"Gump"tion

“Gump”tion! (Noun) 1. Shrewdness in practical matters; common sense; 2. Courage and initiative; enterprise and boldness

Have you ever wondered what Sally Gump, local RECALL petitioner, was doing this past summer? Sally was attending City meetings and preparing to submit RECALL petitions to RECALL two of her local elected officials. Why, you ask? Because she was fed up with the lies and disrespect that had been permeating throughout the short terms of those Council members.

Sally is a hard working wife, mother, housecleaner, friend, and volunteer in her community. She served on the City’s Charter Review Committee and also on the St. Helens Parks Commission for many years as well as many other committees throughout the years and for various reasons. She has devoted a tremendous amount of her volunteer time and energy in making St. Helens a better place for all of its citizens. She does it because she cares.

After filing the RECALL petitions, low and behold, the two elected officials whom she was petitioning to RECALL sued her. Yes, they hired a well-known, not so respected, local attorney to represent them. So, the fact is, that in Sally’s bid to exercise her right to RECALL her local officials, they turned around and filed a lawsuit against her. Can you say “SLAPP SUIT”? Unbelievable!

So, following along these lines, when you’ve heard that City employees are afraid of retaliation if they speak up to correct or refocus certain Councilors, do you see where they’re coming from now?

Sally Gump is a local hero and she has “GUMP”tion! There are so many people, citizens and business owners alike, who are in support of the RECALL but so afraid to sign the petitions for fear of some form of retaliation by these officials. Their attorney even threatened to take every person who signed the petitions into court. It’s very sad to me that these officials are really not accountable to anyone because they can say whatever they want and who are you to question them?

Please join me in making sure that ALL CITIZENS HAVE A VOICE without fear of retaliation. It may be too late to sign the RECALL petitions but it’s not too late to speak up and make your vote count.