Well, I hope you have your favorite dressing on hand, as this might be construed by some as more word salad, but I will avoid mixing in words you might need a dictionary for.
Grant, I want to thank you for what you do and for providing this platform for discourse. I appreciate your unbiased, independent approach. As an elected official, I am “fair game,” and everyone is entitled to their opinion. The decisions that all elected officials make should be watched and, at times, questioned. However, twisting facts, stating half-truths, and cherry-picking data to match a political motive is unfortunate.
You can interpret the OHV survey however you want, but the underlying truth of it will remain the same. The voters of Hinsdale County are nearly equally divided on the Highway Program, period. I will sit down with anyone at their convenience and go over every page of all four subsets of the survey. But to be honest, the “survey results” are less important than the individual responses and sentiments I hear when speaking with people.
It has been my goal to maintain an OHV Highway program that is acceptable to the majority of our residents. That means finding a balance and making adjustments as needed. (Please see my OHV ad in this week’s paper for clarification on my position).
Using my public comments during the OHV Highway Program meetings to portray me as the “anti-OHV” candidate is incorrect, a blatant lie, and a personal attack that I must address. During those meetings, my intent was to address the complexities surrounding the OHV program, driven by genuine concern and a commitment to finding a balanced solution for all of my constituents. Yes, I raised questions about shortening the program by removing September, and yes, I agreed with my fellow commissioners that this change would be detrimental. Through much discussion and unanimous approval, the decision to shorten the program at the beginning of the season was reached. The purpose of BOCC workshops is to provide the commissioners time to work together publically to find solutions that accommodate diverse perspectives. As elected officials, we are tasked with representing all those whom we serve.
Where we are currently is a result of making adjustments. The obviously politically motivated attempt to cast me as the sole architect of the decisions that were made, and the candidate looking to end the OHV Highway program, is just not true. As with the survey results, I will sit down with anyone at their convenience and watch the Zoom recordings of our BOCC meetings.
As I have stated before and is evident in our actions, the current Board of County Commissioners works well together and is a team. Robert should be commended for the work he does, and my respect and appreciation for him has only grown over the years we have worked together. That also holds true for Kristie. She pours her heart and soul into this job and makes decisions based on logic and with a vision for the future of our county.
While attempting to discredit or tear me down might play well to some, it will ultimately fail. The positive things we are doing as a county will outweigh the negative. The success we have as a BOCC will be greater than the setbacks.
So, continue to exercise your right to free speech and advocate for what you think is best, but if you prefer the direct approach, my door is always open. Literally, I haven’t locked my front door in 25 years.
Respectfully,
Greg Levine
County Commissioner, District 1
809 N. Silver St. #B
949-456-1228
[email protected]
[email protected]
