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
Total Pageviews
Saturday, July 16, 2011
July 15, 2011, Cascade Locks, Oregon, Special City Council Meeting.
Let’s break down CM Masters. I will begin with the fact that he as a council member is a CEO of a municipal corporation. So CM Master thinks that when an employee tells him that he cannot be replaced, C.M. Masters takes that as law and believes that employee is so valuable that he cannot be replaced, because the employee said so. Well it is apparent to me that C.M. Masters has had no experience I the professional world, as in the professional world there is always someone else as good or better right around the corner. That is just a fact of life. You see C.M. Masters does not know what a professional is. Or he would know that a professional insecure about his abilities, will always try and make an employer believe just that. What I would have done had an employee told me that is told the employee we were going to test his opinion. Then I would have proposed to council to submit an RFP to see if there was someone better. But no C.M. Masters is going to believe that the employee is so valuable on the employee’s word that it is true. That my friend’s is a council member, who does not know the smell of crap, when it hits his own nose.
I have trouble believing that Mr. Masters is that obtuse. He's a teacher, fer gawd's sake! This deliberate obstructionist role is wearing real thin with a lot of us who are tired of watching him continually checking with the ex-mayor for his instructions and/or approval while baiting the current mayor during the meetings. I hired him to think for himself. He sounded just like Bill Clinton, It depends on what is, is! We are getting slammed by the state fire Marshall, the insurance agent and the other fire professionals in the county and he can't understand that it may be matter of life and death for someone waiting while our prima donna corp decide whether or not they're too scared to respond. (my safety, my safety background whine ensues.)
We have our balls to the walls and he is still playing games. Step up to the plate, goddammit. If you can't help, get the hell out of the way.
C. M. Masters. Let’s see here. You had CIS, Hood River County, Hood River Fire Chief, Deputy State Fire Marshall Ted Megart, Email notification from the volunteer association and a front page article in the Hood River News all confirming that our volunteers including statements from the volunteers that they were not responding to 911 calls nor will they. Yet that was not enough proof for you. Might I suggest that you go request the dispatch and incident logs if that is what it is going to take. And read the documented proof. But no all that proof is not enough for you, so you just want to continue letting 911 calls go to the city and gamble with people’s lives and property. Well I have one thing to say about that. I know incompetence when I witness it. And you are running the cup of incompetence over right now as I see it. I also know when a person has no concern about others lives and property when I witness it and only care about a personal agenda. You now need to go C.M. Masters so let me help you out the door.
In the minutes of February 7, 2011 are some very revealing admissions from, our ex fire chief. Beside the multiple occasions where he admits to changing dates on billing records so a paid employee could be hired before council approved it he further admits; “he isn’t a numbers gut but does the best he can”. Well how can he be good at numbers if you have to change the numbers in the books to fit your needs? Which brings me back to an employer tells you he cannot be replaced and that is law to you. From the words of a crook no less. My god these words came directly out of the mouth of the department head that has failed in his duties to this department on every management level that position requires of a department head and he fixed the books to meet his needs. Yet you push to keep this person employed. I guess the old saying holds true. Birds of a feather flock together.
Somebody just drew the line in the sand. Ole Lance may want to consider stock in Vaseline. This might just hurt a little. Just ask Bernard, Brad and Jeff.
First a repost from the tail end of the last topic:
I've had enough. I like three of the four of them, but the mayor, Kevin, Don and Tiffany are proving that they are "all hat and no cattle" when it comes to running the city.
Cody, you are like someone testing the emissions of the tail pipe of a bus that is being driven off a cliff - with your never-endng "ORS..." posts
This is over. People's lives are at stake.
Where do I sign up for the recall?
Second, the bottom line for me is underscored in the first six minutes of last night's emergency meeting. From the mayor's own words: "we have been informed by our insurance company..." then essentially that we need to come up with an emergency plan, and inform the citizens and businesses of Cascade Locks of that plan...
Exactly. Though citizens in prior council meetings back in May warned the mayor and council of potential insurance problems (Don countered that his insurance agent said there wouldn't be any problems), and of potential dire consequences with respect to mutual aid agreements, there has been no plan except to forge ahead, blindly - and then be left behind the 8-ball again.
No plan, more expense... Sound familiar?
The mayor, Don, Tiffany and Kevin need to go.
I am not blind or necessarily opposed, Cody, to many of your suggestions, but calling the volunteers that have literally saved this city a gang of brain-washed criminals that you are going to sue, in my view, doesn't help resolve the current situation, and help move the city towards healing.
Whether the past fire chief and city council members are guilty of what you say can and will be sorted out in time (and I welcome that); however the incompetence of the coalition of four is plain to see - at enormous cost and loss of security to the citizens of Cascade Locks.
There were no insurance problems because Jeff left, the insurance problems began when volunteers stopped responding. We still had a viable department until then. And if you are suggesting they are the ones who saved the city when the fire happened, better check how many of them were on the department at the time. I think you'll be surprised.
I am curious who you think will take over if you do recall them. You realize we are running out of people to staff committees, let alone gvernment, because after the Bernard leaving with an extra $18,000, nobody wants Brad or Randy or Kerry Jo back in to screw us again.
Let them recall them. Then they will not have a quorum to have any meetings. So do you remember when Robbie Lee retired as our justice of the Peace? The Governor appointed Cindy Mitchell to fill that position until the next election. The same thing will happen here. And if you thank for a minute those who created this problem and let it continue to this point will be appointed to this council by the Governor, you have another thing another thing coming. They had their chance and they all blew it. It is more than clear enough to me to say without hesitation that the policies they ran this city by failed this city as a whole. Now they want to bitch about their mistakes and blame others. They proved their worth to me and we are living it today. Never going to happen if I have anything to say about it!
In response to "there were no insurance problems":
Citizens did warn the council at various points, and here are excerpts of a letter that was read into the record from Judith Lanz Insurance Agency to the City Council of Cascade Locks, dated June 13:
"It has come to my attention that you are considering some changes to your local fire department. I wanted to inform you of the importance of the fire rating of your community in the cost of a homeowner's policy.
The average homeowner's policy annual premium is based largely on the fire protection class of your fire department. Your current fire rating is a protection class 05...
....If you become 100% volunteer fire department, you will be reassessed by the fire rating bureau to a minimum of PPC 08. That will increase the average homeowner's policy by $375.00 per year.
Worst case scenario is to be rated as an 09/10 Unprotected area, in which many homeowners will lose coverage by companies or pay for special policies designed for "high fire risk" areas due to lack of fire department coverage.
As a specialist in homeowners insurance, I encourage you to be thoughtful of the adverse effects on the homeowner of any city policy change that could potentially increase the fire rating for you beautiful community...
Warmest Wishes,
Judith Lanz. President Judith Lanz Insurance Agency"
Secondly, the interim City Administrator recommended that an independent third-party company be hired to study the options and make recommendations.
No go from this City Council and Mayor, they charged ahead without expecting any consequences and without contingency plans.
So, sorry to say, lots of problems and lots of forewarning.
Back up a little. Citizens warned previous councils that the city could not afford the debt that this department was assuming. Even council members you want to recall tried to warn the 4 that were in control. Oh how soon we forget and want to place blame on someone else.
And here is one of many warnings as to the security and financial problems that could be caused:
Here are excerpts of a letter written by Jim Trammell, Hood River County Fire Defense Board Chief, and received by the City of Cascade Locks on May 27th:
As the Hood River County Fire Defense Chief, it is my responsibility as directed from he State Fire Marshal's Office to maintain continuity with the County's fire services...
... I do feel it is my responsibility to inform you if drastic changes are made in the management of your fire and emergency response services effecting Incident Command System qualified scene managers and fire fighters, our mutual aid compacts may be jeopardized. Mutual Aid compacts are based on reciprocity giving and receiving aid of qualified fire managers and fire fighters, if changes in the management or operation of the Cascade Locks fire services impact these required mandates it would be my responsibility to bring this matter before the County Fire Defense Board and suggest affirmative action’s be taken to insure fire and emergency scene safety to all responders.
If I can be of any assistance to you or the City of Cascade Locks, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Jim Trammell Hood River County Fire Defense Board Chief
You seem to be confusing your personal home insurance with the City's coverage.
It is the City's insurance agent who is requesting/requiring the policy steps to protect the City from being sued because our volunteers are not responding to call outs. The agent is doing this to protect the city from lawsuits that may arise from their non-response.
So sorry, figure out what you are screaming about because there are no insurance problems yet. This is to protect the City from insurance problems.
Citizens warned about the effects on insurance costs to businesses and the City as well.
Also, it was pointed out by citizens that it would be much less costly for the City to handle the services, even if it meant a revenue increase, because the total cost to home-owning citizens would be much less.
