How'd Ya Get Here?

Some of the information that I get running this blog is related to how people found Unearthed in the first place. Some come via a Google search, some of course just type the address in or have it bookmarked. But a lot of people get here by searching for various words or phrases, and I get a list of what those are, too.

Now, not surprisingly, a lot of those terms are variations on a theme: Port Angeles blog, blogs Port Angeles, Port Angeles online, etc., etc.



In the past week or so, here are the search terms that brought people to Port Angeles Unearthed, in roughly chronological order (and eliminating those variations on a theme mentioned above). These are presented exactly as they appeared:

why is port angeles so inbred

red necks in port angeles

judge rick porter in trouble

port angeles conspiracy theory (appeared twice)

scott clausen, sequim, wa

tom harper, arrest

paul gottlieb port angeles

judge porter clallam county

ballot clallam county

sissy bruch port angeles wa (appeared twice)

"sissi bruch"

gay sex personals port angeles

yvonne zimkowski (spelled incorrectly)

barb frederick port angeles

pdn port angeles

tom harper domestic abuse

sissi p bruch bio

why the hell do people live in port angeles (appeared twice)

Raising Awareness of Raising

Per the PDN, the City Council is still considering adopting a five-year plan that, by 2019, will have raised the utility rates of the average residential user by $936 per year, and of the average commercial user by an even more whopping $1843 per year. These are huge, potentially budget-busting figures for citizens and businesses in Port Angeles. Does anyone really think that such large rate increases are sustainable, reasonable, or even possible? I mean, at any given time, at least a third of the City's utility customers are delinquent on their accounts already, with the existing outrageous rates.

Of course, the only reason the City Council would even consider such a huge rate increase is because City staff are pushing them to do so. Lord knows the City Council doesn't do much on their own initiative, right? So what does a key City staff member have to say about this idea?

From the PDN: "In an interview last week, Phil Lusk, deputy director of power and telecommunication systems, said he was unaware of the five-year impact of the increases on ratepayers."

Uh huh. So, Phil, you're "unaware" of the ramifications of what you are personally proposing and pushing are for all the citizens of Port Angeles, but that doesn't slow you down in pushing for it? I guess, Phil, you're either dumber and/or way more cynical than I thought.

404 S. Washington St. - home of a well-connected utility ratepayer.



In any case, if anyone reading this would like to help educate Phil Lusk about the impact of these proposed rate increases, he can be found right across from Civic Field, at 404 S. Washington St. I'm sure that, as part of his job duties, Phil would be more than happy to have you stop by and tell him all about your feelings on this issue. After all, living as he does in Port Angeles, at 404 S. Washington St., Phil's a ratepayer, too. So maybe, just maybe, you can prod him into incorporating some thinking into his job.

Maybe.

Lame Changer?

So, it sure seems that the knives are coming out for Sissi Bruch, now that the election is drawing a little nearer. One-sided "debates" are being hosted, slanted news stories are being written, and - surprise, surprise - nasty comments and lies about her are flying fast and furious online.

And all she wants to do is get everyone to yes!

Now, of course, some of this is just habitual, reflexive redneckery, striking out at anyone and anything that smacks of "the outside" and/or the 21st century. That I understand. Morons will be morons, after all.



What I don't understand is how anyone on either side could be truly getting too worked up over this election, because, as I see it, no matter what, nothing will change. I mean, there'll either be two bozos voting stupidly in the Clallam County Courthouse, or three. Either way, nothing will change, right? Other than that Sissi will get the "pleasure" of wasting a lot of her time.

So what I'm wondering is this...For you folks on the center-left who are supportive of Sissi, do you really, really see her being able to change anything? Do you really, really think she'll be able to change the racist/sexist/xenophobic tone of the County? Do you really, really think she'll be able to get anything done, other than a lot of protest votes? If you do think so, please explain how this might happen - because I just don't see it at all.

What I do see is a whole lot of lame that isn't likely to go anywhere. Clallam County is pretty much the home of backwards and lame. So do you want your heartbreak all at once (Sissi loses the election), or spread out over years (Sissi is outvoted time and time and time again)?



Glenn Cutler Bought a Million Dollar Turd Tank, and All I Got Was This Lousy, Stinky Shoreline

The more things change, the more they stay the same - at least in Port Angeles.

After knowing for YEARS that they had to deal with their combined sewer overflow (CSO) problem, they City finally "did something" and bought into the biggest boondoggle ever, Cutler's Million Dollar Turd Tank. After committing to this "solution" and spending millions of dollars and committing millions more...Apparently you folks just experienced 20 hours of partly processed poo going straight into the Strait. I read about the warning to stay out of the water there in the Bellingham newspaper. You just can't buy publicity like that. Thank goodness you've got Russ Veenema around to counteract the bad PR, eh? (And by the way, has it even been raining up there? Why an overflow now?)

And after knowing for YEARS that they have a serious and totally unsustainable utility rate problem, which is in part due to the aforementioned Turd Tank, the City is now apparently considering "doing something" about it. I guess there's a proposal on the table to increase the City's already expensive utility rates for FIVE YEARS running. Given that a third of Port Angeles residents already are delinquent on their utility bills in any given month, this classic City "solution" seems like a surefire way to solve the problem - if the problem is that there are still people who can afford to pay their utility bills. Is the goal 100% "participation" in being delinquent?

Am I the only one who ponders the notion that Port Angeles is badly run on purpose? As in, with the purpose of totally and completely bankrupting and wrecking the town for some reason? I mean, like the saying goes, even a stopped clock is right twice a day, but the City of Port Angeles is remarkably able to be wrong pretty much every single time, in every single way.