The nature of the encroachment upon American constitution is such, as to grow every day more and more encroaching. Like a cancer; it eats faster and faster every hour. The revenue creates pensioners, and the pensioners urge for more revenue.The seekers more numerous and more corrupt, and every day increases the circles of their dependents and vanity, luxury, foppery, selfishness, meanness, and downright venality swallow up the whole of society.
John Adams
Cascade Locks is fortunate to have both a locally and nationally recognized fire chief, very experienced in disaster response. He’s had a positive impact on the morale of the volunteers, improved their training, and purchased updated equipment to improve their safety in emergency situations. Chief Pricher has brought in over one million dollars in grants, brought in new equipment from various sources, including the only mass casualty equipment in the gorge area. He’s the main ‘go-to’ trail rescue person in the mid Columbia Gorge, and trained in helicopter response. The potential consequences of eliminating his position are, loss of many volunteers, loss of fire inspection services, loss of mutual aid agreements, loss of excellent ISO rating - which will create significant rate increases to homeowners and businesses. This leaves our citizens and businesses vulnerable to medical and fire emergencies in a town with many elderly citizens and buildings. Ultimately, this may leave our city open to potential lawsuits. It would be a sad shame to leave I84 without coverage in “the heart of the gorge”. The lack of respect displayed by numerous council members has caused poor communication between the fire department and the council, in terms and expectations. The volunteers are left wondering why the leader they respect does not merit the same respect from the mayor. Or why council members have not even set foot in the new fire station and looked upon the space with pride.... We respectfully ask the council to forego the 70/30 split and look to less important sources of funding to cut, such as recreation, flowers and advertising, they have a lower priority than public safety, fully fund our number one priority, our emergency services department. We ask you to listen to us. Please fully fund Cascade Locks paid fire chief position and do not alter funds for our emergency services department.
signed: Paulina Updyke Helen Tippin Barry LaMont Debbie Guther George Klawitter Rob Brostoff Martha LaMont James Dean Jeff Helfrich Sharon Dean Brad Lorang Julie Hendrickson Deborah Lorang Lenniea Prowetyt Nancy Renault Mary Payne Joseph Renault Tiffany Owens Angela Singh Tom Owens Shawna Hasel
Let me say in advance that traffic was at a standstill this Friday. What that means is I could not get home before 7:05 to begin recording June 3rds Budget Committee meeting. I did go out of my way to start the recording as I have been waiting for this electrical budget and left as I had another commitment. Now I am going to watch it and get it uploaded for you. So I am sorry in advance and if I could request, as soon as the video is uploaded could someone catch me up on what I missed.
Lol, you would think someone signing their own name would know how to spell it. Then again, maybe not, considering what they are advocating for....
How much "respect" does spending your department into bankruptcy deserve? How much "respect" does this "Do what I say or I'll get everyone to quit" campaign deserve? How much "respect" does a megalomaniacal, insubordinate, miss-appropriator of public funds deserve? Maybe we could ask the HRC Sheriff how much "respect" he has for our fire chief? The N. Bonneville volunteers, I'm sure they "respect" our chief, right?
A few people on this list demonstrated their idea of "respect" in council chambers not long ago. Is this the type of "respect" you think your chief deserves?
Well, he supposedly has these people's "respect". Wow. Please, impress me some more.
Hey I wonder how much respect Hood River's 911 Commander has for our golden boy? And then there's the respect of the female windsurfing competitor that was winning the race until oops golden boy knocked her off of her board with his jet ski. Oh, and then there's the respect of the Hood River police dept. you all know that golden boy WAS a reserve? We will not lose our mutual aid agreement and our insurance will not go up and I-84 will always have coverage. It sounds to me like about 20 people are using scare tactics to try to get what they want. Grow up you children!
ORS 221.410 Power of city to control local affairs; limitation of floating indebtedness. (1) Except as limited by express provision or necessary implication of general law, a city may take all action necessary or convenient for the government of its local affairs. (2)(a) A city may not, unless authorized to do so by its electors, contract a voluntary floating indebtedness in excess of the sum of $5,000 for general city purposes. A city official or employee who creates or officially approves such an indebtedness in excess of the limitation shall be liable for the amount of the excess. (b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this subsection, a city may contract a voluntary floating indebtedness in excess of the sum of $5,000 for general city purposes without an election specifically approving the indebtedness if authorized to do so by a statute or charter.
Since all these citizens want you to break the law like it was in the past and because you are not going along with it, just turn all the fire departments financial problems over to the States Attorney General and let him deal with it. He never granted any immunity from State laws to anyone now did he? Besides there is more than just that pocketbook to go after now isn’t there for all these past illegal actions?
