[Vision2020] Stout Not Wrong n Union Support / Police Union StandNot a Conflict

[g. crabtree]

Ray writes a fine letter as far as it goes. The question I have yet to see 
answered satisfactorily is how is a unionized police force is good for the 
city and by extension the citizens? It's easy to see that it will be good 
for the union. More dues. It will be good for politicians who support it. 
More contributions. It might be good for the police. More wages and 
benifits, perhaps. But good for the people of Moscow as a whole? That hasn't 
been established by any stretch of the imagination. In fact its not too hard 
to envision several negative outcomes that will be brought about by union 
recognition not the least of which will be greatly increased costs.

gc
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tom Hansen" <thansen at moscow.com>
To: "Moscow Vision 2020" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
Sent: Monday, May 22, 2006 3:32 PM
Subject: [Vision2020] Stout Not Wrong n Union Support / Police Union 
StandNot a Conflict


> >From today's (May 22, 2006) Moscow-Pullman Daily News with a special 
> >thanks
> to Ray von Wandruszka and Margaret Davis -
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Stout not wrong in union support
>
> Recently there has been a spate of letters to the editor from people who
> take issue with Moscow City Councilman Bob Stout's support of a police
> union. A recurring theme in these letters reads something like this: ". I
> thought city councilors were elected to represent all residents, not just 
> a
> small group of employees . " Well, the writers either did not pay 
> attention
> in civics class, or found the material too challenging. Allow me to 
> explain
> the matter (for clarity, I'll write very slowly from here on): If Stout 
> were
> to support, say, a children's playground, then he would not do this solely
> as a representative of the 100-odd kids and their parents who use the
> facility, but because it is a good thing for the city of Moscow - a 
> feature
> that makes it a better place to live.
>
> The same is true for the union issue: Bob Stout does not support a police
> union because he represents police personnel to the exclusion of clueless
> letter writers, but because he believes that such a union would benefit 
> the
> police force and thereby the city. You may agree, or disagree, but please,
> spare us cockamamie arguments about representation. A city councilor is 
> not
> your personal mouthpiece - even if you labor under the illusion of 
> speaking
> for the people. Councilman Stout has a degree in political science, and 
> has
> this representative democracy thing down pat. Clearly, the same cannot be
> said about his critics.
>
> Ray von Wandruszka, Moscow
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Police union stand not a conflict
>
> In his letter published in the Monday, May 15 Daily News, Jim Anderson 
> says
> that Bob Stout ought to recuse himself from voting on the issue of the
> police union.
>
> Anderson maintains that because Stout has made his opinion known in the
> past, that his expressed opinion represents a conflict of interest.
>
> If this were the case, then every political platform would represent a
> conflict of interest when the issue came to a vote.
>
> People voted for Stout because of his stands on the various issues. The
> police, as every working group, ought to have collective bargaining 
> rights.
>
> Moscow's police are willing to do a very difficult, dangerous, and 
> sometimes
> thankless job. They ought to be valued and supported by the community they
> protect.
>
> Margaret Davis, Moscow
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Simply stated, constituents vote for candidates for the same reason that
> they join political organizations, they strongly believe in the positions
> expressed by the candidates and/or political organizations.
>
> The same holds true concerning Councilman Aaron Ament.  People knew, and
> understood, where Aaron Ament stood on virtually all issues when they 
> voted
> him onto the Moscow City Council.
>
> Councilpersons Ament and/or Stout should not be recused simply because 
> they
> are loyal to comments they expressed while campaigning.
>
> Seeya round town, Moscow.
>
> Tom Hansen
> Moscow, Idaho
>
> ***************************************************************************
>
> "Are the "alternative" schools really all that accelerated? Aren't they 
> just
> normal? I think it would be more accurate to describe the conventional
> schools as RETARDED. (Not necessarily in all caps, of course.)"
>
> - CD Witmer (May 18, 2006)
>
> ***************************************************************************
>
>
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