Elk Konnected

[Patriot]

It just dawned on me that Patriot may have been responding to sixdogs....my apologies Patriot for jumping into your conversation

Not a problem.  You were correct in pointing out my ambiguous 'they/their' illustration.  It seems there's already plenty of obscure ambiguity to go around!  Of course, when we finally discover who the EK admitted members are, we can stop referring to them as 'they' too.     Thanks.

[Ross]

In that scenario, I will agree. 
In Elk County the 'openess' is sometimes treated with  'you're too radical' or if an organization kept to oneself with it's meetings, then it becomes 'you're too secretive'. 
As my granpappy and others used to say "We've never done it that way, so therefore it is wrong"  It doesn't mean it is...it just means 1.  granpa didn't understand the inner workings of the machine or 2.  He was just a cautious man. 

It is my philosphy that all that matters is:  1.  The end result is for the greater good.  2.  Accountability must be held.

I see accoountability is at questionable issue with the Elk Konnected based on boundaries set by law and it's methods of operation.

When a county commissioner is involved with aa company that is asking for tax payers money of the county from the county commissioners there is just noway there is no conflict of interest. Where is the ethics in that? And I'd bet your granpappy would agree not because that is they way it use to be but because it is the right thing. What do you think?

If the end result is to do away with city government's as suggested in their list that I am sure you might agree would not be for the greater good.

Elk Konnected has only polled a very small percentage of the county, maybe 5 or 6 % and has way fewer than that as volunteers. They are delivering lolipops to a very few of the populous, while knocking the majority of the communities in there letter written to them selves praising them selves. I suppose your granpappy would probably say we didn't do it that way, so therefore it's wrong.

I think I would like your granpappy.

[pepelect]

I thought one commissioner only had one vote.    

More elk county citizens have attended Elk Konnected events including the wind farm pilot conversation than have voted in the last elections.


Elk konnected by design doesn't favor one community over another.  We have events in all areas.  Blood was let and work was done for the last few years cleaning up every town in the area.  Elk konnected committees have by structure and rigid design a member from all communities in each group working on a problem that the county population in a community conservation voted,suggested, wrote down on a piece of paper.  

Why is it so hard to change what is obviously broken?   Where is the disconnect between bringing the local town together.  They share similar problems.  Why are you against getting together to solve them?  

You keep praising the kid activities but slam the rest of the agenda.   Guess who set the agenda the citizens that chose to attend and charge elk konnected to solve the problems presented.  The same elk county populous that votes in every election.  The same people in elk konnected meetings are city council members, school board members, commissioners, emts, business, agriculture, and children.   You forget a lot the elk konnected members are teens.  Membership are free non-binding and open to everyone.  

Ross, you by choosing to show up to the community conversation became a member of elk konnected.  We are have a service learning day on the 23rd what community service task can I sign you up for to help local youth see that grownups do give back to their community?  Need a paint brush or a broom?

[Patriot]

I thought one commissioner only had one vote.   

...Membership are free nonbonding and open to everyone...

...Ross, you by choosing to show up to the community conversation became a member of elk konnected. 

Is that a properly admitted membership as defined by Kansas law?  If so, would you be kind enough to scan and post the legal document (LLC Charter of Organization) or other official EK LLC document that makes this 'membership' provision?  Or do you even have a clue as to what I'm asking?  Enough with silliness about brooms and paintbrushes.  The question was straight, so how about a straight answer.  While you're at it, what the heck is a 'free nonbonding' membership?

[pepelect]

I don' t think you have a clue what you are asking.  I know you have no clue who has the answers.  I also know you don't want answers you want drama.  You want controversy. 


I asked a simple question do you want to help the students on service learning day or not? 

Are you mature enough to help the next generation or just all talk?

[Patriot]

I don' t think you have a clue what you are asking.  I know you have no clue who has the answers.  I also know you don't want answers you want drama.  You want controversy.  


I asked a simple question do you want to help the students on service learning day or not?  

Are you mature enough to help the next generation or just all talk?

You didn't ask me anything and you want to get personal now?  I know exactly what I'm asking, and  I have more than a clue who has the answers.  And so do you.  Your feigned knowledge of what I want is erroneous.  I really want some honesty, for a change, from the horse's front end.  Test your own assumptions, produce the answers to the questions asked.

Your verbose deflections, sidesteps and distractions to date, while amusing, are not helpful at all.  Just more of the same smoke screen that's been blown about for some time.  It begins to appear that you have been selected to operate as the unofficial official in that regard.  Sorry the same old rhetoric is still the same old rhetoric.  

