Posted by
CyberMom on Tuesday, May 05, 2009 8:47:03 PM
Here we go again - more cops in Bend. If it wasn't bad enough the ratio of police is 1 to every 800 people, in our SMALL town (not counting sheriffs, state and federal officers...) - now they're in our parks. Wait... they were in our parks before (anyone else noticed the 'bike' cops?)! So - this IS about money. Not only will we be paying for the cops through our tax money - but the check that the Parks and Rec District write the cops will come from... wait... our TAX Money!! See how that works? And, let me offer the TRUTH for those of you who watched this report on television - it is NOT that the Parks and Rec director believes people will 'respect' the cops more than they will Bennett - it's that they will 'FEAR' the cops more than they do Bennett. Because, in truth, not one person can say that when they see a cop, they don't automatically have some level of fear or concern - even if that concern is to jutify being less concerned because they're not, doing anything wrong.... Either way - it's fear mongering - and this is AMERICA - NOT COMMUNIST CHINA!!
Here it comes - caching - more money out of our pockets for police. More money for the police and the courts through tickets for DOG owners. Sure - no one wants to see a dog bite someone - but that's not what this is about. How many 'dog attacks' from 'unleashed' dogs have we had in the parks (say, vs. homes or ANYWHERE else)? Can you name ONE? How about TWO? Maybe a few? Try looking it up and see that they don't exist. We're so busy handing off accountabilty and responsibility to the authorities - the same ones who shoot unarmed, innocent kids without remand, prevent sons from saying goodbye to their dying mothers in the hospital out of sheer pride and inhumane selfishness and most recently - as of recent headlines - are put on probation/let go for frauding the public, or hurting innocent people. We NEED to begin taking accountability and responsibility for OURSELVES - and that is the type of America that Bennett represents!
Maybe it's time we say: NO. No to the overpriced police department where the current budget is over $35 MILLION, third only to water and wastewater services as far as municipal costs go!! Maybe if the City were to invest even a lousy $3 million - of that $35 million - into the current, $13 million community development fund and build parks where leashes were offered for free, dog parks were made more convenient for their owners or do something FOR the citizens of Bend who are FOOTING THIS BILL, then we wouldn't need so many cops (starting to sound like AIG - or maybe - Marxist Communism?)! Have you been to the courthouse lately? Near 100 NEW names EVERY DAY! I don't know about your math, but in a town with 76,000 people - that is more than HALF of the people of Bend and a THIRD of the entire County's population in a year's time?? WHAT is going on?? We have park directors who want to instill fear, raise our expenses during difficult, economic times - and for what? To patrol the parks for potential, future risks? Because, if a dog hasn't attacked or hurt someone - then the leash law is nothing more than a 'predictive' measurement in which we're going to assume EVERY dog and their owner is GUILTY, and force them to prove their innocence later on. That is NOT AMERICAN. INNOCENT first - then - guilty. And, you ask, what if it was me who got hurt or a family member by the dog? Well, if you're asking that question - then YOU do not have the same faith and trust in God that I do, that believes in our ability to love and forgive, and at that point, relies on the law to come in and fix the situation so no one else, gets hurt. And - I'd die in a heartbeat, without a second thought, for my son, if the choice had to be made.
I say NO! If Bennet makes $60k of that $100k budgeted - and there's even an additional $25k in expenses - that's $15k left over for her to carry around dog leashes - give people their GOD GIVEN right to make a choice and not FORCE things upon them, ask people to be respectful, and then, if need be - CALL IN the cops when people are in violation. Because... what do you think they do now? Why do you think she carries around the walkie talkie? Maybe if Bend PD didn't require 15 officers on the scene to get a cat out of a tree - they'd be able to respond to her calls!! And, if we DON'T stop this - you know as well as I do - that the ENTIRE $100k check will go to the Bend PD, whether they're there - or not! Start making a difference people - If you love this town even HALF as much as I do - you'll demand the Parks and Rec PRESERVES our happiness and freedom and STOP them from turning the parks into a place of fear mongering!!