And, sorry to tell you, not Martha, not related to Martha, not a former council person or mayor, not related to a former council person or mayor, no financial relationship to Martha or a former council person or mayor. No relation whatsoever to the Fire Chief or any Fire Volunteer...
The title words of this blog have proven absolutely propnetic:
"Our recent election did more than wake up our government, it dismantled it. Therefore it is only fitting to start anew with a clean slate."
The thing is, when you dismantle something, you have to have something ready to put into place, otherwise you descend into a kind of chaos...
I suppose chaos in certain circumstances is good... but in the case of a city surrounded by huge forests that is so busy tearing itself apart that it cannot support volunteer fire fighters?...
Look, the new City Council took on a huge challenge... Unfortunately, they brought reactivity and blame to the plate - not the kind of proactive investment of time, energy and planning that dismantiling and restoring requires.
Are you talking about the same citizens who scream take it from tourism even though it is illegal because we are telling you to? Or do it the way we want or we will recall you? It must be as. You people do not even understand that when you say “even if it means a revenue increase” you people seem to forget that that means you must bring in more business to get that revenue increase. And just how do you expect us to believe it is going to be cheaper for us home-owning citizens? When you can show me no way to bring the revenue needed now to pay for the bills left by others? Much less prove to me you can bring in all this new revenue increase you are talking about. Hell you people could not even pay the bills before, without stealing from the backs of the utilities rate payers and look at the damage that did to those infrastructures today. You have already shown me how the failed financial policy and management of those before led to this mess. Or did you all forget the previous administrations left us over 30 grand in debt in the fund, around $500,000.00 grand in unpaid debt and totally out of gas long before this election? The reality is you people running around making all this noise pollution have no concept of how corporations and big business work. Well you got your nice fancy fire hall and fire truck, but you lost the fire department doing so. So place the blame where it belongs. On people who think just like this.
What about that letter? That is not only old news, but it is also from someone who has no authority over our fire department. You may want to move up the chain of command and speak with the Deputy State Fire Marshall, who does have authority. Ted Megart Deputy State Fire Marshall. Office of State Fire Marshall. 8085 SE Deer Creek Lane. Milwaukie, Oregon, 97222 (503) 731-3020 x 250
Like I said know who your higher powers are. All Jim Trammell knows is he does not want our problems to affect his budget and at best it is a request and a warning not to mess with his budget. He holds no jurisdictional authority over our fire department. Why do you think I went straight to the top to someone with authority? Doubt me just make a public records request. Old news and not relevant. All lot has happened since then or haven’t you realized that. Like I said keep wasting your time. I wasn’t kidding.
Oh they confuse many things. This insurance matter with CIS is totally different than the home owner issue they had. But they want everyone to believe that what they say no matter how wrong they are that it is a fact.
Or this council fired the volunteers when they only redirected 911 to Hood River and our mutual aid partners.
Or this council was going to fire our ex administrator before they were even sworn in so our ex mayor and our ex administrator conspired without council approval or knowledge much less and conducted unlawful secret negotiations, to take funds of the city, for personal gain, forgetting the council and the citizens had a legal right to public meetings, city business to be done in public, public meetings notification, keeping a journal of the minutes. Read the paper they admitted to the secret meetings and negotiations. That crime is known as deprivation of rights under color of law. Look it up.
Or this council fired the chief. When the chief quit.
And last but not least this council caused all of this. To which I say hog wash!!!!
Also "That crime known as deprivation of rights under the color of law" Do you have an ORS or OAR number for that? Or is that some where in the the US Title Code?
Are you talking about civil rights when you use deprivation of rights under the color of the law? If so, that is a talking point that is used for civil rights violations that the government causes.
When observing the meetings there were several people who talked about insurance issues. Are these the "letters" you are talking about? There were two issues, home owners insurance and the City's insurance / rating. It was made clear by the speakers that both would rise. Unless you had State Farm Insurance they use a different rating system "because they are a good neighbor" It was CM Haight that had State Farm.
There you go again, Cody - trying to lump everyone together who disagrees with you - setting up "straw man" arguments, always talking about "higher powers" and "authority"...
What Cascade Locks needs is better relationships. Better personal, business, governmental, and inter-governmental relationships.
Look, no one is saying everything was perfect before this council.
But the only thing that will keep this town from imploding is restored relationships - not impositions from "higher powers" - unless the higher power is eventually the will of the voters.
You are the one who wants to tear everything down ("our recent election did more than wake up our government, it dismantled it"), you are the one who is constantly talking about well-meaning, good neighbors of yours commiting "crimes", constantly talking about people "breaking the law"...
Go ahead and dismiss as meaningless a letter from the Hood River County Fire Defense Chief, because he "doesn't have authority".
But, Cody, he is someone very important to me, becuase he is one of many good people and agencies with whom Cascade Locks has had a good relationship that is now damaged.
The simple reality is, right now, Cascade Locks faces much slower and much more expensive responses to fire/emergency calls, precisely becuase this city government has been "dismantled" and not built back up again...
Go ahead, Cody, tear everyone down except the current council and mayor. Invent a "crime" for me now, too...
Hear is a radical thought for you:
I think that pretty much everyone who has ever served on this council and as mayor has been a well-meaning person, and I believe that to be true of everyone who serves now.
But, dismantle a house, and if you don't replace it, you get rained on.
Dismantle a fire department, and you are more in danger of fire burning you.
Dismantle relationship after relationship, and you get loneliness and bitterness.
As has been said, if everyone acted on "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth" the whole world would be toothless and blind.
I have no hate, or even dislike for anyone on this council. But this town desperately needs people now whose instints and abilities are laser-focused on planning, building and restoring this broken "house".
And as to authority: when the flames from the next fire endanger us, will they stop at the edge of town and ask: "Do we have the authority to burn this town down?..."
This can all be saved and easily by joining the rest of the County's fire services. They just want to have our tax monies. Mr. Trammel is right, the mutual aid agreement is based strictly upon that mutual word. We can pay our own way. That fire hall was designed to compliment the county's holdings. A base is still needed at this end of the county. The volunteers could keep their certifications and we can repair that "damage."
This was previously suggested by the consultants and still both a very good idea as well as a nationwide trend. If the entrenched thinkers (and I mean on both sides) can cease making this about Jeff and begin making it about the community, we can begin a constructive dialogue.
It would be a good thing if we stopped reacting as though the world ends at the town's limits. Along with ingesting the hard fact that your tax bill is not enough to support what services and infrastructure are now demanded of a municipality. This is not a unique situation, this is happening all over America.
P.S. Thanks for the proficiency nod - I can tell the difference between a spelling error and a typing slip.
Everyone, there is a preview button available to you. Perhaps we all should begin using that and reviewing what and to whom we are saying. There is too many anonymous posts, too many identity guessing and too much rancor assumed when it doesn't yet exist.
I am not lumping everyone together. They are doing it themselves.
We have the side that realizes the fact that this department is forcing other departments to pay for it because they are out of gas. This department is jeopardizing the city as a whole and other departments and services of the city’s financial safety and stability. This department was carrying a deficit of 30 grand and counting at the time and still writing checks in violation of the law. As a matter of fact all I have to do is take the chiefs 80 grand salary and divide it by say 400 property tax payers and each one is paying $215.00. Throw the PEERS in and that comes to around $108,000.00 off the top of my head without breaking down the books again and what do you come up with? That is just what is being billed to each property tax payer to pay for one position. That does not count any of the day to day expenses, short term, midterm and long term debt, equipment depreciation, bunker gear and what is needed to run this department. So my question is how the hell did this happen? I hate to point fingers but this council did not create this position as well as the debt I am reflecting here. It does not take a rocket scientist to tell me this department needs to reorganize and that reorganization is long overdue. All I need to do is look at the auditor’s report and it is clear that previous councils should have acted long ago.
Then we have the other side which has offered no ideas of how to do it except in violation of the law, or to continue violating the law to pay for this department, that is demanding this council to do something they cannot legally do any longer, because I and other citizens involved the Department of Revenue and this council was ordered to change the way they were financing this department. So all I hear is if you do not basically forgo all legal requirements we will recall you.
Now I have tried to warn all those screaming recall that you do not want to do that. And trust me you do not. Because if you do, I will go after those who misused the funds to begin with. The evidence is already held by my attorney and all I have to do is say, “take it to the State Attorney General”. I do not want to have to do that as it will go beyond the city level and destroy families. So do not corner me or I will fight my way out is all I ask. I promise if I am forced into that corner I will give you a fight you will regret. I am giving a very small preview of what to look forward to on this page.
So yes what we need is better relationships, better personal business, governmental and inter-governmental relationships all around.
