In my absence, Howie Rosenfeld and David Dehlendorf have expounded (and expounded ... and expounded) on their view of a liberal society. In a Rosendorf liberal society, a woman (or any citizen) would be allowed to join a union ... she would be allowed reproductive choice. Heaven forbid, though, if that same woman wanted a barn ... or if she wanted a large-ish multigenerational house on her own property to age in place ... or if she wanted to freely associate with some of her fellow community members while serving on the Planning Commission.
In the liberal society of Rosendorf, you can have only as much freedom as Rosendorf allows you ... but don't even think of having any more than that ... and don't dare disagree with Rosendorf. In a Rosendorf liberal society, consensus is the socially acceptable way of promoting intolerance. If there's a consensus, then dammit, Rosendorf doesn't want to hear any other opinions.
In a Rosendorf liberal society, people are urged to protect nesting habitat for birds, but ignore the fact that Rosenfeld governed during an era of unprecedented growth in local government spending that included major road construction and stormwater projects which unnecessarily removed hundreds of trees. In their brand of liberal society, Rosendorf express mock outrage (right around election filing time) about undue influence on the Planning Commission of today, while conveniently forgetting that a Friends' President was a Planning Commissioner during the guest house litigation.
In a Rosendorf liberal society, we only have a few problems ... local government isn't quite powerful enough yet ... our County budgets aren't quite big enough yet ... we don't have quite enough planners yet ... we aren't quite as protected as we should be yet ... we aren't listening to bureaucrats at Ecology enough yet ... we don't have quite enough grant money yet ... and we still don't have quite enough consensus yet.
And Rosendorf aren't quite preachy or hypocritical enough yet either.
Recalling those old English lit classes pouring over Hamlet, wondering about the two hapless courtiers in the corner, utterly clueless, trying to figure it all out, stroking their little egos and theorizing their no doubt very special place in a chaotic universe. Why were these guys even the play? What was the point? Comic relief in the midst of high tragedy?
ReplyDeleteGood old Rosencrantz and Dehlenstern.
As one might have said to the other, I guess:
"A man talking sense to himself is no madder than a man talking nonsense not to himself."
This explains a lot, if you think about it. I guess.
Which Friends' President was head of the Planning Commission? When?
ReplyDelete@3:33
ReplyDeleteLoyal TH readers may remember the TH post from last October.
http://trojanheron.blogspot.com/2013_10_01_archive.html
"In fact, when Mike Carlson of CSA was appointed to the Planning Commission, he replaced Mike Kaill, former President of the Friends Board. Kaill's tenure on the Planning Commission coincided with the Friends opposition (including lawsuits) of the County's guesthouse legislation."
Bob Gamble is on the Board of Kwiaht and has been for the entire time he's been on the Planning Commission. The Chair of the Board of Kwiaht is on the Marine Resources Committee. The Friends have been everywhere for a long time, and still are.
ReplyDeleteI know. Let's play a game. Let's call it:
ReplyDelete"Which Friend's president?"
Who wants to start?
I'll go first. Here's two:
Which Friend's president "recused" himself for a few months so he could run Alan Lichter's county council campaign?
Which Friend's president now oversees community land trust tenants and takes their rent to pay her salary? I mean, mortgage? Er, I'm confused.
Peterson said Mike Kaill, who is listed as the “President of the Friends of the San Juans, is on the stormwater committee. If this is the way were going to look at these positions, then I would want to get a list of the Friends, and begin to look at balance.”
ReplyDeletehttp://www.islandguardian.com/archives/00002907.html
Rosendorf also believes that anyone with the temerity to challenge any aspect of their manufactured consensus is an enemy of the free world and probably kicks dogs when no one is looking. The arrogance and complete lack of awareness is breathtaking. You want rational land use regulation, rather than a remarkably unqualified planner's mumbo jumbo that will affect hundreds of homeowners? Then you must be a fascist and oppose all that is right and good in the world. Because Rosendorf KNOW island people so well.
ReplyDeleteJust noticed that guesthouses are being considered again at Council, but ONLY if you use them for affordable housing. Interesting that guesthouses used three or four weeks out of the year for friends and family are ecologically damaging per se, but ones that enroll in an "affordable" housing program (and presumably shelter families year round) are not. Magical. Whatever happened to Lynn Bahrych? Didn't she tell us that guesthouses could never be affordable housing?
