The charter transition

" Maybe all of you need to read the Herald and News. It was advertised in the paper with who contact and their phone numbers. Get your facts straight. Boy, the pro charter people are really running scared to attack a group that did not agree with them and slam their service to the community. Just think what they would have said if this group would have agreed with them!!! They would have been the most wonderful group ever picked!! We see right through you!!
So, to all the citizens, vote smart-Vote No on the charter. "

" That is the poorest excuse I have ever heard from anybody trying to cover the tracks of the commissioners.

I am more embarrased now than ever reading the post from "To No Independant group". I was hoping that someone out there that opposes this was mature, but I guess not.

Everyone knows that this so called committee was hand picked. Yes by the commissioners and thier sidekicks.

Due to this reason, this committees recomendation does not hold water. If now, these people would of advertised in the local media and solicited real applications. I may of considered thier recomendation.

I would love an opportunity to be on a committee of such, and regulary check the commissioners web site, and yes, I do read the herald and news. There was no such advertisement.

How can an average joe that has no ties to the commissioners office ever have an opportunity to serve on any board when each time, these people are hand picked?

No wool pulled over my eyes here. Nice try though. "

" Grrrowl, you non supporters are a cranky bunch aren't you Ha. Thank you for backing up my statement about the committees being hand picked, I appreciate that.

You know they would get a better response though if they would ADVERTISE when they are taking applications instead of telling thier friends and family ONLY about it.

Thanks again, it's about time a non supporter of this measure agrees with us supporters.

Keep smiling two more months to a better Klamath. "

" to "To No Independent Group"

Wow, you make a big, big deal that the Co. Commissioners didn't pick all of the review memebers. Then you state that all but one were picked by our rock-rib Republican State Senator and Representatives. What is the difference!!! They all are sweating bullets trying to scare people ["just keep it simple"] or confuse them so people will vote for the status quo...control by two as directed by the Republican Central Committee. This Comissioner "Review" is a smoke screen. We shouldn't fall for it. Vote "YES" for a new county government...We sure need it. "

" You need to get your facts straight. Call Senator Doug Whitsett, Representatives George Gilman and Bill Garrard. They picked their choices to be on that committee, from the applications they received. The Board of Commissioners picked members from those who applied to be on the committee and the committee picked the 9th member. You seem to have a very narrow, prejudiced and biased view. So do not criticize the commissioners, for when you point a finger at someone else, you have 3 pointing back at you. You just can't stand that an independent group did not agree with you. If they had, you would be praising their hard work and decision. Get a life!!!!!
Vote NO on the charter. "

" You are taking advise from a group of people HAND PICKED by the commissioners to look at putting a charter on the ballot?

Boy, if that is all it takes for you to take advise, I sure would hate to see what it would take to convince you I need a million bucks.

This group of people that opposes the charter were hand picked by the commissioners to give them the answers they want. I could of told you when the commissioners first said that they would look into a charter form of government themselves, that this is what the end result will be.

There was NO INDEPENDENT GROUP. There was a group handpicked by Al and John. Just another way to spin this out of place.

Yes on the Charter. "

" Currently you do not have 3 commissioners representing you; you have 3 people representing the County, not you. Any of these 3 commissioners do not care about you.

When you have personal representation, it is just that personal. They say now that they have and "open door" policy, but I challenge any one of you to go down to the commissioner’s office and ask to speak to Al, or John, the canned response is "I'm sorry, they are not in the office today".

When you go down there everyday, and get the same response, kind of makes me wonder where our tax dollars are going.

If we vote for personal representatives, you are voting for people that care about you, and the area that you live. They will care about that train horn that you live by because they live by it to, they will care about the subdivision going in by your house because they live by it to. They will care about the person that has a junk yard in front of his house, because they will live by it to.

These people will be the average voter and will see what life is like in our area without blinders on. Because of the sometimes volatile responses from opponents of this measure, I cannot list my address, but I can guarantee you that If I go to the commissioners office and if I'm lucky enough to talk to a commissioner the one time a month he's in the office to talk about a problem in my area, he WILL NOT even know where my area of Klamath County is.