So I will extend the olive branch here. If you can accept that all these problems this council is being blamed for were not a direct result from an action they did and end this recall non sense that will only harm the city further, I will put aside my verifiable proof that before this council that this city violated the law and abused their powers. That is a big branch for me after the long drawn out war I have been in. And right now I feel that this council is being blamed for my actions and that is not fair to me. Even though I feel that when the auditor’s report came out that this council should have set a goal and started making a plan to meet that goal to re-organize this department along with others. But then again so should have previous councils when it started. So let’s come to the table and if you agree I will share my thoughts on the City Services Committee and what can be done by that committee. I do have a plan to build it even better.
I just want to start by saying, I'm from somewhere else. I don't live here but I feel like you really need to hear my thoughts. I, unlike you, know how to fix all your problems because being from somewhere else means I'm much smarter. Recall your council, HRC will then appoint a quorum. I'm sure HRC will do a better job at picking a good council than you have been able to. Support your guerrilla fire call ignoring club, then the state can revoke the certifications of these greedy grade school brats. Maybe the state can pick who will replace these clowns as well. The most important thing. Listen to the losers, quitters and recalled!! These guys are the true experts on what this city really needs, them back in charge! They will be able to get things straightened out in no time at all. It was a travesty that they lost, resigned, or were recalled to begin with.
I am impressed. Someone referring to the minutes of the Constitution. So you understand how that statement sent shivers down my spine?
As far as us keeping it I do not know. If they get God out of our constitution they will win. The founding fathers put God in our constitution not because they were believers as they fought with lives against a government which was based on church, monarchy rule so faith in God was not what led to putting God in our Constitution. God was put there as a protection for the constitution. It takes God from the heavens above to change it. Read the minutes to the constitution and the letters between the convention parties if you really want to understand our constitution and what it stands for. So what people need to understand is if you believe in the constitution that even if you do not believe in God you better fight to keep God in our Constitution. And you better realize that the communists, socialist, fascists, and all other forms of government know that God has to come out for them to take control. And that if they succeed it will all be over. Just look around and they are doing it every chance they get. One nation under God and that must stand. Or everything we belive in will be gone that very minute.
It is no doubt you are anonymous. Just who the hell do you think you are, telling me that you are from out of town and smarter than anyone else in this town.
Only a total idiot would say appoint the ones back in office that created the mess. My best advice to you is to stay the hell out of my town if you think your town is so much better. But the truth is you are from this town. You see I got tired of all these types of BS comments and found a little tool. Did you see that counter on the front page? Well that is not just a counter. It logs everything. Now it may not give me your IP address but it does show me the path that you took to get here. So when I click on what is below it brings up a little map. And guess what you are in Cascade Locks.
You are very wrong again Cody. There is only one reference to God in the constitution, in the date.
It has often been seen on the Internet that to find God in the Constitution, all one has to do is read it, and see how often the Framers used the words "God," or "Creator," "Jesus," or "Lord." Except for one notable instance, however, none of these words ever appears in the Constitution, neither the original nor in any of the Amendments. The notable exception is found in the Signatory section, where the date is written thusly: "Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty seven". The use of the word "Lord" here is not a religious reference, however. This was a common way of expressing the date, in both religious and secular contexts. This lack of any these words does not mean that the Framers were not spiritual people, any more than the use of the word Lord means that they were. What this lack of these words is expositive of is not a love for or disdain for religion, but the feeling that the new government should not involve itself in matters of religion. In fact, the original Constitution bars any religious test to hold any federal office in the United States.
We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." The Declaration of Independence appeals to God no less than three times. Four to those who can see his name in the phrase "protection of divine providence". Five to those who can admit the phrase "created equal" means created by God, not evolved from chaos. Contrary to what is currently taught at most federal and state schools, Samuel Adams pointed out this strong lesson which is contradicted in courts today: "Before the formation of this Constitution...this Declaration of Independence was received and ratified by all the States in the Union and has NEVER been disannuled." The Declaration and the Constitution were viewed as inseparable and interdependent documents. The Declaration of Independence appeals to God no less than three times. The men who wrote it declared God as a power for all generations to see and follow. The Articles of Incorporation call the entity into existence and the By-laws then explain how it will be governed. Therefore the governing of the nation under its by-laws must always be within the purposes and framework set forth in its Articles. The By-laws may neither nullify nor supersede the Articles. The Constitution neither abolished nor replaced what the Declaration had established; it only provided the specific details of how American government would operate under the principles set forth in the Declaration. PROOF of the Declaration being attached to the Constitution is found in Article VII. The Constitution attaches itself to the Declaration by dating itself as being signed in the twelfth year of the independence of the United States of America! Now that proves the founding fathers considered themselves to have been living in the USA for twelve years under the government document of the Declaration of Independence. Not only was the Constitution dated in recognition of the Declaration of Independence, also the later government acts were dated from the Independence of the United States of America. "The Jubilee of the Constitution" by John Quincy Adams explains the Constitution as dependent upon the virtues proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence. That's why the Ten Commandments are inscribed in stone on the Supreme Court building. Those men saw God as the basis of all law in the constitution for all men always, never to be changed! One Nation Under God. To understand the constitution you have to understand everything attached to it. Might I suggest you read some E. Walter Pitman the great constitutional Scholars writtings.
The Declaration is not the Constitution or Articles in spite of how much you might say otherwise. Go ahead, try to use the Declaration as a basis of law in court, you won't win. Jefferson was adamant that the Constitution did not mention God. It was intentional it does not mention God. You need to do some additional reading. You should just admit you are wrong and move on.
Cascade Locks does have one thing to be thankful for in this whole ordeal, The Hood River News!! Kirby's talent at reporting events before they actually happen was until now something only seen in The Daily Prophet of the Harry Potter movies. The technology they have these days just never fails to amaze me! But wait, there's more! These guys are so good, they also have the solution on the editorial page before a problem even exists. Now that is INCREDIBLE! I'll say one thing right now, Joe Petshow for mayor. No, no, that wouldn't be fair to the rest of the country. PETSHOW FOR PRESIDENT. He has the answer. Ya, that's the ticket!!!! I know there are skeptics out there, those who believe a person who makes their living with words should know that resigned and terminated mean two different things and substituting one for the other could look like a sloppy reporting, or even intentionally sloppy reporting. But I think that's being a little picky. Some have said that it appears that Kirby is helping orchastrate this whole news event, some how publishing personnel information before it's even been submitted or keeping quiet about an emergency service situation till the paper is published, while the 911 coordinator struggles to figure who to call to help those in need. Is this to dramatize a story and help sell newspapers? Is it to try and influence public opinion? To influence an election or public officials? Who knows? I mean, it's not like the press has any responsibility for alerting those in charge about a possibly deadly situation now is there? It all about $$, ca ching.
Oh, does anyone know whether the Hood River Chief of Police resigned or was fired? I realize it makes no difference and was reported one way, I'd just like to know for sure.
Anyway, lets all be sure to thank the Hood River News and all of those who advertise with them for their Pulitzer worthy standards of reporting.
If anyone else is outraged that a resident who happens to own a "newspaper" has the nerve to treat town like he owns it, please write and tell them so.
"Not only have I heard nothing about a vote to not respond, several people told me no vote not to respond took place"????
So you talked to several people about a vote not to respond not happening....
So you did hear about a vote not to respond.
It's a good thing there wasn't any press at this meeting, they would've been all over such an obvious lie and the 45 minutes of lying that preceded it. Then again, maybe not. It would be a shame to loose all that exclusive unreleased material.
So why is it that Hood River, a city of over 7,000 can fire a chief of police and the "Hood River News" (I think it might be their local paper) could pretty much care less, but when an inept (according to the New's own editorial) fire chief resigns in our sleepy little city of 1,000, it's the Lindburg kidnapping case all over again?
Mr. Petshow, doesn't the Mayor and City Manager of your papers namesake need your editorial advice on such a dramatic event? How on earth can they be expected to navigate through such a trying time without your solutions? Don't you care about what happens in Hood River any more? Oh, you were worried about offending people...imagine that.
Editors email ??? seems pretty slow. What does it take to get the number to hotline, where I can report my resignation (you say termination) live at 11:00pm ?
Oh Cascade Locks, your actions, blog postings, and city council meetings are extremely entertaining. Almost better than prime time television. Keep up the good work, and I will go pop some more popcorn and continue to watch as your little city slowly goes down the drain and takes all of you with it. I must say, I have never been this amused and interested in local government and politics but you all have caught my attention. Keep up the good work!!
The editor of the Hood River News advises Cascade Locks to hire the person who resigned to cover the vacancy created by his resignation. I'm sorry to be so blunt, but that's just plain stupid. If he wanted to work here why would he resign?
