Friday, March 4, 2016

Port Angeles: Where the Streets Are Paved With Fluoride!

Several commenters here yesterday listed a great many of the expensive (and unnecessary) projects the City of Port Angeles has undertaken in the near-past. They've spent millions and millions - if you count the Turd Tank tens of millions and counting - on boneheaded, shortsighted and stupid, stupid, stupid public works projects. Which is to say, projects that weren't in fact necessary to the day to day functioning of the City, or the safety of its residents.

Meanwhile, as one of those posters also pointed out, the City's infrastructure very much gets the short end of the stick, budget-wise. "Big Projects" are exotic, hopefully grant-magnet things that can get City Council members all excited and squirmy with desire to approve them. Basic maintenance just isn't that sexy. "Big Projects" can act as ego-strokers for Council members and staff alike. But infrastructure just eats into your budget without giving any sort of contact (or contract) high at all.

So that's the background against which the whole fluoride debate is playing out. Dumb (projects), debt (for you!) and degraded (infrastructure).

When we say Breaking News, we mean it!

All of which kind of comes together in the dazzling new article with the headline Two water main breaks in Port Angeles this week turn city water brown. Which is also kind of nice timing for the whole big push to get Canadians to come visit...

"Did you hear, Ian? Port Angeles has water that's brown!"

"Oooh! Now that's intriguing. Book the ferry for this weekend!"

But really, I've never known of a place that has SO MANY water main breaks as Port Angeles. And I can't think of another small town that is carrying such a huge mountain of debt and has so little to show for it. A lot of places would have had at least some of their basic infrastructure issues attended to while racking up $50 or $100 or $150 million in debt. But not Port Angeles. Instead, it's like a really lame theme park - the Water Mains of Broken Dreams.

At least I can be sure that my work boots
won't be gettin' no cavities!

I can see how all this is connected. I'm sure you can, too. It's pretty obvious, and especially hard to miss when, you know, brown water comes out of your tap.

But how many members of the City Council do you think get it? How many of them can see the literal flood of blunders that have occurred on their watch?

36 comments:

  1. The comment below came in as I was posting this new topic. Being that it's very much on this topic, I cut and pasted it here, too.

    "Kidd to greet Canadian visitors at Coho this Saturday (tommorrow) noon. Highly suggest people be there for one hour with signs/handouts at Railroad and Oak educating our Victorian visitors (who don't put fluoride in their water) about our town who does medicate the water and ignores the will of its people. Superficial Kidd is all about image and status of her inflated selfworth. Need to expose others to our "unearthed" sins of this city. Only way to fix a problem is to expose it and then recognize there is one that needs fixing. Let the sunlight in!"

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    Replies
    1. If even a half dozen people showed up with signs, that might just be enough to make Cherie's empty little head explode. Imagine getting video of her yelling at protesters!

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  2. You mean you think there are places that have actually replaced their water pipes since 1955? What a concept!

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  3. People could show up with signs.

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  4. She would be totally aghast - talk about an opportunity to make a public impression and shame her into place! Nothing else seems to be doing it but calling her (and the FF) out outside of the Council chambers sure might up the pressure on them!

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  5. If there are independent Canadian media sources (meaning not controlled by the group that owns the PDN), maybe a demonstration greeting ferry passengers will entice them to investigate and report on the corruption in Port Angeles.
    There is quite a sordid and tangled tale to tell. Sad to say, but it might take investigative reporting by a foreign journalist to objectively expose it.

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  6. Hope we can get people down there waving those new yellow and black signs suggesting four council members step down, "for the good of the city."

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    Replies
    1. When should we be there? Come on folks, this is the way to show them the door. They need to know these signs will be where ever they go. They need to be shamed right out of office.

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    2. Here's hoping Cherie Kidd is having a really, really awkward moment right about now...

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  7. I can hear it now, down at the ferry terminal:

    "Hey hey! Ho ho. Cherie Kidd has got to go. Hey hey. Ho ho!"

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  8. Ferry schduled to arrive at noon. Id get there at 1145 and leave 1245. Most foots/cars gone by then. Think step down, ethics violation signs, this is not a democracy quote, and shop dine in Sequim if you want unmedicated water, signs would be great. Just one hour can make a big impact on these issues.

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    Replies
    1. I agree. I'll be there with two friends and signs, weather permitting.

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  9. I lived in PA for 18 years but moved to Texas last year, Kidd is a very talented lady, it is too bad she wasted it on politics. Not that I expect her to feel that way, she loves being in the limelight.

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    1. One shudders to think what Cherie Kidd's "talent" might be. Still, tomorrow if demonstrators show up, it will be another interesting experiment to see if she understands what Constitutional Rights are. I suspect those might be big words for her, ones that might throw her into a smaller word - tizzy.

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    2. LOL! Will Cherie show?

      They need to understand that, from now on out, we will be showing up at all public events to protest visibly, and loudly if need be.

      Ramp it up.

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    3. if it's from BBC, I'm sure it's something like pole dancing.

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    4. This is the official end of this sidebar/pole dancing conversation.

