I have removed two comments from the story because they borderline on personal attacks on the mayor. It’s fair to criticize Mr Boudreau’s official actions as mayor. But please avoid name-calling and engaging in personal attacks.
Boudreau is up for re-election in 2025. Based on this and past articles about him and his cronies on city council, I believe he is not qualified to be a council person let alone a mayor. His emails, appointments, and votes are a matter of public record. We can watch him dig his own hole.
First, let me establish that I'm offering a totally unasked for opinion on things Mayoral in LV. However, I have been a observer of LV Mayors going back to absolutely the best to hold the office, George Raiter, and perhaps even equal, Romona Leber. Frankly, it's a toss up as to who served best and did a really terrific job for LV. In terms of the accomplishments of these two, and honestly, I think LV ought to name something to commemorate what they did for their City. Show them the respect they deserve.
And I'm not forgetting Mary Alice-Wallis who may have had the most chaotic tenure of any Mayor in the past 50 years. She is a person of good heart, courageous, and deserving of appreciation. She was far better than her legacy will allow, shamefully.
As to the worst, without a doubt Don Jensen.
Of course, until Boudreau.
Andre to too much of a gentlemen to say what is obvious. That being--- Mayor Boudreau is led around by his nose by a handful of folks with loud voices who he's frightened of. All his actions and the decisions he makes aren't his, it's theirs.
Simple fact is, Boudreau has been a disaster as an elected, certainly as Mayor. He doesn't have the intellectual capacity to see a broader vision. He does not have the courage to think independently. The damage he has done to the City of Longview will take years to overcome.
LV doesn't have a Mayor, it has a child floundering to lead it and a person totally incompetent to do so.
🙄This coming from someone who won their reelection by 4 votes and constantly tries to go after other council members for speaking about Longview politics. The city has done great things with Mayor Boudreau at the helm. We have corrected out of control spending, improved council communications and collaboration with the county and state to levels not seen in years, passed a voter approved sales tax to increase our public safety, and have created a rockstar department head team poised to kick butt in 2025.
Which planet are you living on, Mr. Halvorson? Is that why there’s so much chaos between council members and city manager? Why 13 people had to lose their jobs so that you can brag? You definitely know how to distort the truth. Show us the numbers. And the first sentence of your reply to Mr. Hill is rather rude and childish, don’t you think?
And yet I was elected---spent only a couple hundred bucks doing it and all of it out of my Starbucks allowance---in fact in my 3 runs for office, never taken money from anyone ever, not friends, family, supporters, and proudly, never once compromising my being a person independent of political party and ideology.
The one truth I will accept from what you've said is, I really have no right to criticize your Mayor. Plenty of folks to do that and my opining really is/was inappropriate and that's sincere.
As to my going after other of my peers for speaking about LV politics, no, just one, and only because that one has occasionally held LV up as an example of policies, planning, and programs Kelso should take under consideration. Don't ever recall that one peer speaking as to politics in LV, only about programs and such which they felt or feel Kelso could emulate.
But you see what you folks do and can do isn't what we can do over here. And, fact is, we operate very much within our financial abilities, have great department staff and administration. I and the majority by far of our Council kinda feel good about how our city operates. And given our success, not to mention the quiet way we go about our business, for us, not much to see offered by any other city that would make us be other than what we are.
But like every other city, we could use more money---there's always that of course. But we do very well managing what money we have. Our PD is fully positioned and let me tell you, they do a great job and our folks support them. Our streets need lots of help but we're getting there.
And also, because of the folks who recently left your city to work for ours, our depts are fully staffed so thank you for that.
So, as to my criticism of your Mayor---I'll do better in the future by keeping my opinions to myself, close friends, etc.
I was rather rude in my comments and could have used different language perhaps---maybe I didn't make it clearer that being a "Outsider" what occurs in LV is NOMB and not entitled.
But here's something that might make it understandable as to my opinion of Boudreau. When he was first elected, he came into my Council Chambers during our Council session and criticized me for my "Posture" while seated on the dais.
He humiliated me publicly. During session and my grand children were there.
Now at the time, far as I know, I had never met the man. Worse, why would my posture while seated in my Council session was his business, I have never understood---perhaps he thought it somehow disrespectful.
But had he known, how I sit, change position, sometimes slump is the result of wounds incurred while serving in the Army but he didn't take the time to speak to me privately if he felt so strongly about my posture. No, he did his thing publicly.
You see, I'm disabled and at the time, recovering from my 4th surgery and undergoing rehab.
I've waited years for a simple apology. That event formed my opinion of Mr. Boudreau and the type person he is. Nothing of late has changed that opinion or shown me that he has grown.
"New perspectives and diverse views" yet one look at Mr. Moore's Facebook page reveals his political views (including his post during Pride month.) Doesn't sound very diverse to me. Very concerning and yet sadly not surprising. Thank you for your hard work in reporting Andre.
Hate to say it, but elections have consequences. The last council railroaded the extension of Hope village when the incoming council begged them to pause the decision. Tell me that wasn’t political.
I have removed two comments from the story because they borderline on personal attacks on the mayor. It’s fair to criticize Mr Boudreau’s official actions as mayor. But please avoid name-calling and engaging in personal attacks.