Did you know that there are laws concerning initiative petitions? So that everyone knows. The recall petition being circulated around town is as worthless as the paper it is written on. What is going around town is nothing more than a scare tactic. Yes a scare tactic to scare people into supporting their causes. But what these people need to realize is there are laws concerning these types of petitions. There is a verbal petition which individual citizens have a constitutional right, which government must not infringe upon. Then there is the written petition. Now with these an individual citizen can draft and submit it in any form to government and government cannot infringe upon that right as that is a protected constitutional right. But when people begin starting to collect signatures, that takes it beyond a personally protected constitutional right and government holds the power. Because it is no longer an individual right the constitution does not apply. At that point government holds that power through the law. In Oregon our constitution protects petitions of groups of citizens. But there are State laws in Statute which must be adhered to. There are requirements for form, statements and others requirments and after this is all drafted it must be approved by government and then specific signature sheets and specific instructions are given to the petitioners by government. These laws and rules are to protect citizens from abuse and misrepresentation. The very abuse and misrepresentation I am hearing about with this so called recall petition. Even what I witnessed our former mayor do when he presented council with his petition would have been ok if it would have remained his petition. But the minute he gathered one signature other than his own he violated the constitution of this state as well as statutory law because it was no longer an individual right. At that minute he enacted the initiative petition laws. An honest mistake or not the law does not care. What our former mayor should have done is asked the signers to draft and present to council their own petitions. Then Council would have had no choice but to adhere to the Constitution and each individual’s rights. But what he presented Council must just throw in the garbage as it did not meet the requirments of the law. So be very careful what you sign as it could come back and bite you. And all you drafters of these petitions you need to learn the law before you write a check you may not be able to cash.
The petition was not a recall petition. I was at the meeting. It was a petition stating they wanted to be on the record as opposed to making the fire chief position volunteer.
The ex-mayor just said he could get more signatures like that if he needed to. He didn't say the word recall. There were some people in the audience who kept muttering that under their breath so I think that is where the confusion came from.
I myself believe in the Republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Anyway you can try to sugar coat it any way you want, but in the end when it is more than one individual, it is an initiative petition and there is no amount of sugar you can put on top of it to change that fact. And for your information another petition was going around. I already spoke with our former Mayors wife and it was not his. So if you would like to speak to my neighbors as well as a family member and a friend who got suckered into signing it, it was a recall petition as presented to all of these citizens, just ask and I will set it up. So it seems you were not in the loop on that one. Besides it does not matter anymore because apparently you have not heard. Last week the State Fire Marshall striped away fire code enforcement powers from our Fire Chief and our City and now the State Fire Marshall holds all that jurisdictional power now. So where have you been? There is more going on here than you may realize.
Cody, I was at the meeting as well and "I believe" is correct. There was no re-call petition it was simply folks wishing to go on record concerning the Fire Chief Volunteer position. We were asked by the Mayor to limit our statements given many citizens were there to share the same concerns. So rather than flooding the podium we signed a letter for the record about ours concerns. Which seems like a perfectly reasonable act. There is as I understand it a group who are working on a re-call petition. This group is in contact with Salem and they do seem to understand the process for what I gather. So I am not sure where you are getting information but I think there may be some misunderstanding. Have you seen any illegal petition? I would be curious to know. This community is charged up enough I would hate to see untruths being spread to fuel the fire. No pun intended.
The State Fire Marshall took over fire code enforcement not in response to anything the Fire Chief did, but in response to the suggestion by city council that they might put an unqualified volunteer in that position.
He took it over because Jeff messed with Heather's installation of a propane tank. He lied to her and told her that the Fire Marshall wanted the bollards taller than the State Fire Marshall wanted. He wasted her time and money. This is not professional behavior, nor is this anyway to treat an incoming business.
He behaves like a whiny, petty little child whenever he thinks someone is messing with his authority. If anyone else talked to a seated council like he did, in any other place, they would have been put on notice.
Now it may be a combination of a lot of things over the past few months. But none of this is what I have confirmed. Now I have a public records request in concerning all emails or letters from the Fire Marshall to the Mayor or City Administrator along with a request for all emails from the Mayor or City Administrator to the Council concerning this issue. So hang on their folks before we start with the conspiracies. Let me get as many documented facts as I can put on the blog before we go on these witch hunts. I will even disclose the reasons for my complaints on this blog as there has been a lot going on between myself and government recently. Then you can decide what is fact and fiction. So in fairness to all let's not assume anything at this point. Because all we know is that something happened to cause the State to intervene and assume a City power.
19 comments:
Well it seems a petition is being taken door to door this morning.
I request that a copy of this petition be emailed to me.
Cody
Keep Our Chief
Cascade Locks is fortunate to have both a locally and nationally recognized fire chief, very experienced in disaster response. He’s had a positive impact on the morale of the volunteers, improved their training, and purchased updated equipment to improve their safety in emergency situations. Chief Pricher has brought in over one million dollars in grants, brought in new equipment from various sources, including the only mass casualty equipment in the gorge area. He’s the main ‘go-to’ trail rescue person in the mid Columbia Gorge, and trained in helicopter response.