Wouldn't it would be just as appropriate to hire the Hood River Police Chief who was fired recently to cover the vacancy created by his resignation, I mean termination? Oh, if you wanted him to work there you wouldn't have fired him.
I can hardly wait for your analysis of sworn emergency personnel turning off their pagers and leaving their brothers, sisters, parents and grandparents to fend for themselves, without access to the millions of dollars of equipment they have purchased for emergencies. I guess the deputy state fire marshal had no opinion on this when he was interviewed for your story.
Let’s just turn the city over to Hood River News. We know how good they are at researching the facts. Council you’re out of here. Kirby you’re the mayor. But because you are so good at getting the facts right you better bring a few cups. Because your facts failed to mention a department head that stated he is no good with money. And he likes to write checks with tens of thousands in an overdrawn account. And if you asked he will change the books to meet your needs. And he doesn’t feel billing for work done is important. And he likes involving the city in hundreds of thousands in dollar projects that the city has no knowledge of. And he also likes involving other agencies in these projects he gets the city into. And he likes billing the City when he does work for other agencies. And he will refuse to turn in reports he promised when you find out about his projects. And he likes promoting his personal business on city and government advertisement sites. And he likes promoting his adventures and admiration for Paris Hilton in night vision along with a case of diarrhea on these government sites. And those sites did I mention the City will have no knowledge of. And he loves surprising council with overtime charges for his adventures he can take. And he is such a leader of men that when the citizens or the council you can appoint begin questioning his actions, he can lead his men to refuse to work and endanger the lives of people. Now this sound like something good for our City to me. Kirby for Mayor! Kirby for Mayor! Kirby for Mayor!
And then those cups I said to bring along. Take them to the streets and start begging for your own spare change to support your chief. And take the chief with you because you are out of gas. But you know that already as you are so good at knowing these facts.
I want someone with professional, ethical and moral standards myself. Along the ability to manage the books of the department well enough to keep gas in the tank.
To me, it sounds like he is as fed up as the rest of us dealing with the recent immoral, unethical and illegal behavior of our previous administration, the pretty-boy ex-fire chief and our paper-owning neighbor and his puppet editor.
Last November the citizens of Cascade Locks changed the face of their city council with the election of three new members and a new mayor. The makeup of the new council was obviously not to the liking of our City Administrator and must have represented so much of a threat to his management style, goals and vision for the future of our city, that he resigned before they were even sworn in. An immature display of behavior that you would expect more from a spoiled child than from a West Point graduate. Our planning consultant, John Morgan soon followed Mr. Seeger out the back door displaying the same spoiled child behavior as evidenced by his immature letter of resignation. Temper tantrums? Or was there a more compelling reason for them to jump ship so suddenly? Public disclosure of past indiscretions perhaps? Whatever. The point being that neither on of them had the backbone to accept changes and to help make those changes a positive move for our community In spite of having two key members of our city management team quit before making any attempt to work with council, the council moved on with the hope that a majority of Locksters would support their efforts. With the budget process fast approaching, the mayor appointed a committee to handle the process. The committee, under the leadership of Sandra Kelley, went where no other budget committee had gone in many years. There was a consensus among the committee to take a close look at all funds on a line-by-line basis. This is in direct contrast to the previous budget committee's method of operation which was to rubber stamp their approval in as short of time as possible. They were quite proud of the fact that they passed the 2010-2011 budget in just two sessions. Needless to say that by taking a close look at revenues and expenses line-by-line they uncovered a multitude of problems including sloppy bookkeeping procedures, questionable revenue projections, failure to service debt, and uncontrolled department spending. Even with the calling of extra meetings the committee was unable to address all of the serious fiscal irregularities that they uncovered. Seems the staff was ill prepared to cope with a line item scrutiny of the budget, and so much of the requested financial information was unavailable or inaccurate. The bottom line is that the committee took appropriate action to correct as many of the irregularities as they could within the time constraints they faced. One corrective action that the committee took was to include a payment schedule for the almost $500,000 in debt that the city incurred in the building of the new fire hall. For the past three years the previous budget committee had seen fit to totally ignore the loans even though state law required them to be paid back within five years. A majority of the present committee felt that they had a fiscal responsibility to budget for the repayment of city debt even if there had to be some belt tightening to do so. However there were committee members strongly against the idea that the city should have to adjust its spending downward in order to accommodate debt repayment. The spoiled child attitude appears yet again. The committee also found problems within the fire department. Seems that they were $60,000 in the red for this year and that according to previous city audits this was not the first year of deficit spending. To his credit the fire chief volunteered to take a $6,387 pay cut as a gesture of apology. However the committee decided to reduce his annual salary from $81,631 to $59,244. The fire chief, following in the footsteps of the other two spoiled brats, resigns rather than step up and admit that he failed to do his job.
The budget committee may have reduced the funds available for his salary, but the council, over the course of the new fiscal year, has the authority to add funds if the chief's performance improves as the new year progresses. But the saga continues as the fire department volunteers decide to go on strike because, as reported in the Hood River New, they fear for their safety. Fear for their safety? What is that all about? Are they telling us that after six years of training and responding to calls under the leadership of Jeff Pricher, they do not have the skills nor the confidence to face an emergency without having the chief present to hold there hands? They might call themselves a volunteer fire department, but they act more like a bunch of groupies fawning at the heels of some rock star idol. Grow up and do the job you volunteered to do. So as the cast of spoiled children grows so does public clamor for a recall grow and it seems that our past mayor is leading the charge. Then lo and behold, council member Lance Masters decides to join the group and support their efforts by taking on the roll of chief obstructionist to all forward motion of the council. His lame attempts to make the council look ineffective and deserving of recall are merely calling more attention to his own self-centered behavior and his incompetence as a team oriented council member. And this rag-tag group of quitters, sore losers, spoiled brats, and assorted malcontents wants to recall the council.
Actually,the first reason the volunteers said they were afraid was because the chief would no longer be performing maintenance checks on the fire trucks.
Funny, considering the man was unable to keep up the maintenance on the command vehicle. How many engines have we bought for him?
They have limited support and no justification for their actions. 20 people are still only 20 people, even when they scream.
Their only hope of success is to conspire with others to manufacture drama and the appearance of emergencies and hope to frighten the poorly informed into a quick reactionary decision. They haven't a chance success should they be forced to argue the facts.
They have no interest in the well being of the community, their only motivation is their immediate personal gratification.
If you don't want to respond to calls you need to resign and make room for those who will respond. The idea that you think you have the right to confiscate millions of dollars worth of city property and hold it hostage to your demands is laughable. When you turn off that pager and quit responding, you are no longer a firefighter, you become just a poser in a blue shirt. Recalling the council won't change that.
And yes, you are getting the respect you deserve. Extortionists aren't held in very high regard.
Everything I take is prescribed by a doctor. I have drank no more than a case of beer and a fifth at most in social drinks since 1987 when I became a single parent. But what business is it of yours anyway. So blow me. Now tell me about you!!!
67 comments:
Let’s break down CM Masters.
I will begin with the fact that he as a council member is a CEO of a municipal corporation.
So CM Master thinks that when an employee tells him that he cannot be replaced, C.M. Masters takes that as law and believes that employee is so valuable that he cannot be replaced, because the employee said so.
Well it is apparent to me that C.M. Masters has had no experience I the professional world, as in the professional world there is always someone else as good or better right around the corner.
That is just a fact of life.
You see C.M. Masters does not know what a professional is.
Or he would know that a professional insecure about his abilities, will always try and make an employer believe just that.
What I would have done had an employee told me that is told the employee we were going to test his opinion.
Then I would have proposed to council to submit an RFP to see if there was someone better.
But no C.M. Masters is going to believe that the employee is so valuable on the employee’s word that it is true.
That my friend’s is a council member, who does not know the smell of crap, when it hits his own nose.
Cody
I have trouble believing that Mr. Masters is that obtuse. He's a teacher, fer gawd's sake! This deliberate obstructionist role is wearing real thin with a lot of us who are tired of watching him continually checking with the ex-mayor for his instructions and/or approval while baiting the current mayor during the meetings. I hired him to think for himself. He sounded just like Bill Clinton, It depends on what is, is! We are getting slammed by the state fire Marshall, the insurance agent and the other fire professionals in the county and he can't understand that it may be matter of life and death for someone waiting while our prima donna corp decide whether or not they're too scared to respond. (my safety, my safety background whine ensues.)
We have our balls to the walls and he is still playing games. Step up to the plate, goddammit. If you can't help, get the hell out of the way.
C. M. Masters.
Let’s see here.
You had CIS, Hood River County, Hood River Fire Chief, Deputy State Fire Marshall Ted Megart, Email notification from the volunteer association and a front page article in the Hood River News all confirming that our volunteers including statements from the volunteers that they were not responding to 911 calls nor will they.
