Incredible! And not in a good way, either. Or should I say ways...
Clallam County, aka Drunken Sailor County, has committed $1,000,000 to the Port's highly, highly suspect composites recycling center. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained," slurred sloshed King Jim McEntire. "We've got to take prudent, intelligent risks and manage them."
King Jim apparently forgets that, as mighty as he currently is, he does not, in fact, have the ability to manage Port projects and/or property. He also clearly forgets, as he always does, that he is not, in fact, prudent and/or intelligent.
Continuing with their drunken spending spree, the County has also committed to giving the City $285,952 for their pretty-but-pointless waterfront improvement project. (Or, the Primo Construction employment project if you like...) Now having fallen off the wagon and gone off his meds, former fiscal conservative Mike Chapman said of the waterfront project: "This is definitely drawing people to the waterfront."
Yeah, sure, Mike. Maybe because a few hardy souls want to watch the streets being paved with gold bought with their tax dollars. But look at the conditions of the streets and roads they have to take to get down to the waterfront. Look at the lack of greenery and amenities and anything else that would make the City of Port Angeles really worth looking at more than once. Oh, but oops! I forgot. Everything looks great with beer goggles on.
So the County is spending your tax dollars and their own reserves with abandon. As in, abandon all hope ye who enter here.
Meanwhile, across town, land rapist and all around thug Dan Morrison is going to be fined the paltry sum of $14,000 for intentionally and knowingly destroying nearly an acre and a half of wetlands. The fine started up at $177,000, and has been whittled down to this pittance.
What lessons can we learn from this? Well, for one, the rule of law in Clallam County is weak, so weak. It is apparently better to ask for forgiveness (and a tiny fine) rather than permission. This also allows you to laugh in the face of authority, something a goon like Morrison undoubtedly enjoys. Finally, it's better to spend big on stupid than it is to penalize someone for breaking the law.
If, like me, you think that this fine is a slap in the face to pretty much everything decent, please do feel free to contact EPA Enforcement Coordinator Chan Pongkhamsing directly at pongkhamsing.chan@epa.gov. Perhaps you will join me in telling him that the only thing he is "coordinating" is Dan Morrison's continued disregard for the environment and the law.
Dan Morrison: Land Rapist, Lawbreaker
and All Around Idiot
Morrison bulldozing the wetlands is just another shameful example of the same outrageous scofflaw conduct and public corruption that typifies Clallam County behavior at every level.
ReplyDeleteTo quote from a PDN article published on 9/13/2011:
PORT ANGELES — The Port of Port Angeles illegally granted A2Z Enterprises use of a manmade pond to fill a new four-acre sprint boat track because it lacked a water right, according to the state Department of Ecology.
The company has used the pond adjacent to its property free of charge to fill the track in preparation for the U.S. Sprint Boat Association National Finals on Saturday.
Ecology issued a notice to stop pumping the water Friday, saying that the port did not have the authority to give, sell or use it.
But the head of A2Z Enterprises said that will not be a problem.
Dan Morrison said Tuesday he has pumped the water he needs and that the races at 2917 W. Edgewood Drive will not be delayed.
“Oh, yeah, we're racing,” he said.
The Port gave away the land Dan Morrison ruined for his crackpot project. Now, the County is giving the Port a million bucks for their crackpot project. None of this will actually result in more jobs or prosperity. Both will, however, contribute to the decline in our local environment, and in our ability to have hope for the future, or trust in our elected representatives.
ReplyDeleteThis is a bleak news day for Clallam County. Or should I say, ANOTHER bleak news day...
ReplyDeleteYou must mean to say: another day. What days aren't bleak here?
DeleteSadly, when the composite recycling biz throws in the towel because they've run out of money and have no revenue. The taxpayers will be so pissed off we will never get a levy passed for a new high school.
ReplyDeleteWhy would there ever be a levy for a new high school? We have declining student numbers, and a new school won't help the graduation rates. Ridiculous teen pregnancy rates.
DeleteGet up the graduation numbers, lower the number of knocked up girls, and start teaching those kids to function in the world, and then I can get behind a levy.
Wait until the truth of the Composites issues come to light. You think you have disdain for the Port and County Commissioners now?
ReplyDeleteThe Port and County Commissioners have been lying about this, and they have been provided information from experts in the field that tell them their project has virtually no likelihood of succeeding.
The PDN is complicit, of course.
Wait for it.
I agree. Something is wrong about this whole deal. Really a rush. Money from so many different kinds of government accounts. The State using the Clean Energy Fund for toxic waste transport and recycling. Really?
