Tuesday, May 13, 2014

They're Coming to Get You...3rd UPDATE!

One of the things we'll be voting on this year is the Clallam County Charter Review Commission. Rather, we'll be voting for members of that group. These are the people who will (rather obviously) be reviewing the County Charter, which is an important task. So as a public service, let's take a look at the people who have signed up to run for this group so far. Let's see if any patterns emerge, shall we?

First, there's Ted Miller of Sequim - current City Council member, and all-around pretty smart and liberal guy. I like Ted. He sometimes makes me wish I lived in Sequim.

Hey, kids! Retro is cool, right? Uh, right?

Then there's Andrew May, well-known loudmouth, egotist and a certified Friend of Edna. Despite his occasional "non-partisan" claptrap, Andrew is clearly a not-so-closeted Republican.

Sue Forde is running, too. She and her husband have been longtime far-right gadflies and seekers of public office. She's the Clallam County Republican Party's State Committeewoman, and a Republican Precinct Committee Officer (PCO).

Anita Ready is the 2nd Vice President of the Republican Women of Clallam County.

Nola Judd is the Treasurer for the Republican Women of Clallam County.

Brandon Janisse is a Republican PCO from Sequim. You may recall that he ran against the abovementioned Ted Miller, and you may not know that he is (if I recall correctly) an amateur bigfoot hunter.

William G. White is (or was) an elected Republican PCO from Beaver.

And Connie Beauvais of Joyce is a right-wing member of the Clallam County Planning Commission, and didn't like the County's own plan for dealing with stormwater runoff. Here's an excerpt from a PDN article from March of this year:

The goal of the plan is to prevent storm runoff, defined as rain or snow melt that drains into streams without penetrating the soil. from carrying pollutants into waterways and shellfish beds...Some of the methods recommended to accomplish that involve public education, new development standards, control of illicit discharge and ongoing monitoring.

Planning Commissioner Tom Montgomery of Sequim said he felt the plan's assumption that educating the public more about stromwater runoff would be key to controlling it was "way, way, way too unrealistic and idealistic."

(Planning Commission  member) Connie Beauvais also took issue with the plan's language of promoting changes in the "behavior" of landowners. "My mother had difficulty trying to change my behavior," she said.

Clearly the Republicans have been beating the bushes to get their people on the Charter Review Commission. Personally, I don't think it would be a good idea to have this be a party for one party. How about you?

UPDATE: Look out below! Here are some more people who have signed up for the Charter Review Commission:

Maggie Roth, Republican PCO and well-known (unsuccessful) Republican candidate for office.

Jon Alan Kirshbaum of Sequim, who, not surprisingly, is also...a Republican PCO.

And last, but not least, the always Continental and highly questionable Kaj Ahlburg, who is to the right of the far-right, and is the Treasurer for the Clallam County Republican Party.

So that's TEN known Republicans and right-wingers signed up versus ONE brave, lone Democrat. Even if the Democrats get busy, they've got some catching up to do here.

2nd UPDATE: And some more people who've signed up - as of 3:30PM, May 13th:

John Marrs from Port Angeles, who is closely associated with the Democratic Party.

Norma Turner from Port Angeles - another Democrat and a good government watchdog.

Lindsey Schromen-Wawrin from Port Angeles, who, since he's affiliated with Stream Keepers, I'll make the guess he's not a rabid right-winger.

Stephanie Noblin of Port Angeles - who does publicity for the Republican Women of Clallam County.

And Judi Hangartner of Port Angeles - a vocal opponent of the "Smart" Meters, a GOP PCO, and the 2nd VP and Membership Chair of the Republican Women of Clallam County.

3rd UPDATE: As of end of business day May 14th:

The Democrats have been roused - at least it seems that way. Bill Lowman and Scott Clausen (both of Sequim) have signed up, as has Henning Holmgaard (also Sequim), who seems to have Democratic affiliations.

Also signed up: Steve Burke, executive director of the William Shore Memorial Pool. And Barbara Christensen, from the Superior Court Clerk's Office. Does she have a conflict of interest in this process? I guess the voters will decide.


On a related note...It strikes me as so bizarre, yet so perfectly Clallam County, that the local Republican Party is essentially split into His and Hers branches. I guess no one has told Dick Pilling that those silly women got the right to vote years ago. In any case, the Republican Women of Clallam County will have Port O Call publisher Dale Wilson as the speaker at their next meeting, on the 17th.

And on a related if larger scale note...Derek Kilmer has filed for re-election, and already has a challenger. Though W. Greybeard "Bill" McPherson of Port Angeles has a somewhat convoluted name, I like the straightforward nature of what he had to say about why he's running. Simply put, he says that Congress needs members who "are not owned by corporations and the super rich." Mr. McPherson has no party affiliation, but has my thanks for running. He may also have my vote, depending on who else jumps in (or not).

27 comments:

  1. Thank GOD, the Democrats have screwed things up SO BAD!

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    1. Uh...Could you please clarify that a bit? Are you speaking sarcastically or seriously? Are you referring to local politics, national, or both? Thanks.

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    2. Tax & Spend, big government, etc

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    3. Well, gosh, thanks so much for the really detailed, thorough and thoughtful reply. So often those on the right just throw out a few essentially meaningless catchphrases or minimal talking points and call it quits, without providing the kind of in-depth information you've given here. You are, without a doubt, a real credit to the Republican Party, sir!

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  2. Sorry, Ted. Looks like you're gonna be outnumbered...

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    1. ...And probably stuck there with the guy you beat in the last election.

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  3. Why? Because the Republicans haven't quite finished wrecking the local economy, apparently. But this shows they're still chipping away at it.

