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August 13, 2009 Opinions |
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—Editorial—
Let The People Decide!
Although we don't agree with the way the Baker City Council's firing of City Manager Steve Brocato was handled, we are disappointed in City Councilors Milo Pope, Andrew Bryan and Sam Bass's decision to actively solicit signatures for the recall of Councilors Beverly Calder and Dennis Dorrah.
Pope, Bryan and Bass voted against the firing of Brocato earlier this year and Calder and Dorrah joined Councilors Clair Button and Aletha Bonebrake, creating a majority in favor of firing Brocato. At the time the recall was initiated Button and Bonebrake had not been in office long enough to be included in the recall. However, we don’t know if it was/is anyone’s intent to recall them as well.
We feel the duty of conducting a recall and soliciting signatures should be left up to the citizens/voters of the community and not fellow councilors/elected city officials who share the same office. Councilors should be concentrating on the business of running the city and not on ousting each other out of office. The recall petition was initiated by voters, and it should be carried out by voters.
We agree with Councilor Bryan who said the discontent he has with councilors who voted to fire Brocato is in the way they carried it out and their lack of professionalism. He said for that reason he is becoming active in the recall, and he remains neutral on whether or not Brocato should be reinstated. Even so, we don’t think actively trying to vacate a fellow councilor's seat is healthy for the City or of value to the community.
We've witnessed some pretty big disagreements and even rip roaring arguments between councilors over the years, which is very healthy and invaluable in helping them reach a decision. But they have always managed to come to some sort of agreement.
We have more than one councilor elected into office so the group, together, can reach a consensus on issues facing the city. That doesn’t mean that councilors can’t state their opinions or disagree in the media or to the public, even against the council majority, but it doesn’t inspire much confidence in the people of the community when they try to have each other recalled.
Routing complaints through the proper channels as Milo Pope has also done with sending a letter to the Ethics Commission about Calder (although, so far we haven’t seen any evidence of anything unethical) is a much better solution than getting involved in a recall. Better yet, councilors could seek resolution to an ethics concern as a group. But once again, they would need to acknowledge that city charter dictates that the majority rules in these decisions too. And all of the councilors — including those making up the majority in decisions — were elected by the citizens to represent them.
As it stands now, it appears we have a divided council, which is detrimental to any city. So there may indeed need to be some reshuffling of council seats, but again that’s not up to the councilors to decide.
In the mean time while the community is sorting this out, the personal feelings councilors have for each other should be set aside and the three councilors participating in the recall efforts should let the voters take care of it. It's time to get back to the business of running the city and creating economic development, developing improved ordinances, and getting the biggest bang for our tax bucks.
As we stated, we don't agree with the way Brocato was fired, but the city council voted and the majority wanted him to go. The Councilors already had their vote. Now it's time to let the people in the community decide whether or not the councilors voting to fire Brocato should be recalled because of their decision or the way they handled it.
Citizens for the most part respect their elected official's opinions or they wouldn't have voted for them in the first place. Now it’s time for councilors to respect those who put them into office. Let the same democracy that put you in office to serve the people, be the ones to take others out of office.
—Letters To The Editor—
Guardian Is Good
To The Record-Courier:
Guardian Home Health is a wonderful resource for all of Baker County.
Recently I had knee replacement surgery. The orthopedic surgeon requested Guardian Home Care to assist in my recovery and they contacted me when I returned home.
The nurses and the physical therapist are very professional. They have made my recovery much easier. I can fully recommend their services to anyone recovering from major surgery or a debilitating illness.
Frances Burgess
Baker City, Ore.
The Laws Are On The Books
To The Record-Courier:
In reading in articles, in past R.C. “letters” the issues about the U.S.F.S. and the required EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) and the 1974 Federal Environmental Management Act, that the F.S. is mandated by this act to over sight. This 1974 act has since been revised by the 1988 Revised EPA rules (40CFR440) that the F.S. seems to ignore that up-dates the “clean water act” and “pollution” especially to navigable waters and “non” navigable waters that was mandated by the Regulatory Flexibility Act (PL96) (RFA) that restricts the State’s and Federal regulatory agencies from oppressive over regulatory rules and regulation that over regulates small business entities and “non” business citizens, that doesn’t have the financial resources, I.E., attorney, etc. that the large “corporate” (fascism) have at their disposal to the exclusive monopoly of the use of capitalism to small scale capitalism of entrepreneur (enterprise) (no competition).
