Wednesday, October 28, 2015

17% of Ballots VS. 100% of Your Disdain

Turnout is low, low, low so far in the Clallam County elections - just 17% of ballots have been returned at this point. That may creep up into the 20s, but still, it's a shamefully low percentage for a participatory democracy.

Ah, but as so many elected leaders there have learned, in shame there is opportunity! So this is your opportunity to finally give Cherie Kidd the heave-ho. You could vote for her on again/off again opponent, Dan Bateham. You could write in Peter Ripley. You could vote for the Moldy Mattress. Or, you could simply write in "NO CONFIDENCE." But you should do something.

Send a message. Let Cherie and her ilk know they are embarrassments, not wanted, and, in the junior high perspective that Cherie sees the world through, not popular. Even if Dan Bateham doesn't get a majority of the vote, wouldn't it be nice to see Cherie fall below 50% of however many ballots come in?

68 comments:

  1. It's the classic "Battered Child Syndrome" everyone is afraid to speak/vote or things may get worse. So long as the dim bulbs run both sides of the political divide they keep you separated with petty tribalism while the fat cats run away with the bank. It is happening right before your eyes and all you do is sit home running your greasy fat fingers over the keyboard and snivel in public for fear your master will beat you again.

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    1. Why is everyone so afraid of the boogeyman around here? I've never seen such a sniveling pack of spineless wimps.
      Is this the reason the fluoride is in the water? To further lower IQ?

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    2. Did anyone see Norma Turner's explication on how to vote on the initiatives handed down by the Charter Review committee? It proves there is not a dime's worth of difference between the local democoocoos and the republicoocoos. Plus, who ever wrote the ballot language was intending to confuse the matter even more. One example with regard to voting for commissioners by district, "we have more that unites us than divides us." Horse shit. We are as divided as the rest of the country 45% to 45% split of the base. The only voters in the lurch are the ten percent of independent thinkers and if they think long enough they move to another area. Both parties teach and promote petty tribalism as if life is an NFL game. Go Hawks, Go Republicans, Go Democrats. More Horse shit. we have lives in the balance here folks. Get off your ass, read your ballot, sure it is confusing, go to the library and have someone explain it to you. Just get outside of your petty party labels and study the root cause of our problems--voting "R" or "D" and letting the goons run your life. Sheesh

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    3. Don't need to further lower it. This area is dumb enough without it.

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  2. In exchange for ballots, next year the county will hand out a dime bag of smack.

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    1. They are handing out drug needles, so why not!? Maybe it is the "dogs" running this town who bring in the drugs themselves. So many wonder how meth and heroin get transported here under the nose of The Federal Border Patrol...

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    2. Because someone is on the take from the local drug kingpins.

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  3. PDN story headline today: "Clallam County Commissioners Seek Bids for Mental Health Treatment"
    Does the bid form allow "per unit" itemization --- so that the bidder can break out differing costs for treating each commissioner? Or must the bidder provide a lump sum bid for treating all three?

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  4. We see how much people believe in the political processes here, with few bothering to run for office, and so few bothering to vote.

    Was interesting to see in Canada recently, the people got so tired of the Conservatives destruction of their society, and the vote became " Get rid of Harper". Organizations were formed promoting "strategic voting" to help educate voters.

    They ended up with 68% voter turn out. And the liberal candidate won in a virtual landslide.

    Here?

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    1. Yes but in Canada they don't vote on a calendar, they vote when they are tired of who's in office. So they have go agree that a change is needed. Different system that parliamentary governing.

      So, can't quite compare the differences. All I know, is after our couple-hundred year run with this democracy/representative government is just not working. Not at all. For all the horn blowing, and firework exploding -- the majority of citizens have no faith in it, and can't see the point of voting.

      They simply say, "I, for one, welcome our new government overlords" without giving a shit one way or another.

      Then they criticize and whine and complain, for four more years. Clearly, we just elect a whipping boy, for the few that do vote.