Boudreau is up for re-election in 2025. Based on this and past articles about him and his cronies on city council, I believe he is not qualified to be a council person let alone a mayor. His emails, appointments, and votes are a matter of public record. We can watch him dig his own hole.
Vote Spencer out in 2025
First, let me establish that I'm offering a totally unasked for opinion on things Mayoral in LV. However, I have been a observer of LV Mayors going back to absolutely the best to hold the office, George Raiter, and perhaps even equal, Romona Leber. Frankly, it's a toss up as to who served best and did a really terrific job for LV. In terms of the accomplishments of these two, and honestly, I think LV ought to name something to commemorate what they did for their City. Show them the respect they deserve.
And I'm not forgetting Mary Alice-Wallis who may have had the most chaotic tenure of any Mayor in the past 50 years. She is a person of good heart, courageous, and deserving of appreciation. She was far better than her legacy will allow, shamefully.
As to the worst, without a doubt Don Jensen.
Of course, until Boudreau.
Andre to too much of a gentlemen to say what is obvious. That being--- Mayor Boudreau is led around by his nose by a handful of folks with loud voices who he's frightened of. All his actions and the decisions he makes aren't his, it's theirs.
Simple fact is, Boudreau has been a disaster as an elected, certainly as Mayor. He doesn't have the intellectual capacity to see a broader vision. He does not have the courage to think independently. The damage he has done to the City of Longview will take years to overcome.
LV doesn't have a Mayor, it has a child floundering to lead it and a person totally incompetent to do so.
🙄This coming from someone who won their reelection by 4 votes and constantly tries to go after other council members for speaking about Longview politics. The city has done great things with Mayor Boudreau at the helm. We have corrected out of control spending, improved council communications and collaboration with the county and state to levels not seen in years, passed a voter approved sales tax to increase our public safety, and have created a rockstar department head team poised to kick butt in 2025.
Which planet are you living on, Mr. Halvorson? Is that why there’s so much chaos between council members and city manager? Why 13 people had to lose their jobs so that you can brag? You definitely know how to distort the truth. Show us the numbers. And the first sentence of your reply to Mr. Hill is rather rude and childish, don’t you think?
And yet I was elected---spent only a couple hundred bucks doing it and all of it out of my Starbucks allowance---in fact in my 3 runs for office, never taken money from anyone ever, not friends, family, supporters, and proudly, never once compromising my being a person independent of political party and ideology.
The one truth I will accept from what you've said is, I really have no right to criticize your Mayor. Plenty of folks to do that and my opining really is/was inappropriate and that's sincere.
As to my going after other of my peers for speaking about LV politics, no, just one, and only because that one has occasionally held LV up as an example of policies, planning, and programs Kelso should take under consideration. Don't ever recall that one peer speaking as to politics in LV, only about programs and such which they felt or feel Kelso could emulate.
But you see what you folks do and can do isn't what we can do over here. And, fact is, we operate very much within our financial abilities, have great department staff and administration. I and the majority by far of our Council kinda feel good about how our city operates. And given our success, not to mention the quiet way we go about our business, for us, not much to see offered by any other city that would make us be other than what we are.
But like every other city, we could use more money---there's always that of course. But we do very well managing what money we have. Our PD is fully positioned and let me tell you, they do a great job and our folks support them. Our streets need lots of help but we're getting there.
And also, because of the folks who recently left your city to work for ours, our depts are fully staffed so thank you for that.
So, as to my criticism of your Mayor---I'll do better in the future by keeping my opinions to myself, close friends, etc.
Oh my, if only that were true.
My reply was meant for Eric Halvorson. Sorry that it got placed here.
No sweat!!
I was rather rude in my comments and could have used different language perhaps---maybe I didn't make it clearer that being a "Outsider" what occurs in LV is NOMB and not entitled.
But here's something that might make it understandable as to my opinion of Boudreau. When he was first elected, he came into my Council Chambers during our Council session and criticized me for my "Posture" while seated on the dais.
He humiliated me publicly. During session and my grand children were there.
Now at the time, far as I know, I had never met the man. Worse, why would my posture while seated in my Council session was his business, I have never understood---perhaps he thought it somehow disrespectful.
But had he known, how I sit, change position, sometimes slump is the result of wounds incurred while serving in the Army but he didn't take the time to speak to me privately if he felt so strongly about my posture. No, he did his thing publicly.
You see, I'm disabled and at the time, recovering from my 4th surgery and undergoing rehab.
I've waited years for a simple apology. That event formed my opinion of Mr. Boudreau and the type person he is. Nothing of late has changed that opinion or shown me that he has grown.
And you rightly deserve an apology.
"New perspectives and diverse views" yet one look at Mr. Moore's Facebook page reveals his political views (including his post during Pride month.) Doesn't sound very diverse to me. Very concerning and yet sadly not surprising. Thank you for your hard work in reporting Andre.
The summary of his time as mayor will be one word: Spineless.
Hate to say it, but elections have consequences. The last council railroaded the extension of Hope village when the incoming council begged them to pause the decision. Tell me that wasn’t political.
I’m just saying that goes with the territory.
BS
Thank you Mr. Hamer
Jim Hill