Yet that was not enough proof for you.
Might I suggest that you go request the dispatch and incident logs if that is what it is going to take.
And read the documented proof.
But no all that proof is not enough for you, so you just want to continue letting 911 calls go to the city and gamble with people’s lives and property.
Well I have one thing to say about that.
I know incompetence when I witness it.
And you are running the cup of incompetence over right now as I see it.
I also know when a person has no concern about others lives and property when I witness it and only care about a personal agenda.
You now need to go C.M. Masters so let me help you out the door.
Cody
Now C.M. Masters let’s continue on.
In the minutes of February 7, 2011 are some very revealing admissions from, our ex fire chief.
Beside the multiple occasions where he admits to changing dates on billing records so a paid employee could be hired before council approved it he further admits; “he isn’t a numbers gut but does the best he can”.
Well how can he be good at numbers if you have to change the numbers in the books to fit your needs?
Which brings me back to an employer tells you he cannot be replaced and that is law to you.
From the words of a crook no less.
My god these words came directly out of the mouth of the department head that has failed in his duties to this department on every management level that position requires of a department head and he fixed the books to meet his needs.
Yet you push to keep this person employed.
I guess the old saying holds true.
Birds of a feather flock together.
Cody
Defy me or my demands and all of the "volunteers" will quit and show you who's in charge.
Somebody just drew the line in the sand.
Ole Lance may want to consider stock in Vaseline.
This might just hurt a little.
Just ask Bernard, Brad and Jeff.
First a repost from the tail end of the last topic:
I've had enough. I like three of the four of them, but the mayor, Kevin, Don and Tiffany are proving that they are "all hat and no cattle" when it comes to running the city.
Cody, you are like someone testing the emissions of the tail pipe of a bus that is being driven off a cliff - with your never-endng "ORS..." posts
This is over. People's lives are at stake.
Where do I sign up for the recall?
Second, the bottom line for me is underscored in the first six minutes of last night's emergency meeting. From the mayor's own words: "we have been informed by our insurance company..." then essentially that we need to come up with an emergency plan, and inform the citizens and businesses of Cascade Locks of that plan...
Exactly. Though citizens in prior council meetings back in May warned the mayor and council of potential insurance problems (Don countered that his insurance agent said there wouldn't be any problems), and of potential dire consequences with respect to mutual aid agreements, there has been no plan except to forge ahead, blindly - and then be left behind the 8-ball again.
No plan, more expense... Sound familiar?
The mayor, Don, Tiffany and Kevin need to go.
I am not blind or necessarily opposed, Cody, to many of your suggestions, but calling the volunteers that have literally saved this city a gang of brain-washed criminals that you are going to sue, in my view, doesn't help resolve the current situation, and help move the city towards healing.
Whether the past fire chief and city council members are guilty of what you say can and will be sorted out in time (and I welcome that); however the incompetence of the coalition of four is plain to see - at enormous cost and loss of security to the citizens of Cascade Locks.
There were no insurance problems because Jeff left, the insurance problems began when volunteers stopped responding. We still had a viable department until then. And if you are suggesting they are the ones who saved the city when the fire happened, better check how many of them were on the department at the time. I think you'll be surprised.
I am curious who you think will take over if you do recall them. You realize we are running out of people to staff committees, let alone gvernment, because after the Bernard leaving with an extra $18,000, nobody wants Brad or Randy or Kerry Jo back in to screw us again.
Let them recall them.
Then they will not have a quorum to have any meetings.
So do you remember when Robbie Lee retired as our justice of the Peace?
The Governor appointed Cindy Mitchell to fill that position until the next election.
The same thing will happen here.
And if you thank for a minute those who created this problem and let it continue to this point will be appointed to this council by the Governor, you have another thing another thing coming.
They had their chance and they all blew it.
It is more than clear enough to me to say without hesitation that the policies they ran this city by failed this city as a whole.
Now they want to bitch about their mistakes and blame others.
They proved their worth to me and we are living it today.
Never going to happen if I have anything to say about it!
Cody
I think this is a good start.
Have a good day.
Cody
In response to "there were no insurance problems":
Citizens did warn the council at various points, and here are excerpts of a letter that was read into the record from Judith Lanz Insurance Agency to the City Council of Cascade Locks, dated June 13:
"It has come to my attention that you are considering some changes to your local fire department. I wanted to inform you of the importance of the fire rating of your community in the cost of a homeowner's policy.
The average homeowner's policy annual premium is based largely on the fire protection class of your fire department. Your current fire rating is a protection class 05...
....If you become 100% volunteer fire department, you will be reassessed by the fire rating bureau to a minimum of PPC 08. That will increase the average homeowner's policy by $375.00 per year.
Worst case scenario is to be rated as an 09/10 Unprotected area, in which many homeowners will lose coverage by companies or pay for special policies designed for "high fire risk" areas due to lack of fire department coverage.
As a specialist in homeowners insurance, I encourage you to be thoughtful of the adverse effects on the homeowner of any city policy change that could potentially increase the fire rating for you beautiful community...
Warmest Wishes,
Judith Lanz. President
Judith Lanz Insurance Agency"
Secondly, the interim City Administrator recommended that an independent third-party company be hired to study the options and make recommendations.
No go from this City Council and Mayor, they charged ahead without expecting any consequences and without contingency plans.
So, sorry to say, lots of problems and lots of forewarning.
Back up a little.
Citizens warned previous councils that the city could not afford the debt that this department was assuming.
Even council members you want to recall tried to warn the 4 that were in control.
Oh how soon we forget and want to place blame on someone else.
And here is one of many warnings as to the security and financial problems that could be caused:
Here are excerpts of a letter written by Jim Trammell, Hood River County Fire Defense Board Chief, and received by the City of Cascade Locks on May 27th:
As the Hood River County Fire Defense Chief, it is my responsibility as directed from he State Fire Marshal's Office to maintain continuity with the County's fire services...
... I do feel it is my responsibility to inform you if drastic changes are made in the management of your fire and emergency response services effecting Incident Command System qualified scene managers and fire fighters, our mutual aid compacts may be jeopardized. Mutual Aid compacts are based on reciprocity giving and receiving aid of qualified fire managers and fire fighters, if changes in the management or operation of the Cascade Locks fire services impact these required mandates it would be my responsibility to bring this matter before the County Fire Defense Board and suggest affirmative action’s be taken to insure fire and emergency scene safety to all responders.
If I can be of any assistance to you or the City of Cascade Locks, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Jim Trammell
Hood River County Fire Defense Board Chief
Dear Martha or Martha-clone:
You seem to be confusing your personal home insurance with the City's coverage.
It is the City's insurance agent who is requesting/requiring the policy steps to protect the City from being sued because our volunteers are not responding to call outs. The agent is doing this to protect the city from lawsuits that may arise from their non-response.
So sorry, figure out what you are screaming about because there are no insurance problems yet. This is to protect the City from insurance problems.
Citizens warned about the effects on insurance costs to businesses and the City as well.
Also, it was pointed out by citizens that it would be much less costly for the City to handle the services, even if it meant a revenue increase, because the total cost to home-owning citizens would be much less.
No screaming here, just facts.
And, sorry to tell you, not Martha, not related to Martha, not a former council person or mayor, not related to a former council person or mayor, no financial relationship to Martha or a former council person or mayor. No relation whatsoever to the Fire Chief or any Fire Volunteer...
Just happen to have a copy of the letter that Martha LaMont read into the record, huh?
Hmmmmmm.
Are you sure you even live here?
You wish... What about the facts? what about about Hood River County Fire Defense Board Chief's letter?
I am beginning to think there's a lot more people on here than we keep being accused of....
Cody,
The title words of this blog have proven absolutely propnetic:
"Our recent election did more than wake up our government, it dismantled it. Therefore it is only fitting to start anew with a clean slate."
The thing is, when you dismantle something, you have to have something ready to put into place, otherwise you descend into a kind of chaos...
I suppose chaos in certain circumstances is good... but in the case of a city surrounded by huge forests that is so busy tearing itself apart that it cannot support volunteer fire fighters?...
Look, the new City Council took on a huge challenge... Unfortunately, they brought reactivity and blame to the plate - not the kind of proactive investment of time, energy and planning that dismantiling and restoring requires.
Sorry: "prophetic" - Katelin, I bow to your spelling proficiency!
No screaming here, just facts
Are you talking about the same citizens who scream take it from tourism even though it is illegal because we are telling you to?
Or do it the way we want or we will recall you?
It must be as. You people do not even understand that when you say “even if it means a revenue increase” you people seem to forget that that means you must bring in more business to get that revenue increase.
And just how do you expect us to believe it is going to be cheaper for us home-owning citizens?
