LafayetteOregon.org Lafayette Sign

Home

About Us

Meeting Dates

Angela's Alerts

How Debbie Sees It

Voices

Contact Us

 

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Albert Einstein

 

Why they call it Laughie-ette – And why you should care

Five and a half years ago, Darrell was elected Mayor. Three months into his term, after asking a series of questions, and finding violations of law and charter that your other elected representatives had no intention of coming clean on or beginning to follow, he resigned. Who needs this, right? Can't fix it with a muzzle on. This decision was met with a wide variety of supporters, including the Heisler minions and the council at the time. I think Diane Rinks may have even thrown a party – since she didn't really understand what it meant for him to sit on the other side.

He was then contacted by a man named Paul Knobel. Paul gave the impression that he represented Senator Gary George. That turned out to kind of be true - I give it a five on the truth-o-meter.

Darrell met with Paul at Paul's request. At the time, Darrell had support from a group that named themselves the Concerned Citizens of Lafayette and they were included in that meeting. (If you need background on all that drama, please feel free to stop by and he will explain it all. That group includes the Heisler's and Harper's.) One of the topics that Paul Knobel discussed that got Darrell's attention was information is control. And that those folks that control the public documents hold all the cards. Because if you don't have the paperwork, you can't prove that its wrong. Paul also explained how public entities should be privatized, but more about that later.

So, Darrell has worked for five years to get access to those public documents. Some of the city employees have fought so hard to keep information from the public, (you know, THOSE PEOPLE) they have even broken laws and spent thousands of your dollars to keep it from happening.

When Heisler and his fans ran for office, that was even one of their platforms – ACCESS TO INFORMATION. Unfortunately for you, they only meant access for themselves. As an aside, it was also to lower water / sewer rates after Heisler's claim that the city is charging $600,000.00 a year too much – but after the election, he forgot that he told people that and has made zero effort to remember it. In fact, if you show him the paper where he stated it, he claims you are 'speculating'. His word of the day for over a year.

Another of Paul Knobel's grand ideas: privatize government. While it doesn't, necessarily, mean to get rid of the current employees or the union, that can happen. What it means is send everything out to bid. Projects and jobs. Make people come to you and give you their best price. There are companies that provide support staff for cities (and for much cheaper than we have going on right now). This philosophy comes from Mayor Stephen Goldsmith. In fact, Paul's recommended reading list included Resurrecting Urban America by Mr. Goldsmith. Now, while I read it, I don't think anyone else in the Heisler crew did. They may have scanned the chapter headings, but that's about it.

So, here we are now. Paul has come along for the ride guiding the Heisler / Harper sailboat. Instead of actually doing the research to find the waste going on to encourage the conversation of how to get more bang for our buck, Paul Knobel and the current council has been helping the city to find ways to waste. At first, I was surprised that current city administrator Preston Polasek would be so chummy with Paul, given what Paul's value system included. But, now that Preston has received two VERY LARGE raises in the 1 year, 5 months that he has been here (including numerous other perks), it has become apparent that Preston may do anything to ensure his prosperity. What Preston doesn't realize is that his job is on Paul's to do list, too. But, not quite yet as Paul needs Preston to sign off on all these little tasks.

Just a couple of items that Paul has sucked Preston into wasting money on, only to be able to use it against him in the near future:

The video taping project at city hall. Paul Knobel had Preston to spend thousands of dollars to setup video taping and live video feed of the council meetings. This included equipment and software that we only spent a few hundred dollars on. Are we geniuses? No. Paul showed Darrell the process and how to do it for such a low cost. And, since we host the videos on our $18.00 a month website, we control the content – so the viewer doesn't have to deal with ads screaming at them like you have when you watch the city's version on Ustream. (My favorite was for porn – had me rolling on the floor with laughter.) Paul didn't give Preston that wisdom because that wouldn't have accomplished the waste factor.

