This edition of the Herald carries a Mitch Myers letter to the editor which misrepresents what I said to the City Council Ward II Selection Committee. I won’t waste my time countering all of Mr. Myers’ inaccuracies, but because I carefully read important parts of my presentation from a prepared, written statement, I can quote to you exactly what was said in key areas. It is not as Mr. Myers would have you believe.

In my statement, I identified as the following, one of the three “alligators” the City needed to wrestle, along with moving the fair and building the new sewer plant: “Getting right with the Hermiston police department is the nearest alligator. The city and the department need to somehow heal the wounds which exist. I don’t have an answer for that, although the recent meetings of the public safety committee are a start. And it appears acting Chief of Police Edmiston is doing a good job. And I believe we have good and professional law enforcement officers. But until the poisonous recall issue is resolved one way or another, little more can be done. I say that because the President of the Police Association and her husband are two of the seven leaders of the recall, and obviously they want the mayor and four council members gone. Until that is settled, little can happen.”

Mr. Myers claims I misrepresented that Karen Primmer was involved in the recall committee. Mr. Myers may claim whatever he wants; and in my presentation I did not mention Mrs. Primmer by name, but she obviously must be involved because her husband Doug Primmer has taken a leading role in the recall effort; they attend City Council meetings together; and at the public meeting concerning recall Mrs. Primmer sat at the head tables with recall proponents Cindy Littlefield, Mitch Myers, Doug Primmer, and Jackie Keppinger. Mrs. Primmer did not talk at the public meeting, probably because of her position as Police Association President, but her husband talked at length during the session.

Mr. Myers also says I “demonized” the recall people as “haters,” “venomous” and “alligators hell-bent on destroying Hermiston.” Those are Mr. Myers’ fabricated words – not mine. What I said at the City Hall is exactly as follows and I carefully read it from my written text: “Then the recall people appeared. Those people have strongly held opinions, but they are wrong. The mayor and city council have done nothing to warrant this severe remedy. When the Police Association made demands about the chief of police, the city met every one of them. But was that enough for them [the recall people]? No. They want vengeance and the recall is their vengeance whether they succeed or not.”

Unfortunately, Mr. Myers’ animosity toward the City is so severe, he will say anything to attack someone who has different opinions.

GEORGE ANDERSON HERMISTON