ELK KONNECT & VOLUNTEERS KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK

[Diane Amberg]

 

[readyaimduck]

lol Diane, and you DID say:  What is good for the goose is good for the gander!" 
(not that I am related, affiliated or sleeping with said goose.   

[Ross]

Ross ,who says the money should go to "actual communities" for their use?

It has always been that way and I believe that was the purpose of the recreation fund.
That is until a privately owned company started tapping it because they have members as county commissioners that voted to give it to themselves. Haven't you been reading the other thread?

What community groups are already in place? Are you sure they aren't happy about the existence of EK? Have there been complaints of a short fall by some groups already in existence?  If they feel that there is competition, why don't they say so? Maybe they actually like the cooperation.

There are various groups and various City Councils which are governments that provide recreation in their communities. Many people won't speak out publicly because of things like this post of yours attempting to make me the subject matter, but that does not bother me because I know what the real subject matter is. The subject is Elk Konnected, LLC about keeping up the good work, yet nobody knows what that good work is.


 

  Are you tending to parade your personal opinions as facts? Opinions are fine as far as they go, but facts have to be backed up with specific provable information, not rumor or hearsay.

No Diane I am parading my personal opinion as fact and if you paid attention I often say in my humble opinion. The fact that numerous people have heard the county commissioners at commissioners meetings express themselves as supporters and members of  Elk Konnected, LLC. One commissioner has openly claimed to be a founding member and is on their steering committee. Check their web site for yourself don't take my word for it.


   

    Please tell me how does one prove they are NOT a member of an organization, if simply saying so isn't enough? Can you prove you are not a member of the communist party? 

In case you did not notice, the question was directed towards Catwoman who was, implying the posters about the LLC might lying. She has said she is not an Elk Konnected, LLC member and I simply asked where her proof is in the same manner that she questioned our integrity. It was not directed towards you.
I do not need to prove whether I am a member of a communist party or any other party for that matter. The subject is not apart of this thread.

  As far as the "exploitation of children." Why and how so? Do you have proof? Do the parents agree? If they think their kids are being exploited why don't they say so? They aren't mute are they? Do you really feel you must rescue them as they don't know any better? Exploitation of children is  a very serious charge. You have it down that E K actually said, we are going to exploit your children to prove it. (You just didn't bother with the quotation marks.)

What is it, when you focus all your attention on providing lollipops and post your name in a form of advertisement and seek recognition for what you may have done for a few of the county's children in order to build a reputation throughout the county while using county resources and the local newspaper.

They even wanted West Elk school children to hold a clean up in Howard, why? To get their name in the newspaper. They were wanting to mimic what Elk Valley school does every year but it didn't fly at West Elk.

Diane, does anyone that exploits anyone else say we are going to exploit you?
How is it a serious charge? It is an observation and an opinion. Open your eyes and see for yourself.

Who said they have visionaries? You said they claim to have them. I'd like to read that statement, please.
   As far as the daycare business, you have a really long stretch going there to try to make a connection between the two organizations, when the one group already told you they aren't involved with the other?  Why wouldn't it be true? Why would E K care? If your people in Elk County really have been lamenting the loss and/or shortage of day cares why wouldn't that tend to come up as a subject of interest? Why must it somehow be an evil plot?

Elk Konnected, LLC claimed to have visionaries, do a little reading of their open letters, read their web site, do a tiny bit of googling and find it for yourself if you aare truly interested in the truth, and know the truth for yourself. Simply Google Elk Konnected and find a lot of information. I just don't have the time to go back looking for it.

The point in telling you there were no konnections between the two organization's was openness and honesty. Also the fact that the group working with the County Extension Office had planned their meeting far in advance and that it appeared to me that Elk Konnected, LLC's visionaries thought they could fool people into thinking addressing the daycare problem was originally their idea by holding their meeting a week before the Extension Office held their meeting with the ladies wanting to do in-home daycare. The second group told me they concluded that in-home daycare would be the best idea for such a rural area. And they have considerably more experience then Elk Konnected, LLC in this area, IMHO. And I understand it, they were there to work with the ladies to help them get going, not to talk about flower gardens.

