Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Pratt's "Integrity"

Lovel Pratt served as Council woman from 2009 to 2012. For a portion of that time, Pratt also had a paying job with the Agricultural Guild. In that role, she worked towards the County's purchase of the Brickworks property as a permanent farmers market.

The overlap of her roles as Ag Guild Project Director and County Councilor became downright confusing and ethically questionable at times. In the email train below, for example, you can see "Project Director" Pratt for the Ag Guild discuss the intentions of the County Land Bank, and you also can see the exasperation of our County Prosecutor's Office with Pratt's behavior.
_____________________________________________________________
From: William J Weissinger [mailto:Bill@sanjuanlaw.com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 9:09 AM
To: Karen Vedder
Subject: RE: Farmers Market appropriation

Karen, we did discuss this a while back and I did speak with Lovel.  I'll remind her of it. 

Bill

Bill Weissinger
bill@sanjuanlaw.com
Phone (360) 378-6234
Fax (360) 378-6244www.sanjuanlaw.com
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE:  This email message may be protected by the attorney/client privilege, work product doctrine and/or other confidentiality protection. If you believe that it has been sent to you in error, do not read it. Please reply to the sender that you have received the message in error, and then delete it.
From: Karen Vedder [mailto:KarenV@co.san-juan.wa.us]
Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 9:07 AM
To: William J Weissinger
Subject: RE: Farmers Market appropriation
Bill,
I am not comfortable at all talking to Lovel. As I said in the email it creates an appearance that I am her attorney that I am not comfortable with.  I thought we had gone over this months ago and agreed that all communications come through you.  Please discuss this again with her.
Many thanks,
Karen
From: William J Weissinger [mailto:Bill@sanjuanlaw.com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 8:59 AM
To: Karen Vedder
Subject: RE: Farmers Market appropriation

Karen, of course you have my authority to communicate with Lovel, so that should remove the Rules of Ethics issue.  But I do understand that you remain uncomfortable with her communicating with you directly on the Ag Guild issues, and why.  I'll discuss this with Lovel.

Bill

Bill Weissinger
bill@sanjuanlaw.com
Phone (360) 378-6234
Fax (360) 378-6244www.sanjuanlaw.com
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE:  This email message may be protected by the attorney/client privilege, work product doctrine and/or other confidentiality protection. If you believe that it has been sent to you in error, do not read it. Please reply to the sender that you have received the message in error, and then delete it.
From: Karen Vedder [mailto:KarenV@co.san-juan.wa.us]
Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 8:43 AM
To: Lovel Pratt
Cc: William J Weissinger; Lincoln Bormann
Subject: RE: Farmers Market appropriation
Lovel,
I am requesting that you not send any further communications with the Ag Guild directly to me.  They should come through Bill.  I am prohibited by the Rules of Ethics from direct communications with another attorney’s client.  This is doubly important in this case when you are a member of the County Council while at the same timer acting on behalf of the Ag Guild.  Receiving emails from you puts me in a very awkward situation. 
Thanks in advance for your understanding of this situation.
Karen
From: Lovel Pratt [mailto:lovel@rockisland.com]
Sent: Monday, May 17, 2010 7:35 PM
To: Karen Vedder
Subject: FW: Farmers Market appropriation

Hi Karen,
I hope to confirm the purchase and sale logistics in terms of the state, federal, and Land Bank funding sources, and any necessary details needed for escrow.  Perhaps we could talk about this when we meet on Wednesday.

FYI the email chain below is the unofficial confirmation I’ve received from the Commerce Department of the state capital funding ($375,000) with the disbursement details still to be determined.  Also, the emails below with Jan Cyr at USDA RD confirms that those grant funds will be distributed directly to escrow by June 30th($99,900).

Here are the acquisition funding sources I’ve given to USDA:
$99,900 from USDA RBEG
$375,000 from the state Commerce Dept
$300,100 from the Land Bank (with the balance of the $400,000 ($99,900) distributed to the Ag Guild at closing)
$775,000 TOTAL

I know that during closing, the Land Bank will purchase the easements, but I am not clear on the details of how that transaction takes place.  Also, do you or Lincoln want or need to communicate those details directly to USDA and/or Commerce?

