Saturday, April 26, 2008

FIVE REASONS TO NOT RE-ELECT HUGHES

The following editorial appeared in the Thurs edition of Register Publications:

In the 2006 election year, the citizens of Dearborn County proclaimed their dissatisfaction with our county government by soundly rejecting the only incumbent commissioner up for election and electing Ralph Thompson. This was a good first step toward re-establishing a bond of trust between the citizens and the courthouse, but only a first step.

For the past 15 months, Commissioners Jeff Hughes and Rick Fox, with their 2/3 majority, have stymied reform efforts and continued the “business as usual” practices that are at the heart of most citizen’s disillusionment. There is a golden opportunity to resolve this unfortunate situation on Primary Election day, Tuesday, May 6.

I offer 5 excellent reasons why we cannot afford to re-elect incumbent candidates Jeff Hughes or Rick Fox.

Reason 1: The Dearborn County Regional Sewer District (DCRSD).

On November 15, 2005, they expanded the powers of DCRSD to county-wide jurisdiction without advance notice or public discussion, in apparent violation of Indiana’s Open Door Law.

They recently appointed an Ohio resident insurance salesman with absolutely no sewer credentials to the DCRSD board without advertising the opening and potentially attracting local candidates with credentials. The appointee cannot vote in Dearborn County but he will decide if you get sewers.

The DCRSD monster they have created and empowered is at this moment in the act of jamming ordinances down our throats to force sewer hook-ups, mandate availability fees for those who escape hook-ups, require $25 per day fines for those who do not cooperate and finally, sue you if you don’t comply. All the while Jeff Hughes and Rick Fox continue to profess “we don’t like forced sewer hook-ups”.

And with a DCRSD board including developers and a real estate salesman, any decision on sewer expansion is automatically suspect as to whose benefit those proposed sewers will serve. The Dearborn County Council has already chastised DCRSD once for ignoring the existing health issues they were conceived to correct while requesting taxpayer funds for sewers to aid development.

Reason 2: The Dearborn County proposed Land Use Map.

Jeff Hughes and Rick Fox tabled (killed) the proposed Land Use Map, bowing to special interests and ignoring the majority will of the people. With the lame excuses, they discredited and insulted the Department of Planning and Zoning, the Planning Commission, the scores of civic-minded citizens who labored for hundred’s of hours over a two year period and the large numbers of the public who sacrificed their time to attend the many public reviews and offer their comments and suggestions. As a detached and objective local newspaper editor eloquently published, “what a load of crap”.

Reason 3: Vieste

For their direct involvement in the Vieste debacle and the resultant “Northwest Quadrant” nightmare.

Reason 4: Fiscally irresponsible high density development.

For their continuing record of approving zone changes to allow almost exclusively high density urban development. These congested developments continue to choke the rural life from the county. Their decisions increase our property taxes to expand the county services these developments require but their low tax base cannot support.

They shift the responsibility for their decisions to the Planning Commission which recommends the zone changes while the majority votes on that commission are their own appointees.

Reason 5: The poor general operation of the county government process and disdain for the public.

Mandating citizens sign up to speak on issues of the upcoming commissioners meetings before the issues are ever made public is ludicrous. So is publishing final agenda for the meetings virtually at meeting time, barely passing the legal requirements of the Indiana Open Door Law and mocking its intent. These actions guarantee limited opportunity for the public to exercise their legal right to involvement in the process.

They invite an armed deputy to the commissioners meetings which creates an atmosphere of intimidation and inhibits public involvement. And I must correct County Administrator Brian Messmore for stating in his recent guest column that Indiana law requires a deputy at commissioners meetings. IC 36-2-2-15 clearly states a “county sheriff or county police officer shall attend the meetings of the executive, if requested by the executive” (commissioners). The deputy is only there because Jeff Hughes and Rick Fox have reason to believe they require one, a sorry comment on the relationship between themselves and the public.

Rick Fox is running unopposed in the upcoming primary election. Jeff Hughes, however, is opposed by Kathy Scott, who has professed three campaign themes, honesty, fairness and persistence. She also has an excellent philosophy concerning sewers for our health rather than others’ wealth. Scott stands for open government.

I recommend we take this opportunity to add the second voice that will bring about real reforms in county government and place our trust in Kathy Scott on May 6.


Chet Wolgamot
Manchester Township

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

As a detached and objective local newspaper editor eloquently published, “what a load of crap”.

If those "little people" really had anything to offer to this County, why are they not DCEDI members?

Inquiring Hughes/quarter-ounce brained commissioners want to know!

Anonymous said...

Jeff Hughes personally chose to exhibit to the entire county just how far he was willing to go to show just how close he was tethered to his development superiors.

Let him have to live with the political ramifications of his decision.

Anonymous said...

Good news for our development friends!

Once "Smart Growth" candidates take back this County, they will not sick County lawyers on you to pay for "Smart Growth" or else!

Maybe then, you will see just how far you development types had fallen!

Anonymous said...

So, it is safe to say, it ain't looking good for Hughes?

Anonymous said...

"As a detached and objective local newspaper editor eloquently published, “what a load of crap”."

