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Opinion Letters and comments for July 28, 2008
Letters and comments for July 28, 2008
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Johnson
I read Ms. Lester’s letter with a sense of disappointment, amusement and a tinge of pride. The disappointment comes not from having my motives impugned. Although none of us like it, public officials soon learn that that comes with the territory. What does bother me, though, is to see two things I care deeply about and have worked very hard on — the La Grande summer festival, Crossing the Blues, and the larger issue of economic and community development become political fodder. It’s almost as though some in the community would like to see these efforts fail, which simply baffles me. The amusement comes from the naivete that some show about running a political campaign. Work on this festival began in earnest last October, long before either I or my opponent had even declared our candidacies. If votes and elections were my focus, I would not push for change or endorse a new community project. It would simply be too risky. But I proudly support this festival. Last year, the city provided Union County Tourism about $100,000 and I think it’s reasonable to ask that a substantial amount of that funding be used to promote activities within La Grande, where those taxes originate. Crossing the Blues festival is certainly not my work alone. Projects of this magnitude require the efforts of many concerned citizens and organizations. I cannot begin to express my gratitude to those citizens and groups who have invested time, hard work and even some financial resources to make our community an even better place. I am very proud that our group has raised more than $6,000 in contributions from local businesses. The comment I have heard most often for their support of the festival is that “La Grande needs more activities.” I couldn’t say it better! Colleen Johnson, mayor La Grande |
