First a little background:
When I moved to Baker City from Prairie City, Oregon in
2004, a little over 14 years ago, Baker City was a pretty laid back, live and
let live sort of place. It truly was about providing a great rural experience
in a nice small town with a stable population and sufficient amenities. It was
a good refuge for someone without a lot of money to retire to. On my large lot I was eager to raise
chickens, drill a well, have space for a garden, fruit trees, the collection of
vehicles I needed for retirement, and put a new roof on an old house in a mixed
neighborhood of old houses, trailers, and manufactured homes. At that time the codes let people do
pretty much what they wanted on their property as long as it didn’t interfere
with their neighbor’s reasonable rights. That was all to change a few years
later. The council, populated with Main Street business folks and their
friends, as well as wealthy people who lived near the golf course, began to
listen to small business people, realtors, and others who were not really
supportive of a rural way of life. They complained about the way some people
maintained their yards, arranged their cars, built their fires, kept their
chickens, stacked their fire wood, and etc. I got rid of my chickens when they
started requiring people to get a license to have them because I didn’t want
code enforcement on my property out of fear they might ding me for having
imperfectly stacked wood, or lodge a complaint about the piles of branches I
keep around for kindling and various other uses. The whole idea that a code
enforcement officer would tell a microbiologist and accomplished chicken herder
how to keep his chickens was a little insulting as well.
In searching for an answer as to why they were complaining,
it became apparent that they thought that the old properties where low-income
people could afford to live in certain parts of town were dissuading rich folks
and wealthy retirees from locating in Baker City. They needed new blood with
money so as to solve their business problem, which was basically that they were
selling things that a lot of people in Baker City couldn’t afford. The remedy
was new wealthier arrivals who could afford to be their customers, fawn over
Main Street establishments, build new properties or fix-up old ones while
paying more property taxes for city government as well. After all, low-income
people spend their money at a thrift store, Dollar Tree, Bi-Mart, Walmart, on Amazon, eBay, and
the local markets on Campbell Street--not down on Main Street where businesses
fail on a regular basis.
In an attempt to solve their business problem, they declared
that the properties that poor, old or disabled people had acquired in order to
keep a roof over their heads was causing the property values of other residents
to go down, and were a threat to the general welfare to boot. Thus began a new
and expanded version of the war on the poor. This was in addition to the
long-standing local version run by the police-prison-probation industrial
complex, where poor people are cycled from the local jail to the probation
system, squeezed for fines and fees along the way, and then after the slightest
screw-up, go back to jail, and then probation, in an endless loop, until either
they get with the program or become unemployable, spiritually and emotionally
decimated human beings.
Initially, the Council promised that the code enforcement
officer would only be working on “the most egregious cases,” but after the code
enforcement officer went through those cases rather quickly, the powers that be
scratched their heads and realized they needed more “egregious cases” to keep
the officer employed, so now the “egregious cases” pop up weekly, and the
property maintenance portion of the war on the poor has become an endless war,
much in the way the war on Afghanistan and the “War on Terror” have become
permanent fixtures. Funny thing is, after all the expense, harassment,
engendered bad feelings and hostility, they find out that poor, old or disabled
people are still poor, old, disabled and troubled, and their places don’t look
much different, because they still don’t have the money to spiff up their
properties the way better off people would like, and of course what money might
be available to help them goes elsewhere. It goes to Main Street businesses to
fix up their properties, to the “long con” called “economic development,” to
the airport so the few pilots have a place to fly from, or to the golf course
to make sure the elite and good old boys have something they like to do while
keeping nearby property values high. After all, the city is adrift on a sea of
petty corruption by leaders who serve their own interests ahead of the public
interest by pretending that their interests ARE the public interest. Getting
available dollars to flow to your own special interest is the major perk of
being part of the cabal that runs Baker City, and they maintain those perks by
making sure they are well represented on City Council. But I guess if Baker’s
best is just going to sit idly by and watch it all go down, perhaps we get what
we deserve.
Which brings me to the current crop of City Council
candidates on the November 6, 2018 ballot: the good, the bad, and the ugly. My
responses below rely on the answers to the Baker City Herald questionnaire
found in the 10/17/18 edition, and on my own research.
