Hand...Cookie Jar...You know the rest.
But at worst...It certainly could show an organization, and a director, who are at least minor league crooks and cons, all too happy to pocket a little bit of money here, a little bit there. After all, it's only (public) money, right?
Now, if you've ever seen Barb Frederick try and give any sort of report, especially one that deals with m-o-n-e-y, then you know said reports can be more than a little hard to follow. So, on one hand, it might be easy to chalk this all up to Barb being a dope.
Tell us more about those meal expenses, Barb...
On the other hand, doesn't the PADA have a board of directors? Aren't those people supposed to watch over things? Aren't those people supposed to watch over Barb? Well, yes, they are. So, even though there are certainly a lot of idiots in Port Angeles, it's kind of difficult to believe that no one on the board caught any of this, or cared, before it all blew up. That tends to lend itself to the idea that the whole thing was a con - as in conspiracy to defraud.
So what do you think? Is Barb just a dope? Are the directors dupes? Or are they all crooks? And what FINALLY made the City do something about it all?
Jan Harbick to Edna Peterson to Karen Rogers.
ReplyDeleteIn other words, scam.
I've also wondered what finally made the city say "No more!" after years and years of undeniable incompetence and waste from the PADA. Barb Frederick has NEVER even come close to even seeming competent. The downtown continues to decline and rot away. I mean, Barb even makes Russ Veenema look better, so totally hapless is she. And anyone with half a brain has known it from the start. So why now? Hopefully another reader will have some insights on this.
ReplyDeleteI would suggest the stupidity goes even farther than just Fredericks or the PADA Board.
ReplyDeleteAfter all, every business owner downtown pays into the PBIA.
Every business owner downtown has had the opportunity to vote on who sits on their board of directors. (Well sort of, except for when the board or President Bob appoints a vacated board position?)
Every business owner downtown has sat by and allowed their board to make countless decisions without seeking input from ALL the businesses paying into the PBIA.
So, every business owner downtown has ownership in this cess pool of goofy incompetence, and possible corruption.
Better tell the City, Port Angeles is gonna need a bigger Turd Tank!
I see this whole thing a bit differently.
ReplyDeleteTo say first, I'm not defending Barb, or the PADA.
I do find it wayyy too convenient that the story follows yesterdays' announcement that the "untied" group is proceeding with their plans to consoilidate power.
The daily paper, which is overtly supportive of the consolidation of resources under one entity, is making a public issue out of the small potatoes, nickle and dime sloppy book keeping of a couple of small fish. It is going to be followed by an effort to get rid of the leadership at PADA that voted against the effort to consolidate.
The reluctance, and ultimately rejection by the PADA to support Russ and Timmy was not what they wanted to happen. Timmy outright said the leadership was wrong in rejecting his advances, and it should be voted on.
This coming from "Mr. Intel" himself, once so closely connected to the City.
I won't be surprised to see calls for Barb et al to be replaced, and the new leadership advocate for joining Russ and Timmy.
It appears the city is attempting to pressure PADA into joining the ill fated Port Angeles United. The other question that comes to mind is this; why isn't the city auditing the chamber? They are supposed to audit the chamber four times a year, yet they never have. Did you notice the new and improved Port Angeles United; now under the guidance of John Brewer; publisher of PDN. According to today[s PDN he has already taken over the Downtown Mainstreet program; or whatever it's called. This is the major money make for PADA so they may get the money without getting PADA. Very Clever John
ReplyDeleteWho/what is Jan Harbick? Don't recognize that name.
ReplyDeleteSeasuns Bed and Breakfast?
DeleteThere WERE people who raised questions, before this. Many questions. I saw the yearly report one year, and outlined/highlighted all my concerns, and questions, and what happened? I was asked to not come to meetings.
ReplyDeleteI get the cold shoulder, and Barbie just won't talk to me, still. She pretends I don't exist.
She wraps herself in a couple of "buddies" and starts gossip and whispers.
The board of directors changes, and changes and changes but the PADA stays exactly the same? Why? Because the HIRED "executive director" is the problem.
Well, wow again! This blog - part-time though it may be - still gets around 100+ hits a day on average. Today, with the PADA as a new topic, that number has nearly doubled, and the day's not over yet. People may not have faith in Barb, but I guess they like reading about her?
ReplyDeleteBrewer, Russ, Barb, the group of "old families" with their backward thoughts and greed -- each have a hand in the demise of this town.
ReplyDeleteIt's not news that Barb is a complete, utter moron. She has her favorites and panders to them, and ignores the rest of the merchants. It's like being in junior high, all over again.
Russ is an arrogant pr*ck. He walks around like he is heir to the thrown. He should have lost his job, years ago. His kisses the right butt, to keep his job.
Brewer is another want-to-be-king. He terrorizes his employees, and pretends to be friends to the masses. But, he isn't. Look at the newspaper. Look at the articles. Look who he surrounds himself with!
This town is doomed. It's insolvent. And, honestly, lets look at the city bookkeeping -- so many tricks, and slight-of-hand. Look at all the b.s. fees initiated over the last couple of years. It's pathetic.
I doubt that anyone in charge can DO ACCOUNTING in this town.It's so complicated with the back room deals and graft.
So, don't we come full circle back to the first posts that were put up on this site?
DeleteFor years, I've heard stories from people who were involved to greater or lesser degrees, in various projects the City has undertaken. They talk about how the contractors that are hired do all kinds of sloppy work, or engage in outright scams.
We saw the City's explanation for the need for Cutlers' $50 million Turd Tank change as each rationaliation was exposed to be complete garbage. We were told that the project was needed because of the "old infrastructure" that was collapsing all over. That was shown to be untrue with the City's own documents. Over and over, the City was shown to be completely incompetent, yet nothing changed, and the taxpayers got stuffed.
