Elected through Terror

Untitled Part 15

There are several millionaires in Wasco County. Most of them made their money in agriculture - wheat, cherries or livestock. They are difficult to distinguish from those of us who earn a pay check.

We shop with them. Our children go to school with each other. They dress the same, they are not interested in wearing $3000 business suits - it would look foolish out in the fields - they talk the same. They treat everyone as equals.

Being human there are some that will try and use their family name in the community or their status as wealthy land owners or businessmen to obtain some favors. But in all my years of dealing with the citizens of Wasco County, off-hand, I can count on just two fingers, people who tried that tactic with me; and they didn't complain when it didn't work.

They are as apt as any of us to stop at the store after their business in town is done, wearing worn work clothes and scuffed up boots. Often they drive their favorite vehicle, which for many is a beloved, beat up, old pickup they have had for years, to get around town.

They know who they are, are confident in who they are and are not concerned about putting on airs.

They know who the rest of us are and treat us as equals.

They do know how to 'dress up,' how to enjoy the 'finer things of life,' but those are for special occasions, not everyday life.

The leaders of the Rajneesh had come from a different environment. They were used to getting their own way due to position, bribery or bullying.

They thought that their methods would easily overcome the old methods of the locals and thought their 'superior intelligence' would overcome anything the locals could come up with.

They knew they had a lot of people in their organization that were well educated and could be malicious in getting their way. They were well organized (or so they thought) and dedicated to Rajneesh, obeying his every directive as given through his spokesperson, Sheela.

They were used to bribing officials to get preferential treatment and quickly found out that the elected officials and the County planning director would not accept bribes.

The County Commissioners were not career politicians. They were men that were active in the community. They had businesses or ranches and that is how they made their living.

They were close to the people they served and took the responsibility of that service serious.

I can imagine the Rajneesh were quite upset with these bureaucrats who didn't know their place. To have to deal with such 'low lifes' and have them deny their plans had to be galling to them. It was "who do they think they are?" mentality on the ranch.

Sheila was so focused on getting isolated acreage she didn't check to see what the laws were concerning that acreage. I seriously doubt that she confided in the Realtor as to what she really wanted to do with the property or she would have been told she could not have done that on agriculturally zoned property in Oregon.

Her dishonesty and deceit kept her from looking elsewhere and was the start of a four and a half year reign of terror for Wasco County.

They didn't realize that the county planner knew the laws and how to apply them. Land Use Laws in Oregon are well defined and are well tested. They didn't realize that he was given access to good land use attorneys. Much of what the Rajneesh wanted to do had been litigated in the past and had been refused.

I was told that the Rajneesh, AFTER the purchase, researched the land use laws in Oregon all the way back to when it became a terrritory in 1851 and tried all sorts of ways to use them in their favor - they were unsuccessful.

Tens of thousands of dollars were spent by Wasco County in defense of those laws and their decisions were upheld by the courts.

The Rajneesh didn't realize that the elected officials were serious about serving the citizens and doing the best they could for them. It was a point of honor for the elected and appointed officials that they would uphold the law and do their best to apply it.

With the exception of the County Judge, the commissioners were part-time servants, the rest of the time they concentrated on their businesses and everything else a family man does.

They were close to the people they served and took the responsibility of that service seriously.

The Rajneesh purchased some cattle from a County Judge, not the one that was poisoned, while the County Court was in deliberation on whether or not to allow them to have a city on the ranch.

I know many people thought the judge had been bribed, and I think that is probably what the Rajneesh intended. I know this man and I don't believe it for a minute.

He was a rancher, selling cattle; that is what he did for a living. He did make a mistake in selling to them during that time, but there is no doubt in my mind, while it looked questionable, making that sale had no impact on his decision as a commissioner.

Unfortunately he left office under a cloud, it was a difficult time for him and his family; but his friends, which included most of the county, knew him and felt he had just made a mistake in the timing of the sale.

When bribery didn't work Rajneesh tried intimidation - which if it worked at all did so only for a short time. In the end it didn't work to their advantage and actually worked against them as those they were trying to intimidate dug in their heels.

They were trying to use these tactics against a people who don't intimidate easily, and will fight back if attacked. Instead of re-evaluating their methods, when the citizens pushed back, they pressed forward even harder.

They didn't understand the citizens of Wasco County or they wouldn't have tried their tactics on them.

Honesty and a willingness to work with the county officials would have gone a long way to help their cause; while it would not have changed the outcome very much, they may have been allowed more housing units if the ranch was truly a working ranch.

As they worked the land, and showed that they were being successful but needed more people, more buildings probably would have been allowed.

But that is not what they wanted.

They wanted a large commune capable of handling thousands of followers and were not interested in a smaller vision. They did not have any patience when it came to being told no.

So instead of downsizing their dream, - or admitting their mistakes and trying to find another location - they chose to try and humiliate, intimidate and finally resorted to committing criminal acts of violence against those that were in opposition to their plan.

While I had seen some of these tactics and had heard from citizens how they had been victims of them, until I took Office I had not experienced, first hand, any of them.

I expected it, and they did try a couple of times. At first they didn't know that I, like the planner, knew the area of law in which I worked. And like the planner I not only knew the law, I knew how to apply it and did.

There was a new Sheriff in town.

I would be fair to ALL my constituents, but I would not be bullied by any.

A new method of operation within the Sheriff's Office was beginning; one tested by time, and supported by the majority of our deputies, commissioners and the rest of the citizens.

Having said all that, I also realized that I cannot recall one time that I prayed for them. Frankly, that is a rather alarming insight for me.

In the next few segments I will try and put into perspective that first year I was in Office. With the privilege of hindsight, and as much as I can recall, after 30 years which included professional growth but, more importantly spiritual growth, I think I have a better handle on that year.

It will include my Office's interaction with the Rajneesh and the challenges of operating the Office that first year. In many ways they are intertwined.

There may be more gaps between my writings of this time, much of what I have already posted I have written before and it just took time to modify - much of the rest will be written as I contemplate the issues I faced that first year.