      Great. And, in the disinterest, the con men and shysters get rich.

      Welcome to our American democrazy.

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  5. I think the people of Port Angeles ARE sending a message!

    " We don't care".

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    1. Excellent point. It's also the expression of a kind of suicidal thinking ,but...We know that's pretty commonplace in Port Angeles as well.

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  6. It's not just Port Angeles that's having an election, the entire county is. The ballot is complicated, with two initiatives, three advisory votes, county charter amendments, lots of county and junior taxing district offices as well. Americans are simply unable to deal with anything that is not presented in the form of an image, moving or not, in such a way that they can comprehend a complex question. I've had many, many people ask me what the questions on the ballot mean and how should they vote. People are unable to recognize the relevance that the ballot questions have on their daily lives.

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    1. Wow! And our future lays in the hands of these people?

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    2. Which is exactly why I haven't submitted my ballot yet. There are a lot of complicated initiatives and advisory votes. I've done research, made notes and want to give it a few days to think things over. I'm not the kind of person to just scream "hur dur check boxes, check boxes!!" and throw it in the box as soon as possible. I like to take my time with something as important as voting.

      Except, of course, for the McEntire-Ozias vote. That one's a no-brainer.

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  7. People have, clearly, given up. Our city motto: WHO CARES?!!
    The town will do what the town will do, until it's insolvent.

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  8. Port director leaving. How shocking. Another to a long list of self serving pieces of crap that come here, make their big bucks, hundreds of thousands, and moves onto the next bucket of money. And we are to believe that we are so much better off because of this fucking loser. I tried telling everyone what a bunch of corrupt fucks we have running the port when they raised my rent 1,400% and the money went straight into his pocket. Good riddance dickhead.

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    1. Oooooh --- Here's an opportunity for Jeff Robb to come out of "retirement" and take the reins again!
      Why waste money on carpet-baggers like O'Halloren when we can waste more money on locals like Robb?!?
      BTW - Did O'Halloren every really, truly move to Clallam County? The last I heard, he was commuting back to the Longview area every weekend.

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    2. O'Halloran is leaving the port before the composites scam is found out. Another ten million shot to hell while the usual suspects skim off whatever they can until they finally think the population has forgotten about the lofty goals they then pull the plug and go after the next pie in the sky scam and everyone will fall for it too if they bring out Cherie Kidd with her pom poms.

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    3. No kidding. When realize how long this has been promoted, and who was first pushing it (a certain mayor found by the state auditors to be crooked as a bent nail) you'll see it's the last of a long line of "screw the town, screw the people, more $$ for me!!".

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  9. I see Cherie Kidd has now bought banner ads on the PDN website as well. Using a photo that is clearly years old. Sigh...

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    1. Well her wardrobe is also clearly years old so it all sort of fits with the whole theme.

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    2. but, gosh darn, she wants your vote because she works hard for you. Or so she says, repeatedly. To her, "working hard" means going to club events, and whatever else is happening, because just showing up is what matters to the people of Port Angeles (according to Ms. Kidd).
      Nice to see she bought a banner ad on the PDN, because her other banner is on those derelict apartments next to the butcher shop (sunrise).

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    3. "Slum landlords For Kidd!"

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    4. That particular spot always has banners for the right wing candidates, who owns it? Kaj maybe.

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    5. Is the the slumlord owner? That would make sense.

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  10. And I see that the PDN "writers" think they're being clever by having a headline about the "Hope after Heroin" group's needle clean ups being "in the bag." Nice, really nice.

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    1. Gottlieb writes the headlines.

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    2. Gottlieb also has personal experience with drugs, so gee, he's a natural choice, eh?

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  11. And, the City is running in the red, will be raising taxes, and cutting services to youth, families and the needy.

    How much is it going to cost to keep putting fluoride in our water, each year? Cut funding for the United Way, so the City can keep putting that crap in our water?

    Yep, priorities.