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  10. Had a plumber stop by today to fix a leaking tub faucet -- he showed me the defective part, all corroded and jagged. Asked about fluoride in the water. Well your teeth will be fine, but that's what your stomach looks like.

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    Replies
    1. No, your teeth WON'T be fine. That's the snow-job.

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  11. If only FEMEN activists would show up to greet the Canadians.

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    1. "FEMEN (Ukrainian: Фемен) is a group of topless female activists. The organization became internationally known for organizing controversial topless protests against sex tourism, religious institutions, sexism, homophobia and other social, national and international topics. Founded in Ukraine, the group is now based in Paris.

      The organization describes itself as "fighting patriarchy in its three manifestations - sexual exploitation of women, dictatorship and religion" and has stated that its goal is "sextremism serving to protect women's rights". FEMEN activists have been regularly detained by police in response to their protests."

      Seems unlikely, but yes, that sure would make Cherie nervous.

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  12. Bring those lovely yellow and black step down signs to meet the noon ferry today.

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  13. FYI: Someone wound up here today by searching for the phrase "dan williams, port angeles, disability." Make of that what you will.

    Meanwhile, don't forget to take the tram down to the ferry today at 11:45 AM.

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  14. Lots of step down signs at ferry. But no sign of Queen Cherie.

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    Replies
    1. I suspect she reads Unearthed (or has it read to her) and decided to duck out on the event.

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    2. Sure enough...caved under pressure. We predicted that here. Served to further embarrass herself. Said she would be there and was a no show. Way to represent your fine city in which it is always a GREAT DAY!

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    3. Goal accomplished.

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  15. So, here is my report from the first of what is just the beginning.

    They held their "party" inside the passenger waiting room, at the end of the pier. And, they obviously knew we were coming. As each of us walked in with a yellow sign held high.. and waded into the group, a number of people quickly surround us, saying "this is private property, you can't do that here."

    Okay.

    But, the intent was achieved. Their knowing we were going to show up, and them having to figure out what to do, wait for us to show up, etc accomplished everything we wanted.

    As we stood on the sidewalk in front of the terminal, the few people that were around, saw the signs, and all but one person indicated support.

    The event itself? The whole point of the "Party" was to kick off this "On Par" promotion to get people from Victoria to come to Port Angeles. Except, there were VERY few people getting off the ferry. On this sunny warm Saturday morning. If not this morning, then most "day trippers" not likely coming tonight, just to sleep in one of our "fine" establishments, and catch the ferry back in the (Sunday) morning. To get ready for the work week.

    There were more Chamber and PADA people and supporters from Port Angeles in the building, than people from Victoria!

    As always, virtually every car getting off the ferry turned left on Railroad, and headed out of town as directly and fast as possible.

    Downtown itself? On this sunny, warm Saturday? At noon? Virtually empty. No kidding, and no exaggeration.

    So, it was great. They got the intended message. We will be at all future public events attended by the loathsome Four. And, this is just the beginning.

    Wait. Worry.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for this report. And the report on downtown. And we look forward, as you say, to future events.

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    2. Who are "they"? Please name the names!

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    3. BTW, the president of the Port Angeles Downtown Association GOT OFF THE FERRY and split. Did not hang around for the "festivities."

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  16. They've bought a bill of goods, hook line and sinker, and are unable to think for themselves.
    You can't fight sheeple with logic.

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  17. The report you seem so quickly and easily thankful for is rubbish. I was there (albeit by chance).
    Nice, sunny, warm day on the Port Angeles waterfront, rare in early March, and absolutely wonderful!
    Truth is, the silly acting protester that tried rather crudely to gain attention at the onset of the Canadian Anthem was odd at best?
    He was quickly, and politely asked to leave as I stood right next to him. He made a silly face, said "Uh, OK?" and then walked straight back outside. That was it.
    Honestly, no one else seemed to even notice. I was standing right there during the whole silly escapade.

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    Replies
    1. Hey, well, gee, uh, thanks for your totally not-that-different-at-all take on the "report." Yours, um, gosh, actually kind of matches what it says, y'know? Oh, and uh, also, gee whiz, this is awkward...You do know you're commenting on the wrong topic, right? I mean, the topic for the "report" you mention is a separate thing from this one, y'know? Please see the topic headed "Howdy, Neighbors!" for further refutation of facts that seem to, uh, match the ones you're presenting.

      Thanks!

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    2. Anon 7:40 sez: "Honestly, no one else seemed to even notice" Umm, Gee, The pictures on the next thread don't match what what you're saying, at all.

      Look in the background with the one (of more than one) protester, and you see the faces of about half the people watching what is going on. Ooops

      Yeah, being caught in lies sucks, doesn't it.

      Fool.

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    3. @ Anon 7:40 You say,


      "Truth is, the silly acting protester that tried rather crudely to gain attention at the onset of the Canadian Anthem was odd at best?
      He was quickly, and politely asked to leave as I stood right next to him."

      How does the Canadian Anthem playing at the time, as you say, have anything to do with what happened?

      Since you say you were standing right next to the protester, which one are you in picture?

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