November 27, 2007
Tuesday AM

Good policy is made when we include all segments of the community on our Boards and Commissions.

Mike Painter made a motion at last Monday nights Assembly meeting to exclude Charlene Dima from participating in the Borough's Planning Steering Committee because of her involvement as a sponsor of the Jewelry Store Initiative. This should cause all of us to wonder why a member of the Borough Assembly is trying to exclude Charlene, a member of a free and open society who has the right to bring forward ballot initiatives, from the downtown planning process.

Open aggression from a sitting Assembly Member towards someone who is on opposite sides of a political issue, especially a past issue, is wrong. Whatever his thoughts were when he attempted to exclude Charlene; he was wrong to do so. He owes Charlene and all of us an apology for attempting to limit the process supposedly open to us all no matter what your political ideology might be.

Roberts Rules of Order, a book of rules most deliberative bodies abide by, calls for a diverse range of board members; it discourages boards made up of the like minded. Let's not discourage anyone from participating in our government because we don't like their politics. Everyone has something to offer; let's not discourage anyone who wants to get involved.

Thanks for listening.

Sam Bergeron.
Ketchikan, AK

About: "I'm a life-long Alaskan and concerned citizen. I've served on the Borough Assembly and KIC Tribal as Council President and as a Council Member. I currently hold a seat on the Ketchikan City Council and the Planning Commission."

Received November 22, 2007 - Published November 27, 2007

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