ReplyDeleteThe bigger issue is that the Friends and their friends are a multi-headed hydra. There's Kwiaht, FOSJ, and I also include the San Juan Preservation Trust, League of Women Voters and god knows who else. Just look at the Stewardship Network, run by Stephanie Buffum, Lincoln Bormmann, Marta Branch of the MRC, Linda Lyshall of the San Juan Conservation District, and Noreene Ignlezi of the San Juan Nature Institute. They don't even hide their common agenda. It's a shell game of different fronts with the same purpose. They collectively pull the levers of government and make policy around here, but our politicians are too complicit and dumb to recognize it. The Stewardship members all seem like they're from different organizations. What a joke! The only bigger joke is our councilmen who have done nothing about it.
ReplyDeletehttp://stewardshipsanjuans.org/steering-committee/
Why is this tolerated? Sickening. The sight of my own elected officials makes me ill. They are spinelessly agreeable.
"The Rosendorf Consensus" ...
ReplyDeleteGee whiz, was this the title of Robert Ludlum's final thriller? Or, was that "The Dehlenfeld Agenda" ??
Secretly, since 1979 the "protectors" began to arrive, slowly, quietly, accumulating a billion dollars in gold bullion deep in an old forgotten mine shaft on Waldron Island.
Waiting. Watching. For a signal. For the final command. Growing in strength. Joining local boards. Contributing here and there, drawing up a list of favors for a later time and a list of enemies ... the time when hard decisions would have to be made ... and they would be ready.
Nothing would stop them, not this time. Not this time.
A small group from Stanford University, crept past the few sleepy customs officials, some sooner than others preparing for later arrivals, all having been indoctrinated in a secret society known only as The Population Bomb.
ReplyDeleteTheir high priest, who some believe to have been Dr. Paul Ehrlich, urged his acolytes to migrate north to fulfill his Malthusian vision of Ecotopia. "Kill them, kill them all!" he urged them on, use your MBA's to invent vast new regulatory burdens to once and for all destroy all creativity and invention in the guise of saving humanity from itself and from every living thing by driving the unworthy into permanent poverty and government grants.
Now in his sunset years, along with his former graduate students who have made this island paradise their hell on Earth, Ehrlich unveils his final plan, asking the rhetorical question: "Is it perfectly OK to eat the bodies of your dead because we’re all so hungry?”
Oh yes. Oh yes. The Dehlendfeld Agenda is only a Modest Proposal.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2014/05/23/paul-ehrlich-predicts-cannibalism-plot-finally-and-irretrievably-lost/
The fact is that associating environmentalism with apocalyptic wishful thinking began with Stanford professor Ehrlich. Dehlendorf is from that Stanford era. Fralick is too. John Holdren, the current POTUS science advisor, was a student of Erlich's who once wrote that the carrying capacity of the US could not exceed 280 million without irreversible catastrophe. The current population of the US is north of 310 million. Two of the people who sat in Secretary Salazar's office and planned with him to get Obama to declare the San Juan National Monument were Obama high school classmate and Microsoft multimillionaire and Trust for Public Land executive Tom Reeve and Asha Lela. Asha Lela's son is Chris Graecen, who I believe got his doctorate from John Holdren when Holdren was at Berkeley. Chris and his wife Chom live in one of the Rhea Miller and Sandy Bishop affordable housing communities and Chom regularly sends out dire catastrophe emails about oil tankers and coal.
ReplyDeleteThe pedigree of doom in these islands is top tier, and when you marry the Stanford/Erlich/Holdren death pedigree with a local affiliate of the Center for Conservation Biology that includes Kieran Suckling's ex-wife and hard-ball eco Stanford alumna Lynn Bahrych, all supported by state bureaucratic system that has been completely captured by doom-predicting environmental interests, then we have a tidal wave of eco-death mongers who cannot be tolerate any other view.
They are not the legacy of John Muir. It is a giant end of the world scam to gain control.
After the fall of the communist bloc, dictatorial socialism lost its credibility but not its followers. They all piled into the green movement and used the hard-won credibility of the green movement for their own purposes. It was only after the fall of communism that we start to see the green movement really go off the deep end with its endless doom predictions.
I used to love Green Peace so much. The environmental movement was so essential and arrived just in the nick of time. The Sierra Club, Friends of the Earth, Rainbow Warriors daring to violate Soviet waters? What happened? It's like walking into the bedroom and finding your best friend with your wife.
ReplyDeleteBest available science became best available political science.
Some H.L. Mencken quotes are now in order, the wisdom of the cynical journalist shines through:
"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary."