   I was told that all some here are doing is asking questions and that is just fine, so I am asking questions too. Care to bet how many true answers I get? There is an awful lot of unproved negative speculation going on. Just think a bit folks.

Diane it took a lot of effort to respond in a civil manner to this post. You have questioned my integrity and honesty and interest as a concerned citizen and taxpayer in this county. And that attitude is very difficult to respond to politely. However, I have tried to respond to you openly and honestly. An Elk Konnected follower or member or whatever they call themselves told me on the thread, "Elk Konnected Hand out at County Commissioners meeting on 4/25" that everything I posted was being printed out for use in a law suit against me.  Well it has been nearly a year ago, two more days will be the first posting of that thread.

Has Elk Konnected, LLC taken any action? Has elk Konnected, LLC denied anything said by anyone on theses threads? And yes they have been on the other thread but apparently could not handle an open and honest dialog and left. But s I have said long ago in my opinion they are reading every word.

So, why don't you question their purpose and honesty and integrity instead of mine?

I will now remind you again this thread is about all the good Elk Konnected, LLC has or is doing for Elk Konnected, LLC. And nobody can tell us anything.

No folks it is my personal opinion that you might give it all a lot of thinking or not.
And you are not required to believe anything I say or suggest, as my personal opinions are just that my personal opinions. There will not be a pop quiz tomorrow.

You don't need me to tell you what to do or how to think, i owuldn't try to anyway.

[readyaimduck]

[quoteSo if you volunteer to pay taxes to "help", then would you expect others to be forced to pay too?][/quote]

Red, what I truly meant was if it is brought up to help kids get skills, not movies but real life lessons that is budgeted in the coffers for Youth, then I would vote for that in the I hope the majority did too.  If, the majority doesn't want that, then there must be another unerliying reason.
This isn't about democracy with the counties coffers.  This is about the commissioners being swayed (or so alledged) to throw your good hard earned tax dollars after bad issues.

ready

[Ross]

LOL...Now, Diane...No fair "Rossing" Mr. Ross.   

LOL
You are absolutely right on that one Catwoman.
I'd really enjoy a new thread on an new subject just to see how quickly it was abandoned.
She should perhaps start a new thread to make it fair.
This thread is suppose to be about all the good Elk Konnected, LLC is doing and no one can give any decent answers.
But, do what you want and have fun doing it.

[Diane Amberg]

Ross, I know questioning Cat's proof of membership was not directed at me. I just jumped in like a couple of other people have jumped in on other people' postings.
I already listed what I thought were good things E K was doing that I happened to know about, and yes, they were all about kids, which I'm very interested in also. Remember my list was just brushed off? What do you call a decent answer? I,for one, don't know what you are looking for.
  Calling everything "lollipops" just doesn't ring true with me, so we'll  just have to disagree on that. That to me seems like an insult to make those efforts sound so small and trivial. The volunteers worked hard on those events and projects.
    Ross ,if the commissioners were very open and up front about their interest in E K, then they didn't keep it secret did they?
 There will always be people who want their taxes spent some other way aren't there? In Gov't there will always be winners and losers, so to speak. Rarely will everybody be happy at the same time.
Ready has different ideas too,  and expresses them in a very civil way. She doesn't see free movies as being of much use. I doubt they cost much, and that is just a guess of course, but now that the Drive Ins are gone, I can see where, from a kids point of view, getting the family together outside on a blanket with other families and some popcorn might make some fun times and memories.  Reminds me more of 2007,2008 before a few joined the forum.
  Yes, I did go back and read all the threads here. As far as I'm concerned I have not, nor meant to in anyway question your personal integrity. If you felt that I did, it wasn't on purpose and I do apologize. But, does that mean you are too thin skinned too? That's what they used to accuse me of. As you saw, I learned!   Big Time!   I do think you are overly suspicious though. Do the counties out there have a history of fraud and deceptive behavior? I really don't know.
You say people won't speak up because of ME?  Oh come on now, I don't believe that at all.
  The exploitation of children isn't part of this thread either but here we are talking about it....again.
 Ready...for the last time with the goose and gander thing. I know what I said, I never denied it!  I questioned what was said to me afterward. Something about the gander having tried hard and failed and I wanted to know who the gander was. I didn't understand what he meant. My goodness, it was such a little thing and we're still talking about it? That is so funny.
  One last comment on this for now. Ross, why in the world does the business about the flower garden bother you so much? Don't you know how women chat and get temporarily side tracked when they get together?   Why are you apparently being so critical of them? On here no less.
  Once again, all you volunteers out there, thanks. Sorry this subject got hijacked.

