want to learn about the subject. It is a message intended to inform the councilors that a group of us will be filling a Referendum Petition on the new Lighting Ordinance.
The Bandon city council denied me the opportunity to speak at the last city council meeting, or otherwise they would know of this endeavor. If we are successful in a referendum petition it will trigger a March election, which will cost the city up to $5,000 in tax dollars. There are added costs to special elections. The timing of the vote is set by The Council, so they are solely responsible for the schedule we have to follow.
Please, Councilors, reconsider the motion and either table the measure until it can be put on a May or Nov ballot or just vote against this harassing law. Here are the factors why: One, we only missed completing the last petition by 28 signatures and it rained heavily the entire time. This time the weather will be much more agreeable to gathering signatures. Two, the last issue had an unanimous vote, but this time one councilor voted against the measure demonstrating a level of opposition on the council. Three, our group has grown and we have a much more organized political force. Four, we have learned from the mistakes of our last petition
and are better prepared. Five, this is a black and white issue and not nearly as convoluted as a petition on
Urban Renewal. Six, The US Fish & Wildlife Service is promoting this ordinance. The Service is already responsible for the Bandon marsh expansion and has no business influencing local law.
Bandon is dark enough. In fact, the name of our committee is going to be "The Committee to Keep the Lights ON in Bandon." It’s catchy, huh?
The lighting atmosphere is perfectly fine in our small town and there is no need for more city regulations.
The Dark/Starry Skies ordinance deals with much more than just the direction of light, conservation, or the consideration for neighbors or wildlife. I have read the ordinance, but unlike the Bandon city council, I can comprehend the negative ramifications of these new intrusive regulations. Of course, nobody knows what unintended consequences will occur after this over-reaching law is passed. Unintended consequences never seem to be the concern of politicians who want to create regulations for the pursuit of leftist ideology.
The major problem with this law is that it gives the city total authority to tell property owners what kind of outdoor lighting they can utilize, which is NOT the domain of government. The city does not know what kind of lighting people will need to make their property safer or how to accommodate the needs of everyone. Part of the ordinance would make it illegal to have lighting on your deck, if the deck is facing the ocean or can be seen by your neighbors. The enforcement of this law is questionable. All of this is subjective and will lead to serious abuses. Given that the city body has proved that it can be vindictive against people with whom they do not agree it is not a matter of if it will happen, but when. It will be similar to when the city rejected someone having access to water, merely on the grounds that that person opposed annexation.
Thank you for taking the time to read this—the time you, the councilors, should have allowed me to speak at the last city council meeting. The Bandon City Council is supposed to be a reflection of its constituents and the council should end its constant heavy-handed manipulation of the system to affect ending results.
Here is a link to information concerning this referendum:
www.CoosCountyWatchdog.com
“Rob Taylor was the original organizer of the TEA Parties in Coos County and is currently an independent activist working to promote the rights of the individual.”
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