Thank you for all your work on this Karen!
Lovel

Lovel Pratt
Project Director
San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild
PO Box 1945
Friday Harbor, WA 98250
http://www.sjiagguild.com/
Home phone: 360-378-7172

From: Cyr, Jan - Mount Vernon, WA [mailto:Jan.Cyr@wa.usda.gov]
Sent: Monday, May 17, 2010 12:29 PM
To: Lovel Pratt
Subject: RE: Farmers Market appropriation

Hi Lovel:

I forwarded your email to my State Office regarding the Commerce funds, and they are fine with that, no concerns on the funding sources changing.  The title company will need to send me an estimated settlement statement, this shows all the other funds are committed.  I also need to know the closing date when set because we order the funds to be sent electronically to the title company and we are suppose to do that 3 working days prior to closing.  From the email trail you sent me I am not sure the Commerce funds will be there by 6/30.  So if in fact you need to get a loan for that we need commitment of those funds.

Jan
  
JANIS L. CYR, Area Specialist
Rural Development
U.S. Department of Agriculture
2021 E. College Way, #216
Mount Vernon  WA  98273
Phone:  360-428-4322, Ext. 151
Fax:      360-424-6172
www.rurdev.usda.gov

"Committed to the future of rural communities"
  
From: Lovel Pratt [mailto:lovel@rockisland.com]
Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 9:15 AM
To: Cyr, Jan - Mount Vernon, WA
Subject: RE: Farmers Market appropriation

Hi Jan,
The funds disbursement through the escrow/title company makes sense.  I am hoping that the State funding, which is reimbursement only, could be done this way also.  Otherwise we will be able to get a loan based on the grant contract, but will have to pay at least a 1% loan fee even though it will be a very quick repayment.
Are there any specific requirements for the escrow/title company?
Thank you for all your attention to this!
Lovel

Lovel Pratt
Project Director
San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild
PO Box 1945
Friday Harbor, WA 98250
http://www.sjiagguild.com/
Home phone: 360-378-7172

From: Cyr, Jan - Mount Vernon, WA [mailto:Jan.Cyr@wa.usda.gov]
Sent: Thursday, May 13, 2010 2:50 PM
To: Lovel Pratt
Subject: RE: Farmers Market appropriation

Hi Lovel:

Thank you for the email.  Afterthought when we set up the fund disbursement that should be to escrow/title company to assure closing and acquisition of property and other funds committed.  I would also ask for an estimated closing/settlement statement from the title company.

Will be in touch next week, thanks.

Jan
  
JANIS L. CYR, Area Specialist
Rural Development
U.S. Department of Agriculture
2021 E. College Way, #216
Mount Vernon  WA  98273
Phone:  360-428-4322, Ext. 151
Fax:      360-424-6172
www.rurdev.usda.gov

"Committed to the future of rural communities"
  
From: Lovel Pratt [mailto:lovel@rockisland.com]
Sent: Thursday, May 13, 2010 2:45 PM
To: Cyr, Jan - Mount Vernon, WA
Subject: FW: Farmers Market appropriation

Hi Jan,
Great to talk with you!
Here is the email confirming the State funding via Commerce.

Just to re-cap the final funding sources for the property purchase:
RBEG = $99,900
State funding via the Commerce Department (ESHB 2836) = $375,000
SJC Land Bank = $300,100
TOTAL = $775,000

Thank you so much for working with me to meet the purchase and sale agreement deadline!!!
Please let me know if there is any further information that you need.
Thank you Jan!!!!!
Lovel

Lovel Pratt
Project Director
San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild
PO Box 1945
Friday Harbor, WA 98250
http://www.sjiagguild.com/
Home phone: 360-378-7172

From: Prihoda, Beth (COM) [mailto:beth.prihoda@commerce.wa.gov]
Sent: Friday, May 07, 2010 8:32 AM
To: lovel@rockisland.com
Subject: RE: Farmers Market appropriation

Hi Lovel,

I don’t see any delays at this point, we can typically get a contract written and executed within 3-4 weeks, so it may be close but I’ll try to expedite the signature process to meet your deadline…