DeleteIs the County so flush in money they can invest your money on a speculative government corporation? Really? Where do they get the data for their business model claims? Do you believe the port of port Angeles is the first to explore the economic feasibility of toxic waste recycling, the environmental liability associated with this type of business, and mitigation costs if it fails? Are there conflict of interest issues from such a large "grant" of the countys money decided by a father to a daughter's pet project? So many questions.
Rush, Rush, Rush, the Port had to rush this through before Westport announces they are the ones moving to the old Walmart building!!!
DeleteWith the soon to come empty Westport buildings at the composite campus does the port really need a grant from the county to finish its other building?
Delete$14,000 is nothing, an almost totally meaningless "penalty." Morrison can probably write it off on his taxes - or at least will try. This guy has zero respect for rules, laws, the environment or government. This attitude has been, as noted, aided, abetted and nurtured by the outlaw culture of Clallam County.
ReplyDeleteThis is sickening, and Mr. Pongkhamsing and the agency he works for should be ashamed.
I'm willing to bet that the EPA won't be getting this fine out of Morrison any time soon. He's been fined in the past, and has either stalled on paying, or just outright refused to pay at all. The EPA knows they're dealing with a redneck yahoo, but they still use kid gloves with him. All the creeps like Morrison whine about how the big, bad government comes down so hard on them, but this "resolution" shows that the EPA is a toothless tiger when it comes to actual enforcement. Their pathetic response is on a par with Morrison's pathetic regard for the rule of law.
ReplyDeleteThere was no mention of either of these give-aways of tax money at the County Commission meeting this morning. Big Jim wasn't there. Jim Jones wasn't there. No explanations given. No votes to formally approve what was discussed at yesterdays' work session.
ReplyDeleteMaybe because there were no public hearings held on these matters? Maybe because people were complaining about how this is being done? Maybe because they are bad ideas?
Maybe I just never noticed before, but...Since when does Clallam County give out grants? Grants? Really? And for such huge amounts? Is this normal? Hell, is this legal?
ReplyDeleteLook deeper into this racing/"business" operation. Once you do you'll knock you're forehead. :D
ReplyDeleteYou are forehead?
DeleteComposites grants made King 5 News. ... zzz.
ReplyDeleteBlah, Blah, Blah. Whinners!
ReplyDeleteOh...Might I suggest that you take that extra "n" you put in the word you obviously meant to be "whiners" and use it somewhere else. Maybe it'll get you started on "numbskull" or "nitwit." Just a sugjestion.
DeleteTake out the H and we're all "winners". Isn't that what every school kid is told, these days? "No losers, we're all winners". Unfortunate thing, kids raised like this become unbelievable whiners.
DeleteThe Clown Council met again this evening. As crazy and ridiculous as always.
ReplyDeleteWhen Sissi pointed out the code requires 20% of a project is supposed to be open space, when the Olympic Medical Center expansion was under consideration, Realtor and Councilman Dan Gase said " I want to be able to park my car, I don't care about any parks". Who cares about planning laws and regulations when it comes to official city actions? The rest of the council voted with Dan Gase.
When talking about a stormwater filtering system to clean water coming off city streets, Dan Gase once again showed his concern for community and understanding of the issues by saying" This sounds like another unfunded mandate. If Ecology wants us to clean up the pollution, they should pay for it". Right Dan. Somebody else should pay to clean up the pollution we create.
Discussing water conservation, Lee Whetham asked why Nippon was not being required to enact any conservation measures if things get as dry by August as Public Works Director Fulton indicated. Once again, showing his understanding of what was being discussed, Dan Gase said "Nippon is a significant employer. We shouldn't restrict Nippon in any way". Right Dan. There is an extreme drought declaration by the Governor of the State, the scenario is there are extremely low flows in the river by late summer and things are getting sketchy concerning ANY water, but, Nippon shouldn't consider conservation measures!
It's late, and I'll remember more in another post. Just wanted to let you know that things continue to be beyond reason at the Port Angeles city council. As if you had any doubt.
Thanks so much for your post - it's right on-topic, what with a stupid guy named Dan doing all he can to rape and ruin the land and water of Clallam County, regardless of the rules, regardless of the law, regardless of the science, and regardless of future impacts. Yes, as if there was ever any doubt, Dan Gase is a land rapist, too.
DeleteMaybe the Charter Review folks should have considered prohibiting realtors from holding elected office. From Dan Gase (land rapist) to Brooke Nelson (puppet for land rapist Dick Pilling) to Larry Williams (land rapist), they are just too destructive of the environment to be trusted in positions of power or influence.
