Letters to the Editor for Oct. 16, 2009

Supporters should pay for recall

To the editor:

I have lived in the fair city of Baker since 1953 and have voted on many elections, and I don’t mind paying my share.

However, this recall election that is coming up is something else. It is instigated primarily by three councilors who have had their feelings hurt because the Council vote did not go to please them, not because something improper was done.

So, I feel that they should have to pay the expenses of the recall election, and the City should bill them for it. 

Les Taylor

Baker City

City lucky to have Dorrah, Calder

To the editor:

As the new kid on Council, I was told stories about Dorrah and Calder by former city manager Steve Brocato that, I soon learned, were untrue. Brocato tried to draw me into his orbit, which is how I heard so much. I have witnessed these two councilors being abused in public, in private and in a team-building setting by Brocato and his crony councilors. I quickly discovered that Brocato had created a culture of secrecy and influence that excluded all but his fans. He tried to thwart council’s ability to debate public issues by using threatening language, manipulation of information and defamation. These are not idle charges, but my personal testimony.

Brocato also violated professional ethics by lobbying fiercely against Dorrah for Mayor. He knew he was an independent thinker. While councilors don’t have to agree, they have to be civil, sincere and abide by majority rule.

Lately, we have experienced chaos from councilors whose behavior falls short of this standard. Mayor Dorrah was and is, in fact, the perfect unbiased citizen to shepherd council decisions through the web of secrecy and control that dominated city business. Councilor Calder’s courage to speak in defense of the people is legendary.

Citizens should be grateful to have two such genuine public servants protecting their interests. Don’t let the defamers twist the truth. Vote no on the recall. 

Aletha Bonebrake

Baker City

Calder has been mistreated

To the editor:

I am generally a man of few words, however, when my wife read to me from the Baker County Blog site I got mad enough to speak out.

What I would like to know is, when did it become OK in our society for a man to attack a woman? You men who have been attacking Ms. Calder may not have touched her physically but you have been battering her reputation for quite some time. You have tried time and again to trivialize her in the public eye. Maybe you should take a good look at yourselves and your actions before you attack Ms. Calder or any other woman for that matter. Do you treat your wives and mothers with the same disrespect as you treat Ms. Calder? 

Men should not degrade any woman who does her job and stands up for what she believes in. For information that may make you angry but will open your eyes to the total situation and not just part of it go to this site; http://bakercountyblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/more-on-baker-recall-part-1.html. The newspaper that we read cannot print both sides equally. They haven’t got the time nor the space.

Charles Nalley

Baker City

Let’s move past the recall

To the editor:

The recall has been hard on this community. The continued bickering and personal attacks show a vile and ugly side of people we don’t want to see. I want to encourage everyone to vote and encourage everyone to forgive their neighbors who may vote differently from them. Let our ballots speak. When the election is through, however the outcome, let’s please move on and put this behind us. We are a great community!

I will be voting No.

Gail Duman

Baker City

Firing legal, but not ethical

To the editor:

Councilors Dorrah, Calder, Bonebrake and Button, please correct me if the following numbered paragraphs are not factual.

1) Six of seven councilors gave Mr. Brocato above-average marks at his evaluation. Only Councilor Calder gave him below-average marks and Councilor Button scored Brocato higher than Councilor Bryan.

2) At approximately 3 p.m., hours prior to the scheduled Council meeting, Mayor Dorrah and Councilor Bonebrake appeared at the city manager’s office and asked Councilor Pope, who was present, to leave.

3) Following Pope’s departure, Mr. Brocato was asked by Dorrah and Bonebrake to resign, but Brocato refused. Mayor Dorrah then indicated the Council had the votes to fire him.

4) Councilors Pope, Bass and Bryan were not aware of the above prior to Brocato’s firing being placed on the agenda.

5) By a vote of 4 to 3, with Councilors Pope, Bass and Bryan voting no, Brocato was fired. No discussion was allowed among the councilors nor was any audience comment allowed prior to the vote.

6) Interim city manager Tim Collins was contacted by Mayor Dorrah prior to the firing of Mr. Brocato.

7) Mayor Dorrah allowed three supporters to publicly castigate pro-recall councilors in time reserved for public comment on city issues. Not recall.

8) As a city employee, Mr. Brocato can be dismissed without cause, but the usual procedure, barring some criminal act, is to give a grace period to mend one’s ways. Former manager Zimmerman is a case in point.

9) Councilors cannot legally meet as a quorum outside a regular meeting. So Mayor Dorrah could possibly determine he had the votes to fire Brocato by carefully crafting meetings to stay within the law.

10) The dictionary definition of legal is “authorized by law.” The term ethical is defined as “conforming to accepted principles of right and wrong.”

11) In conclusion, I contend that what Councilors Dorrah, Calder, Bonebrake and Button did was possibly legally but obviously unethical and not what the voters of Baker City have a right to expect of their elected officials.

I encourage you to join me in voting for recall.

John Heriza

Baker City

Road closures ‘take’ from citizens

To the editor:

When major societal decisions are made by public officials, there are laws to keep the public decision-makers from overstepping their authority and to protect citizens from iron rule. These laws apply to the Forest Service (USFS)/Baker County Travel Management Plan (TMP) project as much so as to any other public land planning project, yet the laws are being ignored by public officials.

Many of the roads within the USFS closure plan provide access to hundreds of mining claims in Baker County. These mining claims are real property in the truest sense of the term, becoming so under the Congressional Grant of 1866 and Possessory Title Law, both passed into law with a series of related Congressional acts in the late 1800s. The claims became real property, under the private ownership of the miner, and subject to transfer through sale or inheritance, and taxable by the county.

In the past, Baker County has passed laws to reaffirm the protection of these statutory rights, and it is the duty of the local county commissioners and sheriff to protect these roads during the TMP. Yet there has been a documented failure to do so.

The proposed closure of grant-access ways to mining claims, and between patented mill-site and claim in Baker County, is documented in the proposed TMP and maps. After looking at the maps, an owner of a local historic mine was asked how much he might lose in property value if the roads were closed as proposed. $300,000,” he answered immediately.

While 21st century politicians speak about “transfer of the wealth,” look no further than the TMP project in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest for a perfect example. Then realize or reaffirm your belief that ideas such as “transfer of the wealth” and the TMP are a “takings” from the citizens, by the government. Theft.

Brian Addison

Baker City