Beth

From: lovel@rockisland.com [mailto:lovel@rockisland.com]
Sent: Friday, May 07, 2010 10:31 AM
To: Prihoda, Beth (COM)
Cc: lovel@rockisland.com
Subject: Re: Farmers Market appropriation

Hi Beth,
Thank you for getting back to me so quickly!
Do you know at this point whether the funds would be available for dispersment prior to June 30 2010 (which is the current expiration date of the purchase and sale agreement for the historic building that will be restored and developed into the farmers market facility)?
Thank you for all your attention to this project!
Lovel
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
From: "Prihoda, Beth (COM)" <beth.prihoda@commerce.wa.gov>
Date: Fri, 7 May 2010 07:19:05 -0700
To: Lovel Pratt<lovel@rockisland.com>
Subject: RE: Farmers Market appropriation

Hi Lovel, (and please call me Beth)

I truly apologize for the mistake in your name!  I guess it can be difficult to tell sometimes!  I don’t think it would be inappropriate to announce your award since the Governor has signed the budget. The funding guidelines are not quite ready yet or I could send them to you electronically.  However, as soon as we get all the information from the Senate, House and Governor’s Office we will send your information to you, I’m anticipating within the next couple of weeks.  Your funding will be available through June 30, 2011, then if your funds are not expended by then, Commerce would automatically request the Legislature to reappropriate those funds into the 2011-2013 biennium, extending the deadline to June 30, 2013.

I hope this information is helpful, but please let me know if there’s anything else you need! And congratulations on your project!

Beth

From: Lovel Pratt [mailto:lovel@rockisland.com]
Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2010 6:15 PM
To: Prihoda, Beth (COM)
Subject: RE: Farmers Market appropriation

Hello Ms. Prihoda,
Thank you for contacting me!
I will look forward to the award letter!  Would it be appropriate to delay our announcement of the funding until we’ve received the award letter? The local paper has already written about the project being included in the capital budget along with quotes from our State Representatives.  Thank you for letting me know the protocol here! 
We are eager to learn about all the contracting guidelines.  If you are able to give me any initial indication about the timing of the funding availability, that would be very helpful.  We have a purchase and sale agreement that expires on June 30th, and hope that the funding will be available before that date.  Otherwise we can proceed with negotiations for an extension.
Thank you for your attention to this appropriation for the purchase of the historic building and our community’s Permanent Farmers’ Market project!
Sincerely,
Ms. (just to clear up the confusion!) Pratt – but please call me Lovel (a family last name that I got for a first name and that everyone thinks is a man’s name – which I’ve gotten used to over the years and don’t mind a bit!)

Thank you again!
Lovel

Lovel Pratt
Project Director
San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild
PO Box 1945
Friday Harbor, WA 98250
http://www.sjiagguild.com/
Home phone: 360-378-7172

From: Prihoda, Beth (COM) [mailto:beth.prihoda@commerce.wa.gov]
Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2010 12:50 PM
To: lovel@rockisland.com
Subject: Farmers Market appropriation

Good afternoon Mr. Pratt,
Dan Aarthun requested that I respond to your inquiry about your appropriation for the San Juan Island Farmers’ Market. 
All grantees that were awarded funds in the Capital Budget will receive an award letter and funding guidelines from the Dept. of Commerce explaining the contracting process.  We are currently waiting toreceive all the information from the Legislature or the Governor’s Office with contact and project descriptions. I would anticipate within the next couple of weeks you should receive this information.
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Beth Prihoda
Grants Specialist
Department of Commerce
Capital Programs
P.O. Box 42525
Olympia, WA  98504-2525
360-725-5001
360-664-3123 (fax)

Posted by at

47 comments:

  1. AnonymousMarch 12, 2013 at 9:30 PM

    Lovell cares more than the other candidates. That is all that matters.

    This is beyond incivil it screams of blatant racism.
    We wouldn't be in this mess if it was not for George Bush.