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  12. I saw the mattress is STILL sitting there, outside the motel room at the AirCrest last night. It rained like crazy last night, again. Yummy!!

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    1. As of 5pm 10/31 it is gone. Maybe they needed it, and moved it inside? But the AirCrest sign still boasts of AIR CONDITIONED ROOMS. Yeah, no doubt. Wonder if they have heat?

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  13. Isn't it about time for another article about how the Lincoln Theatre is still for sale?

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    1. Certainly. Now that the Elwha has run dry, it is high time to move on to other issues.

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    2. How much money did the Crap festival make? Is it self supporting now?

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    3. @Anon 6:58 Not sure what you're saying. No one here said the Elwha was going to dry up, so that was not a topic, here.

      Your post makes it sound like the conversations about the Elwha and water for area residents was a current thread, that we should now move on from. As you say ".... it is high time to move on to other issues." But, it hasn't been a topic here for weeks and months.

      Perhaps this is the problem. The topic was discussed so long ago, you can't remember what was said clearly.

      Sure, one could read your post, and think it was an attempt to be clever with some snide reference to the recent rains. Some sort of "I told you so.." childish approach at communicating, maybe.

      But the reality is easy for anyone to see, by looking back in the archives a few months back. Yes, there were threads and conversations about how dramatically the flows in the Elwha, the Dungeness, Morse Creek and other rivers were dropping. And, these observations were followed with ".. if the flows keep dropping at this rate..". If they had, those rivers would have gone dry.

      Also, and more importantly, the discussions focused on the lack of water storage facilities in the area. The vulnerability this lack represents. The negative message lack of a reliable source of potable water sends to those interested in investing in the area, and related economic development. The statements from local leadership that they are not interested in building water storage facilities.

      Oh, and yes, I saw the snow up in the hills. I'll suppose you were going to try to make some point about that? Trends spanning decades are to be ignored, in favour of isolated events? That is "planning", in your mind?

      Instead, the leadership spends millions on projects there is no demonstrated need for, like fake beaches.

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  14. "Funny" how we see the City finds $64,000 to fund a study to do "improvements" to Race Street, the same week it says it has no money, and will be cutting funding to various services and programs for the needy.

    As the article says, the City Council passed the motion "without comment".

    Also not mentioned is the fact that this same section of Race Street has long been envisioned by the City as part of a by-pass around downtown.The other parts of the new by-pass are re-configuring the Lauridsen Bridge to accommodate more traffic (which was done recently), and to use Lauridsen to meet back up with Hwy 101 at Lincoln.

    So, the City gets to build it's by-pass, while calling it improvements for access to Hurricane Ridge.

    We all know how bad the traffic jams and accidents and long hours of waiting for all that traffic to move along Race Street are, now. Of all the priorities in this town, I sure can see how fake beaches, and road improvements are more important than services for the people that live here.

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    1. How is it that the City always has money for frivolous and stupid projects it wants, but everything else is being de-funded and cut?

      They lie straight faced to us, all the time.

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    2. And the sole comment on the PDN article is...

      "Racr St is just fine!
      LEAVE RACE ST ALONE!!!!!!!!!
      AND NO DAMN "LANDSCAPED MEDIAN"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
      HELL NO TO REMOVING PARKING ALONG RACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

      Ladies and gentlemen, the People of Port Angeles.

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    3. Whenever you see, "Improvements to Race Street" think "Bypass around downtown."

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    4. Dude, who cares? Everyone is already bypassing downtown anyway. Not like making 101 go up Race instead of Lincoln (which also bypasses downtown btw) is going to change that.

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    5. Yes, there is that Port Angeles motto again: "Who cares?"

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    6. fixing up Race is more GRANT CHASING. The city gets these matching grants, over-bills the amount it will cost, hires the same flaky, shady contractors (who will give the city inflated bills, but take less, plus a kickback), and then says "see what we did, isn't it grand". Meanwhile cutting services for the families who need them most (after school, rec programs, etc etc etc) and raising taxes. This town is standing on the railing of the 8th street bridge, drunk, and might fall into the abyss of insolvency any minute.
      We're number TWO.

