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Letter: Abuse of power clear

The Columbian
Published: June 28, 2013, 5:00pm

At the June 4 Clark County commissioners meeting, one speaker reminded us that the appointment by Republican County Commissioners David Madore and Tom Mielke of state Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver, as county director of environmental services was within the rules. Just because you can do something doesn’t necessarily mean that you should. Beyond that, the appointment was a clear abuse of the appointment rule. That rule is to be used if an emergency situation demanded immediate filling of a county position. This appointment was made so that the “M&M boys” could appoint a crony to a position for which he is obviously unqualified.

And more than this, the praise that the board received for openness and transparency at that meeting is being abused by the attempt to quietly sell county property in violation of the need for environmental protection. This is not transparency. This is opaqueness. Worse than that, it’s a giveaway to businesses that might pollute our environment. I believe that’s why Benton was appointed — so that building and other industrial permits would be hurriedly, even if unwisely, approved.

They sat in their high-backed leather chairs and smugly accepted the accolades while the machinery of secrecy, cronyism and corruption ground inexorably on.

Joel Littauer

Vancouver

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