Ted Thomas's Call To Lame Duck Commissioners To Resign

Dear Friends,
The following is almost verbatim what I spoke to the first meeting of the Clatsop Count Board of Commissioners just after the election. The only point of interest is the fact that while I was presenting the argument below Laurie Caplan rose and departed the public meeting in a dramatic huff and said to others that day that she did not want to be associated with my words. Not the first act she has engaged in while I had my back turned towards her, I invite her to explain. Indeed I would go so far as to lay the blame for this, worst of all situations that we are now compelled to endure, with her and a few others. Their undemocratic sabotage of the recall efforts and de-facto engineering of the commission's ability to replace those successfully recalled by their own appointment of admitted, "Tea-party sympathizers," is what has gotten us in this dangerous and repugnant situation. What I am advocating for is that other's join me in calling for the long overdue resignation this oligarchy of lame ducks that cannot, or will not follow the mandate of the electorate. Although they nominally have the legal right to remain in office they are not wanted there. The alternative of waiting exposes the people to the rule of a commission that openly refutes the demonstrated will of the majority. What could be worse?
Ted Thomas

The Worst of all Situations

"The last time I spoke before the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners for my three minutes of civil rights I invoked that nobel feathered beast of the air and the swamps: The Duck. The French term fro duck, "Canard," has come to the english usage from the French expression "Vendre des canard ā maitié." literally translated it is to sell ducks by the half. The expression itself is drawn from the medieval witticism about two butchers involved in a price war over ducks. The established butcher when finally confronted with an impossible price from his competitor across the street of three franks for a duck erects a much larger sign boldly proclaiming "duck ... two franks" but in very small print at the bottom of the sign was "for half a duck." And so Canard came to mend anything paraded out in public that has the intent of being deliberately misleading.
When all our stream beds are overloaded with silts and thermal stress some might find the idea of promoting forest and aquatic health through reinstating the permission to clear cut the riparian zones up to the water's edge to be a preening Canard.
Still others might point out that feigning fiscal responsibility in cutting the District Attorneys Stipend or refusing to seek matching federal funding of the Healthy Start Program already allocated to our county at the same time that they spend tax money to fly out to Washington DC to lobby on behalf of their campaign contributers to be a big quacking Canard. And of course some would go so far as to identify the claim that the proposed Bradwood Landing LNG facility to be small to medium and protective of the fish to be a great big waddling, flapping, grand daddy of a Canard.
But I am not going to elaborate upon these dibbling downy, web footed, chicks. What I want to address is another kind of plumed foul altogether, that sad feathered, billed denizen of the swamps and water ways that cannot or will not keep up with its own flock.
The three hundred pound gorilla in the room is the fact that now and for the next 7 or so months the majority of the arguably politically wounded Commissioners are now no longer available to the voters in any subsequent election where they could be held to account for their ensuing conduct in office. Unburdened of what sense of fidelity they felt so lightly upon their shoulders already are we to understand that they now wield political office unrestrainedly for their own self interests and those interest of their confederates? Are we not right to dread 7 months of such unaccountable power? I fear this is indeed the worst of all situations that I have spoken about in private many times before.
To allay these legitimate concerns, to recover the confidence of the community and convey in certain terms a spirit of reconciliation and civil discourse in Government I humbly bring to the Commission's attention that there is no obligation currently preventing them from relinquishing office in a more timely manner. For example like the nominal duration of time that would pass between a November election and a January inauguration. Furthermore I wish to offer my sincerest invitation for those that did not prevail in the last election to resign gracefully in the interest of promoting social harmony. Seven month is a very long time to endure before following the expressed direction of the voters. What mandate do you intend to fulfill by staying when you have none from the public at all. The snow has lifted Spring is in the air it is time to move on."