The next project? The council is in the process of acquiring portraits of George Washington and Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette. The price of this project? $4,000.00. Money they say they will fund raise for and then cover any additional monies not donated by the community. A community already stressed for money will now have to cover the costs of these ridiculous projects instead of reaping the benefits of paying off the loans.

I want you to think of the irony that the current sitting council wants to hang a portrait of a man who ordered the National Guard to fire upon protestors of the government. People who were willing to die, and did, to fight for their rights – our council wants to idolize a man who ordered them killed. And they are going to use your money to do it. Isn't that just the ultimate 'screw you' to the citizens here?

There is a name for this mentality that is tossed around with public employees and public officials. Its called OPM (Other People's Money). This would be your money.

I want you to remember these projects that the council is so convinced that they need to spend money on and what it says about their value system. I think that pretty much sums up why people here laugh, ask “really?, get mad, then give up. This does not happen without your permission. The lack of presence at city hall gives them all the permission they need.

Congratulations to Paul Knobel. You wanted to watch them dance, and now they are. And, congrats to Preston, who appears he will do someone's bidding for a buck, no matter how wasteful it is.

 

Contact Information
 

Several residents have gotten grief for calling the phone numbers we list on our website for contact for public works. So, we have updated the contact information. It will stay here for a bit and then move to a contact page. Please feel free to reference any time you have an issue – including the recent chlorination gas coming from our pipes as they prepare for coliform testing each month. As an FYI – the person at the state that is in charge of controlling this has advised there is very little he can do to help us. And no formal testing even takes place. According to city hall, public works polices themselves in this matter. So, recommending that all get filter systems to save their lungs, their animals, their clothing and their safety. Even city staff drinks purchased water or drinks from a filter system. No tap water used by the people who claim its safe. Makes you got wonder…
 
City Hall
486 Third Street
503-864-2451

Public Works Cell
971-237-2515

Jim Anderson – Public Works Superintendent
503-437-0401

Preston Polasek – City Administrator
prestonp@ci.lafayette.or.us
1536 N Jefferson

Mayor Chris Heisler
mayorheisler@ci.lafayette.or.us
503-883-1673
1407 N Madison

Council President Chris Pagella
councilorpagella@ci.lafayette.or.us
503-830-2477
503-453-9367
446 E 16th Street

Councilor Marie Sproul
CouncilorSproul@ci.lafayette.or.us
503-799-3378
1282 3rd Street #1

Councilor Mark Joy
councilorjoy@ci.lafayette.or.us
425-652-9350
503-714-4147
1225 N Jefferson Street

Councilor Leah Harper (and Water Committee Chair Chris Harper – if you get him on the horn – ask him why he hasn't accomplished one task he was given)
councilorharper@ci.lafayette.or.us
503-864-2697
241 E 16th Street

Councilor Matt Smith
councilorsmith@ci.lafayette.or.us
1233 Joels Place

There is a vacancy. But don’t bother applying unless you are ready to agree with everything the mayor says or he will never appoint you. Also helps if you live in Morgan’s Vineyard which is where 4 of the 6 live (plus the city admin). Also, if you do disagree with anything the mayor says, be prepared for the filth that comes from his wife's mouth directed at you, all while he sits and smirks.
 

They came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.

 

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for me and by that time no one was left to speak up.

Welcome

 

We kept asking the city to provide a resource for citizen access, records, projects, meetings and other relevant information. They charge outrageous amounts for most everything. Since citizens already pay for this information to be available, we decided we would get it to people for free. We buy it, or get it, and post it here.

 

This also gives us an opportunity to keep people up to date with what’s going on in the city and at the council level. We have been told it is a valuable resource to people who cannot attend meetings. And since the council continues to meet at times inconvenient to most residents, won’t waive the fees for the documents and won’t post the documents themselves, it appears we will be needed for quite some time. So, we decided to dress it up a bit. Here is our new front page. Keep checking back as we continue to update things. We have a lot of new documents and information coming.

 

Let us know what you think…

 

 

Copyright LafayetteOregon.org 2008-2010    Last Update Sunday April 22, 2012 19:06:57