Saturday, April 8, 2017

What Goes Around Comes Around

Back in the day...Max Mania was the stand-up, speak out, pro-environment, pro-union, anti-Cutler and stand up to staff force for good on the Port Angeles City Council. Then, before Max had announced he was not going to run for reelection, Lee Whetham announced he was going to run - against Max. Whetham cited his liberal bona fides (watched MSNBC, pro-union, would stand up to staff, etc.) as reasons for why people should support him. Left (pardon the expression) unanswered to this day is why "Liberal Lee" signed up to run against the most progressive member of the City Council.

From the outside, it certainly seemed like the fix, in some form, was in.

Now, fast forward a few years, and the Port Angeles City Council continues to be a place where dopes and dysfunction thrive. In that swirling mix of hot mess, Lee Whetham has shown himself to, at the very least, not be anywhere near the biggest idiot in the room. In fact, he has often been a voice for something resembling reason. Kidd, Downie, Collins, Gase - these morons are all way ahead of Lee Whetham in line for needing to go, go, go and darken City Hall's door no more.

And yet...Now we have Josh Oppelt, the Port Angeles restaurant "tycoon" announcing that he "looks forward to helping lead our community in a positive and healthy direction," by running against Whetham for his City Council seat. With four seats (at minimum) that need turned over, and fast, you have to ask why Oppelt is trying to take down someone who isn't named Kidd, Downie, Collins, Gase, or running against Jim Moran, who is a throwback's throwback. It seems an odd choice.

From the outside, it certainly seems like the fix, in some form, is in. This time for Lee.

It's practically the motto of Port Angeles:
If it is broke, don't fix it.

On a related note, let's also note that Jake Oppelt is the public face of the "super secret" money that bought ye olde Lincoln Theater. I would be shocked - shocked - if said Lincoln Theater didn't come before the City in the not-too-distant-future looking for some sort of financial assistance. In other words, the Conflict of Interest alert just jumped up right to Orange, headed for Red. Keep your eyes peeled, folks.

Because between Oppelt and Moran, and whoever else starts crawling out of the woodwork, the olde guard is not letting go of power. They may try to put on a newer, shinier face, but don't be fooled. As some of you have pointed out, there are plenty of influential people in Port Angeles who have a vested interest in keeping it poor, backward, and dysfunctional. Some of those people may run for City Council, or have their minions do so. Great vigilance will be required.

28 comments:

  1. It is a long time until May 15-19 when these "announced" candidates must pony up some cash and register with the County Auditor's Office. Right now it's just an announcement of intent, not an actual hat flying into a ring.

    Makes no sense for Jake the Mogul to run for council. And, certainly NOT against Lee. Clearly there is something fishy there. I don't see the advantage (other than a time suck) of trying to run up to THREE downtown businesses (two that are currently empty buildings) AND take on city council duties. Spread himself thin?

    Not something we need -- a distracted city council member.

    Meanwhile, has Jake EVER gone to a city council meeting? He says he disagrees with them, but ... can he even mention five or ten things they've done to garner this disagreement over the last few years?

    Or, can Travis Berglund for that matter? Or, Jim Moran (well, aside from when he was prez of the chamber, and was there begging for alms)? The great "fluoride agnostic".

    There is another denzien of Port A that is, certainly, going to toss his ball cap in the ring. That's David Mabrey, the same guy who is constantly patting himself on the back for his "park" which garnered $$ from Delta Dental (and a huge, huge check...like he won the Publisher's Clearinghouse). In a recent PDN article, he touts his zero traffic facebook pages: fluoride choice PA and Code choice PA.

    Aside from him making some totally inane comments at nearly every council meeting (and mispronouncing words, and reading definitions to them), he also likes to highly praise Cherie. (So much so, one wonders if there is some May/December romance going on there.)

    I was sure he was going to run against Lee. So, we'll have to wait and see what happens May 15-19th, when people will REALLY sign up.

    Meanwhile, Port O Call is having a candidates event (to try and drum up some fresh faces) on April 14, from 5-7 pm at the Sons of Norway Lodge (5th street). I hope we get -- at the very least -- four, or five, or more candidates to announce intentions to run.

    We need a full slate, and a primary this year, if nothing else, to make this a REAL election.

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    1. As CK points out, why run against Lee, when there are so many "vacant" seats to be a candidate for?

      It seems that they don't care so much to be on the council, as much as they want to get Lee off the council.

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    2. When the race is Mr. Popularity against an incumbent, no one else will jump in it. Then when Jake gets cold feet and drops out in the middle of May, for whatever perfectly credible reason, Lee winds up unopposed. Are they cunning enough to wheel a deal? You be the judge. It wouldn't hurt a wannabe developer to have a council member owing him...

      Whetham's more of a libertarian than a liberal, in my book. Oppelt is a rah-rah Trumpster. They may see eye to eye on more than meets the eye.

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    3. Whetham is the only council member who will hold the city's feet to the fire. He is the only one who questions the city staff when they make outrageous suggestions. He is the only one who is looking out for the working man/woman. No wonder the power mongers want to silence him. As you can tell Oppelt is firmly supported by the city's permanent staff.

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    4. I think that Anonymous 7:19 AM is on to something. Please make note of their thoughts, and see what happens.

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    5. I have heard that Jake the mogul wanted money from the city, to invest in his purchase of that fine building for his art project.Being told that can not happen he wants to shake it up.

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  2. CK, once again, you hit it right on target. You're absolutely and undeniably correct. The vested interests will not let go of what they have established.

    And Oppelt? As if his judgments have demonstrated anything great? So his Gastropub is popular. Talk about hurdling a low bar. In Port Angeles, how good does anything have to be, to be better than what is?

