It did not take long for the newly elected County Commissioner Fisher to show his true colors, Fisher made comments before he was elected to a South County fish wrapper, that he did not think that the public should have access to all public records, because there are issues that the public does not need to know about. Commissioner Ervil took that statement one step further and deliberately refused to verbally interact with the public at a county commissioners meeting, when Ervil was asked for his opinion regarding the Columbia County Ryder bus service, on Feb. 11, 09. Commissioner Evil stated that he would not make his opinion open to the public, but would gladly talk to people in his office. This tells me that Fisher does not want the general public to be aware of his opinions regarding important matters that affect each and every citizen in Columbia County.
Ervil's deliberate move to squelch elected official and public interaction only proves that Commissioner Ervil considers himself above the general public in intellect and position. Ervil has now removed democracy from Columbia County and has substituted it with a republic form of government, Note: a republic is where elected officials make all decisions for the people, with out public participation.
I wonder if Fisher's previous procedures from small schools to the Port of ST. Helens have been done behind closed doors, and from the view of the public, just as he is trying to implement as county commissioner. Fisher needs to remember that he was elected to his seat by the voters of the county, and it is his obligation, duty, and responsibility to those voters to answer questions that they have found important enough to ask, by coming in front of the board of commissioners at their weekly meeting.
I have seen Ervil at public meetings, especially the meeting at the Clatskanie PUD, where Ervil is on video (displayed on Lower Gorgeous news link, on the left side of the page on the update.) I personally viewed the taped meeting in its entirety furnished by Lower Gorgeous news, Fisher is very intense and irritated with the proceedings and actions of the PUD board, Fisher is making statements and questioning the board, demanding answers and actions, in fact he was behind the successful re-call of several PUD board members.
Commissioner Ervil wanted the local PUD to pay for the upgrade for the now bankrupted (ethanol) Cascade Grain plant, costing the PUD and its rate payers, his neighbors, millions upon millions of dollars.
My point is; why does Fisher expect to question, and demand answers from other elected officials who sit on boards, when he is there as a public citizen? But then changes the rules of engagement when he is now sitting on a board? I think Commissioner Fisher has double standards and is definitely a hypocrite.
Ervil also claims, that to answer questions by the public would drag the meeting out to long, I call hog wash on this, after all, each person is limited to 5 minutes and usually there is no more than two or three people at the meetings, and some times there is not a soul at their meeting.
By the way, the agenda is a consent agenda, which means that every thing has already been decided at a work session the day before, which does not allow for public comment. All the commissioners have to do is approve the agenda and call the meeting.
It is plain to others and myself who are involved in county issues that we have had a new and deliberate roadblock placed before us in order to keep information from the public, and in order to keep us from trying to do things that would benefit the entire community. The commissioners have purposely raised the cost for public record research, so costly, that ordinary folks cannot afford to adequately research important county issues. They have changed the rules on how to address the board of commissioners at least three times now. Each time members of the public have complied with the new rule, only to have it changed as they come before the board.
I for one am tired of jumping through the proverbial hoop so to speak, every time one of these prim donnas gets a new whim.
I am tired of making copies of information that I research, pay for, and giving it to a commissioner who had requested me to provide him with the information, Only to discover by Tony Hyde's own omission that he did not read the information, but threw it away in to the waste basket. What a waste of a $50.00 dollar bill in copies and hours of research, plus 25 cents a page initial cost. Roadblock after roadblock, I can only wonder what will be next.
There is something terribly wrong with this county commission, have they forgotten that we live in a democracy and not a republic? The public elected them and they receive their wages from the public. I think they need to take a long look into a minor and think twice of whom they represent and to whom they need to answer to.
Commissioner Ervil made the comment that he is following commissioner Sam Adams of Portland by not answering any questions from the floor only responding with a thank you. What problems does a Portland commissioner have in common with a Columbia County commissioner? I believe the questions that were directed to Sam Adams are not even connected or comparable with the question that was brought before the Columbia County commissioners about financial support for the Columbia County Ryder bus. If fisher was smart which he is not, he would have simply answered the question by saying I do not have all the facts or figures on your question but I will certainly look into it, I would like to educate myself on the issue, the best that I can, and I will certainly get back to you. Instead he chooses to demonstrate his disrespect and distain for the general public, as if they were ignorant and bothersome to the commission.
I would hope that Ervil understands that an open and honest government, a government that welcomes citizen involvement is the only way that a democracy can function, can operate, can be fair to all of its citizens.
Earl you were elected to serve the people, and if it requires you to answer questions, voice your opinion in public to the public, popular or not, it is certainly a requirement that there is no negotiation.