In the wording of “environmentalism”, alone by the EIS statement, by the F.S. was shot down by the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 1987 Granit Rock vs. California Coastal Com. (case law) in that the “collusive” of “eco gestopos” of the environmental movement to the radical left wing to water, air and land control or “nationalization” of the three basic needs (excluding bogus $) of U.S. citizens.
The laws are on the books folks, by the U.S. Supreme Court’s rulings, U.S. codes under Federal U.S. Congressional Acts of the past, I.E., RS2477 Ways (pre 1976 acts) and statutory authority under the Supremacy Clause, U.S. Constitutional Law Act IV, of constitution requirements but the State’s and Federal unelected officials seem to ignore that the civil liberties violations only the Stats” like the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Environmentalism Extremes, Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the “power” brokers use to expediency it affords the “Law of the Agents”. This should be put down by local government.
Bruce Park
Sumpter, Ore.
Cash For Clunkers Peanuts Compared To Maintenance
To The Record-Courier:
Understandably the “Cash for Clunkers” program is wildly popular among new car dealers, car makers and those consumers who have the ability to buy a new vehicle. However, the majority of Americans cannot afford a new car payment today, but they probably can afford to trade up to a newer used vehicle or make their current vehicle more fuel-efficient.
Routine vehicle maintenance for an entire year costs a consumer less than a single monthly new car payment and would be significantly more successful in reducing gasoline use and pollution than “Cash for Clunkers.” Vehicle maintenance would save consumers $30 billion in gasoline a year vs. spending $3 billion in taxpayer dollars to buy new cars.
While “Cash for Clunkers” is estimated to save 72 million gallons of gasoline each year, simple vehicle maintenance would save more than 12 billion gallons of gasoline a year – an amount equivalent to all of the gasoline used in Illinois, Michigan and Connecticut in one year. Additionally, vehicle maintenance does not require destroying perfectly good used vehicles that could be sold or donated to people who cannot afford a new car.
Doesn’t it make more sense to give a tax credit or other incentive to the majority of Americans to improve the fuel efficiency, safety and dependability of their current vehicle, rather than taking their tax dollars to help a small minority of consumers and pump up new car dealer profits?
Sincerely,
Kathleen Schmatz
President & CEO
Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA)
Bethesda, MD
Thanks For Enriching Our Lives
To The Record-Courier:
I want to take a moment and give special recognition to the Baker City Oregon Employment Department, the Baker County Public Library and the Crossroads Art Center for helping to enrich thousands of lives every year in Baker County.
The Baker City Oregon Employment Department helps people with finding a new job. The Baker County Public Library helps people with expanding their knowledge and understanding of our world. The Crossroads Art Center helps people with discovering creative self-empowerment through displayed art and art education.
Employment departments, public libraries and community art centers naturally enrich human life on many levels. Without the hard work and dedication of these important businesses in Baker City, the overall quality of human life in Baker County would greatly suffer and make our daily existences feel very gloomy.
If people truly had to suffer, nobody in Baker County would have a job and every business would be shut down for good. This would include city hall, gas stations, banks, schools, grocery stores, hospitals, fire departments and local law enforcement agencies. Nobody would have access to free books or free public Internet services and nobody would be able to personally witness a beautiful display of twenty original watercolor paintings. We would still have our basic freedoms as American citizens, but no real life to enjoy them.
Please take a few minutes and join me in personally thanking the Baker City Oregon Employment Department, the Baker County Public Library and the Crossroads Art Center for their unwavering devotion to significantly enriching human life in our small town communities. How would your current lifestyle drastically alter today without their strong dedication and local support? Thank you.
Scott Ungerecht
Baker City
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