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Sunday, September 6, 2015
Finally! Selinda Barkhuis Comes Up With an Idea a Majority of the County Commissioners Can Agree With!
“Are there any limits? If not, then why not simply turn over the county’s checkbook to Commissioner McEntire and be done with it?”
Clearly Selinda is offering this "solution" up as sarcasm, and to make a point.
Just as clearly, this "solution" is one that is very much in the works, via King Jim and his official yes man crony Peach. And that's all it takes, just two people to run (and ruin) things. Does anyone think that Jim Jones will object? Does anyone think Mike Chapman's objections will be able to stop this?
No. Of course not.
So the question becomes, really, does King Jim get reelected, and thus enabled to finish his consolidation of power. If I were Mark Ozias, that's a question I would be asking publically, and frequently.
I would also be watching for McEntire to pull out all the stops to get reelected. He's come this far, and too much is at stake for him to allow it to fall apart now. So watch out.
As many of the local leadership will likely support. They say we elect them to do what they want, and if we don't like what they do, then we can elect somebody else at the next chance, how ever many years later.
Seems to work really well, judging by how involved people are in local politics.
Or, so disgusted by what "government" has evolved into, most turn away.
I've heard way too many people praise McEntire for "standing up to Barkhuis". And implying that she's not doing her job. By, you know, following the law.
These are probably the same people supporting Kim Davis for "standing up for her beliefs" and breaking the law by not issuing marriage certificates.
The only one in this drama who IS NOT following the law is Selinda! Every single official who has weighed in so far (The County Auditor, the County Prosecutor, the State Auditor, the State Attorney General and the President of the State Treasurer's Association) has told her so. Now, a Superior Court Judge will no doubt do so again. Will Selinda follow her hero, Kim Davis, into jail for her "beliefs"? Not very likely, this has all been a sham to rub McEntire's nose in a mess because he and Mike Doherty refused her request for more staff two years ago.
Government by edict. Government by force of will. Government by big money.
Instead of government that addresses a community's needs.
As we see with this Composites Garbage reprocessing scheme that is, at the surface, the reason for the current effort by McEntire to force his will upon the community, there was no prior "needs assessment".
As we saw with the $8.5 million spent (and we're not done yet) on those "artificial pocket beaches", there was no prior "needs assessment" performed.
Funding for the cultural infrastructure of the community was cut, in a seemingly "democratic" process of the council ( hear: City Staff) going through the motions of "soliciting public input". Of course, only the programs and services the City selected for consideration were on the list. " Do you want less police officers and ambulances, or less funding for the arts center?" Never saw " Should the City be spending $8.5 million on artificial beaches ?".
We are given false choices so that it appears that we have a valid system of representation, and that we are given opportunities to "participate".
But, instead, the base issues of NO public hearings being held, and NO business plans of the proposal for the public to review are ignored and side-stepped. The issue becomes some nonsensical "battle" between McEntire and Selinda, with McEntire and crew repeatedly trying to find ways to force his will, and NOT require a business plan for the multi-million dollar project he is trying to invest public monies into.
No bank on the planet will give millions for a proposal without a verified business plan.
More importantly, where is the public consultation? How did we evolve into a place where a desperately poor town can spend $8.5 million on a completely frivolous project? Why even speak the words "accountability", if we are going to accept these ways of managing the public's trust?
A few months ago Council member, Cherie Kidd cajoled her fellow council members to give her a special private dispensation to go out and independently raise funds to put up fences on the 8th Street bridges. At the very next council meeting a young lady came to speak to city council explaining she had personally saved a young man from an overdose and was asking the city council to "provide some hope," don't give up on us," and was generally reaching out to the city for leadership. The city council sat there like stones. No one responded to this young lady's heartfelt plea. No one congratulated her for going to the aid of this young man who may have died without her intervention. No one thanked her for the courage she displayed at council meeting. Cherie Kidd did not say a word but looked passively ahead awaiting the next agenda item. I suggest, if Cherie Kidd had one ounce of concern about the young people and the challenges they face including no jobs, easy access to heroin and dashed hopes related to mis-spent tax money, she would have gotten out of her cushy chair, come out from behind the council desk and put her arm around this courageous young lady and maybe just maybe said something to reassure her that the council heard her plea. Instead she, and all the council members sat there like robots, not even flinching. They heard it all before and chose to do nothing about it. Now Kidd is seeking re-election to her third term of office. For the past two terms she has voted with the majority to spend ridiculous sums and place the entire city in historic debt. None of that spending, none of that debt went to help the one's she so vocally claims to want to help. Kidd is an opportunist and of the worst order. Please get this woman out of office. Please get Brad Collins out at the next opportunity. Then and only then can this city move forward with any hope of "revitalization."
I was present in the council chambers that evening. I saw all the council members just sit there. None said a word.
You are totally right. Some times there are threshold moments that clear show what is going on. That night, with that woman, we say how much those council members really care about the people in Port Angeles. Could not have been clearer.
Let me add that all the civic leadership, including Leslie Roberts of Revitalize were in that room that night. They quickly stepped up to the microphone to continue on with their happy talk. Not a one of them thanked that woman.
She left in tears.
Get rid of them. At every opportunity. They lost any credibility they had, that night.
Who could possibly object to that?
ReplyDeleteClearly Selinda is offering this "solution" up as sarcasm, and to make a point.
