From "The Daily Astorian" - Friday, September 4, 2009
Samuelson Wants A Debate On The Issues
GRP: As if this "Circus " hasn't already spun out of control to the side of absurdity on the part of this one County Commissioner, in my view, now she wants to ramp it up to another extreme by challenging the recall pertitioners to a debate?
Should she not be, if as she says she has so much overwhelming support from her constuituents in District 5, leaving the decision in whose trust she presumbaly serves in the hands of those constituents to determine her fate?
If they truly do trust in her leadership, what has she got to worry about? Why challenge them to a wrestling match?
Clatsop County Commissioner Ann Samuelson has thrown down the gauntlet. But nobody's picking it back up.
She's challenging the chief petitioner in a recall against her, Cannon Beach resident Betsy Ayres, to a debate at the Seaside City Hall.
She has even set a time, at 6 p.m. Sept. 24, but her main challenger isn't taking her up on it.
"I'm finding, when people gather, we don't have to be mad about something," Samuelson said. "Let's get something done."
Ayres said she and Samuelson had spoken about a public debate before."There are a lot of things the commissioners are not willing to discuss with the public," Ayres said.
Samuelson said she believes the recall petition is based on misinformation, and that it's important for her district to hear the facts. She said she will be at the city hall at the scheduled time to discuss the flier that her opponents, a group calling itself Democracy in District 5, is circulating about her service to the community.
Ayres said she's not running for office."It's not about me. It's about Ann and her record," Ayres said. "I am not interested in having a debate."
24 comments:
She says..."I Work For You"
My priorities:
· Creating living wage jobs
· Fostering healthy and safe communities for Clatsop families
· Bridging the north/south divide
I would rather, than her suffer the humiliation of a debate, she factual update us on the progress of her little "Bucket List" above.
Might help her cause more if she did so as opposed to continued grandstanding and "Blame Casting"
So, the local loud mouths want to recall county commissioners, but they refuse to publically discuss their reasons, relying instead on the accuracy of The Daily Astorian and Bogus Poll McGee's blog to relate their grievances. What pathetic United States citizens, especially Ayers (assuming these folks are citizens, of course).
What's pathetic is having to slink around in the shadows of the cyber world to attempt to inanely engage in debate and feel forced to hide behind being anonymous for fear of being eaten by your own kind should you want to even consider taking a public stand on any issue.
What was it Helen McDaniel said on one of those Bradwood Testimonials about her ilk, something to the effect that..."We don't speak up but we do sit around and talk about stuff with each other."?
Anyway back to the subject.
Still waiting for Samuelson to come update us on how much of her three-pronged platform she has gotten accomplished in the interest of her district's constituents and fellow residents of Clatsop County.
No, it sounds like Ann WON'T talk to her constituents and has demanded that ONLY the brave soul who started the petition can ask her questions.
What cowardice!
She's the elected representative of her district and should be willing to do what Wu and Wyden did ....have a town hall where anyone can ask civil questions.
She says she's for mental health but we've lost so many services.
She says she supports public safety but she disregarded Sheriff's Bergin plan to rehab and expand the jail.....
Sheriff Bergin has a plan to rehabilitate the jail? That's really news. What's the plan? The reality is that Bergin has been sitting around for the past six years not doing anything he promised, in fact, not doing anything but, of course, collecting his $90,000 a year. And, two drug busts a year? Those cost us about $150,000 each. That's terrible. If you believe otherwise, please explain what the good sheriff has done. He can't seem to do it.
All the pro recallers are liars with hidden agendas, or dupes
Anonymous said...
"All the pro recallers are liars with hidden agendas, or dupes"
Want to counter the below Outline of Grievances against Samuelson with your facts:
*Repeatedly voting in support of proposals overwhelmingly opposed by the public, and the objections of professional staff.
*Squandering public funds by choosing to hire planning and management consultants and expensive attorneys but disregarding their professional advice and findings;
*Squandering public funds by unnecessary, unproductive and ill-advised travel;
*Undermining common values, adopted plans, established policies, and regulations of the County;
*Failing to be open and transparent in decision- making and development of policy, violating the spirit of public meetings law;
*Ignoring and failing to respond to the advice and concerns of paid staff, volunteer committees, and the public;
*Manipulating the membership of the Planning Commission in order to control the Planning Commission's decisions and actions;
*Endangering the public and disregarding public safety by failing to require funding guarantees for emergency services and personnel from major industrial proposals;
*Creating a divisive environment that is acrimonious and counterproductive in doing the public's business.
Those aren't charges...if it cant hold up in court, it cant hold up here. Spurious innuendo and lies are what the recallers are peddling.
The people of Clatsop County arent gonna let this happen becuase they know whats going on...oh, and good luck getting the signatures of the petition verified as actual residents of the districts they claim....
So you don't have a clue about what is accurate, factual or what but, can feel free to call recall petition proponents liars?
So your view is about as valid as you infer their's is.
Oregon doesn't have to have specific charges for a recall election.
