EDITORIAL: Council: Attend or watch
A new Keizer City Council terms begins on Monday, Jan. 6. Mayor Cathy Clark will be sworn in for her sixth term. She will be joined by Marlene Parsons, who returns to the dais after previously serving two terms.
Starting with the Jan,. 6 meeting, the council will start at 6 p.m., rather than 7 p.m. The change aims to accommodate more commu- nity members and improve public participation.
The work of democracy begins at the local level. It can be argued that our daily lives are affected more by city government than Congress.
Though some issues debated by the city council can seem mundane, that body’s policy decisions address what concerns residents, from law enforcement, parks, traffic and, the big one, community development.
Whether attending in person or watching on KeizerTV Channel 23, the public should keep up to date on their city.
For those who wish to be part of solutions, they should consider applying for a position on a city committee or board when there is a vacancy. Being part of the process is not as scary as one might think. —LAZ
LETTER TO THE EDITOR:
We all pay
To the Editor:
My wife and I, business people, often witness people stealing, shoplifting, retail crime in businesses. We ask ourselves and business staff why?
Common answer: “We can not do anything, even security, or we get written up or fired.
Not a solution to the “wrong”. Ultimately, we all pay for this stinkin’ thinkin’ insanity. Liberalism of no right, no wrong, soft on crime mindset in action.
One recent incident I witnessed and chased a thief with a cart full of items past store security. The result, the criminal got one foot off the business property and security there couldn’t do anything. I asked by who’s rules.
Unfortunately, some business’s Bandaid solution is to place items behind locked plexiglass. Not a “real” problem solver or solution. Bad people will still continue to do bad.
It’s beyond time to make people accountable for their bad actions. Apparently, criminals are not afraid of God (Gal 6:7-9).
Why should 98 to 99% of honest people continue to pay 10 to 20% more for goods in businesses?
It’s time for bads to pay hard time. We Americans must turn this insanity around, like California’s Prop 36 passing a tougher crime bill on drugs and smash and grabs.
Let’s make criminals accountable.
Robert L Beckner, Gervais