"The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule."
"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong."
Actually, I like these Mencken quotes:
ReplyDelete"The only good bureaucrat is one with a pistol at his head. Put it in his hand and it's good-bye to the Bill of Rights."
"The strange American ardor for passing laws, the insane belief in regulation and punishment, plays into the hands of the reformers, most of them quacks themselves. Their efforts, even when honest, seldom accomplish any appreciable good."
"Laws are no longer made by a rational process of public discussion; they are made by a process of blackmail and intimidation, and they are executed in the same manner. The typical lawmaker of today is a man wholly devoid of principle — a mere counter in a grotesque and knavish game. If the right pressure could be applied to him, he would be cheerfully in favor of polygamy, astrology or cannibalism."
“Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.”
Don't forget to follow the money. The chair of Kwiaht serves on the TAG and CAG (by virtue of his MRC membership) and therefore reviews Salmon Recovery Grants from the technical and economic side. He is the only member with essentially 2 votes. Guess what? He also serves on the Salmon Recovery Board so also gets another bite at the apple there. Forget Barbara Rosenkotter, he is the single most powerful person with respect to Salmon Recovery Grants in the entire county. Lots of money at stake for many interlinked organizations. Concerned about a conflict of interest?
ReplyDelete@ 4:32 P.M. - They are not hired because of their qualifications, they are hired because of their willingness to impose an agenda driven program and their willingness demonize anyone that questions their agenda - some of the meanest people on the islands - all of them.
ReplyDeleteHoist the black flag?
ReplyDeleteThe trojan "legion" can't even muster two people other than Bill Wright and the Cabel's to show up for public hearings or access time...hoist the WHITE flag is more like it.
So, joining Dwight Lewis at "access time" - that's your definition of wielding political power in SJ county?
ReplyDeleteAfter the fiasco of the CAO the hundreds of our good neighbors who stood and or wrote letters begging for the right to live in reasonable privacy with every of the most reasonable Liberty's retained for themselves and their neighbors.
ReplyDeleteThese cries were left without response. The Prosecutors openly directed the planners to continue without consideration of the citizens “there was no constructive scrutiny allowed into the discussion” for some supposed public good manufactured by a bunch of hypocrites and bullies that respect no one. There is no turning things around and frankly no other place to go. The Idiots don’t even realize that once we are all gone, guess who’s next?
Well we made it past the Salem Witch Trials, the Civil War, Jim Crow, the Nazis, McCarthyism and Water Gate, I am sure we can weather our own lost tribe of ecofascists.
ReplyDeleteAnd speaking of broadband, not included in the Dehlendfeld Agenda or the Rosendorf Consensus, just please tell me what is really standing in our way of pulling this off??
German villagers build own broadband network
http://www.thelocal.de/20140601/german-villagers-build-own-broadband-network
Hacked off with slow download speeds the locals of Löwenstedt clubbed together the cash to build their own super-fast internet service to the delight of the village's tiny population.
Too isolated and with few inhabitants, the tiny village of Löwenstedt in northern Germany is simply too small to show up on the radars of national Internet operators.
So the villagers took their digital fate into their own hands and built a broadband Internet network of their own.
With around 22 kilometres of network needed to link up all of the houses to the high-speed data highway, "we would never have found a company willing to supply the necessary fibre-optics," said mayor Holger Jensen.
Mounted on the walls of local agriculture technology supply firm are two white boxes bearing the initials BBNG or Citizens' Broadband Network Company, set up in 2012 to collect the funds and build the fibre-optic network.
The firm with five staff has collected more than €2.5 million ($3.4 million) in funds, thanks to its 925 shareholders who each contributed a minimum of €1,000, said BBNG chief Ute Gabriel-Boucsein.
@9:59
ReplyDeleteYou're kidding right?
What do jewelry making life coaching of the grid hippy wannabe poets need high-speed internet for?
Besides, it kills bees and is not GMO free...duh.
Plus buffers and chemicals in America and sparrow warming reaching a tipping point
ReplyDeleteSome might say the TH is the bastion of conservative thinking in the San Juan Islands; I would only say it is the bastion of thinking.
ReplyDeleteThis just in from PBS: "New study predicts major extinction event in Earth’s near future"
ReplyDeleteThis is where the Rosendorf Consensus and Dehlendfeld Agenda are working hard to save us from ourselves and the critters. Because, you see, the cause, is harmful human action in the environment.