    TH readers should link back to the January 2nd story to understand how Lovell "Supports" local business.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousMarch 12, 2013 at 9:35 PM

    Not sure what the previous commenter is really trying to say, but I would agree that Lovel cares (about Lovel) more than any of the other candidates.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousMarch 12, 2013 at 9:49 PM

    Now I know what all those frequent trips Lovel made to Olympia were all about, on the county dime no less. Well hey, what about Commissioner Marc complaining he was over-reimbursed for a trip he made on the County's behalf to Olympia.

    All perfectly legit. Standard approved per diem rates for lodging, meals, mileage. Except anyone in the small business world to families know how to travel a lot cheaper. Marc did, and didn't want to bag the difference, hundreds of dollars on one trip it turned out.

    Now let's turn to Lovel. Not only a conflict of interest that Ag Guild board members, the PA's office and other repeatedly warned her about, but she is taking multiple trips to Olympia, on the County ticket, but to promote the Brickworks? Who can tell? And did she stay with friends and eat brown rice with chop sticks and pocket the rest of the per diem reimbursement.

    How many times? Maybe that's what she learned in school.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousMarch 12, 2013 at 10:01 PM

    @9:30 was just trying to deflect the likely coming accusations of "personal attacks" and "incivity" by pointing out the often standard response found on the national political stage. When your candidate has an abysmal record and failed as a leader, any serious questions about their policies and record should be quickly deflected by cries of racism.
    If that doesn't work, just remember we wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for GW.

    Too much sarcasm and to little wit I guess.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousMarch 12, 2013 at 10:25 PM

    I got it. ROFL actually. Good one.

    I love the satire and stuff, being serial offender, but I suppose we're getting into the realm of the serious here pretty soon, because this election is serious. And as for Lovel ...

    Unsuitable. For. Office.

    Seriously.

    Three controversial candidates embracing an extremist ideology that collapsed with the Berlin Wall, backed by an angry out of touch political machine ... vs ... three nonaligned independent islanders who probably know how to bring projects in on time and schedule and won't let their management skill sets be colored by utopian fantasy that unleashes authoritarian abuse.

    We have a very simple noncontroversial set of voting options. Choose the middle path.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousMarch 12, 2013 at 11:25 PM

    Honestly, we have three real people running for office, with all the baggage that comes from being real. They're not perfect. Jarman is dealing (and coping) with health issues successfully. Hughes is trying to run a business and serve in office. McClerren is trying to live on a working man's salary and run for office. Not sure how clever any of them are, but they're smart enough.

    By contrast, their opposition consists of three over-funded, over-civilized, over-spoken, over-idealogued, over-popular, over-granted, over-wealthy, over-flowery-languaged, over-ego'd, over-supported, over-campaigned, over-policy'd, over-connected, over-endorsed political beauty stars from the political machine catwalk.

    You can't look at Jarman, Hughes, and McClerren and not see real people. You can't help but look at Pratt, Byers, and Stephens and wonder what they might look like without their political make-up and jewelry. They're very life-like, but they're not real.

    Vote for reality. It's about time this county had a dose of reality.

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousMarch 13, 2013 at 6:56 AM

    All anyone needs to consider is this, those who know best how Pratt manages - county employees - chose to endorse Jarman, a PUBLIC SECTOR UNION no less, that speaks volumes about her reckless, and often illegal, management style - that's right ILLEGAL, CRIMINAL, should be prosecuted.

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousMarch 13, 2013 at 7:52 AM

    I once had a dog named Fulbright. Fulbright had a nemesis -- a box turtle that lived by the creek. Every few days, Fulbright would find the box turtle (It was about the size shape and color of a WWII G.I. helmet) and drag it out of the creek.

    Fulbright would bark and paw and generally make a fuss but the turtle did what turtles do. He retracted and waited out the molestation. Fulbright could not get a purchase on the reptile and I think the turtle knew he could just wait out the storm of pawing and barking.

    Then one day the turtle decided to try to eat from Fulbright's bowl. Fulbright picked up the turtle, then deposited the turtle on its back in the country road about 3 feet inside the fogline.

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousMarch 13, 2013 at 8:13 AM

    @7:52am

    brilliant!

    ReplyDelete
  10. AnonymousMarch 13, 2013 at 10:08 AM

    I don't understand the point of the turtle story. Can someone dumb it down for those TH readers that don't have the vast wisdom that comes from rigorous academic pursuits like "individualized studies".

