[Vision2020] Conflict of Interest

[No Weatherman]

Mr. Livingston, I presume.

There is a huge difference between calling someone a terrorist and
noting his unsavory and unexplained associations with domestic
terrorists and police killers.

I wonder if you ever had the chance to chair a charitable foundation,
how many millions of dollars you would funnel to organization fronted
by these types of people.

I also wonder if this experience chairing this foundation was your
first and primary executive experience, and you became the Democratic
National Party's candidate for president, if this executive experience
would be relevant to your qualification for office.

Oh. I forgot.

I am a racist for asking this question.



On Sun, Oct 19, 2008 at 11:47 AM, Bruce and Jean Livingston
<jeanlivingston at turbonet.com> wrote:
> I fail to see how this is a conflict of interest, and I trust Councilman
> Krauss to vote his conscience on water issues relating to the Hawkins
> development.  People may agree or disagree on the substance of his vote, but
> to sugget that if he votes on the issue that he would somehow be voting out
> of a personal financial interest is wrong under what constitutes a conflict
> of interest, I think, and more importantly, moving the discussion toward
> personal attacks and away from the substance of the vote in unhelpful ways.
>
> To suggest that the potential of greater income in a part-time job based on
> the possibility of greater traffic provides a pecuniary interest that would
> buy Wayne's vote misses the mark on the direct, non-speculative, pecuniary
> interest needed to rise to the level of a conflict of interest.  More
> importantly, it is insulting to the extent that it overlooks the fact that
> he is a man that exemplifies the principle that "his word is his bond," and
> he votes out of honestly held principle, regardless of whether you agree
> with him or not on a particular vote.  Everyone on our Council is doing
> their utmost to serve the people of this City as they believe is best and
> voting accordingly.  It is important to remember that almost always our
> different viewpoints account for political differences in votes, and unless
> there is much more to suggest a real conflict of interest, raising such
> allegations too easily get misconstrued and operates to impugn people's
> principles, honor and reputation.
>
> That is unhelpful civic disourse.
>
> People may disagree about the way Wayne votes on  a particular issue, but I
> don't think we have a thing to fear about him -- or any of our other
> Councilmembers --  voting in a way to somehow line their pockets, which is
> what a conflict of interest allegation in this context means to me.  The
> Hills, who are good people and the owners of James Toyota, moved to the
> corridor primarily to own their own land and stop renting, but also to place
> themselves between their customers in Pullman and Moscow, clearly hoping to
> make themselves more convenient to more people and increase the number of
> customers who visit.  That they happen to be near the Hawkins development is
> irrelevant to me.  To suggest that the Council is trying to aid the Hawkins
> development in order to benefit financially either themselves or nearby
> landowners and businesses, like James Toyota, Champion Electric or Busch
> Distributors, seems misguided, without basis, and disrespectful of our
> elected representatives' principles and character.
>
> If Wayne were voting on things to be done on the Hills' property, then your
> suggestion of a conflict might have more force, but in general, I would like
> to see us focus on ideas more and personalities and attacks less.
>
> Colin  Powell said some important things today on Meet the Press about his
> discomfort with a faction of the Republican party that feels comfortable
> labeling  Barack Obama as a terrrorist and suggesting that there might be
> something wrong with being a muslim in this country or that being a muslim
> would somehow be disqualifying in seeking office as an American.
> http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27265490#27265490
>
> Just as General Powell concluded that it was time for a change, from these
> sort of polarizing attacks on people instead of debating ideas, I do think
> that restraining ourselves from personal attacks will go a long way toward
> improving substantive discussions and our sense of community.
>
> Bruce Livingston
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Tom Hansen" <thansen at moscow.com>
> To: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
> Cc: <dcarscallen at ci.moscow.id.us>; <jweber at moscow.com>; <tlamar at moscow.com>;
> <blambert at ci.moscow.id.us>; <wmsteed at aol.com>; <nchaney at ci.moscow.id.us>;
> <wkrauss at ci.moscow.id.us>
> Sent: Saturday, October 18, 2008 8:22 AM
> Subject: [Vision2020] Conflict of Interest
>
>
>> Greetings Visionaires, Mayor Chaney, and Moscow's City Council -
>>
>> Today's Moscow-Pullman Daily News reports that Councilman Wayne Krauss has
>> been hired part-time by James Toyota.
>>
>> ------------
>>
>> New job
>>
>> It didn't take long for Wayne Krauss to find something else to do. Krauss,
>> a Moscow city councilman and former owner of Martin's Auto Service Center,
>> closed the business in May.
>>
>> At that time, he was ready for retirement, playing a little golf and
>> completing some remodel projects at his home.
>>
>> "The summer's gone, the landscaping is done and the oak cabinets are built
>> and installed," Krauss said. "And I've played all the golf I needed to
>> play."
>>
>> What's a guy to do?
>>
>> For Krauss, it was trying his hand at selling cars.
>>
>> On Oct. 1, Krauss joined the sales team at James Toyota in Moscow.
>>
>> "I was in sales all my life," he said. "I sold tires, and I'm still
>> selling them - just now the whole car comes with them."
>>
>> The job is considered full time but flexible enough to allow him to attend
>> to council business.
>>
>> James Toyota is scheduled to move into its new facility on the Pullman-
>> Moscow Highway in Washington, just across the state line in November.
>>
>> ------------
>>
>> Realizing that James Toyota stands to realize substantial revenue once the
>> Hawkins Project becomes a reality across Pullman Highway from James
>> Toyota, any vote cast by Councilman Krauss may be considered a major
>> conflict of interest.
>>
>> I, therefor, strongly encourage Councilman Krauss to abstain from any vote
>> related to the Hawkins Project, including the sale of water to Hawkins
>> Companies.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> Tom Hansen
>> Moscow,
>> Idaho
>>
>> ---------------------------------------------
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