"Going through the lying, "back room dealing" etc. at the local town level as well."
Yes. Here in Bar Harbor, Maine, town councillors use executive sessions *and* misinformation campaigns. They use their office to try to shut out residents who challenge them. While praising themselves for openness. One of the council culprits is now runni…
"Going through the lying, "back room dealing" etc. at the local town level as well."
Yes. Here in Bar Harbor, Maine, town councillors use executive sessions *and* misinformation campaigns. They use their office to try to shut out residents who challenge them. While praising themselves for openness. One of the council culprits is now running for state office. Against someone who would be worse. It brings home the frustrations of voting for 'the lesser of two evils.' But it does not exempt us from the responsibility to do so.
Unfortunately, it is everywhere. I even subjected myself to participating on different boards to do the business of the residents in public! Ha, what was I thinking?! A small group hounded me relentlessly (threats, nastiness) - what really got them (in addition to a woman sitting at the "head of the table") was when I would state we worked for the residents not for a specific employee or two of the Town! And, the drum beat of nefarious activities continues!
Participation: the double-edged sword. We are encouraged to take an active role in the political process; yet when we do, we are subjected to the garbage that goes along with it, both from our peers and our constituents. My sister has been on the Planning Commission for her small town of Phoenix, OR since the dreadful fires in 2020. My dyslexic, high school grad (just barely), community focused sister has been subjected to some really awful internal and external fighting and is just done.
Ally,It is certainly a double edged sword. Here in Salem we have a fairly liberal city council. Now the current mayor, Hoyt, is running against a wing nut Hoyt, no relation. Once agains some interest at our hair dressers. Wing nut Hoyt and her husband catered their wedding, then they saw her in pictures with some other local wing nuts. They are gay and they know very well which people stand with them and it is not R wing nuts. We are not in the city, but we recently got a robocall from wing nut Hoyt. I couldn't put an end to it fast enough. Kudos to your sister for being involved and I am sure that in any city in southern Oregon, it is even more difficult than it is here.
The Almeda fire was, indeed. Even today, driving Hwy 99 from Phoenix to Ashland, you can see how the creek funnelled the flames. My sister's church at the corner of Second and Church was spared; the Jackson County Fuel Committee's building just to the north across Second burned to the ground.
I never remember the name of the fire (despite its memorable devastation) but our neighbor’s son lost his home in Talent. His girlfriend only had time to grab the dog and flee in the car after the authorities came and pounded on the front door😢.
Here too--so discouraging. Our situation sounds very similar. I have been involved in town government for many years and am still on a committee. The newly elected Council people sound reasonable, or at least some of them do, but their supporters are putting out misinformation and attacking people personally. I have been banned from one of their Facebook pages--so now I can't challenge misinformation, and so many people are tuned into this person. It's bad at all levels!
"Going through the lying, "back room dealing" etc. at the local town level as well."
Yes. Here in Bar Harbor, Maine, town councillors use executive sessions *and* misinformation campaigns. They use their office to try to shut out residents who challenge them. While praising themselves for openness. One of the council culprits is now running for state office. Against someone who would be worse. It brings home the frustrations of voting for 'the lesser of two evils.' But it does not exempt us from the responsibility to do so.
Unfortunately, it is everywhere. I even subjected myself to participating on different boards to do the business of the residents in public! Ha, what was I thinking?! A small group hounded me relentlessly (threats, nastiness) - what really got them (in addition to a woman sitting at the "head of the table") was when I would state we worked for the residents not for a specific employee or two of the Town! And, the drum beat of nefarious activities continues!
Participation: the double-edged sword. We are encouraged to take an active role in the political process; yet when we do, we are subjected to the garbage that goes along with it, both from our peers and our constituents. My sister has been on the Planning Commission for her small town of Phoenix, OR since the dreadful fires in 2020. My dyslexic, high school grad (just barely), community focused sister has been subjected to some really awful internal and external fighting and is just done.
Ally,It is certainly a double edged sword. Here in Salem we have a fairly liberal city council. Now the current mayor, Hoyt, is running against a wing nut Hoyt, no relation. Once agains some interest at our hair dressers. Wing nut Hoyt and her husband catered their wedding, then they saw her in pictures with some other local wing nuts. They are gay and they know very well which people stand with them and it is not R wing nuts. We are not in the city, but we recently got a robocall from wing nut Hoyt. I couldn't put an end to it fast enough. Kudos to your sister for being involved and I am sure that in any city in southern Oregon, it is even more difficult than it is here.
you are probably just too close to Idaho.....it rubs off.
Luckily Salem is not close to Idaho, but we have plenty of wing nuts right here in River City.
😥. The Phoenix and Talent fire was terrifying.
The Almeda fire was, indeed. Even today, driving Hwy 99 from Phoenix to Ashland, you can see how the creek funnelled the flames. My sister's church at the corner of Second and Church was spared; the Jackson County Fuel Committee's building just to the north across Second burned to the ground.
I never remember the name of the fire (despite its memorable devastation) but our neighbor’s son lost his home in Talent. His girlfriend only had time to grab the dog and flee in the car after the authorities came and pounded on the front door😢.
It was devastating to that area.
Here too--so discouraging. Our situation sounds very similar. I have been involved in town government for many years and am still on a committee. The newly elected Council people sound reasonable, or at least some of them do, but their supporters are putting out misinformation and attacking people personally. I have been banned from one of their Facebook pages--so now I can't challenge misinformation, and so many people are tuned into this person. It's bad at all levels!