Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Whose Pan Are They Handling?

Hey, here's a simple question for the simple minds that make up the majority of the Port Angeles City Council:

If you're going to pass "enhanced" restrictions on panhandling in Port Angeles, will you make yourselves subject to those very rules? In other words, will you stop coming at your tax and rate payers all the time with harebrained projects and wastes of their money? Will you stop spending inordinate amounts of money on unnecessary vanity projects (like Nathan West's Boondoggle Beach) and start budgeting wisely? Will you instead spend to maintain essential (if unglamorous) infrastructure?

Will you, in short, stop looking at your tax and (especially) your utility rates as a big, juicy cash cow to be milked, and instead try to see the mountain of existing debt you're all already sitting on? Will you please, please try to grow up, and govern with some small amount of sense and accountability?


In other words, will you listen, really listen, to the many, many, many voices in your own community who keep shouting "Throw the bums out!" and realize that they're talking about you and not some homeless guy downtown?

37 comments:

  1. The many many voices.

    CK - you are missing the point that the many voices elected the individuals. some voted against, but the majority approve.

    You are in the minority.

    Kindest Regards,

    Captain Obvious

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    1. People who get elected in an unopposed election can hardly be called the choice of the people. That's just sad, borderline illegitimate. It also ignores the point that CK is talking about fiscal responsibility here, not whether or not someone is popular, duly elected, etc. The fact remains that these fools (the Fluoride Four, primarily) have created a run down, poverty-stricken town that is saddled with an insane amount of debt. THAT is the problem, not a few homeless people trying to scrape up some spare change downtown. They are only a SYMPTOM of our poverty; the city council is a primary CAUSE of that poverty.

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    2. 0649 - your observations fail to take into account the further away from I-5 the more challenging the economic environment. Clallam is further away, yet stronger than Grays Harbor, Mason, Pacific, Lewis.

      But you already knew that.

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    3. Again, we see the disinformation campaign by the few that support the established power structure in this town trying to convince people of things not true.

      We've been over this many times before. Cherie Kidd got elected by 24% of the eligible voters of Port Angeles. That is fact.

      Rather than face the facts, and help the town get out of the mess it is in, these selfish ego bombs only care about themselves, and will do and say pretty much anything to stay in power.

      As we see.

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    4. I think Dale Wilson should run for office. He understands us and can articulate our position. He is smart and kind. I think he would make a great Mayor.

      Linda

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    5. The unopposed council does NOT want anything new. No new jobs, no new opportunities, no new competition, and preferably no new people. Just keep on quietly skimming the grants, the construction projects, regardless of their worth or need or debt load they create.
      The inner mob that steals everything of any value in this town doesn't care about you or your community. This is their turf, and don't you forget it! Now bend over!

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    6. Oh, but 9:11, you see, 24% of voters is a majority around here. That's how many voted AGAINST FLUORIDATION.

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  2. Next time a Fluoride Four gold-digger runs unopposed, vote "None Of The Above".

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  3. Has CK passed this blog onto someone else who, is calling themselves CK? Why so many troll posts being as they are allowed in now? The trolls must go, otherwise I will ask Tom Harper to start up his blog again.

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    1. No, it has not been passed off. In my own defense, trolls are (often, but not always) in the eye of the beholder. Yes, there have been some less than stellar comments posted, but, believe it or not, I'm actually weeding out more than I used to - including the truly obvious trolls.

      In the other cases, well, I guess I'm trying to err on the side of caution in entertaining the notion that some comments are just poorly thought out, poorly phrased, or awkwardly stupid - but not necessarily malicious.

      In any case, sorry for the "interference" of your experience.

      Unless you're a troll...Which is, of course, entirely possible. I don't think so, but...Just making the point.

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    2. I brought this up, the other day. The troll content here is getting obnoxious. I was the one that made he comment that the trolls killed Harpers' blog. Others may disagree, but I watched it happen.

      I don't envy you, CK. It must suck to have to waste your time trying to weed that crap out. My sympathies.

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  4. Sadly the city leadership is misguided--again. They think "out of sight out of mind" but that is not how it goes when shuffling panhandlers to and fro. It's like sending my problem down the street to become your problem. Look at the money the county has plowed into Serenity House. Then SH spends it on seven million dollars worth of buildings that will never house a homeless person. Yet the county keeps throwing money at it and the city council keeps ignoring this waste and attempting to put a band aid on an oozing sore. These people choose this lifestyle. This lifestyle is legal in a free society. No one has to give them money. Those who do feel good about it all day long. Those that receive it feel good for about ten minutes and put their hand out again. The outcome of the Mayor's plan can only add up to more citations issued, more warrants issued for non-appearance to answer the citations, more griping from Judge Porter about being overworked, more requests of funds to cover the warrants for no-show defendants etc etc. Bear in mind, for every night one spends in jail it costs the taxpayers $75. Seems it would be cheaper to put these folks in a cheap hotel than running them through an over burdened court system. The outcome is going to be the same, there can be no law against freedom of speech--which includes panhandling. Pat Downie spent his early career in the social services industry--didn't he learn anything?