This is why we need representation by districts, that is why having 5 commissioners is better than three.

See, pretty simple.

Do you see my point? "

" I have 3 commissioners representing me now. I will have one commissioner representing me if the charter passes. Please explain how 1 is better than 3. It's a very simple question that I am unable to have charter-proponants answer. Simple question, what's the answer? "

" The charter group wants you to believe that they are interested in us, the citizens of the county. Well, take alook at the letter to the editor by Frank Goodson in Sundays paper. He really tells the real truth on the more taxing issue that they do not talk about.
First of all, the last thing anyone in the South Suburban want is annexation into the city!!! They have tried to do this in the past, so it looks like one of the hidden objectives of this charter is to annex us. ABSOLUTELY NO WAY!!! The City government is disfunctional and a nightmare. Look at the taxes they pay! We do not want this. Please vote NO on the charter. What are the other taxes that the city residents pay? This charter opens the door to such taxation as: fuel, excise, luxury, personal use taxes, and it goes on and on. Even a business tax can be put before the voters over and over and over again until they get it. And, if they call special elections to pass these taxes, it will cost $50,000.00 just to hold these elections. So, they say there is savings in a charter government. Don't believe them . Multnomah County, which is a charter county, passed a permanent business tax. Again, No on the charter!!!! "

" " With all this rhetoric, why don't we "Just Keep It Simple." Vote No on the charter and stop all this disunity and disgruntled talk. A look at the list of those who filed for charter part time commissioner, it doesn't look like there is anyone who really has full knowledge and insight into all the perplexing issues facing us. The last thing we need is a board who really does not understand the complexity and diversity of all the issues. Plus it will be interesting to see how they hold up once we look into their backgrounds. The vetting of these people could be fascinating

KEEP IT SIMPLE---VOTE NO ON THE CHARTER! " "

" " I now know how I'm going to vote on the charter.

I finally have input from a completely independent group, telling me that a charter form of government is not for our community.

I have been reading these blogs, and had become frustrated with both sides.

That fact that this independent group evaluated the charter on the ballot, and voted against that one too, tells me alot.

We will be taking the advice of this group and voting no on the charter.

Thank you all so much for working so hard on this committee. This was a very important issue for us, thanks for the clarification. " "

" We need this new charter government and its change to 5 commissioners and a manager. Who thinks a $200 Million company (the county budget) should be run by 2 individuals (that's all the majority that it takes at the present time to push something through)? I don't know of many companies with that kind of a budget that would allow two people to run it, without a board of directors and CEO and/or CFO.
It will be HARDER to increase taxes and fees under the charter as well - tax increases must be referred to the people by a vote.
We most certainly do not need any of the present commissioners in the county manager's position, if they decide to create this position. We are looking at some mightly large deficits from their actions (or lack of) actions to date. "

" All the screw-ups cost us big time [new county shop, veteran's office, employment office are examples.] Plus the poor treatment of county employees by our two good old boys, amatuer operations. The present system ["open elections"] are controlled by a very well funded, well run machine the Republican Central Committee. This minority group does not want to change their controlling position. They have been writing in constantly throwing up scare tactics, shaded facts and just plain baloney statements. "It will raise taxes; it will lose us representation; it will cost us more money" are just some of their attack points. Think about the constant bad management and read the Charter...Vote for a professional administrator and more local representatives [which the Central Committee will have a much harder time controlling.] "

" It's time to get the good ole boys out of office and replace them with fresh ideas and direction. When people are in office to long then the get complacent and do what they want.

John Elliott has been postureing himself with individuals in committees that he placed there so he can get the County Manager job. We don't need him because of the $433,000 deficit in 2004 that he created and tried to use emergency money to fix it rather than sit down and fix it for the long term. Then Elliott was Liason to KLETI for this county and they closed their doors recently and is oweing, God knows how much back to the Feds.

WE NEED CHANGE! "