ReplyDeleteJust as clearly, this "solution" is one that is very much in the works, via King Jim and his official yes man crony Peach. And that's all it takes, just two people to run (and ruin) things. Does anyone think that Jim Jones will object? Does anyone think Mike Chapman's objections will be able to stop this?
No. Of course not.
So the question becomes, really, does King Jim get reelected, and thus enabled to finish his consolidation of power. If I were Mark Ozias, that's a question I would be asking publically, and frequently.
I would also be watching for McEntire to pull out all the stops to get reelected. He's come this far, and too much is at stake for him to allow it to fall apart now. So watch out.
As many of the local leadership will likely support. They say we elect them to do what they want, and if we don't like what they do, then we can elect somebody else at the next chance, how ever many years later.
ReplyDeleteSeems to work really well, judging by how involved people are in local politics.
Or, so disgusted by what "government" has evolved into, most turn away.
I've heard way too many people praise McEntire for "standing up to Barkhuis". And implying that she's not doing her job. By, you know, following the law.
DeleteThese are probably the same people supporting Kim Davis for "standing up for her beliefs" and breaking the law by not issuing marriage certificates.
The only one in this drama who IS NOT following the law is Selinda! Every single official who has weighed in so far (The County Auditor, the County Prosecutor, the State Auditor, the State Attorney General and the President of the State Treasurer's Association) has told her so. Now, a Superior Court Judge will no doubt do so again. Will Selinda follow her hero, Kim Davis, into jail for her "beliefs"? Not very likely, this has all been a sham to rub McEntire's nose in a mess because he and Mike Doherty refused her request for more staff two years ago.
DeleteGovernment by edict. Government by force of will. Government by big money.
ReplyDeleteInstead of government that addresses a community's needs.
As we see with this Composites Garbage reprocessing scheme that is, at the surface, the reason for the current effort by McEntire to force his will upon the community, there was no prior "needs assessment".
As we saw with the $8.5 million spent (and we're not done yet) on those "artificial pocket beaches", there was no prior "needs assessment" performed.
Funding for the cultural infrastructure of the community was cut, in a seemingly "democratic" process of the council ( hear: City Staff) going through the motions of "soliciting public input". Of course, only the programs and services the City selected for consideration were on the list. " Do you want less police officers and ambulances, or less funding for the arts center?" Never saw " Should the City be spending $8.5 million on artificial beaches ?".
We are given false choices so that it appears that we have a valid system of representation, and that we are given opportunities to "participate".
But, instead, the base issues of NO public hearings being held, and NO business plans of the proposal for the public to review are ignored and side-stepped. The issue becomes some nonsensical "battle" between McEntire and Selinda, with McEntire and crew repeatedly trying to find ways to force his will, and NOT require a business plan for the multi-million dollar project he is trying to invest public monies into.
No bank on the planet will give millions for a proposal without a verified business plan.
More importantly, where is the public consultation? How did we evolve into a place where a desperately poor town can spend $8.5 million on a completely frivolous project? Why even speak the words "accountability", if we are going to accept these ways of managing the public's trust?
Your points are all excellent ones. An honest and well-informed, and well-intentioned, city council would take heed of such things.
DeleteThat ours does not tells us all we need to know. Let the peasants eat cake (or is it overdue utility bills?); we're going to the beach.
Any guesses whether Ms. Barkhuis will attract the services of a pro bono lawyer? Why assume someone should work without compensation on this matter?
ReplyDeleteOne of the oldest stalling tricks in the legal world-fire your attorney.
ReplyDeleteCan we get the city to "stall" and fire Bill Bloor? Please?
DeleteA few months ago Council member, Cherie Kidd cajoled her fellow council members to give her a special private dispensation to go out and independently raise funds to put up fences on the 8th Street bridges. At the very next council meeting a young lady came to speak to city council explaining she had personally saved a young man from an overdose and was asking the city council to "provide some hope," don't give up on us," and was generally reaching out to the city for leadership. The city council sat there like stones. No one responded to this young lady's heartfelt plea. No one congratulated her for going to the aid of this young man who may have died without her intervention. No one thanked her for the courage she displayed at council meeting. Cherie Kidd did not say a word but looked passively ahead awaiting the next agenda item. I suggest, if Cherie Kidd had one ounce of concern about the young people and the challenges they face including no jobs, easy access to heroin and dashed hopes related to mis-spent tax money, she would have gotten out of her cushy chair, come out from behind the council desk and put her arm around this courageous young lady and maybe just maybe said something to reassure her that the council heard her plea. Instead she, and all the council members sat there like robots, not even flinching. They heard it all before and chose to do nothing about it. Now Kidd is seeking re-election to her third term of office. For the past two terms she has voted with the majority to spend ridiculous sums and place the entire city in historic debt. None of that spending, none of that debt went to help the one's she so vocally claims to want to help. Kidd is an opportunist and of the worst order. Please get this woman out of office. Please get Brad Collins out at the next opportunity. Then and only then can this city move forward with any hope of "revitalization."
ReplyDeleteWell said!
DeleteI was present in the council chambers that evening. I saw all the council members just sit there. None said a word.
You are totally right. Some times there are threshold moments that clear show what is going on. That night, with that woman, we say how much those council members really care about the people in Port Angeles. Could not have been clearer.
Let me add that all the civic leadership, including Leslie Roberts of Revitalize were in that room that night. They quickly stepped up to the microphone to continue on with their happy talk. Not a one of them thanked that woman.
She left in tears.
Get rid of them. At every opportunity. They lost any credibility they had, that night.