The city of Roseburg has released a statement in support of President Barack Obama’s upcoming visit to Roseburg.
“Since the announcement that President Obama may be in the Roseburg area on Friday to meet with the families that lost loved ones at Umpqua Community College, news outlets have been announcing that the president was not welcome in Roseburg,” the statement read. “These announcements have included alleged quotes from community leaders.
“... We wish to be clear that Mayor (Larry) Rich, City Council President (Tom) Ryan and the Roseburg City Council welcome the president to Roseburg and will extend him every courtesy,” the statement said.
President Obama is scheduled to visit Roseburg on Friday to visit the families of the victims from the Umpqua Community College shooting, which killed nine people at the school and injured nine others.
The statement, released shortly before noon on Tuesday, comes on the heels of recent statements made on national television that suggest the president would not be received. David Jaques, the publisher of the Roseburg Beacon, had said that President Obama would not be welcome in Roseburg.
“We’ve talked to dozens upon dozens of citizens, some family members of the victims, our elected officials,” Jaques recently told Bill O’Reilly on his show “The O’Reilly Factor.” “Our Douglas County commissioners, along with our Douglas County-elected sheriff, who is very popular, and our chief of police all came to a consensus language about him not being welcome here for political grandstanding.”
City Councilor Steve Kaser, who oversees the southeastern quadrant of the city, said the comments by Jaques were upsetting.
“When I heard his interview I was appalled. He didn’t speak for us as a council. He didn’t speak for Roseburg,” Kaser said. “We’ve united around this thing. To have somebody like Mr. Jaques make this a political thing — this is a sitting president. I don’t care who he is. You agree with him or not, you have to show respect.”
The city’s statement continued by stating, “Unfortunately, individuals have been claiming to be speaking on behalf of the city of Roseburg. Please be advised that any statements made by individuals other than our elected city of Roseburg officials or our appointed City Manager (Lance) Colley and Police Chief (Jim) Burge are misrepresentations.”
The statement concluded, “Please keep the families of the victims and those impacted by this tragedy in your thoughts and prayers.”
http://www.nrtoday.com/news/18524706-113/city-of-roseburg-releases-statement-welcoming-president-obama
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