The potential consequences of eliminating his position are, loss of many volunteers, loss of fire inspection services, loss of mutual aid agreements, loss of excellent ISO rating - which will create significant rate increases to homeowners and businesses. This leaves our citizens and businesses vulnerable to medical and fire emergencies in a town with many elderly citizens and buildings. Ultimately, this may leave our city open to potential lawsuits. It would be a sad shame to leave I84 without coverage in “the heart of the gorge”.
The lack of respect displayed by numerous council members has caused poor communication between the fire department and the council, in terms and expectations. The volunteers are left wondering why the leader they respect does not merit the same respect from the mayor. Or why council members have not even set foot in the new fire station and looked upon the space with pride....
We respectfully ask the council to forego the 70/30 split and look to less important sources of funding to cut, such as recreation, flowers and advertising, they have a lower priority than public safety, fully fund our number one priority, our emergency services department. We ask you to listen to us. Please fully fund Cascade Locks paid fire chief position and do not alter funds for our emergency services department.
signed:
Paulina Updyke
Helen Tippin
Barry LaMont
Debbie Guther
George Klawitter
Rob Brostoff
Martha LaMont
James Dean
Jeff Helfrich Sharon Dean
Brad Lorang
Julie Hendrickson
Deborah Lorang
Lenniea Prowetyt
Nancy Renault
Mary Payne
Joseph Renault
Tiffany Owens
Angela Singh
Tom Owens
Shawna Hasel
PS. Anybody signing this petition should realize that they are encouraging city council to VIOLATE THE LAW.
Let me say in advance that traffic was at a standstill this Friday.
What that means is I could not get home before 7:05 to begin recording June 3rds Budget Committee meeting.
I did go out of my way to start the recording as I have been waiting for this electrical budget and left as I had another commitment.
Now I am going to watch it and get it uploaded for you.
So I am sorry in advance and if I could request, as soon as the video is uploaded could someone catch me up on what I missed.
Cody
Lol, you would think someone signing their own name would know how to spell it.
Then again, maybe not, considering what they are advocating for....
How much "respect" does spending your department into bankruptcy deserve?
How much "respect" does this "Do what I say or I'll get everyone to quit" campaign deserve?
How much "respect" does a megalomaniacal, insubordinate, miss-appropriator of public funds deserve?
Maybe we could ask the HRC Sheriff how much "respect" he has for our fire chief?
The N. Bonneville volunteers, I'm sure they "respect" our chief, right?
A few people on this list demonstrated their idea of "respect" in council chambers not long ago. Is this the type of "respect" you think your chief deserves?
Well, he supposedly has these people's "respect".
Wow. Please, impress me some more.
Hey I wonder how much respect Hood River's 911 Commander has for our golden boy? And then there's the respect of the female windsurfing competitor that was winning the race until oops golden boy knocked her off of her board with his jet ski. Oh, and then there's the respect of the Hood River police dept. you all know that golden boy WAS a reserve? We will not lose our mutual aid agreement and our insurance will not go up and I-84 will always have coverage. It sounds to me like about 20 people are using scare tactics to try to get what they want. Grow up you children!
Council I have an idea.
ORS 221.410 Power of city to control local affairs; limitation of floating indebtedness. (1) Except as limited by express provision or necessary implication of general law, a city may take all action necessary or convenient for the government of its local affairs.
(2)(a) A city may not, unless authorized to do so by its electors, contract a voluntary floating indebtedness in excess of the sum of $5,000 for general city purposes. A city official or employee who creates or officially approves such an indebtedness in excess of the limitation shall be liable for the amount of the excess.
(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this subsection, a city may contract a voluntary floating indebtedness in excess of the sum of $5,000 for general city purposes without an election specifically approving the indebtedness if authorized to do so by a statute or charter.
Since all these citizens want you to break the law like it was in the past and because you are not going along with it, just turn all the fire departments financial problems over to the States Attorney General and let him deal with it.
He never granted any immunity from State laws to anyone now did he?
Besides there is more than just that pocketbook to go after now isn’t there for all these past illegal actions?
Cody
Petitioners running around town.
Did you know that there are laws concerning initiative petitions?
So that everyone knows. The recall petition being circulated around town is as worthless as the paper it is written on.
What is going around town is nothing more than a scare tactic.
Yes a scare tactic to scare people into supporting their causes.
But what these people need to realize is there are laws concerning these types of petitions.
There is a verbal petition which individual citizens have a constitutional right, which government must not infringe upon.
Then there is the written petition.
Now with these an individual citizen can draft and submit it in any form to government and government cannot infringe upon that right as that is a protected constitutional right.