Maybe we should all pitch in and buy the council a new rubber stamp to approve everything that is pitched at them. No critical thinking in that group. When the staff offers to come up with more information (i.e. water in Peabody Creek) the council doesn't seem to hear it at all. Never says, "why yes, lets be thoughtful, and come up with some rational way to measure this problem, so we can see if this money throwing solution fixes it".
DeleteMeanwhile, half the council appear to go into power down/battery save mode (glazed, vacant stares) when anyone is speaking. Talk about brain dead.
I've seen corpses more engaged with what was going on around them.
Dan Gase "I just wanna park my car" echos back to the Altwell days when Altwell failed to build fish ladders on the dams. Same results, ignore the law today and pay a thousand times the costs later to clean up the mess.
DeleteThen there was the girl. The young girl who got up and spoke at last night's Port Angeles City Council meeting during Public Comment.
ReplyDeleteShe said she recently had come across and helped save someone who was overdosing on heroin in an intersection near the bridges. Asked the council if they had any idea why there was some much heroin use in the schools, and among the young people in Port Angeles.
The woman made an emotion plea. Spoke of the oil derrick in the harbor, and how the leadership in the area saw that as a source of money, but that it was destroying the earth. She spoke of the scarce snow pack, and worsening conditions.
She asked that that the Council give the young people hope.
She said :" Don't sell us out".
The City Council members ignored her, without comment, and went on with their happy talk.
The young woman left the room.
They think it's "professional" to not respond to public comments. (And Court Jester Bill Bloor has doubtlessly scared them about the "perils" of responding.) But even after all the collective years of experience of the people sitting up there on the City Council, none of them seems to have tumbled to the fact that such an aloof and distant non-response comes across as, well gee, aloof and distant. Cold. Uncaring. Arrogant. Take your pick.
DeleteIt's THE WORST approach to community relations you could take: Invite people to speak to you, sometimes emotionally, passionately, and then ignore them...dismiss them...next!
Then, when you layer their spendthrift ways and fact-free decision-making over that...Is it any wonder that the City Council is viewed as a terribly unfunny joke?
It is important to note that Jim Moran , President of the Poet Angeles Chamber of Commerce was there. Josh ? of the new Port Angeles Downtown Association was there. Leslie ? of Revitalize Port Angeles was there. The Board of Directors for the new PADA were there.
DeleteCherie Kidd, who only two weeks ago was championing help for people in distress in her agenda item concerning funding for suicide barriers, was there.
But not a one of ANY of these representatives of Port Angeles could be bothered to say a word to this woman. A young woman who can only to ask for hope, for the youth of Port Angeles.
Disgusted? I'm so disgusted by what I witnessed last night, I can.t believe those people could be so self centered as to ignore a plea like that. Ignore a young woman who helped a stranger ODing in the streets of Port Angeles.
Unbelievable.
The other issue was that the city staff had no recommendations for them regarding heroin use. The whole council looked like puppets lacking a hand up their ass. Limp.
DeleteI'm sure some of the city council welcome the staff's hands up their backside.
DeleteThat picture is just too....too....horrible....
DeleteNot that I don't think the council is a bunch of idiots running this town to the ground, but I probably wouldn't know how to respond to an emotional plea for hope either. I mean, what can they do here? The best they could do would be give her some worthless platitude, some proclamation that's empty and at least they didn't stoop that low. But there really isn't a damn thing they can do anymore to "give the young people hope". I sure as hell don't know how to give anyone hope, do any of you?
DeleteHow about acknowledging the woman had the courage to help save an overdosing resident? How about thanking the young woman for having the courage to do that? And, for taking time out of her life to come to the council to look for solutions? How about offering to meet with her to see what they can come up with, rather than assuming nothing can be done.
DeleteIf we believe nothing can be done to give our youth hope for their future, why the hell are we taking about trying to prevent suicides?
The council was mostly looking bored, disinterested, uncomfortable -- staring down, avoiding eye contact, and shifting in their seats. They might as well have had their fingers in their ears (while repeating "lalalala"), stare at the ceiling while whistling.
DeleteTheir body language was repugnant.
Heroin has been a problem here since the early 90's (probably before). Why do people do it? Makes you feel good, and then it is addictive.
What treatment options are there on the Olympic Peninsula? Any way to easily get on a methadone treatment program? Any rapid detox treatment here? Where can someone get suboxone? Are any doctors in the area trained to administer that?
The police just can't try and "crack down" on the sources (won't work, clearly, doesn't work). The city needs to be part of the solution.
What drug information is available at the high school? Junior high schools? Grammar schools?
The city council should have been CONCERNED, not disinterested. But, that's because our city council is all about spending money that the city staff recommends, not actually doing anything for the citizens.
Clearly, it's SCREW YOU, citizens.
