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LOREM IPSUM DOLOR
CONSEQUAT VENIAM NOSTRUD
ASHLAND RECALL
Parks and Recreation Commissioners
Mike Gardiner
Jim Lewis
Rick Landt
RECALL
Latest NEWS
Response to Daily Tidings' Nov. 16, 2017 Editorial that says: Recall is misguided.
AshlandRecall Letter to Editor - Daily Tidings 11/18/17:
The Tidings editorial today (11/16) is a reflection of the paper's unwillingness to pay attention to the facts. It states that the recall process should "be reserved for actual malfeasance or wrongdoing", and then reduces the outrageous behavior of the Ashland Parks and Recreation Commission to differences of opinion and to upsetting some constituents. The actions of the APRC are a textbook example of malfeasance and wrongdoing. Without any documented problem or case for urgent action, the commission has pulled the rug out on our most vulnerable citizens, cutting them off from the help they need to access to the medical, rehab, legal, financial and social services they are entitled to by law. They have arbitrarily laid off the staff that was the link to these services and have done nothing to replace these highly qualified people. As winter approaches the challenges these seniors face become more daunting. Will it take an avoidable death for the city to decide that this action constitutes malfeasance and wrongdoing ?
Please take the time to look at the www.ashlandrecall.com website. It has much more info on the extent of the APRC's disturbing actions and words.
And also, the www.ashlandsos.com site, where you can scroll down to the NEW video of the Nov. 9 and Nov. 11 SOS town halls.
Letter to Editor Nov. 16, 2017 by Ashland Resident:
Daily Tidings Nov. 16, 2017
Clean up the mess
The future life of the Ashland Senior Center is now in the hands of the Ashland Senior Program Advisory Committee. Two members of this ad hoc committee, Mike Gardiner and Jim Lewis, are members of the Ashland Parks and Recreation Commission.
These same two gentlemen are currently up for recall from the APRC by the Support Our Seniors group. The cecall cites mismanagement of APRC’s annual budget, mismanagement of and firing personnel at the Senior Center, under-publicizing meeting results and wasting $230,000 for outsiders to decide the future of our beautiful Lithia Park. They also spent $49,000 on a performance audit that recommended “Do a better job with what you have before making any changes” and “Conduct a comprehensive community needs assessment before acting.”
I have been a member of the Ashland Senior Center Society for many years and am very concerned about what is happening there. Prior to APRC’s firing of the paid personnel a quarter of a year ago, our center was a haven of fun and pleasure. Now, without supervision, it is all falling apart. No one is there to answer to the senior problems that were handled so well in the past. I don’t trust the ad hoc committee, especially as it was set up by the APRC and two of its people are being recalled.
I think it’s time for the Ashland City Council to step in and clean up this mess by either taking back the Senior Center or making it an entity by itself without the mishandling of the APRC.
Earl Haveman
Ashland
AshlandRecall Letter to Editor Daily Tidings 11/18/17:
Rebuttal - Recalls Happen When There Is A Leadership Vacuum
With reference to the opinion by Rich Rosenthal (11/14/17) wherein he seems to confuse a citizen’s right to Recall elected representatives with “threatening actions,” may we respectfully point out a few things:
A Recall is not only a right, it is our civic duty when the officials steamroll the public as has been done in the case of the APRC Commissioners’ actions toward the Ashland Senior Program. He further states, “This is the wrong type of referendum at the wrong time.” Really? Who appointed you, Mr. Rosenthal, to be the judge of the paths to take, and what are your qualifications to do so?
You criticize a Recall as “divisive,” “needlessly pitting neighbors against neighbors.” Isn’t that unnecessarily incendiary? Since this is a right given to citizens, why should it divide anyone? Can’t neighbors disagree without becoming enemies? Perhaps when neighbors hear the truth, they will come together—not divide.
You say that the “problem-solving process …needs civil, constructive discourse…” If Ashland Parks and Recreation would consider reversing their actions, there might be an opportunity for problem-solving. Positive discourse requires both sides to agree to change, and, so far, APRC has refused to own the full impact of their errors in judgement. It has been clear since the APRC unanimous vote of Aug 9th that the APRC will not listen to the public before they act. They need to recognize that they work for the public, and should listen before acting instead of having to apologize after.
He states, “ We all agree that a vibrant senior program is important”…Well, Mr. Rosenthal, we had one until Michael Black and the APRC Commissioners began to dismantle it. To suggest the public sit back submissively and accept the conclusions of the newly-formed Ad Hoc committee is ludicrous. The public needs to be heard before it reaches a conclusion. This Ad Hoc committee is an impotent body seated by APRC, run by APRC, monopolized by APRC, and given only the information APRC wants them to have.
The only reason an elected official should be concerned about a Recall is if they are not upholding the public trust. We don’t pay taxes to sit back and let power mongers run amuck.
On RVTV and radio KSKQ 89.5 fm
Read Budget Committee Member Shaun Moran's Daily Tidings' Guest Opinion on overspending and potential fiscal crisis for Ashland here.
