Letters to the Editor for Oct. 28, 2009

Councilors say thanks

To those who served on the Vote NO! committee; to those who supported the cause through donations of time and money; to those who showed support through letters, signs, and morale-boosting comments; to those who supported and continue to support our businesses in spite of boycott and adversity; to those who voted no; Thank you. Thank you.Thank you. From the depths of our hearts, thank you.

Beverly Calder

Dennis Dorrah

Baker City

Taking issue with aspects of ad

To the editor:

In his fine-print recall ads, Councilor Milo Pope writes, “Steve Brocato’s ethics are not in question.” He also writes that the International City Managers Association (ICMA) Code of Ethics, to which Brocato says he subscribes, does not require a city manager to remain neutral concerning council elections.

Apparently Councilor Pope did not check with the people I did at the ICMA.

I described to Martha Perego, director of Ethics and Advocacy at ICMA, that Baker City has a seven-member city council from which the members select a mayor. I asked her if the ICMA Code of Ethics condones a city manager campaigning for or against a mayoral candidate. 

Here’s her reply. “Based on the value expressed in the Code of Ethics that a manager should serve all elected officials equally and impartially, it would not be appropriate for a manager to get involved in the selection of the mayor.” (E-mail to me dated 10-19-2009.)

So, in my opinion Brocato did not act ethically according the ICMA Code of Ethics.

Nor do I believe Brocato acted ethically last summer during the recall petition drive to collect signatures of 603 Baker City registered voters. Under Oregon elections law, it is a Class C felony to knowingly sign a recall petition more than once. Everyone I’ve talked to knows and abides by this law. In fact, it states at the top of all petition sheets: “Do not sign this petition more than once.”

In my opinion Brocato committed two Class C felonies by twice signing petitions against both Mayor Dennis Dorrah and Councilor Beverly Calder. 

On June 19, Brocato signed the petition against Dorrah.  The signature collector was his wife, Victoria.  And on Aug. 21, he signed the petition against Dorrah again.  This time the collector was Milo Pope. 

On June 19, Brocato’s wife also collected his signature on the petition against Calder.  And on Aug. 21 Brocato signed the Calder petition a second time.  That signature was collected by Pope.

The facts challenge Pope’s assessment of Brocato as ethical.

Gary Dielman

Baker City