Commentary by Samuel Strait – February 13, 2022 I think Supervisor Howard was somewhat offended to learn that at least some of his constituents find his demeanor somewhat offensive and dismissive while on display at Board of Supervisor meetings. Of course he is not alone, as this impression of disdain exhibited by he and his colleagues across the Board at public meetings is a common complaint by those that attend those meeting in person and via video. He also might not be aware of the fact that this interpretation of the Board's attitude as disrespectful has been evident for years by not only the County's Board of Supervisor's, but by other Councils, Commissions, Authorities, and Committees that have proliferated in Del Norte County over the years. It is as though those with "certain" issues brought before various government groups deserve different levels of "Attention" depending on whether or not it conflicts with the Board's agreed upon policies. Too many issues are brought before the Board as "CONSENT" items that seem predetermined to be passed without any discussion or opportunity to examine said items. It quite often requires a great deal of concern by the public before a closer examination of consent items are grudgingly removed and discussion commences. Even in those instances the Board rarely seems to listen. Supervisor Howard was foolish enough to defend his demeanor as not something he had previously been aware of and most of his experiences appeared to contradict those opinions. A suggestion for Supervisor Howard, "He may wish to broaden his circle of contacts, as the comments I made to him were of the milder sort." Of course he is not the only representative that is not generally adored. Many others in County and City government have been labeled much less kindly than my feeble efforts to paint a picture of a more significant concern over the attitude of some of our more overt symbols of autocratic behavior. It does not help when over the past two years that this behavior of "we know better than the Walmart shoppers in the County how to conduct the business of government" while hiding behind masks and video meetings. Just a cautionary aside to not dismiss these observations and opinions lightly. A hard look at behavior as a representative can be significantly enlightening. After all, representatives are meant to represent "all" their constituents, not just those that are included in their circle of enlightenment. As I said earlier it pays to know more about your responsibility to be inclusive on a broad scale, to get a better feel for what your constituents want to see from their representative including those you disagree with. It could lead to a more even handed approach to governance and pay dividends down the road for the entire spectrum of the County's population. At present not many in government representation can claim that mantle of representing Del Norte County respectfully over its entirety.