Clark County Commissioners David Madore and Tom Mielke made a decision to appoint state Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver, as Environmental Services director and this decision becomes curiouser and curiouser as events happen and facts are revealed.
No one should forget that M&M stated it was not cronyism. The dictionary defines cronyism as “Partiality to long-standing friends, especially by appointing them to positions of authority regardless of their qualifications.” Need more be said about cronyism?
M&M stated it was done because Benton has the legislative experience to get things done and that he works well with people. Wow. His expert working relationships with Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, and former Republican Sen. Cheryl Pflug are definitely good examples of his excellent skills. Pflug stated “he dishes it out and then doesn’t want to receive it.”
Our county government lost some very good employees recently and I lay that at the feet of M&M and use Benton as an example of things to come. If we let them continue this way, it has the look of a dictatorship of “my way or the highway.”