It is said the City's stormwater guy has his education in traffic control. Wonder why we stumble forward?
Where is the accountability? Is there ANY hope things will change?
This town is just crazy-making!
"This town is just crazy-making!"
DeleteYes. That's why so many people, myself included, move away.
Harbicks Sea to Sun B&B on Lincoln?
ReplyDeleteAnd so, the few will continue to control Port Angeles.
ReplyDeleteWent to Port Townsend today, what a great downtown!
ReplyDeleteAmazing difference compared to PA.
Great time, spent quite a few $, but totally worth it. Great weather.
Yes, if you absolutely must live on the Olympic Peninsula, in a city with "Port" in its name, Port Townsend is the much, much, much smarter choice. Better to visit, better to live in, better place to access other places from. Better, better, better, versus Port Angeles which just makes you bitter, bitter, bitter.
DeletePort O Call has been all over this. Check out our new and (hopefully) improved website: www.portocallpublishing.com
ReplyDeletePA makes Joyce look inviting.
ReplyDeleteForks is a jewel.
Sequim still stinks like a porta potty.
Yes, there were and are people raising concerns about PADA's incompetence. Their lack of effectiveness is no secret. If there ever was a "good ol boy" club, this is it. It remains to be seen whether the City will do the right thing and put them out of business. For years the City enabled and supported this group with $$ - basically looking the other way when people would raise concerns or when over 80 downtown businesses signed a petition against PADA. Business owners did get involved and attempted to make positive changes over the years only, for the most part, hit a brick wall
ReplyDeleteHow about when the PADA "forgot" to renew it's corporate papers, and the corporation was dissolved by the state, and no one seemed to give a rats ass about that? The city kept (illegally, because they were doing it for a non-existent entity) from businesses, and hadn't "noticed". This town is so full of half-wits doing half-assed jobs that it should be re-named Port Gud'nuff.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's yet another amazing boner by the PADA to remember - as well as, yes, yet another amazing boner by the City. The PADA forgot to keep its own legal standing standing. The City had the PERFECT opportunity to simply say no more money goes out to a non-existent organization. I think I even remember that a couple of City Council members took that position.
DeleteBut, in the end, bad habits and foolishness trumped teaching lessons and good ideas, and the money kept flowing. I'd love to know exactly what the PADA has actually ACCOMPLISHED since that little debacle. Not much, I'd wager.
Port Angeles: A great place to flop to the top - of the bottom of the barrel.
Batman: Hey Robin, Here's a riddle ...Why do 170-200 businesses in downtown PA continue to suffer the ongoing abuse, unprofessionalism and ridicule of an entire home town just because 7 people, including one Downtown Port Angeles Association President,(Bob Lumens) plus one inept PADA Executive Director (Barb Frederick) continue to flip their middle finger at everyone?
ReplyDeleteRobin: Holy embarrassment Batman! I don't know! Why?
Batman: Because nobody cares enough about Port Angeles, WA to stop the nonsense.
Good point. Barb stumbles (repeatedly) and everyone else suffers (eternally) because of it.
DeleteMaybe one person can't change the world, but one person sure can do a lot to wreck a downtown...When they're allowed to, of course.
Which brings us full circle to...Why have the majority of the businesses downtown put up with this crap for so long? They have enabled their own decrepitude and ruin. Why?
Who thinks this ongoing abuse, unprofessionalism and ridicule is only happening via the PADA?
DeleteThe test of a correctness of a theory is to see how it flies when applied in other applications. What is the same, and what is different?
In Port Angeles, we see it isn't just the so-called leadership of the PADA that is a total embaressment. How many city councils have we gone through over the past, say, 10 years? Have we elected any council that has done anything BUT embarass us?
Do we really think that, given an opportunity to vote on a new board, the PADA would be any better? Why would they be able to do something we have not been able to do?
Or, maybe we should be helpiing Russ and crew in dissolving the PADA, so that they can manifest their grand plan of a "united" business group, accomplished by getting rid of anyone who doesn't agree. Because, we can see how successful Russ and the Chamber have been, too. Nothing ridiculous there, after all the elections.
Which brings us back to: Why have the majority of us put up with this crap for so long? We have enabled our own decrepitude and ruin. Why?
Because once you're identified (as a business owner) as "problem child" you are given one hell of a cold shoulder, and those in the Barb camp do everything they can to limit you at meetings. Attempts to go outside the circle, appeal to the city, are shut down. The city never seemed to care, all they CARED about was keeping that money collected, getting more parking revenue ($15 a pop, per employee for parking), and I'll wager that The BIG boner himself, our City Attorney, was pushing to KEEP PADA in place. After all, HE was the one who should have been keeping track of the corporate standing, right? (He's the one who made excuses for them, like it's so hard to actually file an online form.) Our City Attorney is the one we need to get rid of. If we want to stop the monkeyshines, he's not a good actor. He's puts the dys in dysfunctional that is a hallmark of this town. He's been our City Attorney for the last decade. Pro-Fluoride, Rayonier mill clean up, the Smart Meters....shall I go on? He came to us from Waitsburg, WA (population 1,200) where he was their city attorney since 1986 (he graduate from high school there in 1969.) Lets see... a small town chump who came to rest in this "big city". I'm sure we could do better. Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll retire soon...
ReplyDeleteExcellent observations. A better city attorney could have done so much to prevent the travesties that have driven the community into financial and moral ruin. The people who hired Bloor knew that they needed a weakling in that post so that they wouldn't be thwarted in their schemes.
DeleteIf only Dan McKeen could get a clue and show Bloor the door.
Note to City Hall:
ReplyDeleteFollow through, make the change, or see another City Manager, Staff and Council take the blame, this time for Cookie Jar Barb and Drama Queen Bobbie.