    But remember his great idea to set up the Gasto-gear shop next door? That went nowhere. Now he is building a performing arts center only 2 or 3 blocks from the one planned for the Oak Street property. As others has brought up here, how many performing arts venues can Port Angeles support?

    It is one thing to have an eatery a block or two from the ferry terminal, where people waiting for the ferry can get a bite before their trip. It is another thing to think these people will decide to step inside for a theater performance while waiting for the ferry.

    As we see so clearly, Port Angeles downtown is viable only because of the ferry. When the ferry goes out of service in January, downtown is more of a ghost town than it usually is. Stores struggle to get by.

    Yes, there is an artsy crowd in the area that support Bob Stokes weekly shows and events. Are they enough to support two performing arts venues? We'll certainly see.

    But back to judgment. Both Jim Moran and Jake Oppelt certainly have their supporters in Port Angeles. They both can be expected to mount well funded campaigns. Just because they have been players in the local scene does not mean they have demonstrated the judgment to lead Port Angeles away from the hole it has dug itself into.

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  3. But he saved our town by buying the Lincoln!
    We HAVE to vote for him!
    Don't we?

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  4. Well this is certainly better than the city council races of just a few years ago when only one person ran unchallenged.
    At least we have some young blood entering the race with Jake, Travis and Lindsey. Don't know why Travis let slip his "other than honorable" discharge from the military. With a veteran in 50% of the local households that may make his campaign more challenging. Also, with regard to David Mabrey, what is he so angry about. Why does he come to city council and scold them? Why does he speak in such cryptic language? He got his little park remodeled by the Delta Dental people with money laundered through the EMC he should be happy. It drove up the value of his property. But no, now he owes them. He has to fly the fluoride flag for the fascist who think government has a right to medicate their citizens. As usual there will be last minute registrations for all of the elected positions and the hallway outside the Auditor's office will be busy from 4:30 to 5:00 on Friday, May 19th.

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    1. "As usual there will be last minute registrations for all of the elected positions and the hallway outside the Auditor's office will be busy from 4:30 to 5:00 on Friday, May 19th."

      Really, I hope there are lots of people signing up to run. This city is what we make it to be. What we have gotten so far, ain't so great.

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  5. Yes, but, will Peter Ripley once again toss his hat into the ring? Is it really even an election without Peter running?

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    1. Oh, Peter Ripley. Yes, you're right. He is always trying to look relevant.

      Anyone looked at his web postings lately? I looked in a few years ago, but wrote him off as a bizarre crank.

      Has anything changed?

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    2. Peter is incapable of change. And incapable of so much else. Thus, he is, in fact, perfectly suited for the Port Angeles City Council.

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  6. Does anyone remember that bizarrely huge picture of Bill Peach that the PDN trotted out on its website several times? Today they have a picture of Jake Oppelt that is even bigger. I mean, it filled my screen as I scrolled down. I guess they're trying to make it clear, in the most ham-handed way possible that he is a BIG MAN in Port Angeles.

    You may now ooh and ahh and bow your heads.

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    1. hahahahaha...the PDN is calling this a "contested race". Only one in each position have declared...(except Jake v. Lee). How is this contested?

      And, what's keeping Lee from running for a different position?

      Sure like the comment from "downtown merchant" on the PDN something to the effect, of how has Jake NOT run for public office. Evidently he ran and became the prez of the Downtown Association, and then failed to show up to meetings, and removed after 18 months.
      Clearly, this is the kind of endorsement that makes one suitable to run for city council?

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    2. I don't get PDN and their headshots. It's like their trying to do a Clearasil commercial. Or is it their version of yelling "LOOK" via a photo?

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    3. ck...I may urp and uck, and blow my lunch...

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    4. Anonymous 10:01 AM is also on to something. There is nothing, nothing at all, preventing a City Council member for running for a different number than they have now. So, yeah, until the paperwork is filed...Nothing is settled.

      As a sidebar-though-related discussion on this topic...I have it on fairly good authority that one of the reasons Brooke Nelson didn't run for reelection is because she was afraid Max Mania was going to run against her. I can't prove this, but I have heard it from several sources.

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    5. I'd heard the Brooke Nelson rumor too, and it made me laugh. We may have lost Max, but if took her out with him, he did us one last public service.

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    6. Interesting research about photos and trust. Will be curious to see who PDN endorses or doesn't like by how they publish photos:
      http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0045301

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  7. We know the powers that be sure don't want Lindsey on the council. They would love to have Moron and Lapalot on council to carry on the status quo.

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  8. Why is it, that with informational sites like this one, people will still support and vote for egotistical bastards who seek only to line their own pockets?
    Try some young untarnished blood if you seek a better future.

    But then people don't seem to care much for their own future, do they?

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    1. Doesn't need to be young. Some older blood would be good, as they know where the bodies are buried.
      The key is to elect people who are HONEST, for a change. Not the lapdogs that this city likes to appoint and elect.

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  9. What an amazing place.

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  10. I think its fair to say that Jake has an ulterior motive for this latest announcement. One person earlier asked the question whether Jake has been to ANY City Council meetings. I've never seen him at a Council meeting either. This is a telling observation about his possible intentions and motivations. Buyer beware.

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    1. Who needs to go to city council meetings, and pretend to care about how things are run or managed?

      The only thing that matters any more is name recognition.

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  11. Can we get Scott Collins to sign up and run??? Scotty Boy aka Mr. Everything could save the city from becoming 2nd class. Plus he and Cherie would get along great!

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    1. Sigh...Scott is far too busy trolling this blog to run for City Council. Plus, I think he's more of a Peter Ripley pal, if you know what I mean, than a Cherie Kidd cohort.

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