Well I agree with you there. The council could have at least thanked her for saving a life, or for coming to the council. Or they could have grew a pair and started their own little war on drugs. Even just acknowledging substance abuse and depression are problems up here would be a step forward. It's been awhile since I've been to a council meeting, but I see they haven't changed much. "The council was mostly looking bored, disinterested, uncomfortable -- staring down, avoiding eye contact, and shifting in their seats." Yeah, they do that a lot.
DeleteThe "give our children hope" thing is what trips me up. You want hope kids? Don't listen to the council, they'll just promise you jobs and pretty beaches while stockpiling the debt and the problems. Here's some real hope: You're young, your life isn't set in stone. Find your muse and let it take you out of town. Don't look back except to visit those of us rotting here with shitty wage jobs, increasing cost of living and no hope for the future. Go before it's too late. There's your hope kids.
I truly, truly wish that each and every person on that City Council would read this thread.
DeleteI knew of one - just one - doctor there who was able to prescribe suboxone. The nearest methadone program I knew of was in...Tacoma.
Again, are the seven depressants on the City Council ever going to wake up and LISTEN?
Once, just once, I'd like to see the PDN capture the activity and feel of a Port Angeles City Council meeting the way you have, Anonymous 10:56. They always get reported with a straight face, but the reality is usually closer to a clown show. Thanks so much for your taking the time to write it up.
ReplyDeleteThe PDN article about the city council meeting is muddled and (I would guess) purposely unclear. The poster's description here is much, much better.
DeleteWell, not like the PDN reporter wasn't taking copious notes.
DeleteYou'll notice, per the "Best Town" contest mentioned on KONP, that Port Angeles didn't make the list due to actually qualifying, or meeting any of the criteria for the contest. No, it's a wild card candidate, one that is sure to get knocked out.
ReplyDeleteIf you Google the "Outside Online" contest, you'll see that they have LOTS of "best of" contests. Best river city, best small town, best town that rhymes with whatever, etc. So many contests means so many towns that will drive so many people to Outside Online's website, so that they can, in turn, charge their advertisers higher rates because of all their (wait for it) website's traffic.
DeleteIt's a scam, a gimmick, and means absolutely nothing. Look at the prize the winner gets: "bragging rights." Riiight.
How insecure is this place that they have to keep saying "look we're great" "we're special". It's all hollow words, wishful thinking. If we WERE so great, we'd all know it.
DeleteGeez, negative much? If there is one thing Port Angeles has to offer, it is the great outdoors. It is a perfect contest for us. If nothing else it will bring name recognition for our awesome little town. It was a great place to live, decades ago. It can be again, too. Quit whining. Get off your a$$ and do something. <3
DeleteHere Anon 11:34 check out a REAL option for those that want to enjoy the outdoors:
Deletehttp://www.visitchelancounty.com/
See any oil rigs there?
As if Port Angeles is the only place with trees and water. As seen at this site, there are plenty of places for people to go, that aren't total backwaters like Port Angeles.
You ever wonder why the hotels in Port Angeles can't get much above a 50% occupancy rate? Ever?
Let me get you to understand 11:34am, no one gives a fat rats ass about these stupid articles and contests. It won't bring us any "name recognition" and especially NOT for our "awesome little town".
DeleteIt isn't whining to note that the emperor has a hairy ass that needs sunscreen.
Best DRUG town...we could win that, right?
DeleteBest town to brand your kids.
Best town to go beserk and destroy your neighbors house with a bulldozer
Best town to do nothing, but pretend things are "fantastic"
Best town to elect city council members who sit on their hands.
Best town to want to escape from
anyone?
Anon 4:32 and 3:51, still negative, I see. 4:32, you seem completely concerned about ass. Fat rat's asses and hairy ones. How about you get off yours and do something constructive. If you hate it here, leave. The Midwest would love to have you. You could sit in your cornfield and see for miles! No pesky mountains to spoil your view.
Delete4:14, no, I don't see any oil rigs on Lake Chelan. First, it isn't in the ocean, and second, Chelan does not have one of the deepest ports in the world. Why don't you go smoke another bowl?
DeleteDear Anon 10:07
DeleteStill trolling ? Looking to get somebody, anybody to respond to your obviously brain dead comments? Not succeeding very well. Does that tell you anything?
Port Angeles has a deep port. What do you see in it? Oil tankers and drilling rigs. You think people who like the outdoors like oil rigs?
You ask people who comment here to leave, if they don't like things here. Do you understand that is exactly what hundreds and thousands of people do, every day? They pass through Port Angeles, and keep on going. They don't like what they find when they get here, and they leave, just like you suggest.