Editorial from October 13, 2006

"What’s good for the gander is good for the goose"

Cartoon by DMSeckler

By Danielle Seckler

   In a recent ad placed in the local paper by City Council member Liz Harris, published on Oct. 11th, she decided to advertise that Dennis Large’ shouldn’t have anything to say as a property owner in the valley, since he works in as a lawyer in Washington DC. Larges’ main practice is government affairs and national security. To be fair to both Harris and Large’ here are both Large’ telephone message (as soon as I get the file) and Harris’ ad word for word. [click here]

   Here’s what I know of Large’. He grew up in Big Bear and is a 39-year resident. His parents co-operated the Robinhood Inn restaurant and bar, where Dennis spent many summers working in the kitchen and dining room. After graduating from high school in 1972, he served in the Army and Army Reserves for 21 years. Having gotten his law degree, Large’ has served as an advisor on foreign policy and national security matters to several candidates for federal office, with both sides of the aisle. During the last year he worked for a large outdoor catalog retailer’s efforts to support private foundations concerned with promoting outdoor recreation and preserving the environment. He is an avid kayaker and hunter. Surely, Large’ can be considered a radical to many and a home-town boy that made it big in the outside world. Isn’t that what we want from our children?

   As for Harris, she is a retired school teacher, who is on the board of the American Federation of Teaches, Local 212, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Harris was re-elected to the board in April 2006. [Correction: Harris is not associated with Local 212, nor any other organization outside of the valley.] She has spoken many times about her years in teaching/administration and she is very interested in getting some kind of Community College system to the Big Bear Valley. To which she has worked tirelessly for getting electronic college courses to students in the valley without going down the hill.

   Here’s my problem; How can Harris call Large’ a Washington DC operative and accuse him of never being in town? Large’ was sitting at the City Council meeting on the Monday before her ad came out. Yes, he is surely more of an insider to Washington DC than any of us; however knowledge of how professional politicians operate gives him a better insight, though he has no more influence on them than any of us. Since Harris runs with the fat cats who have a stranglehold on this valley, it is no wonder that she is unaware of when Large’ is in town. It is not likely that they would run into each other. So what is she trying to say with these statements – Don’t listen to him, he’s an outsider! Well Liz, he’s more in tune with the political feeling of the residents than you have shown yourself to be.

   Now let’s talk about Harris’ claim that Larges’ efforts to influence his home town voters. Large’ is the front-man, willing to take the personal attacks, while local and non-local backers fund his voice on the phone. Harris’ ad stated several times about how Large’ was using negative smear tactics and how it will make good people who would like to participate in local government, shy away. Isn’t that exactly what she is doing to Large’ by putting an ad into the paper? Isn’t she trying to silence the people who stand behind Large’?

   Take the case of a local resident, Nancy Sargent, who has no money to profit from being “For or Against” the PHR. Years ago, she was a housewife, who lived next to several problem PHR rentals. She came to the City Council and voiced her issues regarding the lack of enforcement for these PHR rentals. What did she get from participating in the process? Neighboring real estate people smeared and slandered her. Sargent was privately harassed and there may even be some force from the City’s code enforcement in harassing her family. When Nancy called the telephone number from the City or directly to the Sheriff, they didn’t help her. That was over two years ago. Now she has reentered the work force, continuing her education, and hasn’t spoken up for a year or so. With the current ballot initiative to change the PHR ordinance, she is again being harassed, in the form of telephone calls to residents and lodge owners, that she is some how involved with this.

   So where is Harris? Publicly smearing those that do no back her or agree with her. In fact, it seems as if smearing the opposition has been the name of the game for years now. So Harris has come as the shining knight for Rick Herrick and Timothy Brigham in the ad she had paid for. We can only suppose that as long as you agree with Harris and her backers, you may speak. Otherwise, the ‘spirited discussion’ she mentions in her ad is just rhetoric. Brigham and Herrick have both publicly stated that they think the current ordinance is just fine.

   It is the current City Council, CSD, and other boards that just don’t get it and who are out-of-step. We have your number and anything to do with fairness has nothing to do with it. It has to do with money, big money, and how they want to run this town. The hell with the residents, tourist safety, taxpayers; to the hell with everyone who isn’t making a buck of the backs of hard earned working class people.

   Well, here is what I have to say to Harris; the electronic age is here; you don’t have to be in town to be at every meeting; I’m certainly not. There are emails, websites, blogs, instant messaging, cell phones, phones, faxes, and digital tape machines. Information is every where. The shot around the earth back in 1776 would be heard within 10 minutes today. Secondly, Harris should give the same ‘freedom of speech’ to those that oppose her. It is the American way. And lastly, the disappointment is for those who believed you had the values that support the hard working people and property owners in the valley. You don’t seem to.

   It is a new generation who needs to take over the leadership in the valley. We, the baby-boomers, raised hell with the older generation and it is time to take our rightful seat at the table; this year it is the City Council and next year it is the CSD and the County. Liz, it is time to say thank you, step aside with the others, and let the TV/electronic generation take over. To all those who fit in Harris’ situation, this goes for you as well. We thank you, but what you have left us with is massive debt, crumbling infrastructures, fragile environment with lots of clean up. You did your best, but the results stand to show to the world that it was not good enough. Perhaps, new ideas and new ways of doing things would help the situation and it is clear that those currently in power only wish to continue in the ‘same old ways’.

   Personally to Liz, “what is good for the gander is good for the goose”.  

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