More aspects of politics at the candidate's forum
by Rick Nelson
In political campaigns, caveat emptor. Watch out for high flyin' hyperbole.
I don't agree with candidate Wayne Flohr's comment made at the candidates' forum last Wednesday that nothing has been done to curb county spending while Dan Cothren has held the office of county commissioner.
It is my impression that the board with Cothren and George Trott and the late Mark Linquist has been as conservative a board as I've seen since I started covering the county commission in 1979. Funding has been cut to St. James Family Center and the Pioneer Church Association. Funding was cut and restored for the Wahkiakum County Fair, the weed control program, Cooperative Extension, and the historical society. Funding was restored to some of these programs after public outcry. Several departments are now missing employees because of budget cuts made last year.
This year's budget crisis wasn't totally unexpected. What was unexpected was a $740,000 error by the state Department of Natural Resources. The DNR incorrectly told the county the revenue would be there this year when it actually was going to other timber trust beneficiaries. That was a big oopsie that county officials heard in May.
The commissioners are getting good practice in dealing with budgetary crises. They have learned to work with other elected and appointed officials to make major financial decisions with teamwork and consensus.
Sometimes it has worked well, and sometimes it hasn't. Sometimes I've agreed with their decisions, and sometimes I haven't.
I took Flohr's comment as hyperbole enriched with the joy of campaign debate. I imagine that if he's elected, experience will tone that down a bit.
In the meantime, it's up to the electorate to decided if the comments he makes on leadership are justified and if he is the person to handle the job.