When you can show me no way to bring the revenue needed now to pay for the bills left by others?
Much less prove to me you can bring in all this new revenue increase you are talking about.
Hell you people could not even pay the bills before, without stealing from the backs of the utilities rate payers and look at the damage that did to those infrastructures today.
You have already shown me how the failed financial policy and management of those before led to this mess.
Or did you all forget the previous administrations left us over 30 grand in debt in the fund, around $500,000.00 grand in unpaid debt and totally out of gas long before this election?
The reality is you people running around making all this noise pollution have no concept of how corporations and big business work.
Well you got your nice fancy fire hall and fire truck, but you lost the fire department doing so.
So place the blame where it belongs.
On people who think just like this.
Cody
Cody,
From social studies many years ago;
“Well, Doctor, what have we got—a Republic or a Monarchy?”
“A Republic, if you can keep it.”
Benjamin Franklin
I do know the difference.
Can we keep it?
What about that letter?
That is not only old news, but it is also from someone who has no authority over our fire department.
You may want to move up the chain of command and speak with the Deputy State Fire Marshall, who does have authority.
Ted Megart
Deputy State Fire Marshall.
Office of State Fire Marshall.
8085 SE Deer Creek Lane.
Milwaukie, Oregon, 97222
(503) 731-3020 x 250
Like I said know who your higher powers are.
All Jim Trammell knows is he does not want our problems to affect his budget and at best it is a request and a warning not to mess with his budget.
He holds no jurisdictional authority over our fire department.
Why do you think I went straight to the top to someone with authority?
Doubt me just make a public records request.
Old news and not relevant.
All lot has happened since then or haven’t you realized that.
Like I said keep wasting your time.
I wasn’t kidding.
Cody
Oh they confuse many things.
This insurance matter with CIS is totally different than the home owner issue they had.
But they want everyone to believe that what they say no matter how wrong they are that it is a fact.
Or this council fired the volunteers when they only redirected 911 to Hood River and our mutual aid partners.
Or this council was going to fire our ex administrator before they were even sworn in so our ex mayor and our ex administrator conspired without council approval or knowledge much less and conducted unlawful secret negotiations, to take funds of the city, for personal gain, forgetting the council and the citizens had a legal right to public meetings, city business to be done in public, public meetings notification, keeping a journal of the minutes.
Read the paper they admitted to the secret meetings and negotiations.
That crime is known as deprivation of rights under color of law.
Look it up.
Or this council fired the chief.
When the chief quit.
And last but not least this council caused all of this.
To which I say hog wash!!!!
Cody
Cody,
Your defense is thin at best.
Also "That crime known as deprivation of rights under the color of law" Do you have an ORS or OAR number for that? Or is that some where in the the US Title Code?
Are you talking about civil rights when you use deprivation of rights under the color of the law? If so, that is a talking point that is used for civil rights violations that the government causes.
When observing the meetings there were several people who talked about insurance issues. Are these the "letters" you are talking about? There were two issues, home owners insurance and the City's insurance / rating. It was made clear by the speakers that both would rise. Unless you had State Farm Insurance they use a different rating system "because they are a good neighbor" It was CM Haight that had State Farm.
There you go again, Cody - trying to lump everyone together who disagrees with you - setting up "straw man" arguments, always talking about "higher powers" and "authority"...
What Cascade Locks needs is better relationships. Better personal, business, governmental, and inter-governmental relationships.
Look, no one is saying everything was perfect before this council.
But the only thing that will keep this town from imploding is restored relationships - not impositions from "higher powers" - unless the higher power is eventually the will of the voters.
You are the one who wants to tear everything down ("our recent election did more than wake up our government, it dismantled it"), you are the one who is constantly talking about well-meaning, good neighbors of yours commiting "crimes", constantly talking about people "breaking the law"...
Go ahead and dismiss as meaningless a letter from the Hood River County Fire Defense Chief, because he "doesn't have authority".
But, Cody, he is someone very important to me, becuase he is one of many good people and agencies with whom Cascade Locks has had a good relationship that is now damaged.
The simple reality is, right now, Cascade Locks faces much slower and much more expensive responses to fire/emergency calls, precisely becuase this city government has been "dismantled" and not built back up again...
Go ahead, Cody, tear everyone down except the current council and mayor. Invent a "crime" for me now, too...
Hear is a radical thought for you:
I think that pretty much everyone who has ever served on this council and as mayor has been a well-meaning person, and I believe that to be true of everyone who serves now.
But, dismantle a house, and if you don't replace it, you get rained on.
Dismantle a fire department, and you are more in danger of fire burning you.
Dismantle relationship after relationship, and you get loneliness and bitterness.
As has been said, if everyone acted on "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth" the whole world would be toothless and blind.
I have no hate, or even dislike for anyone on this council. But this town desperately needs people now whose instints and abilities are laser-focused on planning, building and restoring this broken "house".
And as to authority: when the flames from the next fire endanger us, will they stop at the edge of town and ask: "Do we have the authority to burn this town down?..."
No, they won't.
This can all be saved and easily by joining the rest of the County's fire services. They just want to have our tax monies. Mr. Trammel is right, the mutual aid agreement is based strictly upon that mutual word. We can pay our own way. That fire hall was designed to compliment the county's holdings. A base is still needed at this end of the county. The volunteers could keep their certifications and we can repair that "damage."
This was previously suggested by the consultants and still both a very good idea as well as a nationwide trend. If the entrenched thinkers (and I mean on both sides) can cease making this about Jeff and begin making it about the community, we can begin a constructive dialogue.
It would be a good thing if we stopped reacting as though the world ends at the town's limits. Along with ingesting the hard fact that your tax bill is not enough to support what services and infrastructure are now demanded of a municipality. This is not a unique situation, this is happening all over America.
P.S. Thanks for the proficiency nod - I can tell the difference between a spelling error and a typing slip.
Everyone, there is a preview button available to you. Perhaps we all should begin using that and reviewing what and to whom we are saying. There is too many anonymous posts, too many identity guessing and too much rancor assumed when it doesn't yet exist.
http://www.law.cornell.edu/
uscode/18/usc_sec_18_00000242----000-.html
Title 18, U.S.C., Section 241
Conspiracy Against Rights
Title 18, U.S.C., Section 242
Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law
This will really clarify it for you.
Not thin a fact.
http://www.fbi.gov/
about-us/investigate/
civilrights/federal-statutes
I am not lumping everyone together.
They are doing it themselves.
We have the side that realizes the fact that this department is forcing other departments to pay for it because they are out of gas.
This department is jeopardizing the city as a whole and other departments and services of the city’s financial safety and stability.
This department was carrying a deficit of 30 grand and counting at the time and still writing checks in violation of the law.
As a matter of fact all I have to do is take the chiefs 80 grand salary and divide it by say 400 property tax payers and each one is paying $215.00. Throw the PEERS in and that comes to around $108,000.00 off the top of my head without breaking down the books again and what do you come up with?
That is just what is being billed to each property tax payer to pay for one position.
That does not count any of the day to day expenses, short term, midterm and long term debt, equipment depreciation, bunker gear and what is needed to run this department.
So my question is how the hell did this happen?
I hate to point fingers but this council did not create this position as well as the debt I am reflecting here.
It does not take a rocket scientist to tell me this department needs to reorganize and that reorganization is long overdue. All I need to do is look at the auditor’s report and it is clear that previous councils should have acted long ago.
Then we have the other side which has offered no ideas of how to do it except in violation of the law, or to continue violating the law to pay for this department, that is demanding this council to do something they cannot legally do any longer, because I and other citizens involved the Department of Revenue and this council was ordered to change the way they were financing this department. So all I hear is if you do not basically forgo all legal requirements we will recall you.
Now I have tried to warn all those screaming recall that you do not want to do that.
And trust me you do not.
Because if you do, I will go after those who misused the funds to begin with.
The evidence is already held by my attorney and all I have to do is say, “take it to the State Attorney General”.
I do not want to have to do that as it will go beyond the city level and destroy families.
So do not corner me or I will fight my way out is all I ask.
I promise if I am forced into that corner I will give you a fight you will regret.
I am giving a very small preview of what to look forward to on this page.
So yes what we need is better relationships, better personal business, governmental and inter-governmental relationships all around.
So I will extend the olive branch here.
If you can accept that all these problems this council is being blamed for were not a direct result from an action they did and end this recall non sense that will only harm the city further, I will put aside my verifiable proof that before this council that this city violated the law and abused their powers.
That is a big branch for me after the long drawn out war I have been in.
And right now I feel that this council is being blamed for my actions and that is not fair to me.
Even though I feel that when the auditor’s report came out that this council should have set a goal and started making a plan to meet that goal to re-organize this department along with others. But then again so should have previous councils when it started.