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  5. Even liberal prosperous communities discourage panhandling by law or behavior modification such as parking type meters to donate money so money goes to programs not individuals.

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    1. "Programs" have to come first. Authentic stewardship of those "programs" comes right along with it. If the money spent for parking and parking tickets downtown went to "programs" to prevent panhandling it might work. What does such a "program" look like? Do they look like they want jobs? Do they look like they might need "treatment?" Who ya gonna call? Washington is the worst for mental health already now add that we're a "distressed" county. The jails are the most likely "remedy" for the lack of mental health facilities here.

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  6. "Enhanced"? Like the US military and "enhanced interrogation", nice words for torturing suspects not charged with any crimes for years?

    "The measure of a society is found in how they treat their weakest and most helpless citizens."

    And we can be SO proud of Revitalize Port Angeles, PADA, Port Angeles CAN, our City Council and others that are advocating we make life more difficult for the weakest and most vulnerable in Port Angeles.

    This town is SO sick.

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  7. Criminalization of Poverty

    The PA Forward Committee must have forgotten its mission “to create a strong, economically and culturally vibrant community” when it wrote the letter urging the council to enact a panhandling ordinance.

    Criminalization of poverty violates the 1st, 8th, and 14th amendments of our Constitution. It violates the 1966 United Nations Treaty “The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights” which outlines the inherent dignity of the human person when it said, “In no case may a people be deprived of its own means of subsistence.”

    This proposed concept may have a detrimental financial impact on the city of Port Angeles and agencies which rely on Federal funding. The HUD (Housing and Urban Development) has enacted guidelines which states they will distribute funds based, in part, on which communities AVOID criminalization of the homeless.
    The ACLU, advocacy groups and individuals have enacted lawsuits to repeal laws such as these, and the courts have sided with them.

    Panhandling and sit/lie laws use up police resources – cost significant tax dollars and discriminate against individuals because of their social or economic status. Instead of PROTECTING personal liberty and human dignity Port Angeles is looking to criminalize those individuals in extreme poverty.

    Cherie, you say that these people are gaining “substantial wealth” tax-free? A panhandler in Port Angeles makes about $10.00 a DAY, that’s a little over $3,000.00 a year. Meanwhile, Cherie, I see the Keyon/Dyson bill in the council packet is reaming the citizens of Port Angeles for $4,448.90. We are paying your frivolous legal bill. Are you declaring this income on your IRS taxes?

    Governments cannot restrict flat broke citizens begging for alms, any more than they can restrict the citizens from expressing outrage and anger over stupid ideas. I urge the City Council to stop wasting time on laws targeting the homeless or those living in poverty, and protect personal liberty and dignity for all.

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    1. Well said. Thank you.

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    2. Marolee - cities can legally restrict panhandling.

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    3. LOL, the law is nothing but a means to power. Heck, torture has been made legal. What does that say about us? So just because a city "can" criminalize something benign does not mean that it is the solution.

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    4. 9:14 sure they can, but the feds are getting FED up with them, and restricting grants to cities that create ones which criminalize homelessness.
      So, its sort of stupid, isn't it? Lets cut more services by passing retarded laws that do nothing except criminalize poverty which cause grant-based services to lose funding, which then causes MORE panhandling.
      Oh wait, that IS how PA does things -- the most difficult and back-ass-wards way possible.
      gotcha...you must be a genius 9:14

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    5. 12:35 - many cities enact these controls. The alternatives you wouldn't approve I venture.

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    6. And, even if cities CAN do completely brain dead things like build fake beaches nobody asked for, or uses, or pass laws to harass the homeless, it doesn't make it a good thing to do.

      Perhaps these morons would do some research, and find out how much it costs taxpayers to harass the homeless, instead of helping them out of the troubles they are in.

      Like so many... oh, why bother. This is Port Angles, after all. The list of totally stupid is so long.

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  8. It should be just as easy to replace the current rumblin, bumbling, stumlin City Council - as it was for this group of "not ready for prime time" folks who faced weak opponents initially and then ran unopposed, because no competent person would waste their time or breath, for that matter, with this leaderless group. It may require some planning and commitment, but winning a Council seat is very doable . . . just ask Max. This would be the most effective way to bring change - not changing our governance structure.

