While I rarely agree with any opinion expressed by David Behling, the Tribune’s resident liberal, this week’s column was so far out in left field that it requires response.

The subject of Behling’s vitriol this week is Freeborn County Commissioner Dan Belshan. Not content to bash Belshan, Behling also manages to work in Bill Gates, President Bush, the residents of Belshan’s district, the Glenville-Emmons school district and anybody else who doesn’t subscribe to Behling’s warped sense of reality &045; that is, all but about a dozen people in the county!

He bashes Belshan for provoking County Administrator Ron Gabrielson into losing his temper in yet another childish display of not getting his way. According to the Tribune article, the provocation was Belshan’s asking Gabrielson whether he supported combining certain city/county government functions &045; Gabrielson, ever the politician, is on record as favoring and not favoring combinations. After being asked the question, Gabrielson walked over to the seated Belshan, got one foot from his face, accused him of

&uot;not knowing his rear end from a hole in the ground,&uot; then picked up Belshan’s tape recorder and smashed it onto the desk. Behling not only condones this action, but defends it. What a classic case of &uot;blame the victim,&uot; reminiscent of the Nazi party blaming the Jews for not surrendering fast enough!

Behling is, as usual, long on rhetoric and short on specifics. He vilifies Belshan with non-specific charges, using words like &uot;someone who pushes people into anger,&uot; &uot;treats county employees as if they’re idiots,&uot; &uot;does his best to alienate himself from the rest of the commissioners.&uot; Not a specific example in the lot.

Not content to bash Belshan, Behling turns his ire on those who elected him. Here is where we get down to the root of the problem &045; a significant number of Freeborn County residents no longer want &uot;business as usual&uot; at the county level. They dare to disagree with the county administrator and the county board that has abused their power, disregarded the will of their constituents and acted arrogantly to prevent their constituents from asking for a referendum on the largest construction project in the history of the county, or even speaking about it! Like most liberals, they feel they must rule in your best interests, and that you are not knowledgeable enough to make an intelligent decision. This is what Behling supports!

Let’s get down to some specifics, something that Behling is loath to do.

Do you believe it was ethical for the county board to table the courthouse vote, then reconvene and vote it in after the estimated 160 citizens protesting it left?

Do you believe it was ethical for the county to use lease-revenue bonds to prevent a referendum, even if those bonds came at a higher cost?

Do you believe that citizens had their say in the layout of the judicial center, the decision to tear down the 1954 building, the decision to keep the 1880 building and the escalation of costs from $10-12 million to over $25,000,000 &045; or nearly $40,000,000 over the life of the project?

Do you believe that the County Attorney should have been given a raise of 14 percent, when other county departments were asked to cut 15 percent &045; even though the judge only ordered six percent? (more of that &uot;penny-pinching,&uot; right?)

Do you believe that Rule 19 has the best interests of the citizens at heart? We saw an example of an attempt by Chairman Mark Behrends to gag Brian Bashans at the last board meeting, based also on what he might say.

How about the issue of Mr. Gabrielson’s bizarre, combative behavior? It’s all on tape &045; a matter of record.

Mr. Belshan has staked out a position on every one of these issues. Mr. Behling has not. I, for one, am glad that someone is &uot;minding the store&uot; &045; questioning votes, questioning expenditures, just plain asking questions.

(Jim Hanson is a Clarks Grove resident.)