Paul Walter -- Charter Change Steals Our Right to Vote

CHARTER CHANGE GANG SET TO STEAL RIGHT-TO-VOTE

By Paul Walter

October 19, 2003

NewsWithViews.com

GRANTS PASS, Oregon -- Theft is what it's called when you attempt to take away something that doesn�t belong to you. It is unethical to forfeit someone else�s right to vote, and this is the objective of the charter change gang. The proponents of a Josephine County Home Rule Charter change are brazenly attempting to deceive the county voters into surrendering their Constitutional Rights to select their representatives, for their own selfish political agenda.

After years of perfecting Josephine County's home rule charter thru the initiative process, the good-old-boys want you to trash it. Their new charter proposal eliminates all the voted in safeguards that keeps the county government in check.

Not only do they want a new county charter, they want the people to vote away their representative form of government and turn Josephine County over to a un-elected administrator/bureaucrat with 7 part-time commissioners.

This will take Josephine County from a representative form of government to an administrative form of government, same as socialist Yugoslavia where I was born. There, the people have no say; unelected bureaucrats run the whole country, doing the bidding of the centralized, behind the scenes power brokers. A faceless, heartless bureaucracy, with no soul. My parents escaped this and came to America.

When my parents and I came to America in 1959, I was at awe at all the freedoms we have. I couldn't believe that we can actually vote for our representatives. Sure, sometimes they fool us and we get a rotten apple. But, we can vote that person out of office, we can even recall them. Not so with an un-elected county administrator.

Yes, some past commissioners made some bad choices, but do you honestly believe that things will get better with a new flawed county charter with all the voted in amendments that protect the citizens removed and an un-elected bureaucrat that's not accountable to the voters installed? Please, for the love of common sense, say no to 17.96

Bear in mind that part-time commissioners have to work full-time to earn a living. They won't be there to keep an eye on the county administrator. Besides, the seven so-called part time commissioners are only going to give the people an illusion of representation. There will be no representation with part time commissioners and their un-elected, unaccountable county manager, period. City of Grants Pass is a good example. 300 people could show up against a proposed ordinance and only 10 people in favor of it, and guess what, they pass the ordinance anyway, regardless of how many people oppose it. Part time city councilmen just nod their heads and go along with the city administrator. Honestly folks, do you want this for the county?

It's virtually impossible to get rid of appointed un-elected bureaucrats. They literally become dictators. Professional bureaucrats have distroyed California financially.

The current county charter contains numerous voted-in amendments that protect the people's pocket books and property, including the amendments that requires a vote, before any taxes or fees can be increased and an amendment that stops smut peddlers from setting up shops that pollute the minds of the young in this county. All this and more is removed in the new charter proposal. Why? During a public forum [10-14-03] replace the charter proponents admitted when asked that yes, smut peddlers could set up shops, because they have freedom of speach rights, citing Medford, Oregon, 30 miles away, that's full of smut shops as an example.

An un-elected administrator can up your taxes, without a vote of the people, because the charter amendment (our shield) that required a vote will no longer be there to protect us. Since the city is in the county, taxes in the city will increase as well. This will put a tremendous tax burden on everyone, but most of all on the elderly, handicapped, the poor, and those on fixed incomes.

An un-elected county administrator/CEO could be selected from a 'hand-picked' pool from anywhere in the U.S. Do you want a bureaucrat from California ruining your county government? Please note: Did you know that the Grants Pass City Council have been unable to evaluate their city administrator, Bill Peterson? The same problem will exist in the county.

An un-elected county administrator, assistant administrator, support staff, 7 part-time commissioners, their travel expenses, offices, etc., will cost considerably more. A conservative estimate is twice what we currently pay for 3 commissioners. Plus, you'll have questionable representation.

Currently, if you have a problem, you have easy access to all 3 full-time commissioners who represent you. But the people will not have access to an 'appointed' county administrator, or easy access to 7 part-time commissioners with full time jobs. Only the good-old-boys will.

Land use will strictly conform not only to state guidelines, but will conform to state ideology and philosophy as well. Any meetings with the part-time commissioners to alter a rule or regulation will be a thing of the past. Many believe this will hurt local developers and the real estate market.

An un-elected county administrator can hire code enforcers (revenue raisers), to come, uninvited, on your property looking for any code violations they can find, then give you a ticket. Bear in mind that we all have them. If you won't let them in your home they will give you a ticket, plus fine you an X amount, per day, until you comply. This type of bullying is occurring all over the country as a way to raise huge amounts of revenue, fast.

The current system is far from perfect, but a worse one is definitely not the solution. The solution is 3 honest elected commissioners who will do the right thing in supporting the will of the people that elected them. Remember, you can't vote out a county administrator.

Why is the Daily Courier finding fault with county management now? In the past they supported everything, now all of a sudden they're against everything. Is it possible the Courier has their own private agenda?

Currently, there is a massive centralized letter-to-the-editor writing campaign in the making to fool the people. The good old-boys and their blind followers want you to vote for your own demise.

Don't be fooled, an un-elected county administrator = taxation without representation.

Vote No on Measure 17.96 November 4, 2003

Don't let this happen to your county!

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Paul Walter was born in socialist Yugoslavia in 1945. He and his family emigrated to America in 1959. He served 3 years in the U.S. Armed Forces and became a U.S. citizen in 1963. Owner of Walter Publishing & Research, he republished a 100 year old book titled The Coming Battle, the true history of our national debt. The book is currently in its 5th printing. E-mail walter@internetcds.com

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"...socialist Yugoslavia where I was born. There, the people have no say; unelected bureaucrats run the whole country, doing the bidding of the centralized, behind the scenes power brokers. A faceless, heartless bureaucracy, with no soul."