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Public Comments - Speeches
Mayor's Remarks
January 8, 2002Six months has passed since I last chaired a meeting of the Monmouth City Council.
Since that time, much has changed.
In late June, I boarded a plane for Kuwait.
As an Air Guardsman I served for two and one-half months with United States Central Command in Operation Southern Watch.
During that time I did my best to keep this community safe by managing air strikes implemented to keep the Iraqi terror machine in its cage.
Shortly after my return, on September 11, 2001 Osama bin Laden and his assassins conspired to destroy the World Trade Center and wound the Pentagon.
In the process these executioners murdered nearly three thousand of our countrymen - people whose only guilt was showing up to work, making a living - wearing the uniform of our armed services.
As part of the response to these attacks, my unit was recalled to active federal service and as part of Operation Noble Eagle.
On September 29, 2001 I arrived in Albuquerque, New Mexico to perform a classified mission - a mission that continues.
While I suspect that my role in the mission will change within the next three months, I do not know when I will be "home" for good.
In these times there aren't many people that perform the function we do - this means that I could serve in another CONUS location, overseas, or be released by the beginning of spring.
My promise is that I will continue to keep you updated as well as I can with whatever information I am allowed to share.
But make no mistake about it - we are living in historic times.
For the first time in two generations we were attacked; the result is that we are a nation at war - a war not for relative geopolitical advantage, nor even for natural resources - but rather a war for our very survival.
The ideal of America itself is on trial.
At issue is a simple question: Can a free nation survive in a dangerous world?
I say "yes."
I say that America can and will survive in a dangerous world - as long as its citizens are willing to do what is necessary - to individually pay our fare.
More importantly, Monmouth - can and will survive as long as we are willing to pay our fare.
For over eight years I have proudly worn the uniform. For a little over four years, I served this community as a professional soldier. For the last four years, I have served it as an air guardsman - as a citizen-soldier.
However, military service is but one kind of service.
Tonight, I am asking that all of us find ways to make our community stronger - to reach out and invest ourselves in our neighborhoods so that we come out of this struggle better off than when it began.
Therefore, I have three proposals to ask of the council - to ask of this community.
First, we need to make community watch a community priority. With little money and a lot of volunteer effort we can make our town more secure by organizing our neighborhoods and utilizing technology to pass information.
To help with this, I have asked Kimber Stutzman, Ken Lehto, Marc Miller and councilor Patrick Moser to work on building a strategy to augment the ongoing efforts.
Secondly, I am asking every councilor, staff member, and volunteer associated with the City of Monmouth as well as all citizens, to find a way to reach out to our youth.
Reading to school children, organizing after-school events, and/or working with local churches, youth organizations, and service clubs are just a few ways all of us can make a direct impact.
I am asking for your help because this is an especially difficult time for our youngest citizens.
We have been attacked. We are at war. People are scared to fly, concerned about our economy, and much is in flux.
Our children understand things are uncertain - they can see the anxiousness of our hearts.
Precisely because of this, we must work extra hard to show them that tomorrow will be a place that is safe, hopeful, and free.
Thirdly, I am asking this council to work even harder on achieving the goals we have established.
With so much uncertainty, it is vital that we maintain our discipline and keep faith with our charge.
Downtown restoration, economic diversification, technological investments, water rights procurement and development, and intergovernmental collaboration are mission critical items.
The $300,000.00 Community Development Block Grant that we have been awarded is a step in the right direction. It will allow us to pursue our downtown plan.
I want people to know that is an important "win" for the Monmouth we want to be. It is the fruit of many hours of staff time as well as countless phone calls and personal appeals made by myself and other regional leaders at my request.
This past summer I was allowed to talk with key members of the Oregon Economic and Community Development Board and impress upon them just how critical this kind of help is to a small community trying to find balance.
Evidently, they listened - and we are one of the communities that will benefit as a result.
This grant was a team win; I applaud the work done, and I encourage a redoubling of fervor - it's our turn, it's our time.
In conclusion, I have but one final request.
This is a personal favor that I ask of this council as well as of this community.
I ask that we find a way to close ranks behind those of us that have been called upon by the President because of this crisis - those of us that have been asked to stand a post, to guard our skies, to defend our freedoms.
Human nature being what it is, I know that sometimes it's easy to say things when a person isn't around - to take advantage because opportunity has presented itself.
I also know it is easy to forget about the ones left behind.
Most of the time, our loved ones are the ones that pay the highest price; they are the ones that have to pick up the slack, do twice the work, the ones forgotten during holidays.
But I say from experience, being away from home for long stretches of time is difficult enough without having to worry about such things.
As a lifelong resident of this community I can say without hesitation that Monmouth is strongest when it faces adversity - I am here, now, to ask all of us to come together and face this new challenge with love and compassion instead of with hate and pettiness.
Our absence, for military service, is but an unanticipated consequence of a war we didn't start, a war we didn't want - but a war we will win.
Coming home is hard enough without the drama.
Let us focus upon the mission - let us renew our commitment to keeping Monmouth afloat amidst the sea of change - let us seek our future united not divided - as one family.
Thank you.