Overview:
Baker City has many well qualified, educated and civic
minded people with substantial real world experience who could run for City
Council--Doctors, lawyers, educators, accountants, and others with long
experience in the public and private sectors as workers or managers. Where are
they? Few are running for Council,
and some that do, appear to bring a special interest agenda. If Baker City is
such a great city, where are those special people who truly want to serve and
represent all the citizens of Baker City instead of just the narrow interests
of the Main Street/Resort street/Historic District business people, those near
the river corridor, or those few who use the golf course and airport? One would
have thought that the recent history of the Council would have inspired some of
the potentially true and democratically inspired leaders with deep credentials
to step up and fill the void, but instead we get too many people with sketchy
credentials, little Baker history, or whose agenda smells of the same ol, same
ol—Main Street/Historic District business, Cross Roads arts community, the long
con, and the golf course, with some throwing in the war on the poor for good
measure. To paraphrase a quote attributed to Einstein, to keep on doing what
you’ve been doing while expecting different results, is insane.
So—on to the very best Baker City has to offer. Remember as
you read this poor man’s perspective to take these alternative opinions with a
grain of salt—they don’t amount to a hill a beans, but are mostly serious, with
a bit of satire thrown in. After all--the poor don't count.
_____________
Carly Annable
The Good:
Well educated, intelligent, energetic, friendly, good intentions,
and would make a good contestant for the Miss Baker City beauty contest.
The Bad:
She’s quite young, which questions her depth of life
experience. She has only lived in Baker City a few years, which questions just
how well she actually understands the whole community. She does seem to know
all the “right” people though.
The Ugly:
During the short period she has been here, she has totally
immersed herself in some of the primary elitist elements of the Baker City
community. Like the elite she moves with, she can’t be expected to understand
or sympathize with large segments of the community. She was very short on
specifics as to why she decided to run for office and why she chose, and how
she would fulfill, her priorities. Telling us she intends to “give a voice to
the next generation” leaves out quite a few of us who were kind of hoping for a voice as well. Given her
friends and volunteer work, one might expect her to continue to ignore other
than elite interests, and to continue funneling available dollars in their
direction.
Bottom Line if Elected:
If elected, score a big win for the status quo and a loss
for people not affiliated with Main Street, Historic Baker City, and the arts
community, or who simply want the city to use money to take care of their streets,
water, sewer, and other essential infrastructure.
Doni Bruland
The Good:
Born and raised in Baker City and cherishes rural lifestyle.
Sees “a budget that is out of control.” Wants to protect the watershed. Wants
to promote “open and transparent processes” and restore a sense of trust and
integrity to City Council. Wants to protect, maintain and enhance “the unique
environment and lifestyle of our city.” Which I assume may mean that she will
oppose further attempts to limit agricultural practices in appropriate
zones. She will prioritize “values
that matter, including budget, water and streets.
The Bad:
She appears on the war on the poor property maintenance
bandwagon to some degree and advocates using money needed for her other
priorities on local businesses.
The Ugly:
Possibly The Bad just above if she gets carried away.
Bottom Line if Elected:
If elected, score a big win for the Baker City lifestyle and
potential control of the budget, with hopefully, more money going to the basics
like water, sewer and streets, instead of Main Street and the arts community,
golf course, etc., but you never really know as the proof is in the pudding
which is yet to be made. Possibly a loss for poor people and yet another win
for Main Street, but if she sticks to her “values” she wont be able to give too
much money to the latter.
______________
Morgan DeCarl
The Good:
Well, she works in social services and professes to want to
help people. Nice smile. Could help address issues with waste management and
recycling, which hopefully could get people to quit burning plastic now that
most of it can’t be recycled.
The Bad:
She seems to be totally enthralled with the downtown
core—Main Street, the river path, the three parks on the river, and all
that--and doesn’t seem to realize that a large number of residents don’t live
anywhere near there so they can’t easily enjoy the “close access” she writes
of, even though they help pay for these amenities. Kind of a blackout there.
She also gives the obligatory nod toward “first responders”
and the idea that it is a “dire” need for us to pay fees in addition to taxes
for police and fire “to keep our town safe,” even though we have been quite
safe without the additional fees, especially in comparison to other Oregon
cities and areas of the country. I
have never felt so safe from crime as I have in Baker City over these last 14
years. I’m frankly a little more nervous about the police and the code
enforcement officer than I am about most citizens of Baker City. I just want to
be safe from the elite picking the few dollars in my pocket. The reason
there is a regressive safety fee is because they didn’t want to take any money
from frivolous spending on the golf course and elsewhere.