    Thanks in advance.

    ReplyDelete
  11. AnonymousMarch 13, 2013 at 10:17 AM

    Wow $775,000 bucks! And don't forget the town of Friday Harbor just dropped another $125,000 into the project for a cool total of $900,000. I know the Ag Guild is non profit, but most small Friday Harbor businesses are in reality "non profits", or worse. How does one compete with this grant based business model?

    ReplyDelete
  12. AnonymousMarch 13, 2013 at 11:19 AM

    If you include all of the entities which are trying to buy up land for preservation, conservation, agriculturalizarion, bufferizatrion, remediation, monumentization, etc, - what % of the total surface area of San Juan Coiunty is the goal? 33%? All of it? As much as is needed? As much as we can before the tax payers turned to armed revolt, assuming we don't get Olympia to,allow local gun control laws?

    What end point does the Machine strive for?

    ReplyDelete
  13. AnonymousMarch 13, 2013 at 11:26 AM

    Turtle Story-

    IMO, we are the dog, the Council/Machine is the turtle.
    All our pawing and knawing just bounces off. They know they can just out wait us. This election is our chance to pick em up, drop me in the road, and enjoy the prospect of "road kill"

    A pleasant vision to contemplate...

    ReplyDelete
  14. AnonymousMarch 13, 2013 at 11:38 AM

    The turtle: "Slow and steady wins the race." This hijacking has taken several decades. But when the turtle crawls into your rice bowl, that's the end of the turtle

    The Great Hijacking greatly accelerated in recent years for a very simple reason, once you follow the money:

    1) In 2007 about $14M in "natural resource" funding hit San Juan County. That tidal wave kept coming year after year since then.

    2) In 2008 the economy hollowed out and lots of islanders, families, small businesses were hard hit. But not the Machine. They had millions in patronage to spread around.

    Do you get it yet? Follow the money. Now you know why all this money flooded into the campaign. The Machine is investing a small amount to keep control of a much much larger honey pot.

    ReplyDelete
  15. AnonymousMarch 13, 2013 at 12:06 PM

    So if we could dig deeper, would we find the money comes from foundations run by people who own large amounts of land or grand houses in the County, and contemplate running out the lower classes and turning it into a private National Park. And the vehicle is conservation purchases, onerous land use regulations, and creating compounds for the slave labor?

    ReplyDelete
  16. AnonymousMarch 13, 2013 at 1:03 PM

    This is just 'gov-mint' money to San Juan County mind you. (It is mostly Federal in origin plus some big State money from Department of Ecology and so forth.)

    BUT ... This isn't money to Friday Harbor, money to the Brickworks, private wealth to the Friends of the San Juans or to the San Juan Preservation Trust.

    The $14 million is just an "indicator." Ponder that for a bit if you will.

    And you may ask yourself: "Well? How did I GET here?"

    Sameasiteverwuz ... Sameasiteverwuz ... Sameasiteverwuz ... Sameasiteverwuz ...

    ReplyDelete
  17. AnonymousMarch 13, 2013 at 4:40 PM

    Where's the deposition? What's going on? The Sounder needs to investigate and keep us informed if they don't want us to look else where. Read thier unbiased editorial in todays edition.

    ReplyDelete
  18. AnonymousMarch 13, 2013 at 7:07 PM

    Help. Can't find the mentioned Sounder editorial on-line. A link, please. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  19. AnonymousMarch 13, 2013 at 7:45 PM

    At Sounder site click on green edition.

    ReplyDelete
  20. AnonymousMarch 13, 2013 at 8:59 PM

    I never saw the German photo shopped candidate photo.

    To those who keep complaining about anonymous comments, look at it from our POV. We have seen the FOSJ persecuting our neighbors and friends, using the county code and lawsuits to drive their agenda. It is abundantly clear which 3 candidates are supported by the FOSJ. One only needs to look at the donors and campaign staff. To tells they don't support those 3 is an insult to common sense and actual an outright lie.

    Given the FOSJ tactics, some folks are legitimately afraid of retribution.