[Ross]

Ross, I know questioning Cat's proof of membership was not directed at me. I just jumped in like a couple of other people have jumped in on other people' postings.

The point was that I really did not doubt what she said about it, but the reason for the post was her questioning our integrity and doubting what has been said.

I already listed what I thought were good things E K was doing that I happened to know about, and yes, they were all about kids, which I'm very interested in also. Remember my list was just brushed off? What do you call a decent answer? I,for one, don't know what you are looking for.

business
Where is all that which their Vision Statement, about Strong families,
Solid education, Superior Lifestyle.
What do they have to do with family structure outside of their own, especially as a privately owned ?
What say do they have to about our education system as a privately owned business?
How do they propose to provide anyone with a superior lifestyle as a privately owned business looking for hand outs as "Beggar-Thy-Neighbor" programs and could not run their own business, namely the wellness center that was provided by a "Beggar-Thy-Neighbor" program. When they sold the Wellness Center do you think they returned all that "Beggar-Thy-Neighbor" money to the people that provided it?

I care about kids also. Don't even think otherwise but are they the business of a privately owned company?
What if every privately owned company in the county wanted county money to rent something to set up for the kid's in their place of business, maybe a video arcade game to draw people in to their business and then advertise it in the newspaper? Do you think the county commissioners would go for it?

Lollipops are anything provided from a privately owned company provided with "Beggar-Thy-Neighbor" money from the County Coffers especially when voted on by their own members. Easy, right?

  Calling everything "lollipops" just doesn't ring true with me, so we'll  just have to disagree on that. That to me seems like an insult to make those efforts sound so small and trivial. The volunteers worked hard on those events and projects.

I repeat, Lollipops are anything provided from a privately owned company provided with "Beggar-Thy-Neighbor" money from the County Coffers especially when voted on by their own members. I would feel insulted too, but I would be ashamed of myself, if I was on welfare too.

    Ross ,if the commissioners were very open and up front about their interest in E K, then they didn't keep it secret did they?

The problem is voting to give money to the privately owned company they are associated with. The honorable and ethical thing to do, would be to recuse themselves.

 There will always be people who want their taxes spent some other way aren't there? In Gov't there will always be winners and losers, so to speak. Rarely will everybody be happy at the same time.

But that is not what I am talking about. I am talking about Konnected Kounty Kommissioners voting to give money to their own cause, when they should ethically recuse themselves.

Ready has different ideas too,  and expresses them in a very civil way. She doesn't see free movies as being of much use. I doubt they cost much, and that is just a guess of course, but now that the Drive Ins are gone, I can see where, from a kids point of view, getting the family together outside on a blanket with other families and some popcorn might make some fun times and memories.  Reminds me more of 2007,2008 before a few joined the forum.

Is it you don't like they way I express myself?
Or is it you don't like the truth being expressed?
There are other threads that are fun and you are not forced to partake in any special thread.
As far as movies for children that were put on by a county employee with county money, I thought her job was Youth Development, where is the Development in movies. It seems ot me that parents can show their children movies as a strong family unit. What I have seen of the Elk County summer camps appeared to be nothing more than babysitting for a couple of hours a day. And don't give me that socializing crap that can be accomplished in the family and at school and at church. What are they learning that pertains to youth development when only provided with the cheapest of toys and being watched like by a babysitter?

