Since it has come up in comments, and since people seem to be curious about Shan-Ng Pak and Tetyana Obukhanych, let me share what I've been able to find out...
First of all, yes, she is the anti-vaccine advocate/nutjob that you find when Googling that name. Please see photo and quote below.
She is, to be clear, a nice woman, but more than a little obsessed with this issue, as 30 seconds online will show you. So obsessed, in fact, that you have to assume that anyone married to her would perhaps share some of her obsessions and worldviews, so central are they to her being.
So that puts Shan-Ng Pak in a not too flattering light, I'm afraid. It also helps to possibly flesh out his reason for moving to Port Angeles in the first place. He has stated that he wanted to live "next to a National Park." Well, okay. But, that stated desire, coupled with his wife's obsessive endeavors on the whole vaccination issue, sort of starts to smell a little bit End Times paranoid and survivalist-ish to me. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's my gut reaction.
In any case, being that they're both foreign born, of different ethnicities, are educated and have money, and have some easy to find kooky beliefs to discuss, well...All that will make any potential City Council run for Shan-Ng Pak very interesting indeed.
Still, I'd pay money to watch a debate between him and Peter Ripley. Anyway, Port Angeles, beware of white knights bearing big computer money and unvaccinated kids. The xenophobes and good old boys will be out in force, and even if your knight wins, well, he might come with some bizarre baggage.
Vulnerabilities.
ReplyDeleteExactly.
DeleteAnd in other news (and by news I mean the same thing we always get) EDC bigwig Bill Greenwood is objecting to the composite recycling site. Okay, fair enough, doesn't hurt to look at these things objectively. But what's he mostly worried about? Using public funds to startup a business. Really? The EDC recently had their own hand out for some Opportunity Fund money, while they publicly recommended investing in the slowly-dwindling, not-producing-jobs timber industry.
ReplyDeleteBut it's his alternatives that crack me up. The EDC is spending good money to put up an official from a hotel company who MAY want to build here, and an official who MAY want to train bush pilots. Say what you will about the recycling center, at least there appears to be a plan in place. Do either of these "officials" have anything more substantial than a memo scrawled on a hotel napkin? Or are these like all the other empty promises we get fed year after year?
Honestly, this sounds like simple infighting between the Port and the EDC on which gets known as the bringer of JOBS! JOBS! JOBS! We may ever be seeing the beginnings of a good ol' Clallam tantrum. We'll see if it reaches Madsen levels. That was epic to watch, in a dysfunctional sort of way.
And owning Max and Dale's old house, too! That's some sort of powerful mojo, for sure, the kind that would drive certain evil types here into spasms of conspiracy theories of their own.
ReplyDeleteCK, this sounds like it was written by a xenophobe. Bear in mind Dr. Springob recently submitted an article dismissing Vaccines as unsafe and ineffective. He has lived here all his life. I hate to see you disparage someone who wants to cure some of the crap you rail against. I don't think vaccines will come up before the council. WTF does it have to do with a candidate wanting to solve problems. This is too low for you to go. Plus you presume he is in lockstep with his wife. Do you share all of your wife's beliefs? I bet she tells you you spend too much time on the computer. Does that make it true?
ReplyDeleteNo, no, no. You've gotten it wrong. All I'm trying to do with this post is raise a red flag about vulnerabilities that clearly exist if Pak wants to run for City Council. These two are outsiders, and foreigners to boot, which would almost certainly raise the hackles of the good old boy establishment in Clallam County. That's a fact. They are highly educated, which would also make the people in charge very nervous. (Remember, for instance, that Edna was deemed worthy of helping to run the City, even though she hasn't even graduated from high school.)
DeleteAnd, ironically, though I think that there would be a fairly receptive audience in parts of Clallam County to the whole anti-vaccine thing, the fact that it is controversial and flies in the face of conventional wisdom would be used against him - even if the good old boys using the topic as a weapon felt the same way. That wouldn't matter. It would still be a club to hit him with. They'd sell the controversy to undermine him. Does anyone really have a hard time envisioning that?