She says she went to college but doesn’t say whether she
graduated or what discipline her degree is in, but yet, at 34 years of age, she
feels comfortable lecturing voters on how a “community works as a chain of
productivity and economic growth” and etc. to see us “thrive and grow while, at
the same time, keeping it rooted in its tradition as a small agricultural
town.”
Well isn’t that special!
May have to be cautioned not to turn council meetings into
lectures on how “community works as a chain of productivity and economic
growth.”
How do you “thrive and grow” while remaining a nice quiet
little agricultural town? Beats
me, but then I’ve only watched growth destroy dreams like hers willy nilly for
over 60 years.
The Ugly:
What is it about “conflict of interest” that isn’t being
understood here? It’s a concept many Baker City councilors seem to have
difficulty with.
She writes in the Herald questionnaire that, “As the
daughter of parents who have owned multiple small businesses in Baker, I have
first hand knowledge of the difficulty small businesses have in a small town. I
feel that more needs to be done by city government in supporting local small
businesses, the lifeblood of the city.”
The lifeblood of the city! Who knew! Isn’t that special too!
I guess I was wrong to think that city and county employees,
along with the large chain stores and markets, the BLM and Forest Service who
employ so many at decent wages with benefits were “the lifeblood of the city.”
So her father owns the properties of The Corner Brick on Main and Improuse on
Resort, and she is running for City Council to support small businesses like
those on property owned by her father. Can you not see the dollars continuing
to flow to Main and Resort Streets where her father owns property? On the other
hand, she also writes that “I am running for City Council because I want local
residents to feel proud of their local government . . . Right now there is distrust in local
government.” No kidding?!! I seriously
doubt that electing someone who has a Main Street focus and wants to do even
more to support small business will help re-establish that trust.
Bottom Line if Elected:
Score a really big win for Main Street and other small
businesses.
____________
Daryl DeMoss
The Good:
Apparently hasn’t been arrested recently. Likes working on
his house and property and helping members of his sect.
The Bad:
A newbie plumber/pipe fitter from Utah who thinks we need to
get our shit together. Likes golfing.
The Ugly:
Doesn’t like to look at what he thinks are run down
properties and wants to ramp up the war on the poor. May try to force poor
people to hire himself, Slade Elbert, Kevin Luckini and Randy Schiewe to fix up poor people's run down homes, even if they can’t afford it. Failing that, poor people
may have to go to jail or be evicted.
Likes to golf.
Bottom Line if Elected:
Score a big win for code enforcement, continued funneling of
tax dollars to the golf course, and increased construction activity.
__________
Slade Elbert
The Good:
Appears to be a nice educated guy, and one of the few people
in America who volunteers to help the homeless. Doesn’t want to see Baker City
grow much. He is unlikely to support oppressive policies towards the poor, or
an expansion of the property maintenance Jihad. He promotes a make-work project
that might come in handy for all the construction workers on the council ballot
by improving foreclosed properties. Perhaps they could be made available for
affordable housing? Didn’t write a letter of support or speak in favor of the
Vegter’s turning Churchill School into an artist colony and motel.
The Bad:
Closely tied in to the arts community and the Crossroads
Carnegie Arts Center.
The Ugly:
None noted
Bottom Line if Elected:
Would likely be a win for the compassionate treatment of the
less fortunate.
____________
Lynette Perry
The Good:
She has a long history of civic involvement in the
community. She states that she believes in respect for all and avoiding waste,
and has no personal agenda. I assume that when she says she believes in
maintaining a budget she means a balanced budget. Doesn’t appear to hate poor
people.
The Bad:
Former board member of the Crossroads Carnegie Arts Center.
;-) She is very short on specifics
with respect to priorities and vision for the future of Baker City.
The Ugly:
None noted, but the fact that she enjoys playing pinochle is
highly suspicious.
Bottom Line if Elected:
Some potential here for regular folks being listened to.
____________
Kevin Luckini
The Good:
He can admit that he actually lived in Sisters for twenty
years! He also knows a sweetheart
deal when he sees one (Peekaboo deal in Elkhorn Industrial Park), maintains a
healthy distrust of the City Council, and thinks the council should live within
its budget.
The Bad:
He may not be acquainted with existing plans and vision
statements for Baker City. He supported the Vegter’s turning Churchill School
into an artist colony and motel. He talked the Planning Commission into letting
his construction business build what looks like a large apartment complex in a
residential neighborhood. He is a developer.
