To the Editor:
When attending city council meetings in John Day, there are certain rules regarding speaking to the council. Before we may speak, we are required to give our name and address. There are also online participants that post comments. These people have not been required to identify themselves prior to being heard.
So, at the last council meeting the mayor read many aggressive comments (some blatantly false statements) from "unknown" commentors. It is impossible to determine if those persons making remarks online were even residents of John Day! Some people seem to enjoy hiding behind their anonymity. But, in fairness, I believe that no online comment should be read without identifying the individual making the comment. Just as if they were there in person.
For those of you that missed the meeting, there was a well-organized attack, attempting to force our mayor into appointing a specific candidate to fill her former position on the council. With some people even going so far as stating that it was "the will of the people."
However, the good people of John Day already expressed their will at the ballot box, when they stripped this councilor of her seat on the council. As the only seated councilor to lose her bid for reelection, one might think losing that seat would cause one to reach a certain conclusion! And to give her back the seat that the voters took from her would most certainly be a slap in the face to the citizens of John Day and the election process itself. To say it is "the will of the people" is a blatant lie, as the voters did express their will in the matter, and in no uncertain terms!
This kind of behavior is what the people of John Day rose up against in the last election. Attempting to force the mayor's hand was reminiscent of the old city council and the rude behaviors that outraged voters in the first place! It is time for the city council to move forward, not by returning to the outrageous characters and behaviors of our recent past!
T. A. Davison
John Day
Sign up to receive news directly to your desktop. Click the bell icon in the nav bar, at any time to change your settings.
Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account.
Thank you.
Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Ends: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.