Second coming?
Before the Gazette and a few callers, letters to the editor and bloggers christen young Mr. Kircher as the Second Coming, maybe we should review the past.
When first elected, he had a very inexperienced and unremarkable past. He did graduate from high school. He had not served on any boards or commissions. He did sell popcorn and candy at the movies and was friendly there. Why he left working at Valmont is a mystery.
He pushed to bring the vice of Keno gambling to McCook. He lives in a MEDC rehab house and sits on the City Council which funds the MEDC. This looks like a perk and a conflict of interest. He wanted us to pay the city a fee to license our dogs and cats. He wanted taxpayers to pay for health insurance for city workers who have domestic partners -- including those who are homosexual. He wanted to raise our utility bills higher than needed and when us seniors complained he told us to eat our vegatables and to look for extra change in our couches.
When he was first elected he had such an inflated opinion of himself, he nominated himself for mayor. Maybe because no other council person wanted the job or maybe because they wanted to give him a chance to prove himself, the council did elect him vice mayor but then later, when up for re-election those that worked most closely with him, his fellow council persons, went in a different direction and chose another person.
And, finally, the police said they were called to his loud after-the-bar closed parties three or four times before he was ticketed. So he was given several chances but parties continued.
This is an indication of lack of concern for his neighbors. It also demonstrated a lack of maturity and judgement. Because of his actions the city has invested time and at least a thousand dollars in legal expenses.
His behavior has caused the city embarrassment across the state on TV, radio and newspapers and even across the U.S. as it was covered by USA Today.
I believe it is long past time to clear the slate with a replacement. If he wants to run again for council at the next election than OK. The voters can look at his record. They can check out who he might run against and if he is voted back in then we will have gotten what we asked for.
It is the law and time to move on.
The guy I feel sorry for is Shane Hilker. If Kircher did not repeatedly screw up and then make a big deal of it with a trial, acting as his own attorney, maybe none of this would have happened.
Ronald Wilson
McCook, Nebraska