LET THE PORT RACE REST ON REAL ISSUES
Submitted to Shelton Blog by Jake Rufer Mason County Progressive
There’s a rumble around that Jack Miles is not a team player -- that Jack Miles has torpedoed the equanimity of Port District affairs -- that Jack Miles will get the boot by an old hand who knows how to get along with Mr. Hupp, Mr. Wallitner and Mr. Dobson. Yes, there’s a rumble that Jack Miles simply likes to create disturbances. Yes, they say that everything will be hunky dory if Jack Miles loses the election
I suspect that Jack Miles adheres to a maxim: “when confronted by those who want to blind side you, let ‘em know what you think". The American tradition demands that persons on boards, councils, commissions, and in state legislatures and in Congress, i.e. the elected and appointed, have a right and an obligation to speak out when they believe inadvisable measures are before them. In addition, our legal system is structured to be adversarial. What would we think of if our counsel proceeded on an issue as a team player -- ”let’s get cozy with the opposition". Really?
Jack Miles did not stand alone against the ADAGE cabal. He had hundreds of Mason County residents with him. Those who say that Jack Miles is the cause of the Port’s problems and that he (and he alone) is the source of the constant disruption should take a look at the contribution of Mr. Hupp, Mr. Wallitner and Mr. Dobson to any disruption that might exist.
They, also, should take a look at certain operatives who seem to be supporters of Mr. Taylor, candidate for the Port Commission. I make reference to those who purportedly obtained a copy of Jack Miles’ DD 214 for what seems to be a major slander. The skulduggery becomes clear in light of the security that both the military and National Archives places upon access to the DD 214. Copied below is from the National Archives:
Privacy and Security of Veterans and Military Personnel RecordsI have pondered how unauthorized persons could obtain a copy of a veteran’s DD 214. The only method I can imagine has fraud at the core. If this not be true, I readily stand corrected. I have witnessed similar underhanded methods of slandering good people -- all the way from poison pen letters to blackmail by disclosure of past and atoned for events. This kind of play is not good; we should condemn it.
The National Archives values the privacy of our veterans very highly and we actively protect their files stored here from disclosure to unauthorized individuals.
This is why we require veterans' authorization for third party disclosures, why we work with the Department of Defense to identify authorized users, and why we require the signature of those who purport to be the veteran or next of kin on requests for information, including DD 214s.
DD 214s are not available online. They are sent to the requester through the mail and like all other similar requests do require a written signature before the request is processed.
http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/public/veterans-privacy.htm
Please, let the Port Commissioner contest rest on real issues -- let the fur fly -- and let's all rise from the gutter. (By the way, I am an ex-private first class who ended up retiring with a commission.)
Graphic: "High Road, Low Road" from www.123rf.com
Mr. Rufer makes some salient points capable of standing without benefit of additional input. But he also brings back to the table one of the lowest displays of behavior I have had the displeasure to witness: public disclosure by Mr. Steve Bloomfield of information contained in Jack Miles’ DD214 used as a tool of intimidation. As indicated, I was present at the port meeting when Mr. Bloomfield stood up and told Commissioner Miles that he should resign his position or face exposure of an “embarrassing rumor”. Mr. Bloomfield must now live with his attempt to smear another man’s for reputation for dubious reasons. We all, at one time or other, have opened our mouths before engaging our brains, but Mr. Bloomfield’s actions do not fall under such a spontaneously incited category. What damage there was to done has been, and if for no other reason than to amend his own reputation, Steve Bloomfield needs to offer a public apology to Jack Miles.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jake!
ReplyDeleteIt is a pretty low-minded, mud-slinging group who have arrayed themselves against Jack Miles. They do not want to make this election about the issues.
Jack Miles stood with 3,200 citizens of Mason County who signed a petition asking our local county commissioners to let the citizens vote on the biomass (adage) question: We got the required number of signatures, but the only politician in Mason County who thought we HAD A RIGHT TO AN ADVISORY BALLOT was Port Commissioner Jack Miles.
Lynda Ring-Erickson, Timmy Shelton and then County Commissioner Ross Gallagher disagreed with the 3,200 citizens, and denied us an advisory ballot.
This election should be about who will represent their constituents and who will stand with the citizens.
Jack Miles has shown he has a desire seek out business and industry that will make our community better while providing jobs, not poison our children and our elderly.
And as for those people who obtain records illegally; they may eventually be found out and I would hope that they are prosecuted to the maximum extent allowed.
In the meantime, a vote for Jack Miles is a vote for attracting non-polluting, clean green industry to Mason County.
Furthermore, Jack Miles is now, and has always been, for the clean, green, non-polluting jobs the Hall Equities development would bring to our community.
ReplyDeleteHe is clearly the only sane voice at the Port when it comes to this issue!