For two years I have watched our city and county government descend into a confusing madness. Are they competing for the most ridiculous local government in the State of Oregon? It would be laughable if it wasn’t so sad and embarrassing. Instead of focusing on the health, protection and welfare of their constituents, including our precious businesses, they’ve chosen anger, bitterness and divisiveness, spawned from their inability to accept the “fact” they were members of a losing minority in the last elections. Time to move on one would think. … but no.

As fringe partisan special interest groups, masquerading as Baker City councilors and commissioners, your local representatives ignore critical problems, relevant business and their jobs, deciding instead to focus on senseless and meaningless resolutions? The time and energy Harvey and Bennett wasted on BCU, and their crybaby snowflake grievances, is beyond comprehensible. To what end? Thank you Commissioner Nichols for ignoring that disgraceful display of futility.

Then there’s the very definition of dysfunction … our city council. Here we have a mayor and three councilors rejecting a free, all expenses paid, safety upgrade to every railroad crossing in the city! The downside? Less noise. They’ve chosen instead to subject our most vulnerable (grade school children, the elderly, the infirmed. …) to a fractured education, health complications and ear damage, all in the name of…what? They claim the people need to vote on this? Hmmm. Just like the people voted on that unnecessary, special interest paving project by the golf course and a myriad of other monetary expenditures added to their tax liability? Using this skewed logic there should be no problem with every council decision being put to a vote of the people. Oops! Guess we wouldn’t need a council then huh?

We all know what this is about. A last ditch attempt by an impudent special interest group to maintain a semblance of power and control. Angry bitter pride, pure and simple! Thank you, Councilors Guyer, Spriet and Alderson for ignoring this obvious vindictiveness.

Feeling nostalgic? “Siri/Alexa play me a blaring train horn. … or maybe an “ambulance” siren??

Michael Meyer

Baker City