Commissioner Tony Hyde           Mayor Tom Potter

                                                          Don't you just love secret meetings?



I wonder why Commissioner Tony Hyde finds it necessary to wheel and deal with the mayor of Portland to build a regional training center. Hyde forgets that his duty is to Columbia County and not that of Mayor Potter and Portland's needs. Hyde needs to work on getting good union jobs into this county, industry that will pay taxes into the county coffers, money that will benefit our services and most importantly financing our schools.
Why would commissioner Snidely Hyde want a regional training center in Scappoose, an entity that would pay no taxes, yet would use up prime industrial land? Industrial land that Columbia County needs to produce high paying jobs, industrial land that Columbia County has precious little of.
The citizens of Columbia County would not benefit one iota from this deal that Tony Hyde is involved with. Those to benefit would be the City of Portland.
I ask you, my readers, why should we GIVE PRIME LAND to the city of Portland? Let Portland go elsewhere. The statement from Mayor Potter was "together we can find cost savings on overhead". How would Columbia County benefit from cost savings from overhead? What functions would Columbia County agencies receive from Portland? The answer is simple Nothing! Unless you consider a possible purchased hamburger now and then from the local fast food joints. Maybe Hyde should consider taking the regional training center to Vernonia, if it is such a wonderful opportunity, he should share the fortune it would bring to his blighted community. I am sure there is ample acreage that could accommodate this facility in Vernonia.

Most likely the taxpayer's of the county will have to foot most of the bill. And again receive nothing in taxes, like usual Snidely Hyde is negotiating a deal where the taxpayers of the county will get hit with a double or triple whammy in added taxes such as his REDCO boondoggle. Paying a huge tax charge until the year 2016!
A horrible decision that Slick does not like brought up or discussed.

The word "together" really bothers me, and it should you as well. There is no "we in the terms of Columbia County and Portland, Columbia County should remain separate in all aspects when it comes to Portland.
We do not want or need the City of Portland getting their foot in the door in Columbia County; Columbia County does not need to be Mayor Potter's puppet. Portland has been trying for years to slowly creep, sticking their hooks in to Columbia County. Once Portland gets started watch out, we will become part of the Metro area. Like it or not! Do you want that? I sure do not. Look what happened to Hillsboro and other outlying areas, when Portland moved in on Washington County, that great place became over run with Portland ideas, Portland rules, and much higher taxes, and less opportunities to fight city hall so to speak.

Something else that bothers me about this behind doors deal that Hyde is doing, where are the other two county commissioners? Why haven't they been invited to participate in this deal making? I find that very disturbing, but then Hyde likes to be the big man so to speak and wheel and deal on his own, that way he can receive all the credit if something is announced, it boosts his already to big ego a tad bit more. Just ask Mr. Slick how great he is; he loves the word "I".

Why does Columbia County need another training center? We have an FBI and Homeland Security training center at Deer Island, next to Dyno chemical, a person should want to believe that these agencies would be well equipped to train all emergency services. Has Tony Hyde forgotten about that facility? In fact it was publicized that the local police were going to use it and it was going to be a great benefit to our agencies. Remember state senator posed with a Tommy gun at the dedication. It was not to long ago Hyde was pushing for that to happen, in fact Morse Brothers (Knife River Corp) helped the facility / county do some of the ground work and exchanged some acreage for an exchange for property at the old Waters Rock Pit, and a few other give a ways on the county's part.

In Mayor Potters letter to commissioner Hyde, Potter states that he is looking forward to continued collaboration. I think that the public should be aware of this issue and demand that the other two commissioners be involved in the talks, the public be included in these talks such as public meetings, so the public can listen to what is actually being decided before it is on the drawing board and to late to say yea or nay on the issue. But then Commissioner Slick Hyde could care less whether the public says yea or not, after all Hyde is the commissioner so he can make any decision he wants whether the majority of the public wants it or not, or by Snidely own omission, "I am county commissioner. I can enforce ordinances the way I want, because I am the county commissioner" What you get when you give me money is good government. Slick Hyde has made these comments in public meetings and stands by his self ordained authority. (Printed in local media, and commissioners meeting minutes.)

I have heard that commuter trains is on the drawing board for the future, maybe that is another reason to financially subsidize the railroad, fix the tracks for free at taxpayers expense of course, and eventually we can get Max down this way, Hmm… I wonder what else is in the early stages, intertwining us with Portland. I would venture to say that our future looks bleak when it concerns Portland's encroachment into our pleasant little towns.