Your Voice Matters, But Is Anyone Listening?
Hey, it's Ry. We gotta talk about your voice.
I've walked our streets, attended meetings, and met many of you in our parks and coffee shops. Of course, I’m also actively engaging with you right here, online.
The Disconnection We All Feel
A consistent sentiment emerges: folks in Camas feel disconnected. It's like your voice is just blowing in the wind, not reaching where it should. Trust me, I get it. We should dive into why this is happening.
But first, let's make something clear: we're all here because we love Camas. We cherish the community, its history, and the promise of its future. And it's precisely this love that can turn our collective frustration into a powerful force for change.
When Your Voice Goes Unheard
Let's unpack some recent events that make us all wonder whether our voices are being heard at all:
The Legacy Lands Fiasco: We've spent tens of millions on lands that sit useless, and now we have a toxic lake as a bonus.
The Overnight Pool Demolition: Despite outcry from nearly 2,000 neighbors, they ripped out our Crown Park community pool.
The Pool Bond Debacle: A mind-boggling $78 million plan was rejected by 90% of us. And guess what? The same consultants are back, planning a splash pad nobody asked for.
The Unwanted Splash Pad: Millions are being funneled into a project that wasn’t on anyone’s wishlist.
The Overpriced Roundabout: An $8 million spend for something that should've cost a fraction.
The Ignored Lake: Years of nothingness, with not a single treatment for our lake's toxic water.
The North Shore Fantasy: Our last green space is targeted for massive development, with thousands of new homes. Because you wanted it.
The Stealth Utility Tax: Introduced without any chance for us to chime in.
The Referendum 1 Denial: A historic petition dismissed as 'stupid' and 'fraudulent' by my opponent. Even our city attorney asked a judge to silence 3,100 of us in court.
These issues aren't isolated. They're symptoms of a council that's lost its way, acting as if it's not accountable to the community it's supposed to serve.
The Trust We Must Rebuild
This is more than a mere inconvenience. It's a foundational problem, one that fractures our community and erodes the trust that should hold us together.
And guess what.
Every single one of these issues—who's been on the wrong side of them?
It’s time for us to think long and hard about what kind of leadership we want for Camas. Your voices need to be heard. Your concerns matter. Let's ensure they do.