Editorial from Aug. 18, 2006

Too much political in-breeding

By Dana DuVall and Danielle Seckler

   The recent editorial and careless cartoon in the local newspaper depicting one of the valley’s citizen volunteers in a derogatory fashion smacks of a vendetta of certain in-groupies that boast membership in a few of our service clubs and certain real estate people.

   When the pool committee was formed it was noticed most of the members were employed in the West end of the valley or many had business interests in Big Bear Lake. There were exceptions, however it didn’t matter. Blue collar citizens in the East end were basically ignored for their suggestions and deep interest.

   The higher percentage of the committee members were most pointedly only interested in having a pool West of Division. It was ignored that most young people lived in the East end. However, when the subject of a skateboard park came up it was said out loud that it would benefit the children because that is where most of the kids live. The in-group said the pool was for the kids, a community effort. Well, well.

   While these service groups and members of such, most definitely have raised money for the benefit of our less-fortunate citizens and the children, some of their members have taken upon themselves the cloak of superiority as they strike down any difference of opinion offered by others outside their circle.

   They ask for money for their espoused causes and caress their own egos at the expense of others. They want only your money and not your opinions or questions regarding their methods. That attitude is precisely why people are rapidly becoming fed up with their tactics.

   Whether it is on a national or local level, tax-payers and voters are fed up with the continual force-feeding of what is supposed to be ‘good’ for the community and country. The tactic of ridicule is their chief weapon if you happen to disagree with these self-appointed, narcissistic controllers.

   Whether it is the East or the West end of the valley some of our local politicians and public servants have been in office for too long, and it goes on and on.  Within their service groups, they nominate each other, vote for each other, and just plain fall over each other with praise. In fact, they only see each other socially and have lost touch with the rest of us. It has long been spoken with soft voices that two Big Bear Lake organizations decide who will be put up as candidates and then they vote in a block to get those people in office. It is always the same faces and they run over and over again, however the people or groups behind them are always the same. The nepotism runs from the top down to those who are employed by Big Bear Lake, CSD, the hospital, school district, etc. If they don’t have their families employed in the same municipalities, they in some way provide services or products, such as shirts, to their organizations. If these special people aren’t hired within the same municipalities, their spouses are hired by other municipalities or spouses are voted and/or appointed into different boards. If you aren’t part of these special people in the valley it is almost impossible to get a job or a contract with any of these agencies. Talk about in-breeding; many people are beginning to wonder if this is the backwoods of Louisiana.

   Not everyone in these service groups admire this inner-circle of egoists. There is unrest there, too. Behind the scenes there are some disgruntled members who up to now have kept quiet for fear of - guess what – ridicule. Anyone who stands up and speaks with a separate voice is ridiculed.

   The decisions made by these people affect every one of us in the valley and we need to take a very close look at what is going on in our community.  The majority of the valley’s citizens have long been satisfied to let a few control the majority and make the decisions of government. Too many of us have declared it is too messy, these local politics. It can be messy. It can be frustrating. But the accumulated morass of fumbled decisions is a lot messier to clean up. A current example is the recent Measure G, which despite all the money thrown at it, failed.

   We need our volunteers, the Denise Proffers, the Sandy Steers, the Barbara Espinozas, and the Walt Egetts. We need every one of them and in fact, we need more who are willing to stand up in descent. We don’t need the people who ridicule them.

   Think very carefully before you cast your vote this year and next. Don’t vote in any more nightmares or their clones, coming up from the lower appointed offices. The names may change, however the backers do not.

   Stand up for your volunteers! Stand up for yourself! This is the only way there may be change in the direction of this valley.

Dana & Danielle

Back to Front Page