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    1. You can accomplish both...

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    2. Let's not forget these council members are part-time, lowly paid, and have no real ability to prepare and ask questions of the city staff that effectively run this city. The council currently has all the power, yet little time and pay is alotted to these maniacal dolts who rubber-stamp all the expenditures, thus doing their part in the big RICO scheme.

      Changing the structure of this town would put full-time council members in play, and require them to perform research aspects of their job that are not possible with this gang. My point is that even if you put better people into those seats at the next election, the structure will still be dysfunctional because the perps behind the scenes still have the advantage of time and preparation for their schemes. We don't have a qualified council because it's not a real job, just a rubber-stamp outfit.

      Maybe some of you think the next election will bring change, but structurally, no.

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    3. The 2nd Class City idea is DOA and will not be voted in.

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    4. The only thing DOA here are trolls for the status quo.

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    5. Full time politicians on a payroll-how can that be be better?

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    6. Would breaking from the models most city councils conform to really accomplish anything and bring competence and vision to town?

      The League of Cities data indicates council members typically receive modest compensation for their work, usually because they serve on a part-time basis. The average number of hours spent per week on council-related matters in small, medium and large cities is 20, 25 and 42, respectively. Accordingly, only 2 percent of councilmembers from small cities (population: 25,000-70,000) and 7 percent of those from medium-sized cities (70,000-200,000) receive $20,000 or more in salary. Among those from large cities (200,000 and up), three-quarters of councilmembers receive $20,000 or more.

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    7. 9:10pm They are supposed to be doing this out of a sense of civic duty and pride. If they all put as much energy into the process as Lee and Sissi we'd have something. For the most part the old-guard city council are a bunch of lazy slackers.

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    8. Interesting how we expect from "politicians" that which we are un-willing to do ourselves.

      This is by no means intended to excuse our poor excuses for "civic leaders" we put into office.

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  9. The Council does have the ability to do their own due diligence and if they question a staff recommendation, they can ask that the agenda item be tabled and more information brought forth. That's their JOB. It's not about the pay for them necessarily - do they receive the same other benefits as the city employees? Healthcare? Retirement? Or is it just that they enjoy their perceived power, not realizing they are very tiny fish in a lowly scummy pond that is PA. They are of import to noone, especially since the Four, at the least, can't be bothered to do their jobs and serve the people who elected them.

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  10. Being homeless could happen to anyone under the wrong situations, or perfect storm. No family alive, drug or alcohol addiction, mental or physically disabled, poor choices, bankruptcy, divorce, etc...Yes, cities can put the hammer down legally on people panhandling but sometimes the choices are not there. Without the wherewithal, transportation or even luxury of being able to walk or drive (no car), no money for bus or just confused or in a mental paralyzed state, many people can be left behind and out of the loop without knowing where to go. Sometimes a hand out is all they have to maybe buy a beer to numb their situation. I don't condone this but if you give someone money, after you do, it's not for you to judge how they spend it as they may not have the faculties to understand? Do you think a homeless person would be able to access this site, let alone know how to without having a computer or knowing the library has them but are afraid to ask for help in knowing how...to use them? I believe you must have an address to get a library card? Busking is frowned upon here and in some situations illegal. (Horns, saxes, trumpets, etc..are not allowed downtown.) Yes, there is some help around but those places are not funded very well and come Christmas time almost non existent. I have no answers just adding my opinion.

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    1. Nobody cares enough. THAT is the fundamental problem.

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    2. Side issue, but the city in fact would be delighted to see more busking and Diane Urbani delaPaz recently started the PA Busker Project, trying to establish a tradition here like you see in Victoria or PT. http://www.go2openlive.com/pa-busker-project.html However, there is no more musical talent in the panhandling community than anywhere else, and most of the buskers you see have homes and/or jobs. There's no shortage of myths about both groups, or about busking downtown.

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  11. the idiot who uses the moniker (on Facebook and in ugly troll posts) "Ray-o-nier" (as in the polluted closed mill) is a chicken shit. He can't even use his rightful name, but relies on a moniker to carry out his insane posts, and poor attempts at "humor" (by misspelling people's names).

    Stand up and identify yourself before you try to play and whip it out and measure, troll. You give CK trouble for not using his real name, but you don't use yours either.

    Typical PA idiot.

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  12. http://portocallpublishing.com/2016/06/random-quotes-from-the-candidates-forum/

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