The name of the game
http://www.oregonbeacon.com/CoquilleSentinel/articles/1210/1/The-name-of-the-game/Page1.html
Mary Geddry
By Mary Geddry
Published on 04/21/2009
The name of the game was ‘spread the blame’ at the recall debate between Commissioner Kevin Stufflebean and chief recall petitioner, Larry Van Elsberg. Stufflebean began his opening statement by informing the audience that he did not act alone.
“I think it’s a critical point right now that people start finding out what the truth is going on in your county. And the first truth that is a fact is that we have three Coos County commissioners that were hired by the voters of Coos County, not just Kevin.” Stufflebean continued to deny the claims of Van Elsberg and Citizens for Fair and Open Government, that public process had not been met. “People keep talking about the process was flawed. Coos County Commissioners and our managers followed the process by law in order to do what was right for you as a taxpayer.” Previously, Stufflebean has blamed The World newspaper for failing to inform the public about impending layoffs. (The World reporter denies hearing anything about layoffs.)
At the debate hosted at the IBO Luncheon and held at the Mill Casino, April 15, the commissioner accused a local labor counsel representative for not getting the word out. “There was no hidden agendas, there was no secret meeting, everything was done on the up and up and we have all the public proof, … if we were trying to be secretive there is no way at any time that I would have had a conversation with a member of the South Coast Labor Council that handles the media information on December 3rd saying we needed to look at a budget reduction and layoffs in the road department.”
There is no South Coast Labor Council, however The Sentinel spoke with Shawn Jennings, Committee on Political Education (COPE) Director, for Southwestern Oregon Central Labor Council who regularly attends Board of Commissioner meetings and she denies any conversation regarding pending layoffs ever took place. Before his opening statement was finished, Stufflebean had taken a shot at The Sentinel and pointed out that Commissioner Nikki Whitty, who confirmed this to The Sentinel in January, was responsible for pressing the decision to reorganize the County Road Department be made in advance of Bob Main taking office. “I personally wanted to hold off on the decision until the first meeting in January however the other board members, and I did support that, wanted to go ahead and act on that on December 31st. I have no guilts with doing that on that date because it was a board decision that we were going to move forward with that.” Stufflebean spread more than blame after a question from the audience, asking why he would not vote to reconsider the reorganization as moved twice by Bob Main, was answered by accusing Main of collusion with the road workers.
“We actually did consider that but the problem we ran into was that it was obvious that Commissioner Main had already met with uh, members of the road department and made promises to them he couldn’t meet. Our job was to move forward with the process that was best for the taxpayers and not looking at hidden agendas like so many individuals have.” Main responded to Stufflebean’s accusation, “In my opinion, supposed actions by someone else is never a reason for a competent administrator’s business decision.
Diverting attention from his actions is a common tactic to avoid responsibility.” Van Elsberg, meanwhile kept his focus on the recall committee’s belief that public process may have violated at least the spirit of open meetings laws. “Kevin, without any public input prepared ten year projections that were never approved or ratified by the Board or the public and used those projections despite having a fully funded and approved budget to work with. Kevin apparently felt the citizens who elected him and oversaw the budget did not deserve the respect of having their budget adhered to.” County Counsel Jackie Haggerty was served with a subpoena last week to provide tapes and notes taken during executive sessions prompting an Unfair Labor Practice complaint filed by Teamsters 223 on behalf of the road workers.
“I think it’s a critical point right now that people start finding out what the truth is going on in your county. And the first truth that is a fact is that we have three Coos County commissioners that were hired by the voters of Coos County, not just Kevin.” Stufflebean continued to deny the claims of Van Elsberg and Citizens for Fair and Open Government, that public process had not been met. “People keep talking about the process was flawed. Coos County Commissioners and our managers followed the process by law in order to do what was right for you as a taxpayer.” Previously, Stufflebean has blamed The World newspaper for failing to inform the public about impending layoffs. (The World reporter denies hearing anything about layoffs.)
At the debate hosted at the IBO Luncheon and held at the Mill Casino, April 15, the commissioner accused a local labor counsel representative for not getting the word out. “There was no hidden agendas, there was no secret meeting, everything was done on the up and up and we have all the public proof, … if we were trying to be secretive there is no way at any time that I would have had a conversation with a member of the South Coast Labor Council that handles the media information on December 3rd saying we needed to look at a budget reduction and layoffs in the road department.”
There is no South Coast Labor Council, however The Sentinel spoke with Shawn Jennings, Committee on Political Education (COPE) Director, for Southwestern Oregon Central Labor Council who regularly attends Board of Commissioner meetings and she denies any conversation regarding pending layoffs ever took place. Before his opening statement was finished, Stufflebean had taken a shot at The Sentinel and pointed out that Commissioner Nikki Whitty, who confirmed this to The Sentinel in January, was responsible for pressing the decision to reorganize the County Road Department be made in advance of Bob Main taking office. “I personally wanted to hold off on the decision until the first meeting in January however the other board members, and I did support that, wanted to go ahead and act on that on December 31st. I have no guilts with doing that on that date because it was a board decision that we were going to move forward with that.” Stufflebean spread more than blame after a question from the audience, asking why he would not vote to reconsider the reorganization as moved twice by Bob Main, was answered by accusing Main of collusion with the road workers.
“We actually did consider that but the problem we ran into was that it was obvious that Commissioner Main had already met with uh, members of the road department and made promises to them he couldn’t meet. Our job was to move forward with the process that was best for the taxpayers and not looking at hidden agendas like so many individuals have.” Main responded to Stufflebean’s accusation, “In my opinion, supposed actions by someone else is never a reason for a competent administrator’s business decision.
Diverting attention from his actions is a common tactic to avoid responsibility.” Van Elsberg, meanwhile kept his focus on the recall committee’s belief that public process may have violated at least the spirit of open meetings laws. “Kevin, without any public input prepared ten year projections that were never approved or ratified by the Board or the public and used those projections despite having a fully funded and approved budget to work with. Kevin apparently felt the citizens who elected him and oversaw the budget did not deserve the respect of having their budget adhered to.” County Counsel Jackie Haggerty was served with a subpoena last week to provide tapes and notes taken during executive sessions prompting an Unfair Labor Practice complaint filed by Teamsters 223 on behalf of the road workers.