“We tend to destroy critical habitats where species live. We tend to be warming the planet. We tend to be very careless about moving species around the planet to places where they don’t belong and where they can be pests”
So their Mission from God is make those really hard decisions about how to best cull the human race before it destroys everything else. And you are the target of the Rosendorf Concensus. We've all seen this one before, again and again throughout history. It ain't pretty what these fanatics have in store. But at least, we don't need them running a local mafia with a choke hold on county government and policy. Throw these bastards onto the garbage heap of history where they belong.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/daily_videos/new-study-predicts-major-extinction-event-in-earths-near-future/
@June 2 8:52am
ReplyDeleteWas Dwight Lewis at a recent access time? What sort of lunacy was he promoting this time?
Really appreciate this site-- both the articles and thoughtful comments.
ReplyDeleteFor the benefit of our Council and the general public: could someone put the names of all the FOSJ and likeminded who are on County committees on a chart and post it? The public needs to know the Council has seen it in the clearest terms, so they wont allow the Council to fain unawareness.
@June 2 9:59am
ReplyDeleteWhat's stopping Broadband?
Old age! There are too many loud voices in the over 60 age group who write letters to the local media, utterly terrified at the thought of their electric bills going up to pay for a county wide improvement in Internet access. Since they only get one email a week from the Grandkids, they think dial-up is adequate. And damm it all if they are going to pay for young punks to stream video!
its the same attitude that wants to believe Medicare is private insurance and not a government subsidy doled out to them that they are damned well entitled to along with those social security benefits that are being placed on the back of the vast younger generation of working poor who have no expectation this is ever going to pay off from them.
ReplyDeleteBesides, who needs public schools? My kids are long gone, I'm done with that. Excuse me while I spend their inheritance and scold at the rest of you for destroying the world. It's all your fault. I've earned what I've got. Screw you.
8:28 >> Showing up for citizen access time and public hearings has proven over the past three sets of elected Councilmembers to be a serious waste of time. It's inspiring that Bill Wright and the Cables still take the time to plant the flag at these theatrical occasions, but the deals are done behind the scenes with the County Manager, who has proven--as predicted--to be the consummate Company Man. And now it's time for another Levy Lift! Can't wait to see that discussion-are they going to throw the seniors and the schoolchildren under the bus again? Or try a new tack to justify spending more money on inappropriate infrastructure projects and grants for their "friends"? Perhaps more "wayshowing" signs for the truly intellectually-differently-abled tourist? A bridge between the islands? (Rachel Dietzman's grand vision of a $3 million bridge to replace the little wooden Deer Harbor bridge proves that she can envision and get our tax dollars to pay for just about any idiotic idea.) Monorail, anyone?
ReplyDelete@ 9:26--we;;, THAT solves two problems. Let's kill all the seniors. That way we get decent bandwidth AND avoid having to save them with a levy lift.
ReplyDeleteOf course, the fact that most of them here on the islands got educated, worked hard, and accumulated wealth (dirty word, sorry) that they now use to pay taxes and buy services is irrelevant.
@9:48
ReplyDeletePlease refrain from further postings. The TH, it's readers, it's biggest critics and detractors, and generally any civilized human being would be repelled at the suggestion of the wholesale murder of an entire population segment.
I know the TH hesitates to censor any posts, but this might be a good one.
@ 11:55am Perhaps you consider satire and irony so uncivil and disrespectful that you no longer recognize it. A sad fact is that so many of our fellows on the island have lost all sense of humor and, of course, proportion. One of my points is that seniors here generally contribute far more to the economy and the social safety net than the commenter above seems to acknowledge. The second point is that whenever the County overspends its budget, rather than looking for efficiencies and smarter management, it speaks of staff already having been "cut to the bone" (sure, with 8 planners for 17,000 people) and threatens the services furnished to our seniors.
ReplyDelete______________________
ITS/IT’S
The exception to the general rule that one should use an apostrophe to indicate possession is in possessive pronouns. Some of them are not a problem. “Mine” has no misleading “s” at the end to invite an apostrophe. And few people are tempted to write “hi’s,” though the equally erroneous “her’s” is fairly common, as are “our’s” and “their’s”—all wrong, wrong, wrong. The problem with avoiding “it’s” as a possessive is that this spelling is perfectly correct as a contraction meaning “it is.” Just remember one point and you’ll never make this mistake again: “it’s” always means “it is” or “it has” and nothing else.
Thank goodness for English majors, may be a worthless degree but DAMN, at least your able to use its and it's correctly, and I'm sure your chomping on the bit to correct you're, and your...
