“Proposed changes in county charter could be awful.” Clark County Democrat Party, May 2011
“exploring the idea of a home rule charter would be a wild goose chase, seeking to solve problems that are nonexistent.” Columbian newspaper editorial, June 3, 2013
As seen above, Democrats especially and even the Lazy C have both adamantly opposed any change to how county government functions over the years. Both led campaigns that saw efforts rejected by voters in 1982, 1997, and 2002.
Another effort received little support in 2011, leading the Lazy C to proclaim in a Cheers & Jeers column,
“Cheers: To county commissioners for putting an end to the home rule charter process this year. Inspecting methods of government is always a good idea, but there was no demonstrated need to elect a slate of freeholders to, in essence, draft a county charter that would replace the current system.”
Yes, both have fought any effort at reform for as long as can be recalled, but now, sort of all of a sudden, both are adamantly supportive of pushing just the change they so adamantly opposed.
What happened to cause this drastic and sudden reversal? Why is it that county government was just fine when the Board of County Commissioners was governing in line with Democrats and now, it is not?
The 2012 election is what happened when actual power switched to a more conservative stand, Republican Marc Boldt who aligned more with the Liberal was ousted by David Madore.
But that alone did not cause the swift flip flop on their part. No, that came about with the completely legal hiring of state senator Don Benton (R 17) to head the Dept of Environmental Services.
The hiring of Benton, one of the most hated of all elected officials by Liberals, first saw calls for a recall of the elected commissioners, but seeing there was no grounds for such a recall, a change to the County Charter was launched by the very people who for several years fought so adamantly to preserve the status quo of their majority.
Early on in this process, I received a call from County Auditor Greg Kimsey to meet and discuss his forming ClarkForward.org along with former County commissioner Steve Stuart. Stuart was not present.
Kimsey tried to get me to come on board, but I told him then that I could not due to the motive of those behind the change, that being to undo a legal election. He scoffed and disagreed.
The results of those voting in 2012 clearly showed voters desired a change in the County Commission, Madore besting Boldt with 53.34% of the votes to 44.58% and Tom Mielke retaining his seat with 51.72% of the votes to Joe Tanner’s 48.15%.
Lazy C editor Lou Brancaccio editorialized after the election for “Fasten your seatbelts… It’s going to be one roller coaster of a ride. And it will be bumpy. Very bumpy.”
All fingers pointed directly at Madore and let’s face it, he has done nothing to dispel any of the ill will as he tries to run roughshod over all in his quest to remake the county more of a “Madoreville” in his image.
I agree with some of the changes he is trying to institute, but his bull in a china closet approach feeds into the Liberals efforts to reform county government, giving them all of the ammunition they desire.
What they don’t seem to grasp is that Madore is there until 2016 at which time I firmly believe he will be voted out. A permanent change in county government structure will last much longer than he will and it is very likely that some of his policies will go with him or that the five “councilors” they are calling for might retain the very ones they dislike.
There is no guarantee that this will restore their majority.
Currently, all sorts of claims are being made on how this change will improve accountability; give citizens more access and such. Personally, I don’t believe it and see those claims as nothing more than smoke screens around the real effort, to undo the 2012 election, mostly by Liberals.
Comments over the last few weeks reveal just that. In no particular order we see;
From Lazy C comments, in part or whole;
Jim Mains • Top Commenter • Partner and Director of Strategy and Campaigns at High Five Media
So out of touch with the people. Vote yes on the Home Rule Charter. Take our government back!
Lorretta Thomas • Top Commenter
Voting YES for the Charter will surely do something to “curb his style of politics”. That’s why he’s already working so hard to defeat it.
Loren Sickles • Top Commenter
In all honesty I was ambivalent about the new charter and possibility of expanding the board. Not anymore! This county cannot afford to be shaped by the hubris of one individual or the self-serving aspirations of a very small segment of our community.
Rory Bowman • Top Commenter
Voting for a revised county charter in November shall be part of it, to dilute the egoistic influence of Moneybags Madore and his minions.
Fran Hammond • Top Commenter • Vancouver, Washington
Good Lord! Another power grab! Yes, Madore won the election. Clark County is the loser. It is going to take us a lot of time and much work to rectify the mess that M&M are creating! VOTE YES on the Charter!
Brian Vires • Top Commenter • Vancouver, Washington
Just another reason to neuter this guy with a yes vote on the charter.
Shea Michael Anderson • Top Commenter • Owner & Lead Gardener at The Sacred Garden
Im praying the freeholders get the new charter out soon and sweep out the mess these corrupt venal asinine idiots have created. To those who voted for them…esp Madore…you get what you pay for.
Jennifer Barnes • Clark County, are you tired of this guy yet? Good news: before we vote him out of office in a couple years, we can vote yes for the Home Rule Charter this November and this guy’s salary is cut in half and his vote goes from 1/3 strength to 1/5 strength. Huzzah!
From C3G2 facebook page;
Loren Lee: “Home rule…neuter the fools”
Pat Jollota: Separation of power and putting as strong a firewall between the legislative and administrative duties was number one.
Esther Schrader: We have our work cut out for us, if we are going to sell the Charter to the voters.
Chuck Green: Solves the indigestion problems created by ingesting too many M&Ms.
Clark County Democrat Party, Aug. 2014 “Passing the Home Rule Charter is vital to taking control of our county again… Madore has already made it clear that he intends to stop the Charter from passing. We can’t let that happen.”
Clearly, the effort is laid out that all of the hype about “improving” county government is a farce. It is solely an effort to undo a legal election that will hopefully place majority power back in the hands of the Liberal Democrats that previously held that majority for far too long.
As stated earlier, the effort is primarily aimed at Madore, but the effects throughout the county will last far longer than he will.
Proposed districts consolidate three of the four districts in the south end of the county, leaving one district for all of North County and one so called “at large” councilor. I don’t believe it is a coincidence that the south end of the county is also where the heavy Liberal 49th legislative district is contained.
Once again, not very well camouflaged, the effort seems to be to stack the deck in favor of Liberals to not only retain control, but to hold it from there on.
Kimsey and several others seem prone to ignore it, but the motive of this change alone is enough to reject it.
County government functioned just fine, as long as Liberals controlled it with the assistance of Marc Boldt, voting with Steve Stuart and leaving Tom Mielke alone.
Once Liberals lost the majority, all of a sudden the very system they had long supported was no longer functional and must undergo a radical change?
Motive matters and clearly, the motive is once again to fool the public to place majority power back in the hands of those they voted out in 2012.
You have the power to reject this latest power grab by the left.
Just vote no.
