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Show PAGE 30 THE ZEPHYRDECEMBER 1991 feedback the director of the AOG and supervises the Housing Authority, until such time as the county sets up a board and takes over operations. Why wasn't Mr. Howell Included In this closed door session? After the closed session the Commission reconvened and addresaed BID Howell, Jan Barnett and Nancy Bentley aD employees of the AOG. They sat before the commission and took what I considered to be excessive abuse from Sam Cunningham and Manuel the readers respond Dear Jim, Torres. Is obvious from the proceeding that the Grand County Commission Isn't concerned with the plight of low Income families In Grand County. The commission Is only concerned with manipulating this board aa they have with every board In the paaL Cunningham road part of a letter from an undisclosed source, which read that there Is a concern because the low Income families tend to destroy property and are there any provisions to assure that property owners will be protected. This action was uncalled for and an affront to every citizen of Grand County! Finally the commission Insulted the AOG, Its personnel and even managed to drive yet another vwdge between the City and the County by voting to reverse a previous agreement and require their Commissions approval of the City's appointment to this board. Again I ask what prompts this Commission to try and make every Board or group work with be so one sided and self serving? they In closing I would like to ask the Citizens of Grand County, "Can we afford both economically and socially to let this group of Commissioners dictate to us?" If the answer Is nol, then I suggest that each and every concerned VOTER call the Commissioners and ask questions of your own. A friend asked me not to tell her such disheartening stories because they upset her. Well, they upset me too and hiding our heads In the sand won't solve the GRAVE problems we face with this County Commission. Please get Involved! I would be glad to talk to any other concerned Citizens. It Saw you teaalng around looking for aomathlng to aay on the HlllThomas thing. Here are a couple atories from the San Antonio Express-Neon the skllla of South Texaa a eounter-tactlcfor sex haraasmont events. No wlmpa here; thought aa an editor women In ws you should see this: 1. "A customer who walked Into a Southeast Side nightclub, and thought he could terrorize workers and patrons with a buzzing chainsaw, was pummeled by a gang of topless women and angry customers Saturday night The man was subdued after a dancer cracked him over the head with a chair; a waitress whopped him with a wine cooler bottle; and about four customers lumped him, the bar's owner said. "Two men ran from a convenience store after a witness saw them exposing 2. themselves to the cashier. The cashier said the two men strolled Into the store, opened their trousers and asked her If she had condoms to fit them. She replied that her employer didn't carry anything that small." "Applause, applause." Don't mess with Texas women. Doug Travers San Antonio, Texaa Editor, I Just finished reading a Handbook for Commissioners on housing Authorities. It was printed In 1980. One of the first statements was that a 1972 handbook was 21 pages. The 1980 handbook was 82 pages. This is 1990. Enough said. I'm reading this handbook because I have no first-han- d knowledge of a Housing Authority. I've read a lot about It But Its is time to ask you to help I need to hear from the people In Grand County. lately. How many of you really know what a Housing Authority can and can't do; not just impressions about it, but real facts? families to obtain Housing Authorities can make It possible for middle-incom- e able Authorities would can be not to that otherwise be mortgages get. Housing they prevented by legislation from building new housing unless voters pass a referendum approving the housing. Once appointed, Housing Authority Commissioners answer to no local officials, and cannot be removed from office until their terms expire. loans for home repair. They can bring Housing Authorities can provide obs Into the community through construction. Not today. Not tomorrow. But soon. So although the Housing Authority Is a small consideration for Grand County now, in terms of dollars, It has the potential for a good deal of power and money to be funneled through it In years to come. I've heard it until I can almost predict when It will be said in the conversation-bl- it Grand County Is on the edge of big changes, and the people have to be participants In the choices. Tell me what you know-perso- nal experience, former service, facts, feellngs-he- lp me make a good choice for Grand County. I have an obnoxious answering service but It will record your name and phone number, and I will answer each and every message-th- ls Is ust too Important an Issue to rush into blindly. Let's face this one together. Call 6 low-inco- low-inter- est 259-538- -- Sam Cunmlngham Dear Jim, would like to hear more from Mr. Groan about the proposed Coors drilling In Little Canyon which would "bump mountain bikers off the Gemini Bridges trail". Will I only experience this Jolt on my mountain bike, or will motorcyclists be subjected as well? I wonder how far I might be bumped, and If he thinks It would be painful. All might be well, though, as the recently transplanted "native" bighorn herd may appreciate a little help In dealing with us bikers. I would also be very Interested to have Mr. Groan provide lessons detailing steps that could be taken to avoid "padding some lawyer's wallet". It seems to be a subect he understands well. What Is his profession, anyway, and how did he become so smart? Could It be that he's done a little fleecing of his own? Speaking of piracy, If I spell his name wrong do you think he might SUWA me? I Dear Jim, Sincerely wondering, DaveCozzens would like to discuss some of the Issues brought up at the county commission on Monday, 18th of November. I attended that meeting, as I have done for the last meeting 18 months. As usual it took a bit of effort to read between the lines on the agenda and to realize what was going to transpire during the meeting. Several Items concerned me. Their outcome did nothing to reassure me that these items were being handled In a responsible manner. 1. CoWest (owners of proposed toxic waste Incinerator site In Cisco) haven't paid any on land acquired from the county several years ago. tax property It seems that there was no transfer of title to this property and without this transaction being done and recorded, no taxes can be levied. Commission Chairman Knutson's answer to the problem was, "It must have slipped the cracks" and the county should go ahead with the title transfer. through My concern is, "Will back taxes be collected and who will pay for the transfer and recording of the necessary deeds?" 2. Several budget transfers from one department to another took place. When I asked about getting more (totalled Information, Fran Townsend responded thst I could get the Information from her office. I then asked If It wouldn't be better If they read the actual transfers Into the record. After some thought Chairman Knutson did read which departments were being effected but no money was mentioned. My question Is why wasn't the commission more open with this Informstlon? Maybe because its sctlon Monday took $20,000 out of an already depleted courthouse maintenance department, It took $7,000 out of the Senior Citizens Department, $2,000 out of Parka A Recreation and finally It took $1,000 out of animal control. Where did thle money go? $6,800 to Commissioners, $6,000 to Clerk, $3,000 to Treasurer, $2,500 to Attorney, $2,000 to Museum and $2,000 to Airport. This Isn't the first time the Commission has done such transfers. My question again Is why aren't the Commissioners more open with these affairs? Their response might be because of lack of time; yet I have seen this same Commission spend an hour debating whether to support recycling or maybe spend taxpayer money on WALU studies and Oil Company legal defense. 3. Appointment of Housing Authority Board. Prior to addressing this Item the Commission went Into what seemed to be an Illegal Executive Session to discuss a personnel problem. As of the present time the County has nothing to do with any personnel concerning the Grand County Housing Authority. They excluded Bill Howell from this session. Bill Is I . V '4 4 WV. VV.. 1 r V V.iJ iVVrt'rt Editor's note: Dave wins the "Jack Campbell Excessive Sarcasm Award for December. If he keeps this up, he may (gasp!) end up with his own column. J.S. A BETTER WORLD We were going to change the world then, What we did we knew was right The old folks would be gone soon, There'd be no one left to fight The vision of a better work! We held firmly In our minds, With a memory of Grandpa's smile, and the futility of our times. Some said It was the vision, That caused the eyesight to go bad. We could see what we were doing, Couldn't see Just what we had. What we had we want again now, For our own, this time, you see, And there's Grandpa with that little smile, He knows Just whst will be. Cause the youngsters have a vision. Dave Shepard :... |