But when people begin starting to collect signatures, that takes it beyond a personally protected constitutional right and government holds the power.
Because it is no longer an individual right the constitution does not apply.
At that point government holds that power through the law.
In Oregon our constitution protects petitions of groups of citizens.
But there are State laws in Statute which must be adhered to.
There are requirements for form, statements and others requirments and after this is all drafted it must be approved by government and then specific signature sheets and specific instructions are given to the petitioners by government.
These laws and rules are to protect citizens from abuse and misrepresentation.
The very abuse and misrepresentation I am hearing about with this so called recall petition.
Even what I witnessed our former mayor do when he presented council with his petition would have been ok if it would have remained his petition.
But the minute he gathered one signature other than his own he violated the constitution of this state as well as statutory law because it was no longer an individual right.
At that minute he enacted the initiative petition laws.
An honest mistake or not the law does not care.
What our former mayor should have done is asked the signers to draft and present to council their own petitions.
Then Council would have had no choice but to adhere to the Constitution and each individual’s rights.
But what he presented Council must just throw in the garbage as it did not meet the requirments of the law.
So be very careful what you sign as it could come back and bite you.
And all you drafters of these petitions you need to learn the law before you write a check you may not be able to cash.
Cody
The petition was not a recall petition. I was at the meeting. It was a petition stating they wanted to be on the record as opposed to making the fire chief position volunteer.
The ex-mayor just said he could get more signatures like that if he needed to. He didn't say the word recall. There were some people in the audience who kept muttering that under their breath so I think that is where the confusion came from.
I believe in democracy
I myself believe in the Republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Anyway you can try to sugar coat it any way you want, but in the end when it is more than one individual, it is an initiative petition and there is no amount of sugar you can put on top of it to change that fact.
And for your information another petition was going around.
I already spoke with our former Mayors wife and it was not his.
So if you would like to speak to my neighbors as well as a family member and a friend who got suckered into signing it, it was a recall petition as presented to all of these citizens, just ask and I will set it up.
So it seems you were not in the loop on that one.
Besides it does not matter anymore because apparently you have not heard.
Last week the State Fire Marshall striped away fire code enforcement powers from our Fire Chief and our City and now the State Fire Marshall holds all that jurisdictional power now.
So where have you been?
There is more going on here than you may realize.
Cody
Cody, I was at the meeting as well and "I believe" is correct. There was no re-call petition it was simply folks wishing to go on record concerning the Fire Chief Volunteer position. We were asked by the Mayor to limit our statements given many citizens were there to share the same concerns. So rather than flooding the podium we signed a letter for the record about ours concerns. Which seems like a perfectly reasonable act. There is as I understand it a group who are working on a re-call petition. This group is in contact with Salem and they do seem to understand the process for what I gather. So I am not sure where you are getting information but I think there may be some misunderstanding. Have you seen any illegal petition? I would be curious to know. This community is charged up enough I would hate to see untruths being spread to fuel the fire. No pun intended.
Brother Cody, you get so angry!! Who is trying to sugar coat anything? Odd!!!
Hahahahaha:
"Last week the State Fire Marshall stripped away fire code enforcement powers from our Fire Chief."
That what happens when the golden boy/rock star messes with someone's bollards: He loses his bollocks!
The State Fire Marshall took over fire code enforcement not in response to anything the Fire Chief did, but in response to the suggestion by city council that they might put an unqualified volunteer in that position.
I think he took it over because we already have an unqualified employee in that position.
A paramedic certification does not a Fire Marshal make.
He took it over because Jeff messed with Heather's installation of a propane tank. He lied to her and told her that the Fire Marshall wanted the bollards taller than the State Fire Marshall wanted. He wasted her time and money. This is not professional behavior, nor is this anyway to treat an incoming business.
He behaves like a whiny, petty little child whenever he thinks someone is messing with his authority. If anyone else talked to a seated council like he did, in any other place, they would have been put on notice.
Now it may be a combination of a lot of things over the past few months.
But none of this is what I have confirmed.
Now I have a public records request in concerning all emails or letters from the Fire Marshall to the Mayor or City Administrator along with a request for all emails from the Mayor or City Administrator to the Council concerning this issue.
So hang on their folks before we start with the conspiracies.
Let me get as many documented facts as I can put on the blog before we go on these witch hunts.
I will even disclose the reasons for my complaints on this blog as there has been a lot going on between myself and government recently.
Then you can decide what is fact and fiction.
So in fairness to all let's not assume anything at this point.
Because all we know is that something happened to cause the State to intervene and assume a City power.
Cody
I'm sure Jeff's detailed attention to timely records, reports, time cards, ect has nothing to do with it.
I think you might want to include emails to and from Pricher in those requests.
Ah, but most of Pricher's emails are not kept in the City email archive, he deserves his own website, his own email, his own laws.
Post a Comment