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    7. Let me guess...the comment left on that article was by Noelle "Le", actually "Levesque." Easy to tell because all her rants are in all caps and she lves the phrases "damn" and "hell no." In fact I've never seen a supportive comment come out of her. Perfect example of the in-denial, head in the sand attitude around here. I invite her to move away in my responses on a regular basis.

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    8. Anon 6:00, you are right on target. The common thread to all these crazy projects we've seen over the last 10 years or so is GRANTS.

      I drove through the alley in back of the Port building the other day, and saw some of the bits and pieces being used for the latest bonzo crazy city project, that pump station that is part of the so-called "CSO" insanity.

      $20 million for a pump station that will pump the sewage from about half of the town over to the Rayonier site.

      Any one interested can drive back there, and see the size of the pipes being installed. So far beyond what will EVER be needed, but everyone is getting paid.

      A "make work" project, just like the fake beaches and cement sidewalks the city has spent so many millions on. The bigger they make the project, the more money they get in grants, and everyone gets paid.

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    9. All that money would have been better spent just walking around and handing wads of cash to people. At least that would have allowed some people to buy groceries, or to afford to pay their utility bills. Some of them might have even started a business and created a job or two.

      But, as you so rightly point out, the way they've ACTUALLY spent the money is only going to result in pumping more SHIT around. No jobs, no progress - just SHIT.

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    10. Anon 8:25...what? I read your comment three times, and can't make any sense of it. Is this some coded message to communicate with a secret agent?

      "Noelle le Levesque" makes no sense to anyone, anywhere.

      Maybe you should just spit it out. Or cut back on the stink weed.

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    11. That was indeed Noelle! I love Noelle. Her unhinged, negative screeching is always worth a chuckle.

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    12. whatever, dude. Who's Noelle? Are you sure you're on the correct page, because, seriously. Drugs must be good.

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    13. Anon at 9:30. Re-read teh comment, or maybe it's too difficult for you? The person to whom we are referring goes by "Noelle Le" in her rants but her name is actually "Noelle Levesque." Her rants are simply amusing to those here who have frequently encountered her rants in comments on the PDN and Gazette sites. Apparently you know more about weed than I do because I don't touch the stuff as I have a job and a life.

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  15. Well I for one was very excited about voting this year. It's our one sure opportunity to at least make our personal contribution to the effort. I don't live in PA but I sure as hell want to see McEntire out.

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  16. Where do I sign up for the "heavy meds"? This place is just too much to deal with. The leadership of this community are crazier than anyone in the Loony Bins.

    How do these people keep saying everything is so great in Port Angeles with a straight face? Where can I get the drugs these people are on?

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  17. Off topic, but...Would the pathetic troll who keeps sending would-be threatening messages about "I know where you live blah blah blah" please cease and desist? It's kind of hard to believe you, or be scared by you, when all you seem able to do is send tough guy messages in the middle of the night - anonymously.

    Anyway, Happy Halloween everyone. Don't forget to vote!

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    1. Sorry to hear about the threats, but not surprised. Typical Port Angeles way of dealing with things: try to silence the messenger, rather than address the problems.

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    2. Yes, please see the comment below this one from a real Clallam County intellectual.

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  18. Dropping my ballots of today CK! Not sure if we are gonna make it out of this water shortage though! Elwha at 7410 cfs and climbing! Dungeness at 358! What are you gonna be for Halloween CK? A Coward would fit you well!

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    1. @Anon 9:34 You really work to show how stupid you are! The glaciers are all but gone, clear evidence that the area is getting warmer and drier.

      Fairview DID dry up, and the PUD had to build an emergency patch to keep that area with water.

      The trends and patterns are clear. It is just a matter of time until the water supplies fail. Intelligent people look ahead, and plan accordingly.

      Morons make stupid comments.

