Letter: Green’s schemes come home to roost

Published 6:15 am Thursday, July 27, 2023

To the Editor:

Nick Green’s recent letter to the editor (“Options for Funding Law Enforcement,” July 12) made me laugh out loud. LOL!

Green is the reason John Day has problems regarding public safety impacting the rest of the county. I’ve said multiple times, the money existed to fund the police and it did; COVID funds existed, monies in the general fund were available, and the grant applied for and received would’ve more than adequately covered John Day’s policing costs.

Fact is, the police were dissolved so that the former city manager could pay himself even more money as a “consultant” at everyone else’s expense. Don’t be fooled by the rhetoric.

And now Green has the audacity to criticize the county for proposing a levy, when he himself promoted one for John Day’s police despite it being unnecessary? LOL! Talk about rich!

Despite the blame being placed on the county, an “exchange” of funds via the city/county was little more than an effort by Green to literally challenge the county. Fortunately, all the county’s elected officials saw through Green’s schemes and declined. This is John Day’s problem. It must be solved by John Day, not the county.

Think about the track record:

• Grant County almost lost the 911 department, thanks to Green.

• John Day lost their police, but it wasn’t necessary.

• John Day lost their pool and a key piece of its heritage, not that it had to happen and all the kids have been deprived who could’ve been swimming for the last four years and into the foreseeable future.

• John Day nearly went bankrupt this fiscal cycle due to “creative financing” that failed.

• How much money did the greenhouses lose at the taxpayers’ expense? Wow LOL! Except it’s not funny! “Proof of concept,” fine — do it on your own dime, not the taxpayers’.

• And how’s that agreement going between the city and sheriff’s office we were assured would be implemented if the police levy failed? Hmmm, never was an agreement, still isn’t and likely never will be!

Tom Olson

John Day