So let’s come to the table and if you agree I will share my thoughts on the City Services Committee and what can be done by that committee.
I do have a plan to build it even better.
Cody
I just want to start by saying, I'm from somewhere else. I don't live here but I feel like you really need to hear my thoughts. I, unlike you, know how to fix all your problems because being from somewhere else means I'm much smarter.
Recall your council, HRC will then appoint a quorum. I'm sure HRC will do a better job at picking a good council than you have been able to.
Support your guerrilla fire call ignoring club, then the state can revoke the certifications of these greedy grade school brats. Maybe the state can pick who will replace these clowns as well.
The most important thing. Listen to the losers, quitters and recalled!! These guys are the true experts on what this city really needs, them back in charge! They will be able to get things straightened out in no time at all. It was a travesty that they lost, resigned, or were recalled to begin with.
Dig dug.
I am impressed.
Someone referring to the minutes of the Constitution.
So you understand how that statement sent shivers down my spine?
As far as us keeping it I do not know.
If they get God out of our constitution they will win.
The founding fathers put God in our constitution not because they were believers as they fought with lives against a government which was based on church, monarchy rule so faith in God was not what led to putting God in our Constitution. God was put there as a protection for the constitution.
It takes God from the heavens above to change it.
Read the minutes to the constitution and the letters between the convention parties if you really want to understand our constitution and what it stands for.
So what people need to understand is if you believe in the constitution that even if you do not believe in God you better fight to keep God in our Constitution.
And you better realize that the communists, socialist, fascists, and all other forms of government know that God has to come out for them to take control.
And that if they succeed it will all be over.
Just look around and they are doing it every chance they get.
One nation under God and that must stand.
Or everything we belive in will be gone that very minute.
Cody
Wow sounds like blackmail! Good luck with that!
It is no doubt you are anonymous.
Just who the hell do you think you are, telling me that you are from out of town and smarter than anyone else in this town.
Only a total idiot would say appoint the ones back in office that created the mess.
My best advice to you is to stay the hell out of my town if you think your town is so much better.
But the truth is you are from this town.
You see I got tired of all these types of BS comments and found a little tool.
Did you see that counter on the front page?
Well that is not just a counter. It logs everything.
Now it may not give me your IP address but it does show me the path that you took to get here.
So when I click on what is below it brings up a little map.
And guess what you are in Cascade Locks.
http://search.yahoo.com/404handler?ei=UTF-8&p=whos+city+our+city+blogspot&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwhoscityourcity.blogspot.com%2F&src=toolbar&nrd=1&fr=slv502
So take your game elsewhere!!!!
Cody
You are very wrong again Cody. There is only one reference to God in the constitution, in the date.
It has often been seen on the Internet that to find God in the Constitution, all one has to do is read it, and see how often the Framers used the words "God," or "Creator," "Jesus," or "Lord." Except for one notable instance, however, none of these words ever appears in the Constitution, neither the original nor in any of the Amendments. The notable exception is found in the Signatory section, where the date is written thusly: "Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty seven". The use of the word "Lord" here is not a religious reference, however. This was a common way of expressing the date, in both religious and secular contexts. This lack of any these words does not mean that the Framers were not spiritual people, any more than the use of the word Lord means that they were. What this lack of these words is expositive of is not a love for or disdain for religion, but the feeling that the new government should not involve itself in matters of religion. In fact, the original Constitution bars any religious test to hold any federal office in the United States.
It's sarcasm, Cody. It took me a minute, too. At the beginning it is just a mimicry (pun intended) then it becomes over the top, even for our haters.
Oh my.
We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
The Declaration of Independence appeals to God no less than three times. Four to those who can see his name in the phrase "protection of divine providence". Five to those who can admit the phrase "created equal" means created by God, not evolved from chaos.
Contrary to what is currently taught at most federal and state schools, Samuel Adams pointed out this strong lesson which is contradicted in courts today: "Before the formation of this Constitution...this Declaration of Independence was received and ratified by all the States in the Union and has NEVER been disannuled."
The Declaration and the Constitution were viewed as inseparable and interdependent documents. The Declaration of Independence appeals to God no less than three times. The men who wrote it declared God as a power for all generations to see and follow.
The Articles of Incorporation call the entity into existence and the By-laws then explain how it will be governed. Therefore the governing of the nation under its by-laws must always be within the purposes and framework set forth in its Articles. The By-laws may neither nullify nor supersede the Articles. The Constitution neither abolished nor replaced what the Declaration had established; it only provided the specific details of how American government would operate under the principles set forth in the Declaration.
PROOF of the Declaration being attached to the Constitution is found in Article VII. The Constitution attaches itself to the Declaration by dating itself as being signed in the twelfth year of the independence of the United States of America! Now that proves the founding fathers considered themselves to have been living in the USA for twelve years under the government document of the Declaration of Independence. Not only was the Constitution dated in recognition of the Declaration of Independence, also the later government acts were dated from the Independence of the United States of America.
"The Jubilee of the Constitution" by John Quincy Adams explains the Constitution as dependent upon the virtues proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence. That's why the Ten Commandments are inscribed in stone on the Supreme Court building. Those men saw God as the basis of all law in the constitution for all men always, never to be changed! One Nation Under God.
To understand the constitution you have to understand everything attached to it.
Might I suggest you read some E. Walter Pitman the great constitutional Scholars writtings.
Cody
The Declaration is not the Constitution or Articles in spite of how much you might say otherwise. Go ahead, try to use the Declaration as a basis of law in court, you won't win. Jefferson was adamant that the Constitution did not mention God. It was intentional it does not mention God. You need to do some additional reading. You should just admit you are wrong and move on.
Ahh, I see the haters are arriving for the evenings discourse. Some you folks might be in a better mood if you went to bed earlier.
Cascade Locks does have one thing to be thankful for in this whole ordeal, The Hood River News!!
Kirby's talent at reporting events before they actually happen was until now something only seen in The Daily Prophet of the Harry Potter movies. The technology they have these days just never fails to amaze me!
But wait, there's more! These guys are so good, they also have the solution on the editorial page before a problem even exists. Now that is INCREDIBLE! I'll say one thing right now, Joe Petshow for mayor. No, no, that wouldn't be fair to the rest of the country. PETSHOW FOR PRESIDENT. He has the answer. Ya, that's the ticket!!!!
I know there are skeptics out there, those who believe a person who makes their living with words should know that resigned and terminated mean two different things and substituting one for the other could look like a sloppy reporting, or even intentionally sloppy reporting. But I think that's being a little picky.
Some have said that it appears that Kirby is helping orchastrate this whole news event, some how publishing personnel information before it's even been submitted or keeping quiet about an emergency service situation till the paper is published, while the 911 coordinator struggles to figure who to call to help those in need. Is this to dramatize a story and help sell newspapers? Is it to try and influence public opinion? To influence an election or public officials? Who knows? I mean, it's not like the press has any responsibility for alerting those in charge about a possibly deadly situation now is there? It all about $$, ca ching.
Oh, does anyone know whether the Hood River Chief of Police resigned or was fired? I realize it makes no difference and was reported one way, I'd just like to know for sure.
Anyway, lets all be sure to thank the Hood River News and all of those who advertise with them for their Pulitzer worthy standards of reporting.
How can we get Raelyn back? Maybe she can start her own paper, report the facts and run the Hood River News out of town!
If anyone else is outraged that a resident who happens to own a "newspaper" has the nerve to treat town like he owns it, please write and tell them so.
Here's the "Editors" email:
kneumann-rea@hoodrivernews.com
Dear Anon, July 17, 2011 6:59 PM
You make wish there was a like button. I would upvote you.
"Not only have I heard nothing about a vote to not respond, several people told me no vote not to respond took place"????
So you talked to several people about a vote not to respond not happening....
So you did hear about a vote not to respond.
It's a good thing there wasn't any press at this meeting, they would've been all over such an obvious lie and the 45 minutes of lying that preceded it. Then again, maybe not. It would be a shame to loose all that exclusive unreleased material.
Lying to the public is a crime.
So why is it that Hood River, a city of over 7,000 can fire a chief of police and the "Hood River News" (I think it might be their local paper) could pretty much care less, but when an inept (according to the New's own editorial) fire chief resigns in our sleepy little city of 1,000, it's the Lindburg kidnapping case all over again?
Mr. Petshow, doesn't the Mayor and City Manager of your papers namesake need your editorial advice on such a dramatic event? How on earth can they be expected to navigate through such a trying time without your solutions? Don't you care about what happens in Hood River any more? Oh, you were worried about offending people...imagine that.
Editors email ??? seems pretty slow. What does it take to get the number to hotline, where I can report my resignation (you say termination) live at 11:00pm ?
