- Mar 9, 2001
- 3,177
- 0
First a letter from Ed Waldheim
After this last Commission meeting 12/8-10,2005, I have to tell you that I am finished working with these Commissioners. It has become a Non-OHV Commission, which is not what it was originally set up to be in 1972 with subsequent law changes in 1983.
Mr. Spitler has taken it upon himself to develop policy, develop criteria, and completely disrespect the Division for anything they do in public.
He chastised Ms. Greene because she went to Northern California to help with State Park OHV issues. These are issues that State Parks Director, Ms. Coleman, asked her to attend.
He refused to listen to me when I asked him not to pass any policy or criteria at the Commission meeting today because the general public and OHV Division have not had a chance to review it. He pushed through policies that are detrimental to the OHV Division and OHV program, today on votes of 4 to 1, (I was absent after 11 a.m. today due to a prior commitment that everyone knew about.) with Judith Anderson voting "No" on the Criteria only.
Mr. Spitler killed all Minor Capital Outlay ... except restoration.
Mr. Spitler did not allow the public to make substantial comments, because it is impossible to react to a continually changing policy and criteria by the Commission. As chairman, he pushed for a vote on it without allowing the public or Division any input on the Commission's changes. (Clearly there has to be a violation of public process here)
During the Grant process, Mr. Spitler and his allies continually over spent on issues that had no benefit to OHV. So much was over spent that we could not fund the acquisition in Redding or the addition to Jawbone Station visitor's center. Both had to be denied.
In testimony, on the record I put in a resolution that we move 4 million from Restoration to the Support Budget, yet the chairman never brought this up after I left.
I asked that Attorney who represents the Commission not to let policies be voted on as they did not have proper hearing, especially since the ones that went out in the packet are different from the ones Mr. Spitler passed out at the meeting.
Mr. Spitler is in a continual fight with the Division, especially Ms. Greene where he publicly admonished her even after the Deputy Director asked that we work together. It is clearly certain this is never going to happen.
Mr. Spitler is out of control, and we need to do everything we can to get our OHV organizations motivated to replace anti-OHV Commissioners, or eliminate the Commission entirely.
I have been involved with the Commission since 1983, and it really pains me to have to say this. The commission as it presently is, is totally dysfunctional and is a detriment to the California OHV program. It has to be abolished, taken to court, Commisioners removed, or find whatever method there is available to us to make changes. We can no longer accept this as it is.
I know lot of you wanted me to do this long time ago, but I am always the optimist. I like working within the system with public participation. This clearly is not what Mr. Spitler has in mind, so I am finished with Mr. Spitler and his allies.
I will no long dialog with him or his allies, except in public meetings or at Stakeholders meetings or whereever Ms Greene or Ms Coleman want me to be.
Our program is too important to us to have an over zealous chairman try to run our lives and our OHV program that we are all so proud of.
Merry Christmas!
Ed Waldheim CORVA
After this last Commission meeting 12/8-10,2005, I have to tell you that I am finished working with these Commissioners. It has become a Non-OHV Commission, which is not what it was originally set up to be in 1972 with subsequent law changes in 1983.
Mr. Spitler has taken it upon himself to develop policy, develop criteria, and completely disrespect the Division for anything they do in public.
He chastised Ms. Greene because she went to Northern California to help with State Park OHV issues. These are issues that State Parks Director, Ms. Coleman, asked her to attend.
He refused to listen to me when I asked him not to pass any policy or criteria at the Commission meeting today because the general public and OHV Division have not had a chance to review it. He pushed through policies that are detrimental to the OHV Division and OHV program, today on votes of 4 to 1, (I was absent after 11 a.m. today due to a prior commitment that everyone knew about.) with Judith Anderson voting "No" on the Criteria only.
Mr. Spitler killed all Minor Capital Outlay ... except restoration.
Mr. Spitler did not allow the public to make substantial comments, because it is impossible to react to a continually changing policy and criteria by the Commission. As chairman, he pushed for a vote on it without allowing the public or Division any input on the Commission's changes. (Clearly there has to be a violation of public process here)
During the Grant process, Mr. Spitler and his allies continually over spent on issues that had no benefit to OHV. So much was over spent that we could not fund the acquisition in Redding or the addition to Jawbone Station visitor's center. Both had to be denied.
In testimony, on the record I put in a resolution that we move 4 million from Restoration to the Support Budget, yet the chairman never brought this up after I left.
I asked that Attorney who represents the Commission not to let policies be voted on as they did not have proper hearing, especially since the ones that went out in the packet are different from the ones Mr. Spitler passed out at the meeting.
Mr. Spitler is in a continual fight with the Division, especially Ms. Greene where he publicly admonished her even after the Deputy Director asked that we work together. It is clearly certain this is never going to happen.
Mr. Spitler is out of control, and we need to do everything we can to get our OHV organizations motivated to replace anti-OHV Commissioners, or eliminate the Commission entirely.
I have been involved with the Commission since 1983, and it really pains me to have to say this. The commission as it presently is, is totally dysfunctional and is a detriment to the California OHV program. It has to be abolished, taken to court, Commisioners removed, or find whatever method there is available to us to make changes. We can no longer accept this as it is.
I know lot of you wanted me to do this long time ago, but I am always the optimist. I like working within the system with public participation. This clearly is not what Mr. Spitler has in mind, so I am finished with Mr. Spitler and his allies.
I will no long dialog with him or his allies, except in public meetings or at Stakeholders meetings or whereever Ms Greene or Ms Coleman want me to be.
Our program is too important to us to have an over zealous chairman try to run our lives and our OHV program that we are all so proud of.
Merry Christmas!
Ed Waldheim CORVA