    You may find our sarcasm and anonymity unappealing hit we find the ruthless machine at work in our islands pushing an agenda that we don't want to be equally offensive.

    Also, claiming a great record of service by Lovell is dishonest. Her record is a failure. The people in her district voted her out.


    ReplyDelete
  21. AnonymousMarch 13, 2013 at 9:16 PM

    My understanding of the CAPRA suit situation is that several CAPRA board members want to go public with the depos, and the whole nine yards, but the lawyers involved on both sides are holding firm for silence at this point.

    Having been involved in several lawsuits (I have no relationship with CAPRA other than that of a minor donor)knowledge is power and attorneys like to hold as much seemingly innocuous stuff as they can to use at the negotiating table. Unless you're the one deposed, reading a three hundred page depo is just about the most boring thing anyone can possible imagine.

    And there are very few John Burris or Gloria Alfred attorneys out there who know how to massage the public with a complete expose of their clients walk through the hall of justice.

    Word is a decision is being pushed for and could happen soon.

    I hope so too.

    ReplyDelete
  22. AnonymousMarch 13, 2013 at 9:27 PM

    The Trojan Heron is a almost a mirror image doppelganger of the Friends. A shadow on the Shadow Government.

    Trojan Heron came into being shortly after the Friends astonishingly ill considered "community meeting" at the Odd Fellows in Eastsound around this time last year over the Dalton Affair.

    The real islanders showed up and ripped the Friends a new one on the spot. Not what the Friends expected. That was the beginning of the end. But it took a long time to wake up. It will take a while to pull this suppurating cancer out of our body politic. It may well get worse before it gets better. But it will.

    The Friends are throwing everything they can muster into this election. You can feel it. They are afraid. That's what makes them twitchy these days and why this Machine is getting a little scary.

    More to come.

    ReplyDelete
  23. AnonymousMarch 13, 2013 at 9:51 PM

    If only you knew the depth of the hypocrisy and cynicism - the wealthy out-of-staters and off-islanders comer here, buy their second vacation home, then donate millions to the "Friends" to drive off you poor middle class slobs and your trite little enterprises (businesses and jobs) the most disturbing aspect to this is that the wealthy off-island hypocrites will actually dupe a vast number of kool-aid drinking lever-pullers to vote for three out-of-state-silver-spoon trust funders onto the council because they are endorsed by the Democratic party...you get what you deserve.

    ReplyDelete
  24. AnonymousMarch 13, 2013 at 9:58 PM

    I see on "Lopez Rocks" - I know, stop laughing - that Rea Miller and Sandy Bishop endorse Stephens...because he is the great emasculated powder-puff whose family jewels reside in their leather clad chained wallets...what a joke - Jamie, you are a joke.

    ReplyDelete
  25. AnonymousMarch 13, 2013 at 10:22 PM

    Gee whiz the Rhea and Sandy show. What kind of a personality cult are they breeding over there in the Hermit Kingdom? The community land trust goddesses. Ruling with an iron fist of proactively progressive forward thinking resilience.

    The Potemkin Village Community Land Trust.

    Comrades: Unite! Throw off your chains! Down with the land trust land lords! Take back the equity you deserve! Together we will win! The people united can never be defeated!

    Anyone read Rhea's need little book about how to instigate a crisis? What a tool. All the local libraries carry it. Check it out.

    ReplyDelete
  26. AnonymousMarch 13, 2013 at 10:44 PM

    Lovel has been criticized for her conflict of interest on the Ag Guild and also criticized for secret meetings with Council members out of public view - by the Prosecuting Attorney. Let's face it, Lovel Pratt is out of control. If the County re-elects this self serving bureaucrat - it gets what it buys, a big leak in the County treasury. Save the county money - VOTE NO FOR LOVEL PRATT FOR DISTRICT 1.

    ReplyDelete
  27. AnonymousMarch 14, 2013 at 10:19 AM

    And vote YES for Bob Jarmon!

    ReplyDelete
  28. AnonymousMarch 14, 2013 at 1:56 PM

    How come there is is no affordable land trust housing on Shaw?

