Letter to the editor: Let the finger pointing begin

By: By Rex A. Wood | Marion
Published: September 29, 2009

First of all, I want to clarify something. Will Crawford, who operates the hot dog stand, told me that it was NOT a council member who said he would not bring any jobs into the city, it was actually Mike Ornberg. I apologize to the City Council members for my misunderstanding.
Now, let the finger pointing begin. First, we see Bruce Brown's mea culpa in the first paragraph of his letter, "It wasn't me." In another McDowell News article, Mayor Pro Tem Steve little says, "It makes me want to start over again frankly" and then the mayor ,"I didn't vote on the issue." Mike Edwards says, "I don't have any problem eliminating the business fee altogether." Lloyd Cuthbertson was unavailable for comment, and council member Cecil Owenby can say, "See, I told you so." Billy Martin wanted to reach a compromise and got rolled. Mike Ornberg has gone silent. First they're for it and then they're against it. The big question here is what in the world happened? Who is the mystery person that recommended a fee of $1,200?
We know that it actually started with the Planning and Zoning Board members. Will the newspaper ask for their comments as well? They should.
This is what happens when local politicians think that the public is asleep at the wheel, and are not paying attention. Caught in the middle is Lisa Miller, who just wanted to sell some hot dogs and maybe buy some pretty things for her new grandbaby. The last time I spoke to Lisa, she said that she would like to go downtown but now felt intimidated. I can't really blame her. One of the worst feelings in the world is the feeling of rejection. The city government should be ashamed. We are either open for business or we should just turn the keys of the city over to a handful of business owners and let them eventually turn on each other.
In closing, I want to tell my daughter Dawn, "Sweetheart, I speak out because it goes to the very core of who I am and what I believe. It's that deafening silence that cripples this city, I love you. Dad"
Editor's note: Want to respond to this letter? Send your own letter to the editor to news@mcdowellnews.com or go here: http://www2.mcdowellnews.com/p/content/mmn-submit-letter/

Letter to the editor: Let the finger pointing begin

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