by Ralph Martin, Harbor Community Action Committee
Editor:
At the Commissioner Candidate Forums I heard the line, “You get the government you pay for,” repeated over and over. If you believe we are getting the government we pay for from the Federal Government on down, either you are very naïve or you’re not paying attention.
We have Marlyn Schafer, the person most responsible for the financial mess the County is in, and seven new candidates that are looking to be paid an $84,000 a year pay and benefit package, when they are all vying for a learner’s permit.
They all say you can’t get good volunteers. All you have to do is look at the volunteer County Planning Commissioners who are much more professional than the current crop of County Commissioners and that argument doesn’t hold water. If you really want to see why the current Commissioners are putting in so many hours to do their jobs, one only has to watch a County Commissioner meeting in person or on cable channel 99. What you will see is government by giggles and guffaws. The lack of professionalism is very apparent.
The candidates have all adopted the Schafer philosophy that this job takes 50 – 60 hours a week. With Home Rule and an experienced professional County Administrator, the Commissioners job becomes part time and as advisory policy setters only. There is no need for the Commissioners to micro-manage the department heads as they do now. The job of the Commissioners would be to hire good people, then get out of the way and let them do their job.
During the candidates forum, I heard a lot of totally impractical pie in the sky ideas on ways to bail the County out. Not once did I hear a candidate say they would look for ways to eliminate unnecessary positions.
For the good of us all, sign the petition and vote for the Charter when it’s placed on the ballot in November.
The next Harbor Community Action Committee (HCAC) meeting is Monday April 21st at 10:00 at the Harbor Fire Hall. The meeting is open to any Curry County citizen interested in helping to bring about a more transparent, volunteer based, Home Rule Charter govenment.
County Clerk Renee Kolen announced that because of old vote counting machines that do not receive support or updates from the manufacturer, the County will be forced to use a different vote counting machine.
The change will mean filling in a box instead of the usual completing and arrow. The change over from optical to digital will also mean the voter is no longer restricted to the number 2 pencil. Pens will be allowed.
An illustration and more information is included here from the information sent from the Elections Office.
Curry County Clerk, Renee’ Kolen reminds Curry residents that the deadline to register to vote in the May 20th Presidential Primary Election is April 29, 2008.
“If you wish to vote in the May 20th Primary Election and you are not currently registered or if you are not affiliated with a major political party and you wish to participate in the nomination of a republican or democratic candidate in the primary, your registration must reach the county elections office by April 29th” said Kolen.
Voters registering by mail should mail their cards early in order for the registration card to be received by the deadline. Mail registration cards to Curry County Clerk/Elections Division, PO Box 746, Gold Beach, OR 97444.
Voter registration cards are available at your local city hall, post office, library, on line at www.sos.state.or.us or contact the County Clerk’s Elections Office so they can make arrangements to get you registered.
Ballot packets will be mailed out to registered voters between May 2nd and May 6th. If you have not received your ballot packet by May 12th, or need help in registering, please call Kolen’s office at (541) 247-3297 or toll free at (877) 739-4218.
The Harbor Community Action Committee (HCAC) held its regular monthly meeting on Monday April 7, 2008 at the Harbor Fire Hall.
There were about 30 members on hand to discuss several business issues and listen to several presentations, but the main issue concerns the on-going struggles in getting Public Documents from the County.
Ironically, the Board Of Commissioners were holding their bi-weekly regular meeting in Gold Beach at the very same time, and one of their main issues was the passage of a 19 page, newly updated Public Records policy.
Some felt, after reviewing a copy of the document, that it may become “nearly impossible” to get reasonable access to public documents because of all the conditions and fees that the proposed new policy places on inspection and copies. In many instances, a review of the document by County Counsel Gerald Herbage will be necessary and may be included in the total expense of obtaining the information. Herbage will apparently have the right to “redact” what he deems appropriate.
Board member Tom Huxley said most likely the policy will “be challenged” possibly in a formal way. Huxley had recently obtained a month’s worth of Commissioners email correspondence and felt the $160 dollar charge was unreasonable because they could have all been digitally transmitted by email, and did not have to be copied on paper at all.
Publisher Jay Stoler also spoke on the frustration of trying to get public documents posted to the County Website, or sent via email for news purposes. Stoler felt it was reasonable to expect digital transmission and/or posting of public information via Internet in Curry County because it exists on County computers and should be accessible to the public. Stoler offered to donate web hosting and a domain for the group to post its mission and messages.
HCAC Chairman Ralph Martin told the group that the actual committee to write and change the County Charter would be formed under a different name than HCAC and all the appropriate legal papers would be filed very soon.
Representatives Gary Schulz and Delos Divine. from the Oregon Forestry Department gave a fine presentation on the overview of the laws and regulations governing forest and pasture land, and their role in protecting, enforcing and working with local residents. They answered many questions from the group and stayed afterward to talk with individuals about their specific issues.
Curry County Clerk, Renee’ Kolen reminds Curry residents that the deadline to register to vote in the May 20th Presidential Primary Election is April 29, 2008.
HCAC Chairman Ralph Martin told the group that the actual committee to write and change the County Charter would be formed under a different name than HCAC and all the appropriate legal papers would be filed very soon.
