CCC creating collateral damage in Dayton

Letter to the Editor:

During the Vietnam War, a quote attributed to US Army major P. Booris achieved notoriety: “It became necessary to destroy the town in order to save it.” He was referring to the decision by allied commanders to bomb and shell the town of Ben Tre, regardless of civilian casualties, to rout any Vietcong hiding there.

These days, the Columbia County Conservative leadership expresses that same war-time attitude. In order to save Columbia County/Dayton from thriving economically in the modern world and to discourage and suppress all but the strictest spiritual and social values, the CCC leadership rejects any improvements to the community: a new swimming pool, a daycare center, tourism improvements in diverse forms, low-income housing, improvements to broadband internet access, etc…

I have yet to hear a CCC proposal that would do anything other than ensure Dayton’s decline. Where are their good ideas for economic improvement, for improving our business tax base, for encouraging young families to reside here? In a CCC future, we all become collateral damage and Dayton joins a long list of failed, boarded-up, economically depressed rural communities.

Until fifteen years ago, I considered myself conservative. With ideas such as those proposed by the CCC, I’ve ended up distinctly in the middle of the road. I will vote for Jack Miller, who is fiscally and socially conservative, who is an astute and successful businessman, who knows how to manage budgets and staff, who can negotiate complex contracts, and who has a vision of a stronger economic future for Columbia County.

A swimming pool is a highly popular item across the county, even among many, if not most CCC followers. Nevertheless, the CCC leadership is lobbying against forming a parks & recreation district, the only mechanism to maintain and staff a pool. At the same time, the CCC is attempting to stack the parks & recreation board. It’s hard to imagine a swimming pool ever being built with a CCC-majority board. I will vote for commissioners who really want a swimming pool for the entire county.

Let’s save Dayton without destroying it.

Fred Crowe

Dayton Wash.