The Ugly:
He writes that he is “very supportive of attracting more people to Baker City”
while “maintaining our quality of life, by careful planning now’ and still
protecting the things that make us all want to live here.” One would have to
look around for a long time to find cities that have embraced both growth and
maintaining their way of life, and who had also been successful in the attempt.
Those supporting growth the most are those who hope to benefit but they rarely
discuss the costs growth creates for current residents. Of course Mr. Luckini
favors more people coming to Baker City—He’s a developer! Developers benefit,
current residents pay.
Bottom Line if Elected:
He’s a developer!
______________
Raymond Rienks
The Good:
Mr. Rienks, and his wife Penny, have paid attention to what
the council and city hall are up to on a long-term consistent basis. Whenever I
get motivated to go to a budget or council meeting there they will be,
attempting to get council to stay within their budget and not raise fees, or
whatever else would improperly impact Baker City residents. I have never seen
any of the other candidates at a council or budget meeting unless they had been
successful at getting appointed. To his credit, Kevin Luckini did attend recently
to try to stop the sweetheart Elkhorn Industrial Park deal, but Rienks has been
holding down the fort at council meetings seemingly forever. He is also a
bulldog on accountability, especially on the budget and spending priorities,
which is probably why council didn’t appoint him when they appointed
Schiewe. Rienks is smart,
knowledgeable, devoted, and dependable, and if he is elected, any large
expenditure to the special interests will be scrutinized and he wont be afraid
to publicly voice any concerns he has at a council meeting. He may be one of
the few people able to hold the line against the special interests feeding at
the public trough.
He would also like to see the audit completed on time so
that citizens have an opportunity to absorb it long before the budget committee
tackles the next year’s budget. He would also like to encourage more citizen
participation and would like to put an end to the use of “fees” as affix for
spending shortfalls.
The Bad:
Well, he did teach classes at Crossroads Carnegie Arts
Center. ;-)
The Ugly:
None Noted.
Bottom Line if Elected:
Score a big win for accountability and financial prudence.
_____________
Randy Schiewe
The Good:
“Keep Baker ---Baker.” !!! “Baker is a rural ranching and farming community. I believe our
residents like it that way. I do.” (Yahoo to that!)
He’s concerned about infrastructure “(water, sewer,
buildings, streets),” and “red tape” and project fees. (I would say that red
tape thing has both good and bad qualities though. I think the building codes can be a
bit overbearing and destructive of initiative, but many are necessary.) He also
wants to improve the relationship between the citizens and city leaders. No
evidence that he wants to harass people trying to get by.
The Bad:
He’s a golfer and a pilot to boot!!! Inveterate golfer Fred Warner asked him to apply for his current appointment. There goes the money for
infrastructure—right down the golf course/airport funding rabbit hole!
The Ugly:
He’s a golfer, and a pilot to boot!!!
Bottom Line if Elected:
Fred Warner’s and Quail Ridge golf course’s personal representative on
council.
___________
Ken Gross
The Good:
He has a degree in finance, so no one will be able to
bamboozle him on the budget, and he is strong on fiscal responsibility, living
within our means, and, importantly, he doesn’t want city government to “create
large programs that can become costly and eventually require additional taxes.”
The Bad:
While he doesn’t want to “create large programs that can
become costly and eventually require additional taxes” he wants more money for
the police department, which was expanded by ex-chief Lohner and previous city
councils to the point they had to start charging fees. Like I said previously,
I’ve never felt safer than I do in Baker City.
Economic development. As a previous small business owner, he
strongly supports economic development, which in reality is a form of
socialism, which I’m OK with as long as it is recognized for what it is, and as
long as it truly supports the general welfare without doing an inordinate
amount of harm to the general populace. I doubt that Mr. Gross recognizes it as
socialism though. Looks like he wants to support successful Main Street
businesses while policing others who are not open all the time.
The Ugly:
Support for the Long Con—economic development, and funneling
more dollars to Main Street.
Bottom Line if Elected:
A win for some financial restraint as long as it doesn’t
interfere with Main Street or economic development or the police department.
Best Bets:
Raymond Rienks
Probably your best bet for reigning in spending.
Doni Bruland
Born and raised in Baker City and cherishes rural lifestyle.
Sees “a budget that is out of control.”
Lynette Perry
She has a long history of civic involvement in the community
and believes in respect for all.
Slade Elbert
Every council needs a kind and compassionate heart.
[Edited for clarity 10/29/18]
[Edited for clarity 10/29/18]
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