Page 6 August 9 and 12, 2016 Sublette Examiner and Pinedale Rounup Vote in Sublette County

Questions &
Dr. David Burnett

Kendra Cross

Tami Crosson

Richard Griffin

Whats your
assessment of
the countys
public
transparency
and why?

Rather than criticize past

decisions by the commissioners, I would prefer to
focus on future opportunities to be transparent. Our
county government has an
obligation to invite the
input of residents and explain our reasoning when a
decision is made.

Moving to five commissioners will increase transparency of decisionmaking. Community involvement would increase
by posting current agendas
on public media and outside the meeting door. Accountability fosters trust
and we need to build that
to maintain our countys
future.

Having attended the vast

majority of commissioner
meetings during the past
year, I believe improvement regarding transparency is necessary. I will
justify decisions with open
and honest dialogue, enabling the public to be informed about issues of
importance to them.

I believe the taxpayers

have a negative view of the
transparency of our local
government. Thats one of
the reasons I have proposed the monthly meetings
in
Bondurant,
Boulder, Pinedale and Big
Piney/Marbleton areas.

The county needs to work

harder to have open, transparent meetings. State law
is pretty explicit that nearly
all meetings should be public, but the county needs to
make supporting documents available to the public alongside the agenda.

What is a
recent
decision made
by the county
that you
disagreed with
and why?

I would have opposed the

recent purchase of property
in Bondurant for a gravel
pit. From a fiscal viewpoint,
considering impending decreased revenues, I could
not support it. As a commissioner, it is important to
be able to prioritize needs.
Our county clearly has
more pressing needs.

I disagree with the less

than welcoming interaction offered by the commission in the request to
reconsider funding cuts to
the Discovery Center.
Community is first and
must be allowed to speak
to concerns and be received respectfully.

There are instances in the

recent past when the board
of commissioners rendered decisions which I
disagree with. It is not possible to take a position
against any single decision
with adequate justification
while remaining within the
allotted 50-word response
limit to this question.

I believe the taxpayers

have a hard time understanding how the county
can spend a large a sum of
money for a gravel pit
and shortly thereafter,
make huge budget cuts.

The commissioners cut

funding to nonprofits while
rudely suggesting that they
werent necessary anyway.
They cut funding to an important institution that has
proven lifelong benefits to
kids while they simultaneously insulted the hardworking families whose
kids are enrolled there.

Should the county

financially support
community
organizations
and nonprofits?
Why or why not?

They have and should continue to do so. However,

these are provided from the
discretionary funds. They
should be based upon availability and priority of need.
They are not a guarantee. In
addition, these organizations should show evidence
that they have maximized
their efforts for funding
separate from the county.

Nonprofits were originally

created to help cover gaps
in needed services between government and private industry. The county
can partner with nonprofits to expand coverage in
specific situations without
absorbing the full cost of
the service. I do not, however, advocate financial
support of nongovernmental organizations that are
not 501(c)(3)s.

It is appropriate to fund
nonprofit and community
organizations legally authorized to receive county
funding only when there is
demonstrated need, the financial condition of the
county does not make it
imprudent to provide
funding, and the requesting entity meets or exceeds mandatory criteria
established by the board of
commissioners.

I think that the people of

the county and the commissioners should consider
themselves a hand up and
not a hand out. Its been
great to have the ability to
support these in the past,
but I am not sure its financially feasible to completely
fund
some
programs.

There is no question that

nonprofits provide important and sometimes critical
programs to residents of
the county. Instead of using
a windfall to improve yet
another road, the most
good might have been to
reinstate some of the cut
funding towards our nonprofits.

What do you see

as the best way to
diversify the
countys economy?

The county commission

should not be seeking to
create jobs, but rather to
provide a climate and the
opportunities for more industries to take hold. We
should work with the local
municipalities, the state
Legislature, and business
leaders to increase economic opportunities for
example, increasing the stability of broadband Internet.

Stimulate cottage industries and partner with organizations around the

state. High-speed Internet
service is a necessary investment. We need to support and push for
innovation in alternative
energy. Sublette County
has been a leader in energy
and we can be a leader in
energies of the future.

Essential components of
economic diversification
in Sublette County are improvements to infrastructure, including deficient
Internet service presently
available and bringing together stakeholders committed to presenting ideas
and implementing strategies with the objective of
achieving attainable mutually-agreed-upon goals.
Diversification
should
supplement, not replace,
current economic driving
forces.

We need to bring in new

types of business besides
the energy industry. We
need to develop an enticing business environment.

Add value to our natural

gas by building a power
plant on the Green River
near Big Piney. Also, work
with the Wyoming Business Council to obtain
grants for local businesses
that hope to expand, like
the brewpub. However, do
it through the county as
Pinedales mayor doesnt
support business.

Tim Lingle

It Makes a Difference
Its Election Day. Do you know where your vote is? If youre keeping it in your back pocket, you may
be doing yourself and those around you a civic disservice.
The fact is that your vote could
make all the difference in not only
swaying an election, but in fulfilling
your duty as a proud American citizen.
But, my vote doesnt count
Weve all heard the claim from
nonvoters that their one vote simply
doesnt mean much in the grand
scheme of things, especially in the
presidential election that is determined
by the Electoral College.
Not so fast, say politicians and provoting organizations.

Here are some important events in

U.S. history that were decided by just
a few votes, according to the State of
Illinois:
Richard Nixon, not John F.
Kennedy, would have become President of the U.S. in 1960 if one person
from each voting place had voted differently.
If just one U.S. Senator had voted
differently, U.S. President Andrew
Johnson would have been removed
from office in 1867.

Texas might not have become

part of the United States in 1845 if
one U.S. Senator had voted differently. The vote in the U.S. Senate was
27-25 to invite Texas to become a
state. If it had been a tie, Texas would
not have been asked to become part
of the Union.
But I dont know how to vote
General discomfort can be a major
factor in keeping many people away
from the voting booth.
If voting intimidates you or you

need motivation in keeping it on your

schedule, involve a family member or
acquaintance in your planning
process. Coordinate to meet the morning of the election and head to the
polls together.
Voting with a significant other, parent or close friend can help calm any
nerves and also help you from backing out. Add in a breakfast, lunch or
dinner to make the event a memorable
one that you may turn into a regular
occurrence.