So again, to be clear, all I'm trying to do here is to get people thinking about potential vulnerabilities in Pak as a candidate, before they start overinvesting hope in him. Yes, he's got good qualities. But he's also got some glaring vulnerabilities. It doesn't do him, or the electorate, any good to ignore that fact.
Springob is even more of a quack than this anti-vaxxer. We'll see how big the nut-job base really is if they can get all the anti-flouridation, anti-vaccination, anti-smart meter/EMF people together. If that actually happens I'm pretty terrified for the future of PA.
DeleteOh, sure, rich, long-haired Chinese guys with kooky, controversial wives are exactly the type of candidates that succeed in Port Angeles. I mean, it took me a minute to realize you weren't talking about Pat Downie.
DeleteIt's better to seize control of your own vulnerabilities before your opponent does it for you. And they will, oh yes they will.
DeleteHowever... The majority of this post is about the couple being a notorious anti-vaccinater and possibly some survivalist nutjobs. CK briefly mentions that his race might work against him in these here parts. That's hardly xenophobic, if anything it's pointing out this county's xenophobia.
The majority of the article is about them being Truthers. I point and laugh at all kinds of Truthers, anti-vaccination truthers, moon landing truthers, climategate truthers, Jesus-rode-velociraptors truthers... None of my derision fits the textbook definition of xenophobia. Perhaps a bit mean spirited but I'm getting tired of "gut feelings" winning out of decades or centuries of scientific research. If their "gut feelings" can't stand up to a bit of scorn then maybe there isn't much there to begin with.
Obviously the OP at 7:29 AM was Dale Wilson, who is clearly smitten with Shan-Ng Pak, as well as "Dr. Springob." It's painfully obvious that Wilson wants to be a local kingmaker, a syndrome we've also seen play out (and burn out) in people like Ed Chadd and Tom Harper.
DeleteYes, I agree that it's unlikely that vaccines would come up as an issue per se in a city council race. But would any controversy that could easily be attached to a candidate that the powers that be wanted to destroy be used against them? Absolutely. We're talking about desperate characters who will take whatever action they deem necessary to protect their interests.
Those who would oppose such creatures don't do themselves any favors by trying to keep things "positive" at all costs, up to and including ignoring the downsides of those on their side. Staying "positive" at all costs is what costs elections.
Dale Wilson is still very naïve, despite his age and despite his time and experiences here.
DeleteYes, Dale, we need change, but not just change for the sake of change. We need positive, forward momentum. Replacing a do-nothing bureaucratic seat warmer like Dan DiGuilio with a potential crackpot is, at best, a lateral move. I think it is more likely that such a change would actually be harmful in the long run, leading to further deterioration of the "leadership" and cooperation coming out of City Hall.
But I well understand that we get to deal with the candidates we have to deal with. Last time, that meant all unopposed races. That's not a good deal any way you look at it. But if Pak does run, I'd expect it to very much be a contested race.
Anon 9:46 Says: " It's painfully obvious that Wilson wants to be a local kingmaker, a syndrome we've also seen play out (and burn out) in people like Ed Chadd and Tom Harper. "
DeleteHere we go again. To compare the wide-ranging efforts of Wilson to the childish and dim-witted actions of Ed Chadd clearly reveals the intent of the writer. The two efforts are not even remotely similar.
King maker? That is why Wilson is exposing the taxpayer wastes at the ambulance service? Or the suggestion the city divest from it's utilities? Public access to public TV for broadcasting plays at the college and more? Not aligned with any political party, right or left? Sure, I see how that fits.
Giving voice to those who the PDN and KONP will not is a bad thing, I guess you're saying? You would rather things were as they were prior to Wilson coming to town, and creating a platform for people to see other views? It was better when the PDN and KONP only let you (and others) hear what they wanted you to hear, and there was no other options in town?
