Let's put two little pieces of information from today's PDN up here, and see if anyone, anyone at all, can see a connection between the two things...
Clallam County will spend a projected $1.2 million in general fund reserves next year to pay for tax breaks and wage increases that Commissioners enacted this year.
And then this...
The three Clallam County Commissioners will consider authorizing warrants for Opportunity Fund grants to the City of Port Angeles, and the Port of Port Angeles, on Tuesday...The Commissioners have previously approved the $1.3 million infrastructure grants twice, but County Treasurer Selinda Barkhuis rejected the warrants because the board did not hold a budget emergency hearing and secure contracts.
(Sidebar discussion first...Does anyone think that Dim King Jim and his Puppet Peach will really "consider authorizing" this? I mean, let's be honest, this was a decision made before the notion was ever known to the public. Everything else has been an after-the-fact sham show. And really...What kind of business/government/individual agrees to give away over a million bucks without having any sort of contract in place? Could anything make it more clear that this is a total and complete scam?)
Anyway...I am well aware that not all pots of government money are created equal, or are interchangeable. A million dollars in one pool of money can't necessarily be moved to another pool of money, at least not without a great deal of work and oversight.
Well, Dim King Jim is willing to do the work, but he really likes to skimp on the oversight, doesn't he? But what good is a scam if the person behind it isn't scum, right?
This is Clallam County we're talking about here. What's more, this is a lot of money we're talking about here. And when money's on the move in Clallam County, you can bet that pudgy, sticky fingers will be busy, busy, busy.
With all these actions, Dim King Jim is doing several things. One, as just stated, is creating opportunities for his pudgy, sticky fingers to get a workout. Another is to give away - no contracts, remember? - over a million dollars of your money, which only creates yet another money pie for creeps and crooks at the City and Port to dip their sticky fingers into.
Then, with the meaningless "tax breaks" he's pushed through, Dim King Jim can play up to the anti-tax crowd on the far-right. It doesn't matter that the tax breaks essentially mean less than nothing to the general public, and simply cost the County money. Because that's the point, actually. Kiss ass to the far-right and cut the government they seem to hate so much.
And the restoration of a full 40 hour workweek for County employees doesn't really mean that much to said employees when you really crunch the numbers. But it does allow Dim King Jim to publically play nice with the unions, and those on the opposite end of the political spectrum from his far-right base.
In other words, all this activity is for the sole purpose of creating opportunities and illusions that are really only meant to serve one person: Dim King Jim.
Favors are being dispensed. Pockets are being lined. Dim King Jim's ambitions are not sated. Look for him to move further up the food chain, in search of new, bigger pies to dip his pudgy, sticky, filthy fingers into. People will pay, and people will be hurt. And Dim King Jim, greedy sociopath, will just laugh all the way to the bank.
Off topic, but what the heck ... that gigantic wrap-around ad by Country Air, are they going under or what? It looks like a store-wide liquidation ad. Anyone heard anything?
ReplyDeleteThe store is too big, too expensive, and (I suspect) not too long for this town. Or at least its present gigantic location. I hear rumors of a sale being pitched about.
Deletethe biggest problem with the store is that it isn't comfortable. They took a cramped little store and spread it out in a haphazard way, and it is very uncomfortable to shop there. Juju is wrong.
DeleteThey should go to Big John's in Seattle and see what a wonky warehouse spot should look like/smell like/feel like. They've got "precious" retail outlet mixed in with "goofy". Hippy dippy. They aren't quite gourmet (because they lack so many key items needed in this town) and they aren't quite upscale. Hell, even the market up Race has more variety.
Too many precious things, not enough really NEEDED things. And, the logic of the layout is not there.
Why aren't the beverages in one spot? Why do they have milk in one corner,beer, then frozen foods, then....in the middle of the floor in a stand-alone case the center of the store, a beverage case for sodas?
I've seen too many people wandering around looking hopelessly lost, and frustrated -- most of whom walk out the door empty handed. And, this hasn't been a WARNING to the owners -- that they need to re-tool the poor layout?
Hell, even Whole Foods would be a better template to copy. Streamline it. I don't want to wander around, trying to figure out where Country Air put things, because (just like a pasture full of cows) it stinks.