Has Vera Benning waddled up to the offices of such local newspaper threatening them for not blindly supporting those Development forces that pull her weak-minded strings?

Anonymous said...

Chet...I think you need to be put up there with Crazy Al. Some of the things you have written are misleading. Which is one of your agreements against Jeff. I guess it is only misleading when you want to talk about someone else.
The Plan Commission is suppose to give recommendations to the County Commissioners. I think for rezones it works well to have both boards look at an application.

You also talk about people speaking at the meetings. If someone would like to speak I think they shoudl ahve to sign up. This helps control the length of the meeting and helps the Commissioners to possibly to some research on the topic to hopefully provide some answers. If you let people just show up and start talking, the meeting could last all night. Plus then how do you tell someone when they need to stop talking.

I just see how you think that supporting Kathy will help with any of the issues. She is dating Ralph which the County doesn't need that extra baggage with all the other issues that the County needs to work through.

Anonymous said...

If you let people just show up and start talking, the meeting could last all night. Plus then how do you tell someone when they need to stop talking.

And anyway, we all know that development interests already control Jeff and Rick and have their "ear!"

I would rather have a normal dating relationship than that sadomasicistic , master/slave relation that Hughes and Fox have with Ewbank and his kind!

But keep spinning, shill!

Anonymous said...

Baggage?

Please!

No one has more "baggage" than the two commissioner diw-wit twins who are constantly permiting their development bosses to "tea-bag" them!

Anonymous said...

Will the county republican leadership run a nazi or a fascist lite against Scott in the general after she beats Hughes and Pope in the primary?

Anonymous said...

helps the Commissioners to possibly to some research on the topic to hopefully provide some answers.

How Jeff Hughes phone calls coming on the Comp. Plan?

Anonymous said...

"Chet...I think you need to be put up there with Crazy Al. Some of the things you have written are misleading. Which is one of your agreements against Jeff. I guess it is only misleading when you want to talk about someone else.
The Plan Commission is suppose to give recommendations to the County Commissioners. I think for rezones it works well to have both boards look at an application.

You also talk about people speaking at the meetings. If someone would like to speak I think they shoudl ahve to sign up. This helps control the length of the meeting and helps the Commissioners to possibly to some research on the topic to hopefully provide some answers. If you let people just show up and start talking, the meeting could last all night. Plus then how do you tell someone when they need to stop talking.

I just see how you think that supporting Kathy will help with any of the issues. She is dating Ralph which the County doesn't need that extra baggage with all the other issues that the County needs to work through.

1:08 PM, April 28, 2008"

#1. Sign up- like they do at PC meetings to speak.Limit time if necessary to 3 minutes.
You speak like you know what you are talking about- have you ever needed the chance to speak at a meeting yet? And couldn't?
#2. Soap opera- high school girly gossip about Thompson and Scott is so juvenile. If two women or two men had lunch together would you assume a romance? PULLLLEEZE!

Anonymous said...

#2. Soap opera- high school girly gossip about Thompson and Scott is so juvenile. If two women or two men had lunch together would you assume a romance? PULLLLEEZE!

I think they deviant develop girlies are just amazed at the very idea that two people could possibly have relationship that does not include mistresses, secretaries, paralegals or hookers...

Anonymous said...

Wait for the "soap operas" all running concurrently, when the development bullies lose power...

...it will be a tear-jerker comedy fest!

Anonymous said...

Correction: The deviant development girlies

Anonymous said...

"helps the Commissioners to possibly to some research on the topic to hopefully provide some answers."

When the commissioners expanded the powers of DCRSD to a county-wide jurisdiction, was that on the agenda a week before such meeting?

Anonymous said...

#2. Soap opera- high school girly gossip about Thompson and Scott is so juvenile. If two women or two men had lunch together would you assume a romance? PULLLLEEZE!

Gossip is all they have, since they worn out their simple-minded mantras "anti-everythings" and "do-nothings!"

Anonymous said...

I often see Ewbank in the company of Fox and Hughes.

Who is doing who in that little love triangle?

Anonymous said...

Who is doing who in that little love triangle?

I don't know but the County doesn't need that extra baggage with all the other issues that the County needs to work through.

Bob and Rick and Jeff need to get out of politics and just get a room somewhere in some no tell motel.

Other than Bob, who else wears the panty hose in that relationship?

Anonymous said...

The Plan Commission is suppose to give recommendations to the County Commissioners. I think for rezones it works well to have both boards look at an application.

Especially when you have "development at any taxpayer cost" elements in control of both bodies...

Anonymous said...

"Chet...I think you need to be put up there with Crazy Al."

What about Crazy Bryan Messmore with his outright lies about the need for a police officer at county meetings? I guess it is only misleading when you want to talk about someone else.

Anonymous said...

"Chet...I think you need to be put up there with Crazy Al."

What about Crazy Jeff and Rick sitting on the comp plan to appease their development masters?

Or

What about Crazy Jeff and Rick's creation and participating of the Vieste Northwest Quadrant mess to appease their development masters?

Or

What about Crazy Jeff and Rick having to be lead around by the arm by Bob Ewbank as if they have already succumbed to political Alzheimer's disease and have no idea which way to vote?