  Yes, I did go back and read all the threads here. As far as I'm concerned I have not, nor meant to in anyway question your personal integrity. If you felt that I did, it wasn't on purpose and I do apologize. But, does that mean you are too thin skinned too? That's what they used to accuse me of. As you saw, I learned!   Big Time!   I do think you are overly suspicious though. Do the counties out there have a history of fraud and deceptive behavior? I really don't know.

No apologize are requested or required concerning my integrity, I was not offended, that's why I did not get ugly about it.

Why bring other counties into a local situation?

You say people won't speak up because of ME?  Oh come on now, I don't believe that at all.

Did I really say that? OMG!

  The exploitation of children isn't part of this thread either but here we are talking about it....again.

Oh but it is!   Exploitation is the use or utilization of whatever to accomplish something. Again simple! It appears they are exploiting the children to further their goals, whatever they are and doing it with "Beggar-Thy-Neighbor" money from the County Coffers with Konnected Kounty Kommissioners voting to give them the money that could better be utilized by the actual/real communities in a more permanent way, such as play ground equipment the children could use whenever they wanted to.
 

 Ready...for the last time with the goose and gander thing. I know what I said, I never denied it!  I questioned what was said to me afterward. Something about the gander having tried hard and failed and I wanted to know who the gander was.
I didn't understand what he meant. My goodness, it was such a little thing and we're still talking about it? That is so funny.
  One last comment on this for now. Ross, why in the world does the business about the flower garden bother you so much? Don't you know how women chat and get temporarily side tracked when they get together?   :laugh:Why are you apparently being so critical of them? On here no less.
  Once again, all you volunteers out there, thanks. Sorry this subject got hijacked.

I messed that up about the goose and the gander, I meant to say the goose and it was not meant viciously but as a compliment. Human error, Human Error.  My error, My error. I apologize, I appologize.

The subject did not get hi-jacked just questioned and still no answers? If I recall properly, Elk Konnected, LLC paid people to baby sit at last summers Summer Day Camp.

[Diane Amberg]

Now Ross, I'm sure the folks who did the day camp didn't consider what they were doing babysitting, nor did the parents who sent their kids to it. That's a mighty big opinion to have if you never stopped to see what was going on and why. All that opinion from just driving by? What would you have them doing? It won't be long before that season is here again.Do you suppose there will be any attempts at day camps this summer? Why not go volunteer at one and see what really goes on?

I wish I understood more about what I was told about the LLC business. There are are many types for many reasons. Legal personal liability protection is one and there can be tax advantages and other things that went right over my head. One of the things that was said was, "It can be a private business run in the public interest." I've mentioned some of this before but it just gets swept away as so much dust. And as Cat and Ready and I have all said, if there is evidence, real evidence, of wrong doing...do something about it. Griping is cheap and easy but accomplishes nothing, even if you state the same complaints over and over and over again. Apparently they have chosen not to engage some of you on here. They don't have to and aren't going to. If I were a public official, I wouldn't put up with the way some have spoken to me more than once either!

[Ross]

I din't just drive by I stopped and observed for a short time. And remember I said I thought I remember those volunteers being paid.

Where is the development Diane?and I do my volunteering helping people when I have the time and the money to do so.
I don't have to or want to belong to some organization to do good, I also don't need to advertise what I do it in the newspaper.

I have a full life and enough responsibility

Is having a lack of ethics or acting in unethical manner a chargeable offense?
Is lacking integrity a chargeable offense?

And this one for me;
Is lacking tact and diplomacy a chargeable offense?

Would you prefer tact and diplomacy over truth and integrity Diane?

And where did the answers to these questions go?