ReplyDeleteIts two bad that their is moore discussion of bad gramer and spelling then topical discussion.
ReplyDeleteIn re the comment about "who is on what county group", I think it is important to note that almost EVERY opening that is appointed is donr so because only one person sought the position. All of this worry about who is and is not on the planning commission seems a little childish when the person appointed was the ONLY one to step up. If Dorfenbuffem doesn't like the make up, then get someone to fill the vacancies. this goes for just about every board out there.
Hell, we cant even get a single citizen from Lopez to oppose Jamie Stephens! I know a lot of good honest hard working people on Lopez that would be worth supporting, but instead we get Jamie.
We need at least one local contractor to serve on the county council. Someone who knows first hand how horrible the current situation is with the planning department, how confused every resident and land buyer is about the CAO and someone who has at least dealt with a budget once in their life.
We wont get it from Jamie, we sure as hell wont get it from Rick and as for Silent Bob - he makes a good book-end, but little else!
ReplyDelete"Politics is the art of controlling your environment."
Hunter S. Thompson
@3:10
ReplyDeleteSatire and irony about killing old people.
That is about as classy as jokes about rape and cancer.
Keep up the good work
I thought the comment about killing old people was right on point.
ReplyDeleteFor gods sake people- grow up and read the comment. It made perfect sense and was followed with a great comment to justify it.
Maybe I'm just getting old and desensitized- oh shit! Don't kill me!
I think to compare the earlier satirical statement to a joke about Rape is a bit far fetched.
ReplyDeleteTime to pull your grandma panties out of a bunch and laugh with the crowd.
I read above about the influential players in our local mafia such as Dehlendorf and a number of others who were all at Stanford back in the day of Paul Erhich's predictions of planetary doom and the slaughter of millions. Population Bombers we call them, and Dehlendorf is a poster child.
ReplyDeleteAnd then Erlich more recently spews out his latest cannibalism theory that it will be OK for humans to eat each other because we'll all run out of food. Who ever posted that comment then refers to the Rosendorf Consensus as just a Modest Proposal. Well that just hearkens back a few hundred years to Tom Swift's (of Gulliver's Travels fame) satirical essay of the same name.
In A Modest Proposal, Swift suggests that the impoverished Irish might ease their economic troubles by selling their children as food for rich gentlemen and ladies.
If humans really are the big problem and there are way too many of them dooming the planet, then if you are a fanatic like the people domininating the Friends, party political commmittees and bullying common folks at every opportunity, what the hell do you think they really believe the solution to their big problem really is?
Is it so very hard to figure out? These guys are monsters grabbing for power. They must be stopped.
Agree with the remark that if you want to change things then volunteer for an appointment.
ReplyDeleteI may be a bit out of touch with actions produced by the County Planning Commission here, but it sure looks like very few productive ideas are coming from that body.
The very small thinkers getting lathered up over the "balance" of PC thought should rest easy because it appears that STAFF is the outfit that runs this place, NOT elected or appointed officials.
So volunteer; unless you have an extremely strong personality it won't mean much, but maybe you'll feel better.
That sort of explains some things for me. I like to think of myself as pretty intuitive, a lot of islanders I know are that way, if they are from that creative streak and a drive for individual expression that brings them here.
ReplyDeleteOver the past few years I have to say, what with the CAO and all, Lovel Pratt's arrogance tone, Janet Alderton's breathless Valtalk, Stephanie Buffum's casual trespassing, Dehlendorf's comical yet kind of scary ranting.
It raises the hair on my neck. Something is creepy. These just basically just weird me out. I can't escape my very strong sense. I trust my intuition. You should too.
We've all learned to avoid people who creep us out. The problem though, in avoiding them I just opened the door for them to take control didn't I?
That kind of pisses me off.
Make no mistake, there will be cattle-cars for all of us independent middle-class thinkers if Rosendorfbuffum have their way, if you could catch them when they think they're in an echo chamber you would hear them speak of the need to cull the human population...beginning here on the islands...to free up space...for their rich donor's mega mansions and docks.
ReplyDeleteWell now we're all looking forward to a "summer series of settled science" where all these blow-hards are going to give us the lowdown on their desperate hopes for a looming climate Apocalypse where interesting questions will not be tolerated amidst visions of human cannibalism and mass extinctions around the corner.