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  19. OMG! The Moldy Mattress is gone!

    How many weeks did it sit there?

    Who had Halloween as the date?

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  20. Port Angeles almost looked "normal" this afternoon, with people walking on the sidewalks.

    Except, nobody was actually patronizing the stores. It was Halloween, and area parents brought their kids to town to get free candy.

    Another PADA success story. Organize an event that the area merchants don't make any money on.

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  21. So last week I called the Aircrest and the women who answered the phone said, "I will let the manager know when he gets back from vacation". I informed her how ridiculous the mattress is sitting out for an extended piece of time. Skip ahead a full week to yesterday and thanks to Ck (Coward Mask) I am reminded it is still there. So I call the Aircrest again and speak with the manager/owner yesterday and he proceeds to tell me he will get to it blah blah blah. I offer to take it the the dump myself and direct him to portangeles unearthed where of course there is not enough tampons to soak up all of "The Cowards" whiny bloody mess. After insisting that he get it done today and having to endure the tears of cry me a river.blogspot he decided to take care of the moldy mattress. So Thank You CowardK! You don't even live here and you are helping to clean up Port Angeles! Keep it coming!

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    1. If you really, really don't want to be a "coward" like me, then I'd suggest you comment here signed into an online account, using your real name. Otherwise, you are just as much of a "coward" as anyone.

      Oh, you're also kind of an illiterate coward. When you refer to my "mess," you should have said "The Coward's" - because it's a possessive, see?

      And how you get "Coward Mask" out of the initials CK is beyond me.

      And finally...As you yourself admit, I'm "helping to clean up Port Angeles!" - with an exclamation point and everything. Oooh! Yet you also seem to be saying that I'm a cowardly do-nothing. Which is it? If you want to admire me, fine. If you want to run me down, fine. But doing both? Well, that just makes you look like the jackass you so obviously are.

      So...Looking forward to seeing your response submitted here under your own brave name! (Please note the exclamation point!!!)

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    2. So, Anon 11:34 actually called the Air Crest a week ago about the mattress, and they still did nothing about it? And, they called AGAIN, a week later, and offered to take the mattress to the dump, themselves? That it took all that before the mattress finally was moved? Amazing!

      It just get worse and worse.

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    3. I can see how the Aircrest Motel leaving the mattress out for weeks is CKs fault. Yep, CK is the jerk because you called the motel, and they didn't cart the moldy thing away.

      Aren't we glad they legalized pot?

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    4. If anything, the troll just proved every point made here about the apathetic business owners and local officials. Well done. If you don't like it here, why do you make the effort to comment? Clueless enough to have no idea how bad you made yourself look. Haaaaaa!!!

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  22. Speaking of "disdain", and cowards, I was thinking about the homeless folks who must have had a real fun night, last night, no thanks to our civic leadership. It poured like an open faucet both Friday and Saturday nights.

    As people here know, our police department was quoted in the paper in reacting to the closure of the last overnight shelter in Port Angeles a couple weeks ago, that it was no big deal because the it doesn't get that cold here.

    I was thinking that the civic leadership of this town should join the homeless for a couple days straight, say, the first week of January. You know, "walk a mile in their shoes", so that they know first hand how much fun it is, in reality. Join the "night crew" as they crawl into spaces under the sidewalks and bushes. But, not for one night or two, but for a week.

    County Commissioner Mike Chapman has offered, repeatedly, to take people on tours of the "night life" around Port Angeles. Well, I suggest Port Angeles Police Chief Terry Gallagher get into his civvies, empty his pockets, and join the homeless for a week.

    How about it, Chief Gallagher? Dan Gase? Jim McEntire? Cherie Kidd? Leslie Robertsen? Jim Moran?

    But, not all together, of course. One civic leader a week, so they get the real deal experience of trying to stay warm out there, and fending for themselves.

    Maybe they would learn a little compassion and humanity. Maybe they would learn the weather here really IS less than wonderful to stay out in overnight as a homeless person.

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