Bullet-proof glass barrier suggested?

This falls into the category of “you cannot make this stuff up!”

Apparently our illustrious mayor (Jack Hoffman) has asked the Lake Oswego Police Department to get pricing to put up a bullet-proof glass barrier in the city council chambers – between him and the citizens that he is supposed to be serving. I gather he also specified new doors on the wall behind the council dais for escape. His “logic” was indicated to be a correlation between the unhappy citizens speaking out on the travesty of a council meeting on Dec, 13 and the tragic shooting of Rep. (Gabrielle) Giffords in Tucson.

Watch the tape of the meeting on the 13th, and then ponder what the mayor is insinuating – that vocal Lake Oswego citizens expressing displeasure somehow correlate to an assassination attempt by a madman. Wow.

To be blunt, there are plenty of us here in Lake Oswego that do not care for the current mayor, and a whole lot more that absolutely hate what his schemes are costing citizens and doing to our fair city, but I have never heard anyone express anything more threatening towards him than a recall petition. Come to think of that, that petition seems a better idea every day.

If you have been to a city council meeting in 2009-2010 or a “roundtable” and have seen your mayor’s dismissive and condescending attitude toward voters/taxpayers, you may be wondering (as I did) if he specified the barrier be soundproof.

While this pales in cost to some of the other visionary extravagances the mayor is pushing upon the taxpayers (Safeco building, trolley, Foothills, sensitive lands, etc.), everything adds to the fiscal morass Lake Oswego finds itself in. On a vaguely related topic to “security” and taxpayer money, have you ever wondered how much it costs us when he apparently uses Lake Oswego Police officers for what amount to his private security (the “coffee” last year was a well-noted example).

Speaking of our tax money, the annual budget process is starting up again. Everyone would be well served to get very involved – to find out where your money is going and to protect your wallet. Keep an eye on the city calendar (on the website) for meeting dates. The first meeting is April 21. Meetings will be held weekly on Thursdays in May. We continue to have serious “Other People’s Money Syndrome” in Washington, in Salem, in Clackamas County and (with some council members) here in Lake Oswego. There are signs that politicians in some places are starting to “get it” and restore fiscal sanity (New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie comes to mind), many more still need more input from the people that voted them into office.

Also, if you are against the $450 million (and counting) Disneyland ride (the “streetcar”), be sure and let the city council members who keep pushing it forward (Donna Jordan, Bill Tierney and Sally Moncrieff come to mind) that they are not acting in your interest. The same goes for spending money (to developers’ benefit) on Foothills. Let them know frequently until they return to reality.

Dave Luck is a resident of Lake Oswego, taxpayer and a member of COLA-LO.