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  4. Ah yes, now there is the rub. Why don't good, common sense progressives get involved in the political process? For exactly the same reason that good, common sense conservatives don't either. Only radical extremists in both parties still have the zeal to endure all the sarcasim from the "hate-mongers" that are against anything and everything that any committee, board or legislative body would put forth for discussion. There is no discussion anymore, no recognition that compromise must be reached. The prevailing attitude is that "we" have to do everything in our power to make sure that "they" don't get what they want. "If the Democrats proposed a bill to have the sun come up in the morning, the Republicans would be against it...AND vice-versa". It is more than disgusting, it is truely sad.

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    1. If you're suggesting that I'm a hate monger because I have concerns about the Charter Review Commission being essentially monopolized by one political party, I utterly reject that notion. I'm a big believer in all voices being heard or represented in the political process, but that's not possible if only one side signs up to speak or hold office.

      However, if the people on the left are so lazy, foolish or apathetic as to just sit back and let things happen - and happen to them - then, hey, that's fair, too. I'm just trying to give them a heads up.

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    2. In truth, I wasn't really thinking about your comments at all (well, maybe the Andrew May comment was a little over the top). Mostly, I appreciate your points as being valid thoughts, worth discussing. Some of your commentors, and many in other blogs and the PDN...not so much.

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    3. Hey Anon 7:51...

      Sarcasm. Truly.

      Taken. Seriously.

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    4. How could one ever be over the top when discussing Andrew May? He of the motormouth, he of the ever-present loud Hawaiian shirts, he of the ceaseless boasts about how he's a "parliamentarian." I could go on, but the comments probably wouldn't make it through. Andrew May lives in over the top, and then some. Cartoon or buffoon, take your pick. I don't want him anywhere near the County Charter, thank you very much.

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  5. Thanks for the background on what is yet another chapter in the same old story for Clallam County. We have a passive moderate to liberal majority, who are generally completely apathetic and thus surpassed by an active (if brain dead) conservative minority.

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  6. A good (well, THEY are lame) example of how things in a community can be, when people are participants in a committed "citizens" group.

    As you have spelled out, the local Republicans have been able to set aside their personal differences on issues, to stay focused on their primary goals. As noted, the "others" have, for what ever reason, decided it is not worth their time and effort to participate in this aspect of their community.

    Back to: We have the community we create, and the government we allow.

    Of course, the bitching and moaning will continue. The finger pointing at "they" and "them" will continue. And, things as they are, will continue.


    Politics and the impacts they have on us is not about the candidate. It is about the community that elects the candidate. If we sit on our hands, well, those that are active get what they want.

    It could be "us", if we made an effort.

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    1. Clallam County's left-leaning community isn't a community. It's a bunch of tiny kingdoms that don't seem to talk to each other at all.

      The gay people don't talk to the arts people who don't talk to the stream people who don't talk to the biomass people who don't talk to the anti-Turd Tank people who don't talk to the stop the checkpoints people...You get the picture, I trust. Too bad they don't. They all just get steamrolled over, individually and collectively.

      There's strength in numbers, but there's nothing but weakness in a thousand tiny turfs.

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  7. So, exactly HOW does one "apply" to be included in this race for this Charter Review? I can't find any of those documents on the Clallam County website, which seems peculiar. I've been all over it, and they don't seem to be there, nor does the requirements for throwing a hat in the ring. Please, can anyone provide a link?

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  8. In fact, a great number of the links provided on the Clallam Website don't go where they're supposed to go, they go back to the home page for "Boards, Committees and Groups". Searching with the search tool yields 2007 information, but nothing current. ? Seems to me that there should be something about it online. No?

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  9. Lets face it, Mark Twain had it right: “If voting made any difference they wouldn't let us do it.”

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    1. Of course, I disagree.

      As pointed out before, this is true if you think "politics' is all about casting a ballot every couple of years. That it is all about the office holder. That citizens just sit back and expect everything to magically work out just the way they want.

      Ya sure, you betcha.

      I notice in Thailand, right now, the people have been in the streets for weeks and months. Shut down government.

      Here? We just whine pathetically, and allow it all to go on.

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  10. Per the update...Can it be long now before you tell us that Peter Ripley has also signed up to run? I mean, with Maggie and Sue and Kaj, all the usual suspects are showing up.

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  11. I know Lindsey. He is a well intentioned guy with very progressive views. FYI

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  12. Why doesn't the county just "hire" the local GOP as "consultants" on this, and call it good? They could at least say they were hiring locals...

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  13. I know there are still a couple of days left to register to run, but the Reps sure have built up a big lead in charter review candidates. And there are still all these uncontested races - hopefully that will change as well.

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  14. Thanks for the timely updates. It's interesting to see this evolve in "real time" as people sign up.

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  15. Maybe they will decide to model after Sandy Springs, Georgia.

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    1. CK, I know you don't like to post URLs, but thought you and others might benefit from seeing what Republicans can come up with, in terms of "community".

      http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/24/business/a-georgia-town-takes-the-peoples-business-private.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

      Is this the "Republican Paradise" Kaj and his cronies want for Port Angeles?

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    2. You're right - I don't like to post links or URLs too much, but I checked this one out and it seems right on topic, really.

      People on here have commented many times that we get the government we deserve. But how do we even begin to get our heads around our government being a series of distant, for-profit companies? Weird, to say the least.

      The trend seems unlikely to burn out any time soon. (Especially with the consultant happy crown in City Hall.) I have a friend in Oregon, who is taking a new job with a well-known tech company. He's having to deal with their main human resources office - in India. For a job in Oregon. India.

      It's a wild world...

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