    ReplyDelete
  29. AnonymousMarch 14, 2013 at 7:22 PM

    Re: Shaw--I always thought that it being so central and providing no public services but demanding and getting ferry service, the county ought to allow Shaw to be the public housing authority's first site--a high-rise housing project, because the Friends support "density" so much. And maybe the trash transfer station.

    ReplyDelete
  30. AnonymousMarch 14, 2013 at 8:36 PM

    Lovel is the single most insincere person I have encountered in these islands. The fact that anyone actually buys this act is disturbing to me.

    ReplyDelete
  31. AnonymousMarch 15, 2013 at 5:24 AM

    Lovel is so sincere she tried to use the code enforcement officer to shut down a hard working family business, so sincere she held secret meetings in violation of State law, so sincere she kept contacting the PA's office even when they told her to stop, so sincere she sat on a board begging for tax money while a council member, so sincere she ran to use the Democratic political machine in a small county whose charter calls for non-partisan elections...now all of THAT is disgusting, but I'm sure you'll keep drinking the kool-aid and ignoring the facts.

    ReplyDelete
  32. AnonymousMarch 15, 2013 at 6:01 AM

    I agree w/8:36.

    VOTE FOR BOB JARMON! There is someone who is truly sincere, unbiased, and unattached to special interest groups. SO REFRESHING after watching this CAO debacle ("A total, often ludicrous failure")!

    ReplyDelete
  33. AnonymousMarch 15, 2013 at 7:37 AM

    Is anyone looking at or considering the fact that the FOSJ may be in violation of RCW 42.56.90 (9)??

    This means you aren't supposed to take public records and use them for commercial purposes. I'm not the legal expert, but let's look at a hypothetical here.

    Say you had a local pseudo environmental entity. Say they wanted to send out mailers to everyone in the county with their propaganda. Is it legal for them to pour over the public records and extract names and mailing addresses for mailing? Or is this a commercial purpose.
    Seems like a great way to advertise.
    Folks, if you get some thing in the mail from the FOSJ, please hang on to it, we may need your help with the investigation. Look at how the mail is addressed to you. Isn't it curious that it is identical to how your tax bill reads?? Especially so if the way your tax bill reads is unlike any other item of mail you get......

    Remember, the laws don't apply to them, only us.

    What would the AG think?? Might be worth a call (additional calls).

    ReplyDelete
  34. AnonymousMarch 15, 2013 at 9:01 AM

    I thought integrity was something with in ones self. Call me crazy since the word sounds like it may be derived from the word integral.
    To me, that means you shouldn't have to be reminded repeatedly, by an attorney, that what you are doing maybe out of bounds.
    Maybe integral refers to calculus, not he integrity found in ethics.
    Guess they don't teach either in the individualized studies degree programs these days.

    ReplyDelete
  35. AnonymousMarch 15, 2013 at 10:19 AM

    Lovel has lost sight of herself. She was born to a old New England political family, I suppose with a silver spoon in her mouth. Lisa quite frankly comes from a similar patrician blue blood New England background. They did not grow up with any sense of western land values, rural character or expectation of individual privacy that we all believe in.

    It is as F. Scott Fitzgerald famously noted: "Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me. They possess and enjoy early, and it does something to them, makes them soft, where we are hard, cynical where we are trustful, in a way that, unless you were born rich, it is very difficult to understand."

    It is just very different here and we need to elect public officials who are in touch with reality on the ground.

    ReplyDelete
  36. AnonymousMarch 15, 2013 at 10:27 AM

    What on earth is going on with whoever keeps casting aspersions on Lovel because of her "Old New England" or "East Coast" upbringing and others who keep asking about Lovel's individualized degree?

    I cannot stand Lovel, but it has nothing to do with where she comes from or what she studied. Focus on what she has done or not done for our community.




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  37. AnonymousMarch 15, 2013 at 10:59 AM

    Typically when doing due diligence on a candidate, their back-ground usually has some bearing on their qualifications or dis-qualifications for a particular office.

    It is one thing not to be able to stand a particular person. But when that person is running for public office, it is also a good idea to know why you can't stand them so you can explain your feelings others so they will also vote against Lovel Pratt. Otherwise your feelings are just personal and shouldn't sway others. They would not sway me.