Frankly, this is beginning to look like the same process used to try and saddle the taxpayers with a $5.5 million bond in recent times.  Appears to feature many of the same players.  Has much the same smell, too.  All for the kids, right?  Where are the hot dogs being given away?  Moline? Elk Falls? Grenola?  When it comes to obfuscation the Obama political machine has nothin' on you, that's for sure.

[Ross]

I thought one commissioner only had one vote.
More elk county citizens have attended Elk Konnected events including the wind farm pilot conversation than have voted in the last elections.

Elk konnected by design doesn't favor one community over another. We have events in all areas. Blood was let and work was done for the last few years cleaning up every town in the area. Elk konnected committees have by structure and rigid design a member from all communities in each group working on a problem that the county population in a community conservation voted,suggested, wrote down on a piece of paper.

Why is it so hard to change what is obviously broken? Where is the disconnect between bringing the local town together. They share similar problems. Why are you against getting together to solve them?

You keep praising the kid activities but slam the rest of the agenda. Guess who set the agenda the citizens that chose to attend and charge elk konnected to solve the problems presented. The same elk county populous that votes in every election. The same people in elk konnected meetings are city council members, school board members, commissioners, emts, business, agriculture, and children. You forget a lot the elk konnected members are teens. Membership are free non-binding and open to everyone.

Ross, you by choosing to show up to the community conversation became a member of elk konnected. We are have a service learning day on the 23rd what community service task can I sign you up for to help local youth see that grownups do give back to their community? Need a paint brush or a broom?

I thought one commissioner only had one vote.
More elk county citizens have attended Elk Konnected events including the wind farm pilot conversation than have voted in the last elections.

Elk konnected by design doesn't favor one community over another. We have events in all areas. Blood was let and work was done for the last few years cleaning up every town in the area. Elk konnected committees have by structure and rigid design a member from all communities in each group working on a problem that the county population in a community conservation voted,suggested, wrote down on a piece of paper.

Why is it so hard to change what is obviously broken? Where is the disconnect between bringing the local town together. They share similar problems. Why are you against getting together to solve them?

You keep praising the kid activities but slam the rest of the agenda. Guess who set the agenda the citizens that chose to attend and charge elk konnected to solve the problems presented. The same elk county populous that votes in every election. The same people in elk konnected meetings are city council members, school board members, commissioners, emts, business, agriculture, and children. You forget a lot the elk konnected members are teens. Membership are free non-binding and open to everyone.

Ross, you by choosing to show up to the community conversation became a member of elk konnected. We are have a service learning day on the 23rd what community service task can I sign you up for to help local youth see that grownups do give back to their community? Need a paint brush or a broom?

You said, "Ross, you by choosing to show up to the community conversation became a member of elk konnected."
I am so happy you pointed that out I have tried to get that point across to the folks of Elk County. Your help is much appreciated.
You may think I joined Elk Konnected by your trickery however I was there to ask questions of Elk Konnected, LLC and not really wanting to talk with the man from Leoti, Kansas that you hire to control your so called community conversations. Which is not allowed.

People Please study the structure of the two hi-lighted statements, his and mine. He only refers to Elk Konnected not Elk Konnected, LLC. He assumes I joined elk Konnected merely by showing up at the last Community Conversation which is not an Elk Konnected, LLC meeting. Even though I did not sign their register I am still considered to have joined. Because I did not sign their register and accept their little grade school colored star, I could not have been counted as one being present.

You said."I thought one commissioner only had one vote."
You are quite correct, however that in it's self is influence. And it has been my direct observation during interaction with the County Commissioners that another defends Elk Konnected, LLC. Also the fact that all three showed up at a political action committees community conversation concerning money that the county may or may not get shows tremendous bias on their part. They themselves as elected officials and leaders of the county could have done the same thing, held their own meeting. They could have taped the meeting just like their regular meetings and the secretary that we pay could have composed a list. No major thing. And then their would be no bias involved. After all it is all based on maybe's and if's. no guarantees.
You asked, "Why is it so hard to change what is obviously broken?
What is broken? Who says it's broken? If a couple of people who run Elk Konnected, LLC say it's broken, then and only then it's broken, is that it? If everything is centrally located in Howard then I suppose it won't be broken any longer.

You said, "More elk county citizens have attended Elk Konnected events including the wind farm pilot conversation than have voted in the last elections." Perhaps that is because you offered them a lollipop. Their opportunity to discuss $1,000,000 that may or may not materialize, you were offering to allow them to be heard. If you held the same so called community conversation and told them up front they would have a wear a little star and to sit in circles and that they could not talk to people that wear the same colored star and then would have to change circles when the whistle is blown and that the leader in the circle could censor what they want to censor. Also include that anything discussed would further be filtered by Elk Konnected, LLC. A greater number of people just wouldn't show up. At what voting poll has ever offered that, they aren't even allowed by law to offer real lollipops.

