How in the world has this man ever stayed in office for six terms: From all of the Letters to the Editor that I have read are the same...Very long, self righteous and self serving.. For crying out loud: Yes! He wasnt wanted and he should have resigned.... The Galena Sentinel-Times Page 4 Wed., August 6, 2003 Letters to the Editor RESIGN? Dear Editor: Was Mondays meeting ever a whopper! Emotions ran high, tempers flared, and for a few moments, I felt fists were next! The casual observer might think they were witnessing Galena in one of its worst mo- ments, but lets take a closer look. Were hateful or biased com- ments made? No doubt. A clear reflection of pent-up dis- satisfaction and frustration was evident. Some things were discussed that legally had no place in a commission meet- ing. The hours dragged on, but the debate continued. As an- ticipated, my recent letters even became a topic of discussion. A citizens committee headed by Bill Shoemaker asked for my resignation because my let- ters were negative and dam- aged the image of the city. What could I have been thinking to write such pointed letters, to make such specula- tive predictions, and to ques- tion the motives of fellow com- missioners! Did I think that those whose names I mentioned would be happy? Does anyone out there think I didnt believe there would be significant backlash? Perhaps it is time I explain my motives, since I have spent so much time questioning oth- ers. Obviously, I was aware of, and certainly did not under- estimate, the backlash. But why would I be willing to put myself in such a precarious position publicly for a job that has no pay and no benefits? I can broad brush it with two words: for Galena and for fam- ily. My record is clear. I have never been negative about Ga- lena. I have spent years pro- moting our city, and have per- sonally invested in and pro- moted the rebuilding of our downtown, as have many oth- ers. My family and I have spent a significant portion of our lives and trusted our eco- nomic future to the success of our city. When Galena wins, all of our families win. If I feel actions taken by our city offi- cials could threaten the future stability of our city, I will ab- solutely come out writing! Why writing? Simple. De- mocracy works when we can freely and openly discuss situ- ations that arise. Trying to quiet opposing viewpoints is not only morally wrong, but, if I understand our Constitution, it is illegal. So I write. I inform. I use satire. Was Galena in its worst hour Monday night? Far from it. The opposing viewpoints were spoken. Words were harsh, but spoken none the less. Did you notice that? Opposing viewpoints were spoken. Free- dom works! Have our meet- ings been too long? Abso- lute_ly. Can we continue in this free-for-all style? Someones going to get hurt. Proper deco- rum must be maintained. But freedom works, nonetheless. What about the commission- ers? From my viewpoint, I sensed something I was afraid had been lost. I sensed that all of us had been hurt to one degree or another, but were beginning to emerge from a very painful time as far better people. While some feel that the city has reached critical mass, and we have been vic- tims of negativity, I strongly disagree. Many wrong things have in fact been done and said during these meetings, but if we, as a city, can learn from this and forgive each other, we win. I have said it before, and I will say it again. Honest, fair and open government works. Public debate and free press are essential. The freedom to question all politicians and engage in constructive soul searching are basic fundamen- tals for both personal and com- munity success. While perfectly clear about my thoughts in respect to past actions, I left Mondays meet- ing encouraged that our com- mission has turned a very posi- tive corner. I am confident of our future. It is now time to pull together and get busy do- ing what we do best. Lets finish the work of rebuilding this old mining town. Not only do I believe our city government is able to rise to the challenge, but so are our people. I told Bill Shoemaker that I was encouraged about the fu- ture of our commission and its members, so I suppose I will have to quit calling them the boys. If this commission can restore the trust of the people and regain each others trust, and I think it can, the men will have earned the title, honor- able commissioners. Am I going to resign? I think you know the answer to that. Sincerely, Dale Oglesby
Posted on: Mon, 11 Aug 2014 02:25:23 +0000
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