A comment on a post on the Citizens For A Better Pope County Facebook page by Darren Sanders.
Why is it this group continues to change it’s legal name many, many times, while keeping the same officers? It would sure seem like a group that claims to be “for the people” would keep one name that the “people” could keep up with and share their opinions. What is it you are trying to hide with all the name changes? Why doesn’t the newest fad in names, Local Voters In Charge have a group for the “people”?
I read Hans Stiritz letter to the editor in.the Courier. I notice he calls out Mr Mike Goad for not listing in his letter to the editor that he was a supporter of a casino coming. Why would he? He is a private citizen voicing his opinion with no stake in what happens. Hans on the other hand failed to mention in his letter that he is and has been an officer in all the different by name but same groups trying to keep the casino from coming here. He also fails to mention his amendment proposals have been funded millions of dollars by a competing casino down the road.
He also talks about their canvassers aren’t misleading people, but we all heard a member of the PCQC mention in the last meeting that she was indeed told lies by these people. The lies they were telling her line up with exactly what hundreds of others are reporting. And I believe this QC member is more against the casino coming than she is for, so how’s that for second hand. It came straight from her.
Hans claims his goal isn’t about removing a casino from Pope County, but rather his only goal is to ensure the people have a say in their local counties. However, he is in a family full of lawyers that tend to weigh in on the subject a lot. He is very well aware that his proposed amendment would do absolutely nothing to prevent this exact same situation from happening again in the future. The only way we will ever see another county get a casino is by another statewide passing of another amendment allowing it, which would no doubt have language that would do away with his proposed amendment, making it null and void. I would call that very misleading on his part.
He talks about he has overwhelming support across the state, and how the people of Pope County are overwhelmingly against a casino here. Yet he fails to mention that he has failed twice to get this on a ballot with all his “overwhelming” support. He fails to mention how every election cycle our local city councils and PCQC become more and more pro-casino candidates winning. Judge Cross won by a landslide against his guy. I’ve heard it said that an endorsement for public office from Hans is like the kiss of death. The only thing I’ve seen overwhelming is his use of the word overwhelming.
He asks why Mr Goad wouldn’t want to establish local control and let the people decide on a casino. The quick and easy answer is we already have, when we passed the amendment. And as mentioned, the people of Pope County have shown they now “overwhelmingly” support it by who they have supported on election days since then. If he REALLY wanted to see how Pope County feels now, his proposed amendment would be to force a local vote on the matter, not do away with it completely. It’s not Mr Goad who is concerned with how Pope County would vote, it’s Hans. He knows he would lose, just like he has been this entire time. We shouldn’t have to go out and collect signatures for this great opportunity the people have already awarded us, and Pope County continues to show in the ballot booth they want.
I truly hope all of these videos we’ve seen of his canvassers lying to people result in criminal charges and any signatures collected by said individuals get tossed out. I truly hope when Hans fails this time again that this will be the last desperate attempt we hesr from him.
It’s a shame I had to go the old CFABPC page to say this because his group isn’t really interested in hearing what the locals REALLY want.