We are poised to embark on the next chapter of Clark County as the dust from the last election has settled and we move to a 5 person County Council and away from the long held 3 person County Commission.
As we know, the County Commission style of governance has be replaced after decades of functioning for the left because voters moved it right in 2012, shortly after seeing one Commissioner, Steve Stuart, throw a hissy fit and stomp off rather than accept he no longer called all of the shots.
From day one of the new Commission in 2012, the Lazy C, laughingly referred to as a “newspaper” locally, set their sights on ripping control away from the right and replacing power to the left.
As we know, with Liberals, when they are not in control, the world is not right and everything is out of balance. Only when they are in control can there be any “coming together” of the people.
Once it was seen that a recall of the two conservative Commissioners would not happen, former County Commissioner and State Senator, Craig Pridemore presented the notion of moving to a 5 person County Council that he ran for once the voters approved the charter.
He lost to Jeanne E. Stewart.
The selection of the chair position saw pretty much a three-ring circus with all three sitting councilors vying and an ill-fated write-in effort when none of the three made it to the general.
Former Commissioner Marc Boldt, largely viewed as Clark County’s “Great White Hope” ended up winning chair along with Julie Olson in the newly formed District 2, both taking the oath to be sworn in on Dec. 29.
Many over on C3G2 and down at the Lazy C no doubt see Boldt returning as chair a some sort of vindication for their years of hate directed towards the County Commission once voters moved it right, but both just may be in for a rude awakening.
I say that as I read in a Dec 20, 2015 Lazy C article,
“when asked if he’d like to see any of the current council’s policies undone, Boldt put it bluntly. I see rolling back almost all of them.”
As expected, Boldt would like to do the bidding of the Lazy C and the left once more and undo just about every policy put in place by the conservative commissioners with no regard of whether they are working or not.
Bombastic, vitriolic ex-editorial page editor of the Lazy C, John Laird comments, “Thank God! Yea Clark County” in his usual, pathetic effort to mock Councilor Madore.
Over on C3G2 we see Brian Grier saying “Roll Marc, roll” while another claims, “Jeanne Stewart… will soon stop hating her job.”
Donna Quesnell chimes in with, “Boldt and Olson would be betraying their supporters if they caved to Madore.”
In other words, both Marc Boldt and Julie Olson are expected to oppose any and every thing suggested by Councilor Madore.
As readers know, I’m no supporter of Madore’s, but he was duly elected and let’s face it, he was elected to move the county right and Liberals that lost control in 2012 just hate that, the world cannot be right unless they call all of the shots.
Unfortunately for Boldt and them, he is but one vote out of 5 and Julie Olson takes a more pragmatic position in her call of reviewing policies, not just “undoing” them.
Jeanne Stewart, having sat on the council for a year now and not fully supporting some of the moves, at times because she wasn’t given the time to properly review and study them, can go either way as she is noted for being deliberate in assessments and coming down in what she feels is best for all.
Given that some time has passed for her to review things, she may decide to vote to retain some she previously opposed. Of course, if in her opinion they are not that beneficial, she would likely vote to undo some as well.
Tom Mielke likely will support what has been done since he approved of them in the first place.
But still not accepted by some, Madore is still a duly elected official and is allowed to make his positions known and offer support and explanation.
If we are to have a functional council, his voice must be given a fair hearing on par with any of the other four.
But of course, that is not what is sought by the left as their desire is to silence him and any conservative voice and make the world right again by getting them back in control, which was the basis for pushing for 5 member County Council in the first place as this blog expressed HERE and HERE.
Left unexplained in this quest is the many articles published by the Lazy C showing unemployment down, business growing, wages slightly higher and our economy in Clark County performing quite well compared to the rest of the state.
But, apparently none of that matters as dysfunction is preferable to conservatism when it comes to the left.
It’s up to all 5 councilors as to how the council will function. Those on the left are going to be disappointed to find out their “Great White Hope” just might not be able to give them what they want.
Then too, should Madore decide to run for reelection, watch heads explode as unwittingly, their Home Rule Charter placed him in a district he is popular in.
Had they left it alone, he likely would be voted out by the entire county and not reelected from within a favorable district.
Yes, I see some rude awakenings coming in the month ahead.
Y’all did it to yourselves.
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