You said, "Guess who set the agenda the citizens that chose to attend and charge elk konnected to solve the problems presented." I have attended two of your community conversations and the agenda was set up and ran by Public Squares Communities, LLC's Mr. Woodbury. He told everyone where to sit and who they could talk with and instructed people what to talk about. So I don't get your remark.

You said, "We have events in all areas. Blood was let and work was done for the last few years cleaning up every town in the area." What blood? And if all this cleaning has been accomplished by Elk Konnected, LLC why is some guy running around Howard putting up signs saying clean it up or something to that effect? Is Elk Konnected, LLC doing a bad job? Was Elk Konnected, LLC involved in the biggest clean up of the year? The county had their recycle people and people from independence at the rodeo grounds handling, what looked like tons of junk. Really, I don't want to fault your efforts however I won't delete the previous remarks because it shows I can loose track of the real issues.
You said, "Elk Konnected committees have by structure and rigid design a member from all communities." Only one?

I appreciate the offer to help however, I do my own thing, I don't need an organization to tell me how to help my friends and neighbors. I have given fresh farm eggs to people, I have helped people get their car started, I have tilled gardens and many other things for people with out asking for so much as a nickle for gas and I have refused money when offered. I help when ever I can. I have even given trailer loads of compost to people to use in their gardens, no charge. It is the simple principle of neighbor helping neighbor and has been around for a very long time without the control of committee. Not long after moving here, someone stuck a knife in my tire and a man I did not know stopped and gave me a hand changing the tire and provided a flashlight as well. And none of it is done to get publicity in the newspaper or to receive any form of recognition. This is the kind of thing that really needs to be enhanced. Open friendly and helpful people not organizations, people. But you are entitled to do what you do as well but why the secrecy that's all I'm asking? Who is Elk Konnected, LLC, how is it organized, does it have a board of governors, a secretary, a treasurer? Who controls the organization? Is it the man from Leoti? Does Elk Konnected have written by-laws? I don't see how answering simple questions like this can harm Elk Konnected, LLC. If they continue doing the good things and are open instead of a secret organization and stay out of government then they will have my praise?

I sincerely thank you for coming forward.



Why is it so hard to change what is obviously broken?   Where is the disconnect between bringing the local town together.  They share similar problems.  Why are you against getting together to solve them?  

You keep praising the kid activities but slam the rest of the agenda.   Guess who set the agenda the citizens that chose to attend and charge elk konnected to solve the problems presented.  The same elk county populous that votes in every election.  The same people in elk konnected meetings are city council members, school board members, commissioners, emts, business, agriculture, and children.   You forget a lot the elk konnected members are teens.  Membership are free non-binding and open to everyone.  

Ross, you by choosing to show up to the community conversation became a member of elk konnected.  We are have a service learning day on the 23rd what community service task can I sign you up for to help local youth see that grownups do give back to their community?  Need a paint brush or a broom?
[/quote]

[Ross]

 The same people in elk konnected meetings are city council members, school board members, commissioners, emts, business, agriculture, and children.  

Thay may be true, but are they Elk Kopnnected, LLC or just volunteers to do the bidding of Elk Konnected, LLC?

[Wilma]

In Elk County they are volunteers not being coerced by anyone.  They do it because they like the camaraderie and the results obtained by working together.  Elk County has had clean up days long before any Elk Konnected, LLC was formed.

I am thinking you are assuming that Elk Konnected, LLC and Public Squares Communities, LLC  are one and the same.  I think not.  I think that Elk Konnected, LLC is just what it says, Elk County.  Public Communities, LLC is another organization entirely to which Mr. Woodbury belongs.  EKLLC has hired PCLLC to help conduct meetings in such a way as to be the most productive and Mr. Woodbury is the associate that caught the job.  And as in the case of hiring someone, that someone has been paid for their services.  Is Mr. Woodbury still here directing the actions of our EKLLC members?  And before you ask it again, yes, an outsider can obtain results that insiders cannot get just because of who they are and the conflicts that exist within the county.  The idea of separate circles of people who are not familiar with each other's opinions already can produce more ideas, whether workable or not, than a group of friends who have already discussed the subject to death.

You, sir, are making a mighty mountain out of a tiny molehill, the occupants of which were doing just fine until you started picking them to pieces.

[Mom70x7]

Enough, already!

The point has been made that several of you don't like the connections among Elk Konnected and the various government entities in the area.

Now go talk directly to the people whose connections you don't like.

I was brought up with the notion that if you have a problem with someone, go to that person and work it out. I think it's time for all of you guys to take that step.

Your dislike of the set-up is clear. You guys are definitely articulate. Go talk.