Response to Traylor’s challengeI’m happy to “make the rounds” Dave, as long as we “get straight answers from county judge candidates” in this paper, prior to the meetings. And I have several questions, based on our debate last Thursday.

First, regarding the claimed legality of your plan (May 24, September 27):

What law or court decision specifically states that the county can harvest ? cut and sell ? timber along county roads and right of ways that run through federally managed public lands? The county’s responsibility to ensure public safety is not such a law. If you know of one, please cite it for all to see. If you don’t know of one, please acknowledge it.

Second, please be specific about what you mean when you claim that you will “exhaust every effort in a ‘can do’ approach” to make “our county safe and prosperous” (September 27). Does this mean, for example, that you will embroil the county in expensive litigation in order to implement your plan?

Also, you continue to talk as if every environmentalist is a radical ? an individual that we cannot work with ? and claim that you “will not be mislead by the notion of ‘common-ground collaboration'” (Eagle, May 24).

So my third question is: How then will you address forest health, forest wide, short of working with the Forest Service and, by necessity, environmentalists who are a part of the public that, by law, has a say in public forest management?

This weekend while fencing south of Monument, I talked to a rancher who was deer hunting in some good-looking country. It came out during our conversation that while hunting he had seen more cougars (3) than deer (1).

Hence my fourth question: Since state law gives ODFW authority to manage wildlife, and cougars fall under that designation, will you work with them to address the cougar problem? Or will you, along with the sheriff, declare a “state of emergency” in the attempt to reduce cougar numbers so as to lessen their obviously significant, negative, impact on deer herds?

Finally, while I hate to think that we will have more fires like the recent Shake Table and Sharps Ridge fires, I do think it will take some time before we can turn things around. How about you? Are you willing to promise that our forests will not burn if you are elected county judge?

If you could provide specific answers to these questions in this paper, I would appreciate it. If you can’t, while I am willing to participate in public forums, I see no good reason to “debate” these issues in other towns around the county.

Webb answers citizens questionsMr. Hal Smith (September 6): I have no specific education, training, or experience in public budgeting or human resource management. In fact, if there were not already structures in place to step into, overseen by competent individuals a person like myself can learn from, I probably wouldn’t consider the job.

However as a result of my education, my college level teaching experience, and my years of “woods” work, I have a considerable amount of training and experience in areas that are directly relevant to what is required, generally speaking, for a county judge to do his (or her) job well in today’s climate: I have good analytical and problem solving skills; good communication skills; good people skills; and a practical mindset.

Mrs. Judy Schuette (September 6): My management style is best described in terms of my contracting.

I can do all the work required by a contract; or, if I lack the time, skills, or resources required to complete a job in a way that satisfies the terms of a contract, I can “sub” out portions to other individuals. When this happens, I do several things.

First, I find someone I can afford that my budget will allow. Next, I attempt to facilitate their work in any way that is needed so that my work, overall, is more productive and cost-effective. Depending on the sub and type of work required, sometimes this amounts to letting the subwork alone at their own pace; at other times it requires working with them. And last, I make sure their work satisfies the terms of the contract, for which I am responsible.

I think being a county judge is a lot like being a contractor who has to rely on subs: County government is responsible for delivering a wide variety of services to the citizens throughout the county. The county judge (and court) is responsible for making sure county government runs smoothly, within budget, and in a manner that complies with state and federal laws.

To this end, as county judge, I would set myself two general goals: First, attempt to facilitate the work of the various county departments so that county government’s responsibilities in general can be efficiently met. And second, make sure that in the course of doing their work the departments remain within their budgets and comply with state and federal laws.

Satisfying both goals will most often involve respecting the authority, expertise, and ability of the various county departments to do their “own” work – work the county court is not directly responsible for and cannot do. At times, however, it might also involve working with a department to bring it into compliance, help it stay within budget, or enable it to more effectively deliver the services it is directly responsible for delivering – things the county judge (and court) is responsible for.