ReplyDeleteI can't stand this bullshit. Can you? Of course the climate changes. Of course human actions factor in. Of course there are larger forcing factors at play. Of course climate systems are almost laughingly complex and turbulent and hard as hell to model and we all know it.
But if we try to talk real and emerging science and reason we'll get heckled and demonized as deniers (as in holocaust deniers for cryin' out out) for obvious political reasons to further divide our communities in an effort to scare us all to vote in some seriously bent fanatics who have seized control of the County Democrats, slamming the door on the rest of us here who tend to prefer that party over the other guys ... but not always. Are they nuts? Completely crazy?
Remember Zippie the Pinhead cartoons? Zippie at the laundromat staring at the washing-machine spin cycle while repeating some meaningless phrase over and over again?
"Rosezeenalderbufferdorf ... "Rohsezeenalderbufferdorf ... "Rosezeenalderbufferdorf ... "Rosezeenalderbufferdorf ... "Rosezeenalderbufferdorf ... "Rosezeenalderbufferdorf ..."
It's just a spin cycle. These guys have to stop crying wolf. Speaking of wolves. Well, we'll get to that one later. Have a frabjous day. Chortle in your joy.
@10:49
ReplyDeleteI find it a bit odd that you refer to "bullshit" yet make no mention of King and Queen Ed and Shireene Hale. When discussing local matters, especially those concerning the county, environmental advocacy, or government waste, I feel you are being intellectually dishonest by referring to mere "bullshit". Please be more forthcoming with the TH readers and explain that "bullshit" doesn't occur in a vacuum, but is found in over 94% of any speech, policy, or other product of the Hale's.
Like the ole saying, where there is smoke there is fire. Where there is bullshit, there is a Hale.
Check out the Whatcom Excavator.com for an interesting article and attached letter to the EPA with regard to supposed climate change due to CO2 emissions. Doubtless lost on the oblivious likes of RosendorfAldertonBuffumHale et al though. Just doesn't fit their control agenda so it must be heresy.
ReplyDelete@June 1 4:31 pm
ReplyDeleteWhere can I find the info on the consideration of guest houses that supply affordable housing?
@12:57 PM
ReplyDeleteYou're right. Got me fair and square. I blame myself, and hang my head. To make amends and after carefully analyzing the data, I offer up for peer review the revised term of:
Rosenrankzeedorfbufferalderhale ...
@3:20pm
ReplyDeleteRe: guest houses and affordability I would recommend contacting FOSJ board member Vivian Burnett.
She was kind enough to help prevent most of us from being able to build a guest house, while illegally building her own to use as a rental.
She should be able to provide you all the info you need.
You can probably reach her at 1-800-HYPOCRITE.
@June 1 4:31 pm
ReplyDeleteWhere can I find the info on the consideration of guest houses that supply affordable housing?
Something along this line here has been gnawing at me, bugging me even. I have decided it is the wholesale persecution of those people who purchased the old Mar Vista Resort for a reported $6 million. (probably plus a sixty thousand dollar gift to the our County land trust.)
ReplyDeleteThe couple who came here and bought that very wanting property were Dave and Nancy Honeywell, where they got the money for this purchase should be none of anyone's business.
The property is about 30 acres and apparently these new owners plan a family compound of about six houses. That is six houses on 30 acres my dear people. Not much traffic or air quality concerns on this one.
It seems the Honeywells had some near shore scrub removed and perhaps that was a mistake forever to be rewarded as labeling them those rich careless people, when the actual facts present a very different reading as if anyone could bother in their haste to condemn them.
And as usual the State and County want their hands greased with money, they call fines, constantly being reliable in their ability to never pass up an opportunity to make a buck off some fool newcomer.
The Honeywells now are being castigated for a dock application, really something that is usually negotiated and also significantly modified, but of course we get total overkill by the Journal and a Vera Wieland who is absolutely certain the sky is falling.
One might ask Ms. Wieland if the local Native American fishers supported with large casino cash wanted to park a number of boats there, then would she be so emphatic, I mean after she cashed her check.
Is there even one neighbor who baked a pie or brought a pizza for these people? Who sat down and made an effort to get to know them? Who told them how the County would and could extort huge money from them if they had any grand ideas?
So the, soon to be poor, Honeywells plod forward with no idea San Juan County is a fly trap for people with money.
In closing. There are several families who inherited a property down the street with an 80 year old septic system.
Now you know the County and State want this old septic stuff cleaned up, and yet by the time all the archaeology and consultants that were required and paid these folks had paid some 35K in processing fees and direct costs. The guy was so white in the face I did not dare ask what the actual septic system cost on top.
