In the Aug. 1 primary, James “Jim” Moran, Todd Negus and Marolee Smith will face off for the Position 1 seat and incumbent Lee Whetham and challengers Mike French and Jake Oppelt will vie for the Position 2 seat.
In the general election, Lindsey Schromen-Wawrin and Artur Wojnowski will go for the Port Angeles City Council Position 3 seat while Travis Berglund and Kate Dexter will vie for Position 4.
Now, I don't want to unduly influence anyone's opinion, but, I do feel I should point out that Moran is just one letter off from moron. That's all I'm gonna say. Really.
But you all should feel free to speak up with whatever you know about this crew of familiar faces, newbies, and unknowns. (And near morons.)
Get offa my lawn, you damned kids!
Poor Angeles has a shot at redemption with Marolee! She's clearly the brightest of the bunch, and a genuinely decent person. Won't take any crap from the old bastards. She was the one who moved Downie to do the right thing in ending the fluoride poisoning of our water supply, when no one else could.
ReplyDeleteWell, it could be worse, it seems. Obviously, those that want things to remain the same will vote for Moron, who has been the Prez of the Chamber, a coach for local school sports, etc. I don't know Negus, but the only reference I found says he "runs a business in Sequim", so, how involved in Port Angeles is he? Marolee is a known, and I hope makes more of an effort than the last time. She is very intelligent, and cares about the community. She needs to play the "candidate" game, if she is going to be seen as taking the position seriously.
ReplyDeleteLindsey is clearly a great candidate, and the community will do well to have him on council. Artur runs a contracting biz, so it may be safe to say he'll have the backing of the old guard.
Travis Berglund and Kate Dexter? Travis announced his intentions a month ago, and said he opposed many of the things the current council has done. That is certainly promising. Kate, as "Special Project Manager" of a local church, and a downtown booster, will also likely be backed by the powers-that-be.
The interesting race will most likely be Lee vs Jake. Lee has stood up and questioned the "Fluoride Four" numerous times. Jake has his self serving plans for personal profit in projects downtown that the city is also involved with. He certainly should have a voice in the processes, but I think he would have serious "conflict of interests" issues if he were on the City Council. Virtually all of the projects going on downtown will impact him, financially. Let his voice be on the PADA or Chamber.
Yes, it will be interesting.
Who is representing the Karen Rogers political action group? Certainly she has her influence behind one of them.
DeleteOppelt has "issues" with telling the truth. Among his several run ins with the law include: he got drunk, got behind the wheel of his car, wrecked it, abandoned it, walked home and reported his car stolen. Of course this was found out and he was convicted of filing a false police report and other crimes. Now, it is suspected, his sudden inflow of huge amounts cash with which he is buying up downtown property is a Trump-styled money-laundering scheme with real estate being the best vehicle to launder ill gotten gain. He is crass, haughty, UN-intelligent and self-centered. Only the thieves and scoundrels will pick him over Lee. Of course in Port Angeles that could be a majority.
ReplyDeleteSounds like an Adam Chamberlin wannabe. You know, Adam Chamberlin the convicted felon.
DeleteActually, there doesn't seem to be that much similarity - other than being lying, law-breaking, slimy creeps.
Hi Adam! Hi Jake! I wouldn't trust either of you as far as I could throw you.
Thank you for the kind words.
ReplyDeleteI really didn't try very hard to win last time because I had so much respect for Mike. I strongly felt that we needed a younger, working-class voice on the council.
This time is different. I am the best choice for position #1.
My website is up: MaroleeSmith.com
I welcome advice on how I should play this "candidate game". Maroleedsmith@gmail.com
Very glad to see you acknowledge the difference in how you ran last time, and now. Last time, you said you and Mike had agreed not to play the usual candidate games like advertising, sending out materials, or any of what is now accept campaign activities. Philosophically, and as a matter of principle, you were right on target, but election campaigns are not about those things. They are all about conveying your abilities to do the job.
DeleteYes, you are, without a doubt, the best choice. We need to help people know this. No assumptions.
Off topic, but...Where does a felonious drug-dealing Clallam County scumbag get the money for a $210,000 bond?
ReplyDeleteer, stealing from dealers and the homeless?
DeleteOr, from his main squeeze, and his side squeezes. I hear he's quite the ladies man.
Bail from the rather dangerous gun-running gang that recuited him perhaps?
DeleteThis is how it starts, fools. Build a base of addiction (thanks OMC!) and eventually the big boys move in.
His elderly mother probably took a second mortgage on her house and will soon be looking for a place to live.
Deletedrug dealing is an all cash business. My big question is why did the dumb bunnies at the DA's office set the bond so low. Like this guy is going to show back up for court. HA!
ReplyDeleteWonder if this is one of the "silent backers" for the projects downtown (theater, old Maurice's building).
Birds of a feather....
Drugs rolling into PA are from well known players. I said this long ago right here on this forum. If they're succeeding you can almost bank on it. Carry on. :D
ReplyDeleteIs any sort of public event on the Peninsula safe from Cherie Kidd? I saw two pictures of her in today's online PDN - on at the "new" medical center school thing in Port Angeles, and one at the "new" Twilight thing in Forks. Lord, she is such an attention whore. I fear that's a habit that'll be hard to break once she's out of office...Which does tend to support the notion that she'll run for County Commissioner or some other office. Sigh...Stay home, Cherie! Put that red suit away, and stay home.
ReplyDeletewhat better place for a vampire to get blood then twilight festival or hospital? note she apparently is manipulating the machine in hospital photo, just like city council.
DeleteI noticed that. Either she was very busy on one day, or that's the only suit she has. Either way "attention whore" indeed was the first thing that came to mind. This is BY FAR not the first time. She doesn't understand the courtesy of letting the people closest to the event be the ones in the spotlight, no she has to hog it all. They even had an actress from the movies and she is shown far off to the left. Cherie is front and center. My god can we not continue to be embarrassed by this squawking twit? Sit down and quietly go away already!
DeleteNo, you got that right. Cherie loves attention.
DeleteSo, what is to be done about the attention whores, the grant whores, and the lack-of-city-vision whores? Isn't this the real problem? That new vision, common sense, and true leadership are so damned difficult to find? This place is as doomed as the entire anti-intellectual Empire.
DeleteOh well, at least we have some nature left to focus on.
Not to go off topic or anything, but...does anyone know anything about any of the candidates for city council? All information is helpful. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteYou want recommendations on who to vote for, or just gossip?
DeleteA simple Secretary of State search shows James Moran appearing to be a director of "Senior Citizens Guiding Committee", a nonprofit corporation in existence since 1981. The others are William Whitten, Dorothy Halbach, and Mary Ross.
ReplyDeleteHe also runs "The 401(K) Company, Inc.", a profit corp. since 1997.
What kind of Clallam citizens do you suppose have a 401(k)?
Any candidate that supports the existing set up has to be avoided. Jim Moran is totally entwined in the existing power structure. You might as well be voting Fat Man McEntire back in.
ReplyDelete