Horse of another color
When Marion County Commissioner Dan Holub lost his job last week because of his stance on zoning issues in the county, people were outraged.
Rightfully so.
Unfortunately, their anger was misguided.
For those who don't know, Holub was fired from his job at Deer Trail Implement because customers threatened to take their business elsewhere if Holub continued to support changes to zoning regulations in the county.
Who's in the wrong here? Certainly not Dan Holub. He was elected to do a job, representing the citizens of Marion County. He did what he had to do.
That makes him a man of principle.
Management at Deer Trail Implement, with their bottom line in mind, did what they had to do in order to keep customers happy.
(In hindsight, DTI management may have alienated more customers than they made happy. But at the time, they took the approach they thought was right.)
For Deer Trail, that's just good business.
So, who's in the wrong? Those customers who resorted to blackmail and intimidation to make known their positions about zoning.
It's unfortunate — no, it's abhorrent — that there are people who stoop to these tactics. Commissioner Randy Dallke had it right when he said these people don't have backbone.
These people — whoever they are — aren't concerned about county growth or progress. If they were, they would be working with those who are trying to make a difference — not thwarting those efforts by using intimidation and extortion. These people aren't good neighbors. They aren't community boosters or tireless volunteers.
They are a vocal minority, adept at using threats to get their way.
They may hide behind anonymity but they have revealed their true colors by their actions against Holub.
That makes them a horse of another color — namely yellow.
Enough said.
— DONNA BERNHARDT