Guess we're making a lot progress cleaning up those old septic systems, aren't we?
Is this how we treat our neighbors? What happened to the islander spirit. When I moved here in the late '90s I was treated with open arms by folks I had never met who made me feel like I had just come home.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to us? I lay some blame at the feet of the community killing Friends of the San Juans and their fanatic cult of self loathing humanity haters. It really does matter.
The planning commission is a good form of masturbation, the commission is a legal necessity however it is simply a forum of well-wishing fellow citizens that cannot begin to consider the effect of their discussions upon the lives of those they have failed to consider, which is precisely to whom consideration should be given. Then both before and after this meaningful discussion, Staff guided by the all mighty and powerful PA, does whatever the hell they deem appropriate. This whole process never once considers the minority, the reasonable cares, ideas, lifestyle choices or passions of a single citizen. as time progresses every person discovers we have some really stupid laws out there that never touched upon critical reasoning, "Must we undertake this action exactly this way, in light of our, our short sighted discovery of what people want and deserve. And most importantly any law created that restricts the possible freedom of action of an individual must be made under such a controlled environment, or it is likely not legally defensible, however since we are hereby reduced to sheep, cattle or chicken shit. Few if any of us are blessed with the capacity to turn the county on its head using legal channels."Those are the ones the County is cautios enough 'not to offend' At this place and time 'Ask yourself' WTF is there any action moving forward that stands a chance of making a 'F’ g difference?
ReplyDeleteA whole thread of Mar Vista hate is brewing over at FaceBook's Friday Harbor Rant and Rave. Pathetic. So many "islanders" want their privacy, but they sure know how to stick their noses in other property owner's business.
ReplyDeleteGuess they don't realize that "off-island" property taxes is what makes our world go 'round here. I wish someone would add JUST the property tax income that "off-islanders" pay to this county - and how that tax money is used.
@8:12--Thank you for proving the point about the dour, humorless souls among us.
ReplyDelete@3:56 Someone needs to maintain standards.
ReplyDelete@ 8:51
ReplyDeleteCouncil is reportedly considering the topic of expanding permissible guesthouses but ONLY if they are permanently committed to "affordable housing."
There is a long history to this subject. Guesthouses were a major part of island culture, but because they were not Native American spiritual or cultural values, they were not protected. The Friends attacked the concept (after building all their own guesthouses--see Vivien Burnett stories--I heard that she's renting her reportedly illegal guesthouse AGAIN) and persuaded the Growth Management Board that a guesthouse is the equivalent to a main house and therefore "double density" for a property. The only study done by the County at the time made clear what most of us already knew: guesthouses are, for the most part, used for several weeks a year by visiting family and friends, and place little burden on the ecosystem. The remaining guesthouses are used for rentals, allowing older folks to have an income supplement to pay their taxes; allowing the infirm to have an aide living on the property; allowing newly starting out kids to live on their parents' property; and allowing a place for a handyman or caretaker on vacation properties.
The County appealed from the hearing board decision and while the case was wending its way through the courts, the Friends put up candidates for Council who sadly won. Ranker Lichter and Myrh I think it was. They worked backroom deals to "settle" the case and the end result was no court decision and rules that make it almost impossible to build a traditional guesthouse.
Now somehow the horribly polluting guesthouses are being brought back, but only for the politically correct "affordable housing." I guess they don't pollute if they're "affordable." As always, special rules for special people.
It would be refreshing to see Council reopen the issue and allow us to return to the lovely family and friends summer guesthouses, and to the practical alternatives that guesthouses provide other folks who are on fixed incomes or need medical help. Don't hold your breath.
The Planning Commission is obviously moving in a good direction; you can tell by the Rosendorf squawking. No squawking when it was controlled by the usual suspects, but when thinking people came aboard and started asking questions, all hell broke loose.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that the imperial "staff" set the agenda, spout doubletalk during meetings, and then do what they want regardless of what the Planning Commission says, on occasion even failing to accurately advise Council of what the Planning Commission said or did--purely an oversight, or two or four, I'm sure.
Whatever happened to Lynn Bahrych? Kinda miss the old girl--her ability to stand up in front of concerned citizens and accuse them of being "selfish" for wanting to build their little houses was breathtakingly smug and smarmy. She apparently sold her huge shoreline estate and monster-dock, which is good because she railed against people building almost anything, especially docks. Sold for like $2 million, so I guess the burdensome regulations she championed were good for the economy.
