In the world of psychiatry, “projection” occurs when a person attributes one’s own unacceptable actions to another.
That is what Karen Rogers is doing when she says Heather Jeffers would have a conflict of interest as a hospital district commissioner.
Ms. Rogers has a certified conflict-of-interest history.
In April, 2011, the state auditor’s office found that Ms. Rogers, while serving on the Port Angeles City Council, violated state law by not disclosing a business relationship with a company to whom she voted to give a long-term internet monopoly.
Furthermore, after Ms. Rogers left city government, she went to work for an engineering company that had received millions of dollars in city contracts when Ms. Rogers was on the city council.
Although technically not a conflict of interest, this revolving door syndrome does not contribute well to our system of government.
Nor did Ms. Rogers’, and Jim McEntire’s, behind the scenes efforts in creating the ill-conceived, costly, and failed Harbor-Works Development Authority.
Jim Jones, the former county administrator, speaking on behalf of the county, stated it this way: “The feeling [in County Government] is that the apparently secret, smoke-filled backroom deal that was struck to form [Harbor-Works] … should have included … more interested parties in the planning and partnership effort.”
The citizens of Clallam County very much need to elect Heather Jeffers and Tom Oblak as Hospital District commissioners for Olympic Medical Center.
Ron Richards
Port Angeles