I can't believe the fire department wants to bring forth a $15 million dollar levy to the voters. The sheriff can't get $9 million dollars to run the jail and house the federal inmates. After all he has tried several times. Sheriff Dickerson inherited an albatross which he can't seem to make fly away. The county commissioners have cut funding for his budget until there is not enough money to maintain operations. If money is so tight in the county, why the commissioners don't do leg work and go to decent companies and see if they will locate here. Instead of depending on their coalition of counties who slit each other's throats in the way of bigger tax abatements to draw companies away from other counties.

   People know where the problem lays we all know who was instrumental in thinking that the jail would be a business that would create enough revenue to fully run the operation. Big dreams big ideas from a want to be logger that transformed himself into a county commissioner. After all I heard from good hard working loggers that he was not even a decent logger so politics was his answer. He does have one good talent he knows how to schmooze people. But I think the people are getting wise to his ways.

Why do you suppose the fire department thinks their levy will pass? They really must think the voters are stupid. Hang it up guys, your crooked leader has fleeced the taxpayers once too often beginning with the hospital. Which Jay Tappan was involved in up to his scrawny neck. You should just say one of many key players' including the want to be logger.  Now Jay Tappan wants the taxpayers to trust him again. Not likely.

Tappan was hired as a fire chief over many other qualified applicants. Unfortunately Tappan has no credentials to be a fire chief. He gets well over $100,0000 a year to boot, pretty good for someone who is not qualified for the position. Under the official rules and regulations he cannot go to a scene and direct the fire fighters because he is not qualified. But this is Columbia County and to hell with rules and regulations in less it benefits those in charge. Why was he hired in this position?  Was it because he was a local boy and knew the right people. Probably so that is how is works in Columbia County.

I hear the fire department wants these funds so they can purchase some equipment and man certain sub-stations.  But not the one at Deer Island which is needed because of the steep grade that the fire trucks have a hard time pulling. I also heard they want to pay off the training center that was built for Boise Cascade. A training center that we do not use and was built because Diane Dillard and crew wanted to impress her buddies at Boise.  Same ole story do anything we can to keep Boise in town. Kind of like the city of St. Helens do special favors with the water treatment facility especially for Boise and woops they are almost gone so the city residents have to pay high water bills to make up the difference from the loss of Boise's funds. The county gave Boise $250,000 to stay and less than 6 months later Boise sold out and the county lost your tax dollars. If these people are as smart as they think they are why didn't they put into these agreements whether Boise stayed in St. Helens or left they would still have to pay for the agreed portion of the bill since the new facility was built for them. How's that working for all you butt kissers? Boise is like Elvis and has left the building.

The fire department needs to tell the people exactly what they want the money for instead of skirting the issue and basically lying to the people. If the fire department needs a fire truck the people would most likely give them the funds. Lay it out, item by item and individual cost for each item, and then go from there. A little honesty will go a long way.

After these many people screwed the taxpayers on the hospital issue I am afraid that it will be near impossible to get a levy passed for years to come. Deceive me once shame on you deceive me twice shame on me. By the election results It looks like the taxpayers have had their fill of being deceived.