    Then again, there are so many reasons not to vote for Lovel Pratt, the fact her mother served several generations in the New Hampshire legislature and that Lovel is quite like strongly influenced by that, is probably irrelevant.

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  38. AnonymousMarch 15, 2013 at 11:48 AM

    Wouldn't the name USS Incivility be a cool name for a boat??

    Anyone willing to sport that one??

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  39. AnonymousMarch 15, 2013 at 1:01 PM

    @ 7:37

    perhaps you could repost the RCW you are referencing. The one that you have posted is not valid.

    ReplyDelete
  40. AnonymousMarch 15, 2013 at 1:03 PM

    Finally got to read the Sounder editorial. Why is the Sounder beating a dead horse? (the Sgt. Schultz "I know nothing" reference) and write it up a month later, berating "blogs." How many people even saw that post? I didn't and I read the blogs pretty regularly. So the Sounder revives the "controversy" (which, frankly had nothing to do with Nazis) and in the interest of protecting young minds, describes it in detail! Now, the real question is, why aren't they reporting on why that was funny? Why aren't they reporting on anything important? They fill their pages with cute little neighborhood stories, and then borrow one of Clueless Reporter's superficial pieces on the County every so often, while charging astronomical ad rates and making bucks on the campaign season. For those of you who can remember journalism, don't you think there would a story about our chronically unbalanced budget--the one that Lovel and Jamie tout as "balanced" after going into $5,000,000 bond debt, and knowing that there's our own fiscal cliff right down the road? Or a review of what did or did not get done during Jamie and Lovel's incumbency? (Like the CAO mess, which the Sounder seems to think is a good thing because we can borrow more money! and get more grants! Where's the story about how the budget has ballooned since 2005?

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  41. AnonymousMarch 15, 2013 at 1:43 PM

    Actually that was pretty funny. Its even funnier to see the shriveling shell of a newspaper whine about political cartoons that are no where near the kind we've enjoyed in the real United States since the Revolutionary War.

    Quite frankly Lovel is a bit of a helmet head and as the cartoon teased, Knows Nothing, Nothing, Nothing at all.

    The editor of the Sounder may not like real political discourse but if that is the case, should look for another job. Shame on the Sounder for being such a hack.

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  42. AnonymousMarch 15, 2013 at 2:53 PM

    If it wasn't for TH, there would be virtually NO political discourse visible to the public, save for the occasional letter to the editor in the various media around the County. And certainly, none of the discussions like we have read here. Any opposition to the Machine results in a "shunning" reminiscent of the old style religious colonies. Quick, turn your back, avert your eyes, and evil doer has spoken out against the CAO!

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  43. AnonymousMarch 15, 2013 at 4:36 PM

    RCW 42.56.070 (9).

    Public records act. These lists are not supposed to be used for commercial purposes.

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  44. AnonymousMarch 15, 2013 at 5:13 PM

    With the Wizard of Oz floating around these days, I'm thinking of the original (the good one) and the hilarious song about "We represent the Lollipop Guild." Don't know where this is going, but feel free to add a verse:

    "We represent the Civility Guild, the Civility Guild, the Civility Guild and in the name of the Civility Guild ..."

    Who's next?

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  45. AnonymousMarch 15, 2013 at 8:26 PM

    There is an extremely tolerant sailing publication, (the publisher has no problem with people calling it a "rag") called Latitude 38.

    But even this wide open format "rag" does not allow poetry.

    Maybe I need a slap on the left cheek, but pleeeeze no more attempts at music, the singing, or the composition of same.

    Most folks on the TH are really good at something, but the vocals, as in singing, for some reason, don't seem to rise to a C level.

    And of course I feel your pain, you budding composers, take two aspirin and call in the morning.

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  46. AnonymousMarch 17, 2013 at 5:46 AM

    There once was a woman named Lovel
    Who wanted the poor in a hovel
    She wasted our bucks
    Cause she really s***s
    Can someone please get us a shovel?

    ReplyDelete
  47. AnonymousMarch 17, 2013 at 4:25 PM

    @5:46 am. That right there is hilarious.

    ReplyDelete

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