Just remember to demote yourself to Assistant before you resign (terminate.)
Oh Cascade Locks, your actions, blog postings, and city council meetings are extremely entertaining. Almost better than prime time television. Keep up the good work, and I will go pop some more popcorn and continue to watch as your little city slowly goes down the drain and takes all of you with it. I must say, I have never been this amused and interested in local government and politics but you all have caught my attention. Keep up the good work!!
Oh Anonymous 10:44 pm,
I'm sure your not from here either, just shut up and enjoy the show.
The editor of the Hood River News advises Cascade Locks to hire the person who resigned to cover the vacancy created by his resignation. I'm sorry to be so blunt, but that's just plain stupid. If he wanted to work here why would he resign?
Wouldn't it would be just as appropriate to hire the Hood River Police Chief who was fired recently to cover the vacancy created by his resignation, I mean termination?
Oh, if you wanted him to work there you wouldn't have fired him.
I can hardly wait for your analysis of sworn emergency personnel turning off their pagers and leaving their brothers, sisters, parents and grandparents to fend for themselves, without access to the millions of dollars of equipment they have purchased for emergencies. I guess the deputy state fire marshal had no opinion on this when he was interviewed for your story.
Let’s just turn the city over to Hood River News.
We know how good they are at researching the facts.
Council you’re out of here.
Kirby you’re the mayor.
But because you are so good at getting the facts right you better bring a few cups.
Because your facts failed to mention a department head that stated he is no good with money.
And he likes to write checks with tens of thousands in an overdrawn account.
And if you asked he will change the books to meet your needs.
And he doesn’t feel billing for work done is important.
And he likes involving the city in hundreds of thousands in dollar projects that the city has no knowledge of.
And he also likes involving other agencies in these projects he gets the city into.
And he likes billing the City when he does work for other agencies.
And he will refuse to turn in reports he promised when you find out about his projects.
And he likes promoting his personal business on city and government advertisement sites.
And he likes promoting his adventures and admiration for Paris Hilton in night vision along with a case of diarrhea on these government sites.
And those sites did I mention the City will have no knowledge of.
And he loves surprising council with overtime charges for his adventures he can take.
And he is such a leader of men that when the citizens or the council you can appoint begin questioning his actions, he can lead his men to refuse to work and endanger the lives of people.
Now this sound like something good for our City to me.
Kirby for Mayor!
Kirby for Mayor!
Kirby for Mayor!
And then those cups I said to bring along.
Take them to the streets and start begging for your own spare change to support your chief.
And take the chief with you because you are out of gas.
But you know that already as you are so good at knowing these facts.
I want someone with professional, ethical and moral standards myself.
Along the ability to manage the books of the department well enough to keep gas in the tank.
Cody
You know Cody that Paris Hilton in night vision and diarrhea go together like peas and carrots don’t you?
OMG Cody you are over the top!!! What's wrong? Are you noy well?
To me, it sounds like he is as fed up as the rest of us dealing with the recent immoral, unethical and illegal behavior of our previous administration, the pretty-boy ex-fire chief and our paper-owning neighbor and his puppet editor.
Cody,
Let me see if I understand the situation:
Last November the citizens of Cascade Locks changed the face of their city council with the election of three new members and a new mayor. The makeup of the new council was obviously not to the liking of our City Administrator and must have represented so much of a threat to his management style, goals and vision for the future of our city, that he resigned before they were even sworn in. An immature display of behavior that you would expect more from a spoiled child than from a West Point graduate. Our planning consultant, John Morgan soon followed Mr. Seeger out the back door displaying the same spoiled child behavior as evidenced by his immature letter of resignation. Temper tantrums? Or was there a more compelling reason for them to jump ship so suddenly? Public disclosure of past indiscretions perhaps? Whatever. The point being that neither on of them had the backbone to accept changes and to help make those changes a positive move for our community
In spite of having two key members of our city management team quit before making any attempt to work with council, the council moved on with the hope that a majority of Locksters would support their efforts. With the budget process fast approaching, the mayor appointed a committee to handle the process.
The committee, under the leadership of Sandra Kelley, went where no other budget committee had gone in many years. There was a consensus among the committee to take a close look at all funds on a line-by-line basis. This is in direct contrast to the previous budget committee's method of operation which was to rubber stamp their approval in as short of time as possible. They were quite proud of the fact that they passed the 2010-2011 budget in just two sessions. Needless to say that by taking a close look at revenues and expenses line-by-line they uncovered a multitude of problems including sloppy bookkeeping procedures, questionable revenue projections, failure to service debt, and uncontrolled department spending. Even with the calling of extra meetings the committee was unable to address all of the serious fiscal irregularities that they uncovered. Seems the staff was ill prepared to cope with a line item scrutiny of the budget, and so much of the requested financial information was unavailable or inaccurate. The bottom line is that the committee took appropriate action to correct as many of the irregularities as they could within the time constraints they faced.
One corrective action that the committee took was to include a payment schedule for the almost $500,000 in debt that the city incurred in the building of the new fire hall. For the past three years the previous budget committee had seen fit to totally ignore the loans even though state law required them to be paid back within five years. A majority of the present committee felt that they had a fiscal responsibility to budget for the repayment of city debt even if there had to be some belt tightening to do so. However there were committee members strongly against the idea that the city should have to adjust its spending downward in order to accommodate debt repayment. The spoiled child attitude appears yet again.
The committee also found problems within the fire department. Seems that they were $60,000 in the red for this year and that according to previous city audits this was not the first year of deficit spending. To his credit the fire chief volunteered to take a $6,387 pay cut as a gesture of apology. However the committee decided to reduce his annual salary from $81,631 to $59,244. The fire chief, following in the footsteps of the other two spoiled brats, resigns rather than step up and admit that he failed to do his job.
The budget committee may have reduced the funds available for his salary, but the council, over the course of the new fiscal year, has the authority to add funds if the chief's performance improves as the new year progresses.
But the saga continues as the fire department volunteers decide to go on strike because, as reported in the Hood River New, they fear for their safety. Fear for their safety? What is that all about? Are they telling us that after six years of training and responding to calls under the leadership of Jeff Pricher, they do not have the skills nor the confidence to face an emergency without having the chief present to hold there hands? They might call themselves a volunteer fire department, but they act more like a bunch of groupies fawning at the heels of some rock star idol. Grow up and do the job you volunteered to do.
So as the cast of spoiled children grows so does public clamor for a recall grow and it seems that our past mayor is leading the charge. Then lo and behold, council member Lance Masters decides to join the group and support their efforts by taking on the roll of chief obstructionist to all forward motion of the council. His lame attempts to make the council look ineffective and deserving of recall are merely calling more attention to his own self-centered behavior and his incompetence as a team oriented council member.
And this rag-tag group of quitters, sore losers, spoiled brats, and assorted malcontents wants to recall the council.
On what grounds?
Actually,the first reason the volunteers said they were afraid was because the chief would no longer be performing maintenance checks on the fire trucks.
Funny, considering the man was unable to keep up the maintenance on the command vehicle. How many engines have we bought for him?
They have limited support and no justification for their actions. 20 people are still only 20 people, even when they scream.
Their only hope of success is to conspire with others to manufacture drama and the appearance of emergencies and hope to frighten the poorly informed into a quick reactionary decision. They haven't a chance success should they be forced to argue the facts.
They have no interest in the well being of the community, their only motivation is their immediate personal gratification.
If you don't want to respond to calls you need to resign and make room for those who will respond. The idea that you think you have the right to confiscate millions of dollars worth of city property and hold it hostage to your demands is laughable.
When you turn off that pager and quit responding, you are no longer a firefighter, you become just a poser in a blue shirt. Recalling the council won't change that.
And yes, you are getting the respect you deserve. Extortionists aren't held in very high regard.
CODY- COULD YOU EVEN PASS A PISS TODAY?
I DOUBT IT...
Everything I take is prescribed by a doctor.
I have drank no more than a case of beer and a fifth at most in social drinks since 1987 when I became a single parent.
But what business is it of yours anyway.
So blow me.
Now tell me about you!!!
Cody
I would say that forgetting to toggle off the caps lock and leaving out the word test tells us all we need to know.
Yeah someone is pissed off
Once again Cody these idiots prove that they haven't got the intelligence to debate the issues.
Darlene
I think I am about ready to start a recall for Lance Masters for being an obstruction to council. Any one else out there want to join me?
I am quite willing to recall Lance just for his actions on the last Council.
Good luck, may god be with you-
WOW ANYMORE PITIFUL PERSONAL ATTACKS, THAT"S all you got?
Didn't even need to say 'test' and his guilty conscience got the best of him!
Mr. CHoy's selling pop corn!
Post a Comment