A word about the poll

(If you have not already - please read the summary and final installment of how we got here)

After the details of the uniformly bastardized process from A to Z by which the water extraction amendment was passed became clear, it was irresistible to not try to assign blame.  What a cast of characters.  You just could not make up such a yarn.  I felt that the entity most people seemed to hold accountable was not the one who should be held most accountable.  As of today, that person is running away with the vote.  There would have been way too many entries to list every choice eligible in the poll.  Here is a more extensive list, in no particular order:

• Darcy Gannon, Planning Commission Recording Secretary
• Gretchen Gannon Pettit
• Dan Lyons, Planning Commission Solicitor
• Mike Kaspszyk, BOS Solicitor
• Eldred Planning Commission
• Eldred BOS
• Sharon Solt
• CJER
• James Fareri, CJER Solicitor
• Carson Helfrich, CJER Planning Consultant
• Monroe County Planning Commission (MCPC)
• Christine Meinhart-Fritz, Senior Planner, Lead MCPC
• Eric Koopman, Senior Planner MCPC
• James Wimmer, Landowner's attorney

In my opinion, elected officials are expected to be corrupt.  The job of solicitors is to make sure procedures are followed so that mistakes aren't made - mistakes that lead to lawsuits and/or taxpayer dollars wasted.   Therefore, I lean towards holding the professionals responsible.  In light of the facts of this case, my belief is every person who was earning a salary or professional fee has fault in this matter.  Those under contract to Eldred Township should be shown the door, if they already have not.  Darcy Gannon is gone, and so is her daughter - a twofer.  Mr. Kaspszyk left, perhaps because he didn't want to deal with this mess, or perhaps for other reasons.  There is more housekeeping needed.  I do feel that one or two are the most culpable.  I will reveal those entities after the poll is closed, with justifications for my choices.

Update 1:30 pm Someone finally voted "I don't know".  Ding ding.   If you go back and read the post announcing the poll, I said to vote "I don't know" if you believe the answer is not on the short list in the poll.  It's my first poll, and I apologize for its inadequacies.  Based on the admittedly poor construction of the poll, inadequate for the task at hand, there should be more "I don't know" entries in my opinion.  But you are the voters.

Also, we have now picked up the first "CJER" votes.  This was the local regional planning group, if that makes sense.  One level below the county.  Yet they don't appear to even have discussed this amendment, which was their responsibility.  Also, their solicitor was the lawyer solely responsible for reviewing amendments.  They are currently doing a Harpo Marx act - appearing as though they are incapable of speaking.  Harpo was not a mute.  There are rumors of a gag order having been placed on them - now there is some transparency in government for you.  I salute those who chose CJER, but I am not saying one way or the other that it is tops on my list.

Enjoy, like if you found out you have carpel tunnel syndrome, or that you're bankrupt.  Just have fun with it.  Don't go too crazy though - look what happened to this guy when he let his hair down at a photo shoot: