Sunday, June 18, 2017

Just Downie the Road a Bit...

Brad Collins. What a big, fat disappointment he has been as a City Council member. The thinking used to be that Brad had been done wrong by City Hall, and therefore would come in with some sort of cleansing, spirit of vengeance kinda thing, and help drive the Evil Ones from their dwelling places.

Of course, it turns out that Brad was not quite up to that at all, and further, he seemed to think that the knives that had been stuck in his back before were some sort of acupuncture treatment that had been "for his own good." Because he got with the corrupt program right quick, as it turns out.

Now, how did Brad Collins get on the City Council in the first place? He was appointed. Larry Little ran for office, won, asked to be sworn in early, then resigned two days later. (All of which still makes me shake my head in confusion...) That left an open seat, and the new City Council filled it. And the results have not been pretty. Or honest. Or successful. Or...Well, you get the idea.

I'm going over all of this history to try and get you thinking about the near-term future. From all accounts, Pat Downie is very sick, and not doing well at all. The best, most upbeat term I have heard used to describe him in the past few months is "frail." So, it seems almost certain that Pat will not be able to last the year, at least not as a legitimate member - whatever that means in this context - of the Port Angeles City Council.

Even in photos in the PDN, Pat is
just sort of fading away...

And if Pat does die or step down, then the current City Council will get to pick his replacement. Obviously, some of the people you might expect to apply for such an opening are themselves running for City Council, and would be unlikely to be picked if they applied. (Though, in Port Angeles, you can't rule anything out.) Which leads us to the question I would ask you to consider: Who would you want to see apply for an open seat? And, as a different matter, who do you think could get the votes to be appointed to an open seat?

OUTRAGE ANTICIPATOR RESPONSE: Yes, it could be seen as kind of grim to be broaching this subject. But I'm not wishing Pat Downie dead, or anything of the sort. I'm just looking at the facts as they exist, and drawing what seems to be a reasonable conclusion. Anyone wishing to waste their time being outraged over my suggesting Pat Downie might not be around forever is just, well, gosh, wasting their time. Those who start thinking and planning for that eventuality, well, they're going to be ahead of the game, aren't they?

20 comments:

  1. Why would anyone run for City Concil at a place labeled worst place on earth? It'd be similar to joining the Nazi Party. Something to avoid at all cost. :D

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    1. Then how will it ever possibly change?

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    2. Oops. I obviously meant Council. Nobody noticed because it's PA. Lol. :D

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    3. Without U, there's no City Council.

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  2. In this "Who gives a shit" town, you pose an interesting question. Given the opportunity, via the election process going on right now, look who stepped forward!

    Who to ask to fill the seat? Who is "civic minded", to start with, that is not already a known, part of the problem?

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  3. It is so close to the election, that the position could remain unfilled, and any deadlocked votes could be unbroken by the city manager. Which might be the best option.
    The problem with putting ANYONE in the spot, is that the current council VOWED to go by the vote of the people regarding the next straw poll on fluoride (November 7). Not that their promises mean all that much (for a couple of them) -- however, Downey WAS the deciding vote that swung.
    Without that critical 4th vote, it's all deadlock, and Gase, and Kidd, and Collins were none too keen on the getting fluoride out (because their masters gave them marching orders to keep it IN).

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  4. I would suggest any of the marijuana store owners. Only thriving retail business going on...obviously they cater to needs of public, rather than selfish old school few. Ooops that means wont get council votes. Given your portrayal of council as stinky, ugly, big mess how about Sasquatch?

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  5. No worries, Deputy Mayor Cherie Kidd will run out the clock. She would become mayor. The anticipated result when the Flouride Four chose her to be deputy mayor back when they chose to stick it in the eye of all those "ruffians" who besieged city hall when Cherie went bat-shit crazy with the gavel. Prediction: If Mayor Downie steps down--for any reason--Kidd will re-approach the fluoride issue and it will again be added to our city water--even before the vote.

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    1. Fact check: the "Four" did not vote her in as deputy mayor. She and Downie conspired together prior to that fateful meeting, and Downie passed the gavel without the required open vote of the full council. Thus that entire meeting never really happened, despite people ignoring the technicalities and assuming it was legit. It was not then, and never will be a real council meeting. Typical PA that just can't do anything right.

      As for the possible vacancy, save for the application process, Council rules defer to state law. RCW 35A.12.050 / 42.12.070 says the council has 90 days to fill the vacancy or the authority shifts to the county, which then has 180 days. By that time the new term will begin. So until a vacancy is filled, any sitting councilmember can call for a vote to appoint a new mayor (and council chair).

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    2. So, we wait?

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  6. Don't forget, it was Brad Collins who recruited Jim Moran to run for his seat. They really think they can hand these seats around like carnival prizes. Unless voters get wise--and active--they will do just that.

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  7. "The Clallam County Board of Health will discuss the relocation of the Peninsula Behavioral Health Horizon Center at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday."

    This is the Pool district annexing a property owned by the county for more parking. Last I heard the plan was to move it to an empty warehouse at 8th and Lincoln. It's basically an empty shell and will be VERY expensive to renovate. But don't worry about PBH, the Pool district is happy to use your tax money to fund construction for a private organization by raising their taxing district rates and issuing bonds, without a vote.

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  8. Uncalled for you should delete

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    1. No uncalled for explained above grammar (and punctuation) not your strong points

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    2. @1:12, the First Amendment still exists, so too bad for you.

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  9. This means that Sissi Bruch will soon be Mayor!

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  10. I agree with your observations, CK. Brad Collins has been a major disappointment. Like you say, there was hope he would have learned from his experiences, when he was trashed by Rogers et al. But instead, he became "more of the same".

    He coulda been a contenda.

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    1. Yeah, if he could keep his eyes off the boobs in the room. I doubt he could ever identify any woman by her facial features.

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  11. I think we should start a go fund me account to hire private detectives to really dig around in all the council members lives. Financial, personal, hack their computers ,wire tap their phones,Bug their houses, follow them where ever they go. Whichever council member does not have a nervous breakdown and need to be hospitalized or jailed after a couple of months can be mayor. If more then one survives an investigation we should go with whoever can kick the shit or scare the crap out of the rest of them.If none survive we can go with whoever is released from jail or the hospital first. Maybe we can get the skill center kids to film the whole process as a reality TV show and raise some money for a new high school.

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