Figures show the more you wander around the more you buy. You're impulsive. You cannot resist. Look into my eyes...
DeleteNo customer service, rude cashiers, inept folks in the deli, a high turn over in staffing, prices too high, confusing lay out. All those things.
DeleteTheir ad last weekend smacked of sheer desperation.
The place was busy again today and their pricing continues to improve. They are having a week-long customer appreciation sale. Today take and bake pizzas were half price. On Friday the wines will be on sale.
ReplyDeleteYep! Opportunities and illusions. That is all it has ever been, here.
ReplyDeleteMark Ozias, if you're reading this, please tell us how you're going to win this campaign, and what we can do to help.
ReplyDeleteSomeone clue him in that he needs to read this page and get on facebook, because it is important.
DeleteIf he's not online, he's dead in the water, even in a backwater place like this.
DeleteHey Scott Nagel, Maria Muldaur is calling. She wants to know if the Lincoln is up and running yet, because the acoustics in Studio Bob are terrible.
ReplyDeleteThe Lincoln Theater is still for sale...
DeletePA harvested crabs cause cancer, according to today's PDN. Does Scott Nagel know this?
DeleteAnother note to Mark Ozias....Do you really think having a spaghetti dinner at the Democratic headquarters is going to help get you elected?....You need to get out among the undecided and yes, even the Republicans, if you really want to win this seat. You need to show that you can handle "the tough stuff"...can't hide behind the skirts of your friends. I want to vote for you but you need to show some backbone. Thanks, and I do wish you good luck but get out there and fight!
ReplyDeleteAnd, today we have yet ANOTHER crystal clear example of a complete failure to "connect the dots".
ReplyDeleteIn the PDN, a story is run about how the water restrictions are to remain, because the Elwha River is again below 300 cfs (At the time of this writing, the Elwha is a 264 cfs, and the Dungeness at 98 cfs). The story quotes the Public Works Director as saying levels below 300 cfs create problems for the fish in the river, and he has said previously that when the river drops below 300 cfs, the State Dept of Ecology gets involved.
So, accompanying the article is today's poll question: Should the water restrictions be lifted because of recent rains.
Never mind what the situation REALLY is. Never mind that water levels are actually very low. Never mind that this continues a trend of less and less water in the region. No. There was rainfall, therefore everything must be okay.
Tell us what we want to hear. To hell with truth and reality.
Speaking of the PDN, as well as truth and reality...I have to say that, to hold a reception to "honor" John Brewer in ANY way is ludicrous. The man has no honor, and deserves no such treatment or kind language. He is lazy, and he is a liar. He was a total failure as a journalist and as a human being.
DeleteMark Ozias - please see the comment in today's PDN after the article about McEntire happily hand delivering a million dollar check. The commenter was suggesting that it's McEntire and Peach who are the ones actually doing anything to create jobs here. This is what you're up against. It isn't going to be pretty. Please let us know how we can help. I am so disguested at the smarmy attitude McEntire displayed as he showed off his "win."
ReplyDeleteYou know how the PDN and Revitalize folks like to repeat and celebrate ad naiseum when some quasi-website or publication ranks Port Angeles as "best" in something? Well, do you think any of them will even mention this article?
ReplyDeletehttp://q13fox.com/2015/09/16/do-you-live-in-one-of-the-10-worst-places-to-live-in-washington/
The next day or so, we see another story in the PDN, saying how the water manager in Forks went "pale" from seeing how low ground water levels are there. One well already dry.
ReplyDeleteGround water.
I'll be looking to see how many other wells around the county get reported as having dried up this year, by the time Oct/November roll around.
This is the continuation of a pattern. Over the last 15 years, the area has had low water supplies 10 times. The 10 hottest years on record have occurred within the last 15 years. This year has already set new high temperature records around the world. The ocean surface temperatures for July set new all time records.
So, where are the plans? We are collectively slow walking into real serious problems, any way you look at it. And, all we hear about is "the economy". Who thinks that is an adequate response?
Didn't you read today's PDN? Jim McEntire basically said there is no water problem. We're saved! No need to build a new reservoir, no need to restrict new development! Huzzah!
Delete