I think this is hilarious!!! Betsy Ayres refuses to participate in a public debate with Ann Samuelson, yet she is complaining that the Commissioners aren't willing to speak publicly about issues. Is Samuelson not offering a very public platform in which to do just that? All of this has gone way past the point of ridiculous. If the recall camp is so right about all of their claims (which they are not) why not say it out loud, to Samuelson's face, in a MATURE way. Why not offer some real proof? Truth is: Samuelson, as well as Hazen and Roberts DO work for Clatsop County. All of the slanderous and false things that have been printed about them are just downright wrong. I'm all about free speech, but before you open your mouth, make sure what you are saying is actually correct. When you fail to do this, as you have all continually done, you make your lack of intelligence glaringly obvious. This could be why it's taking so very long for you to collect a few signatures.
Great advice and warnings "ANONYM"
If what you say were valid, All three recall candidates should have absolutely nothing to worry about and will be vindicated by their costituents will they not?
And where's all that outpouring of constituent support anyway?
You know, people with "Real Names" willing to stand in support of "Their" County Commissioner?
Have seen little, if any of that except that coming from the individual commissioners themselves, telling us about it.
Maybe a Town Hall at Seaside Convention Center, open questions, no preview and invite all three recall candidates to answer to all they serve would sort this thing out.
I say set the time and date and see who shows.
The "silent majority" is just that. The locals support the commissioners. Nobody gives a F#%& what Auerback and his little possee of California crybabies think,
So, 500-plus people have spoken with their signatures on petitions in both Samuelson's and Hazen's districts, with more expected and barring some strange anomaly at County Elections, these two's fate should be going to ballot for their constituents to determine should they choose to ride it out and not resign immediately.
Is this not fair?
Let the people they serve settle the issue?
It will be up to the constituents now, unfortunately it had to come to this. What a terrible cost to the County, one that is still operating in the black, but just barely. Money that could be spent on truly important things such as vaccinations for children, etc. There IS a tremendous amount of support for the Commissioners, I don't know what the hell you are talking about. And, no I am not one of them, I am merely one of the constituents that sees right through this false, costly agenda. NONE of the recall allegations are true, and in doing this, this group is abusing the recall system. The only reason it has even gotten this far is because Oregon has yet to change the requirements for a recall. If this were Washington, for example, you have to have LEGITIMATE reasons. The County never voted against "LNG" that isn't even what that ballot measure was about. Before the election, people were told it wasn't, and after they were told that it was. So, how exactly can you say you speak for the constituency in your list of allegations. You have no idea what they want. I guess we will find out, provided all of your signatures are legitimate. Too bad it will cost the County so much financially. What a waste.
Yeah, such tremendous support that King Richard got recalled by almost
2/3rds of his constituents.
And Queen Patricia had to spend lots of the money she married into to barely squeak by.
If Queen Ann and Prince Jeff actually have such great support they should welcome a recall election because it will show their support.
Instead we have Ann trying to intimidate people.
I had a conversation with a man yesterday who sought me out because his mother signed the petition and did not know what she was signing, but in oregon you can tell pretty much any story you want to get someone to sign a petition, he was so angry he wanted to file a complaint with the US Dept. of Justice. So the folks that gather these signatures and oppose me saying I am intimidating people is clearly projection, I'd say it's the other way around. This recall election is certainly not welcomed by any of us, the money this will cost the taxpayer should be being spent in our health department, or for desperately needed mental health services, but then some people that have signed have been told it's another opportunity to have an "election" on LNG. I have never voted on LNG, nor has anyone else ever voted on LNG in this county. My time should be being spent on flooding on 101 and 103, the tunnel closure, and a long list of other issues. One person I know of called the county to have their name removed from the petition and they were told the petitioners would have to give permission to have it removed...they answered no. So this is simply a numbers game to these folks, when someone gets the "real" information about this and changes their mind it's not allowed, and they keep saying this is democracy in action? It is an abuse of the recall system, plain and simple, and very very sad that people are taken advantage of this way, many of the signers on my petition are elderly, heartbreaking really.
I'll bet we would be a hell of a lot better off if Samuelson would resign and save us the misery of having to listen to one more bullshit excuse at to why she can't tend to business before the recall election and let's get on with replacing her.
Marc, as I have offered Mr. McGee many times, I'm continuing to do the work, if you'd like to discuss your concerns about the county in person, as always I'll make myself available to do so.
What the heck is Ann Samuelson doing tracking down who signed the recall petition?
Can we all say "BULLY?"
Paul, I didn't track anyone down, they are calling me. I don't have time or an interest in tracking people down, that would not be productive. My time is better spent meeting with constituents and doing the work.
Ann Samuelson said...Marc, as I have offered Mr. McGee many times, I'm continuing to do the work, if you'd like to discuss your concerns about the county in person, as always I'll make myself available to do so.
And as I have told you many times Commissioner Samuelson, I have no desire to go meet you somehwere for coffee in a one on one conversation on issues and answers to questions you should be sharing with all of us and besides it is non-productive and taking time away from those you serve first, your constituents in District 5 and besides I have a competent and hard working Commissioner in Dirk Rohne working for me in my district.
As a matter of fact, there are still a bunch of unanswered questions on this blog alone I would still like for you to address as opposed to your grandstanding, stonewalling and relating unverifiable stories ands deeds you and ytou alone seem to want to relate to us.
This is as good a venue as any for you to plea your case but you still choose not to.
Your offer?
Thanks but, no thanks.
Speaking of Clatsop County Elections, you think they will make that Samuelson relative stand down on this recall election just to make sure all is on the up and up and no question to interference?
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