Where is all that which their Vision Statement, about Strong families,
Solid education, Superior Lifestyle?
What do they have to do with family structure outside of their own, especially as a privately owned business?
What say do they have about our education system as a privately owned business?
How do they propose to provide anyone with a superior lifestyle as a privately owned business looking for hand outs as "Beggar-Thy-Neighbor" programs and could not run their own business, namely the wellness center that was provided by a "Beggar-Thy-Neighbor" program. When they sold the Wellness Center do you think they returned all that "Beggar-Thy-Neighbor" money to the people that provided it?

And I noticed you did not rebut my statement of opinion:

The problem is voting to give money to the privately owned company they are associated with. The honorable and ethical thing to do, would be to recuse themselves.

I grow weary of this banter and shall take a break from it.

Come visit thread at: Elk Konnected Hand out at County Commissioners meeting on 4/25.
http://www.cascity.com/howard/forum/index.php/topic,11780.3850.html

[Diane Amberg]

                          Another essay, but shorter.
Ya know, I did go back and reread about six months worth of those posts. I hope someone else is responsible for all those unnecessary apostrophes. They make my teaching certificate hurt.
 It started out being about an informal group getting together to discuss the disposition of the coming wind farm monies.
 A few were pissed at the way the meeting seating was organized.  That's a very common group style when interaction is wanted, but apparently not among people who don't get out much. Poke, poke  It's much harder to chat freely when chairs are in straight lines. Can't you see that?
Some people just don't do well as a part of an organized group and are better as loners. Especially if they are very suspicious and have to constantly evaluate everything and everybody for value.  Some will even admit that they just want to be left alone.
Ok fine, but then let the river flow on. Sit on the bank and enjoy watching it go by.
 At that meeting a free exchange of ideas was encouraged, not all of which were practical of course, but they all did have the constitutional right to assemble and express their ideas without being trashed. Such comments!
Then there was Liz's apparent comment to a local town about trash pick up? My word you sure have gotten a lot of mileage out of that. They have probably long since forgotten it.
 Brown heroin? (#Two) Really? Steve shouldn't even know what brown heroin is, let alone be using it in a post.
 Perhaps it would have suited better if the various citizens names had been published so they could have been ridiculed personally.
 Then just because they attended the meeting and signed the attendance sheet, those folks were labeled as EK forever and therefore the enemy.
   
Slowly, but surely, the posts stopped being about wind farm money, which isn't "taxpayer" money since it didn't come from taxes as far as I know. Isn't it profit sharing of some kind? Someone can correct me if I'm wrong about that. t The posts moved to being very picky, wanting micro information about Ek's projects and goals. Some may have been well intended, but perhaps not all were practical for everyone. Then the posts went  back to taxpayer money and perceived fraud. It was a slow, but sure and subtle change.
 First it was carrots ,now its lollipops. First it was wind farm money, now it's tax payers' money and of course a few think they've got it right and the rest don't. Do you few really believe the majority of the citizens there are blind and /or don't care? I'm accused of being blind all the time, but then again, I can step out and see things from the a different perspective.
 Now it seems those original ideas have bloomed and the wind farm money is on the table once more. It appears to be being considered for allocation to those things, or at least some of them, that were high on the list of concerns of the people who went to that first meeting.  See? The commissioners did listen.
 People don't have to be cookie cutter copies of each other do they? Some people are shy and some are forward. Some have strengths that others don't have .Some parents want their kids to be exposed to different kinds of things in life. Some things aren't right or wrong, just different.  For example, how tax money is spent. As far as what happened to the money from the closure of the wellness center, how could I possibly know? But EK is accused of pocketing it. Why? Is there proof?
 Some of your questions would be better answered by folks out there.  You want micro answers that I can't give.
 The way I've been talked to and snapped at and verbally attacked hasn't been ethical or shown integrity at all from my point of view. Why do it?  I just don't know what a few get out of it.  That's my share of rambling...my specialty. I've got a nice chuck roast in the oven, time to add the veggies. We'll eat at 7:00