You might already know what I think needs to be changed in our community by my 12 NIMBY Christmas wishes or my year in review post. There are many people, volunteer and elected, that are working to make Hillsborough a better place for all of us. It isn't always easy or popular to do the right thing and I think these individuals deserve a big thank you. In this post I will focus on those volunteers that keep a close eye on local issues and hold government officials accountable for their actions and votes. I am sure there are individuals that I will miss in many areas because I usually only pay attention to transportation, growth management and environmental issues. Of course any misuse of taxypayer dollars is fair game and so is any scandal (like Bean's raises, expensive Pimpin by a Commissioner or spending a fortune on a passenger plane to spray for mosquitoes).
Often these volunteers battle against highly paid professionals and or county staff who oftentimes seem to be promoting an unwritten agenda ( especially regarding sprawl ). These concerned and involved citizens are called activists, NIMBYs and as a slam they are called die-hards (even by some Commissioners) and sometimes called worse by those paid to push the sprawl, but they continue undaunted and unafraid.
First up is Mariella Smith. She is an environmentalist and activist who fights for the greater good of the environment, our wildlife, and the community. She is a member of the Sierra Club, works on the ELAPP Committee and a director of U-CAN. I learn something from her every time I see her speak and with every conversation we have had. She is a rare and uncommonly pure individual who inspires me to want to be a better person than just the smart ass NIMBY that I really am. Thanks to her citizens stopped a
Next is CL contributor George Niemann who has more guts than anybody I know. His fearless attacks on bad government seem to make even the good officials nervous. Thanks to him there are pending ethics violations on County Commissioner Kevin White, County Administrator Pat Bean and County Attorney Renee Lee. He also still has ex Commissioner Brian Blair scrambling over a pending campaign contribution violations complaint which is awaiting trial. Keep scaring the shit out of them George!
Then there is Pam Clouston, President of R-LAND, who has the jaws of a pit bull under that friendly Labrador exterior. She holds officials accountable with a an easy going smile and a story about her kids and half the time they don't even know she just got their jugular until after the damage is done. She is a Master Naturalist and a fierce protector of the rural area and the environment. She also works tirelessly on behalf of the Girl Scouts.
This article appears in Jan 6-12, 2010.