Watch RVTV's Tough Times with AshlandSOS - a half hour interview by Therese Swenson.
Available online at rvtv.sou.edu (click on RVTV Voices), (or in archives https://archive.org/details/PA5269211)
KSKQ broadcast 89.5 fm
Hear an hour interview with AshlandSOS by the Brain Labor Report.
Available online in archives here
SENIOR PROGRAM/CENTER
APRC latest actions as of 1/22/18:
Concerns about the direction APRC and the ad hoc senior advisory commission is going includes:
• Ad Hoc committee recommendations may sound positive; however, they are mostly conceptual. How APRC implements them down the road is what matters. APRC has already showed their hand in wanting to scale back (and outsource) social services (information/referral and outreach services) and expand recreation programs where revenue generation from younger seniors is more possible.
• APRC has passed the ad hoc committee’s initial recommendations without doing an adequate evaluation of the budget implications. If the budget is not increased, everything is certainly window dressing.
• The ad hoc recommended administration, record keeping and structure are geared toward a large city (over 100,000 population) rather than a city of Ashland’s size (21,000). APRC and the ad hoc committee have not considered the costs of building the bureaucracy, supporting computer program technologies and additional staffing it will require. It will direct staff to do paper/computer work instead of dedicating time to provide direct services to those most in need.
• APRC enhanced the senior program responsibilities, position, and manager’s role without review of APR’s overall structure in order to cut back personnel in other areas that used to have such responsibilities, e.g., recreation department.
• APRC adds highly paid staff to its organization which is already top heavy.
• The program and job descriptions are all set up to outsource the information/referral and outreach to regional agencies that have slim staffing. Local staff for such services are more efficient and effective.
• The community survey is not statistically sound, slanted toward desired results and under-represents social services needs.
• With the current legal actions against APRC - senior manager wrongful discharge and contract violations, age discrimination, and ethics violation - APRC should not rush (delay) re-organization actions until outcomes of such actions become clear.
Go to AshlandSOS.com to read more about it
Recall Election is on!
Recall now so that we can get three new commissioners who will:
- seek, listen and respect community input before making changes
- manage the budget much better to ensure Ashland's financial stability
- maintain well what we have before expanding or creating new programs
- restore the local senior social services' safety net
Signatures Verified!
Download Ashland Recall Flyers: 2-sided half sheet flyer and Quarter page flyer
Even with limited times gathering signatures in the freezing holiday weather, we turned in plenty of signatures for verification ten days early. Many Ashlanders practically grabbed the petitions out of the gatherers hand to sign (three times!), and thanked us for being there. We appreciate your support.
Read former Budget Committee Member Mary Cody's Mail Tribune's Guest Opinion on city council working against citizens' input here.
APRC's actions exposes taxpayers to liabilities
Cease and Desist letters and Supplemental Notice of Tort Claim
Read for yourself the tort claim notice and "cease and desist" letters sent to City behalf of laid off senior manager
Feb. 27, 2018 Press Conference Regarding Campaign
Recall not passed by approximately 70% against and 30% favored. Low turnout, 5,804 out of 15,197 eligible voters (38%) casted a ballot.
On behalf of Ashland Recall and Ashland SOS (Support Our Seniors) we want to thank the Ashland public for participating in the democratic process, that is, coming out in the thousands to sign the recall petitions, and voting in this important recall election. We also want to thank the many seniors and community volunteers who have worked tirelessly to give the citizens of Ashland this opportunity to vote and to use their voices.
Ashland Recall and Ashland SOS have raised serious issues for the public to consider and has forced the elected officials to be more transparent.
We are not going away, and will continue to shine the spotlight on actions that affect citizens. We are truth seekers and will continue to disseminate the truth in local government.
The truth is that before this recall, APRC Commissioners were ignoring public input on deeply important issues. The projected budget deficit of $5.9 million, now apparently adjusted to $600,000, was NOT being revealed to the public, or even being considered problematic, until Ashland Recall shined a spotlight on it with this recall election. Think about this: Parks & Rec has a biennium budget of $18 million dollars and they are still going forward with a projected deficit of $600,000. This is irresponsible and disgraceful. Why did the Commissioners not take notice of this projected deficit at the time? They should have taken steps to correct the deficit before expanding programs and spending more money.
The Commissioners are threatening the sustainability of the parks system by stretching the budget thinly over new programs, and not maintaining well what we have.
The Commissioners have dismantled Ashland’s successful and efficient senior program by taking out the local social service aspect of the program. Now they are creating a more costly program that adds to administration costs at the sacrifice of direct services to seniors.
Everything Ashland Recall has stated during this recall campaign is, and has been, supported by facts and evidence based on City records, documentation, and the Commissioners’ own statements. This was never a personal vendetta against anyone; nor do we plan to personalize any difference of values in the future.
We will be watching what the elected officials actually do, rather than what they say. We have reminded the public of what the Parks Commissioners are elected to do, the amount of money they preside over and the power they wield. We will not be ignored. They are our public servants, and they do not have the right to ignore or attempt to intimidate those whom they are elected to serve.
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