You say : "Those who would oppose such creatures don't do themselves any favors by trying to keep things "positive" at all costs.." Who, exactly, are you referring to as these "creatures"? Anybody that views things differently than you do?
Or : " Oh, sure, rich, long-haired Chinese guys with kooky, controversial wives are exactly the type of candidates that succeed in Port Angeles." Never mind Shan is not Chinese. But, I know the line:" Those people all look the same to me."
With friends like you, who needs enemies?
Tolerance? Forget about it. If you don't consider yourself to be one of the Good Ole Boys, you might take a look in the mirror. Do some reflecting.
"Creatures.." Wow.
For the record...Since she crawled out from under a dark, slimy rock, and does everything short of (publically) drinking the blood of children, I would consider Karen Rogers, for instance, to be both a desperate character and a creature. Absolutely.
DeleteI don't see giving voice to others as a bad thing, or an endorsement. I see it as a necessary part of intelligent dialogue.
DeleteI may not agree with Mr. Pak, or his wife, but I'm sure glad that they have the ability to voice their views.
Attn. Mr. Wilson- We are so tired of reading replies that we all know are written by you.
DeleteI wrote at least on reply, and I assure you I am not Mr. Wilson.
DeleteThis is EXACTLY what the Maxi Pad troll did, in trying to undermine Max Mania. If I looked up those old posts, I'll bet the wording is almost exactly the same. No kidding. Anyone can go over to Tom's blog, look up in his archives, and check it out for themselves.
Funny you say that, Anon 5:16, because that's exactly what I was thinking. Harper's blog degenerated into a bunch of baseless accusations. "Shut up, you're Max Mania!" "Yeah, well YOU'RE Edna!" "The other guy is (fill in name of current politician here)". It really helped hasten the end of Harper's blog, and I hope that doesn't happen here. We need someplace to have a dialog about this town, but clearly, for whatever reason, the troll wants to sabotage that.
DeletePerhaps I will just quit contributing to this blog cause anon at 9:50 is tired of reading it. Actually, I think you get on here just to see what I've written lately. I bet you read the Port O Call too. See you like reading our stuff, admit it, it will make you feel better. You don't have to like what you read but you cannot help reading it can you?
DeleteHa! In fact, your paper goes right in the can. Yes, I read this blog but NO Mr. Wilson not for you. You probably think this song is about you...don't you..don't you?
DeleteYou said it clearly, Springob has lived HERE all his life. Case closed.
DeleteThis just in..In the past year,.the measles vaccine killed more people than did the measles.
ReplyDeleteAttention K-Mart shoppers: This topic is NOT intended to devolve into a back and forth on the merits and/or perils of vaccines. The focus is on the fact - yes, fact - that such discussions are in and of themselves controversial, and it is that CONTROVERSY that could easily be used as a political weapon in any campaign, even if it is an issue that doesn't directly relate to local politics.
DeleteAgain, this is not the place for a yea or nay on vaccines. I'm trying to keep the discussion focused on the CONTROVERSY inherent in that argument. Okay?
So, please- please - try to stay on topic, folks. Okay? Please?
Thank you. Carry on.
I'd like to give the final word on this to Peter Ripley, who just posted the following on his blog:
ReplyDelete"FOREIGN ACCENT SHOULDN'T PREVENT SERVING ON COUNCIL
In yesterday's edition of the Port Angeles Digest page I made some remarks about a city council candidate's foreign accent. That I could barely understand what he was trying to say. After some thought I didn't like what I posted it sounded like I was being a bully, so I deleted those lines I posted, I just mishandled that story. I was trying to make a point that if you are running for office you need to be clearly understood. Like I said, I mishandled that and I corrected the error. I don't like being made to look like I am some mean spirited person. I just wished a written report was given along side the video I watched on the PORT O Call webpage, would have made it clear what Shan Pak, had to say During that function that PORT O CALL was putting on. I know how it feels in being not understood clearly. So with that I apologize if I came across being a meanie."
I WANT TO SEE THE DEBATE. Oh, please...
Delete