ReplyDeleteWow. The prosecuting attorney is finally taking on the self-important people who feel that they can trespass on people's property to protect the public good, because they're "special."
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sanjuanislander.com/island-newshome/more/san-juan-county-prosecutor/9387-reporter-to-be-arraigned-june-11-
Now, when will he file against the leader of the friends who as much as admitted trespassing on Charles Dalton's property? Or the "friend" who trespassed on property over on Orcas by representing that she was with the COunty?
Yeah, but Kivisto is spinning it as her being the whistleblower and implying that this is retaliation. Typical. Where does she take her spin classes?
ReplyDeleteWell there goes citizen journalism. If you can't trespass for the common good where are we as a community. It would be refreshing to see if they throw the book at this witch, this is nothing new, its been going on for years, while she pretends to be a journalist. She's just a nosy old lady.
ReplyDelete"$5,000 and/or 364 days in jail"
I'd say $5,000 AND 364 days in the slammer.
I'm sure she could continue to edit the San Juan Islander in the Big House, don't they have wifi for progressive prisoners these days?
AGREED!!
ReplyDeleteThe biggest issue is that the Friends and their partners are a multi-headed hydra. There's Kwiaht, Public Works, the San Juan Preservation Trust, League of Women Voters and any county committee.
Just look at the Stewardship Network (what do they steward?), run by all new comers who make a hefty paycheck and have no morals - Stephanie Buffum, Lincoln Borman, Marta Branch, hippy dippy of the MRC, Linda Lyshall (nee Miss Slaughter or LieShall) of the San Juan Conservation District and the PSP, and Shireene Hale of the County Planning and don't forget the puppet master - Ronald Zee - of the Madrona Institute, no wait, ARC, no, OPALCO, no National Parks Service, uh - where ever there is money and gullible people.
It is too true, these creeps don't hide their common simplistic gentrified agenda. They do collectively run the government and make policy in the San Juan Islands, but our politicians are blinded by grant $ to recognize it. They came here as failures from somewhere else, that much is clear. join the consensus??!
Sharon K. Indicted for trespassing.
ReplyDeleteIf that won't get pencils and profanity flying, nothing will.
So....
ReplyDeleteTwo indictments walk in to a bar....
Bartender says "can I get you each a drink?"
The indictments reply "just bring us one drink, we're all about Sharin' "....
Maybe some folks could come together and write a letter with a lot of signatures to the community and send to the folks who bought Mar Vista and sort of:
ReplyDeleteApplaud and support their move to hit Kivisto back legally for trespassing;
Apologize for the mean spirits of the few loud nut jobs, we are not all that way and we are glad to have you in the community, you are welcome here;
Let us know if we can help and how we can get better acquainted so we can all move past this.
I would sign such a letter in a heart-beat.
Re: Kvisto indictment: hopefully she'll get some jail time and a big fine. Actions should have consequences.
ReplyDeleteSo I read the ads about the upcoming Ron Zee Productions series of echo chamber talks about political climate change.
ReplyDeleteSo many organizations sponsoring the talks. Impressive. The final presentations in September will feature noted political climate scientist and Ocean Hero, Dr. Kevin Ranker himself a former Executive Director of the non-partisan non-political community-based, locally funded run by your neighbors non-profit conservation group Friends of the San Juans.
But wait. Something is out of place. What could it be?
Where is the Friends of the San Juans? Maybe I just missed something but I couldn't find the FOSJ among the august bodies proudly sponsoring this important series of political climate change talks. Are they in the fine print or what?
This is the Friend's big issue, right? Are they so creepy and weird all the rest of these groups begged them not to sign on? Or maybe the headquarters of our local mafia and shadow government feels no need to rise above the radar screen, since they can pull all the levers behind the screen anyway.
This is really very strange.
Seriously? Kevin Ranker is going to talk about climate change? Watch him question Dr Easterbrook in this video.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LkMweOVOOI&feature=youtube_gdata
Huh? These papers I have before me? What an ignorant slut. I don't know what to say. Actually, I do have something to say to this ill-mannered shrunken head Pillsbury Doughboy.
ReplyDelete"Asymmetrical ennui wayfarers, squid banjo readymade farm-to-table single-origin coffee art party. Post-ironic Intelligentsia vinyl beard you probably haven't heard of them synth retro dreamcatchers. Odd Future Wise, locavore letterpress fashion axe. Helvetica ethnic fanny pack semiotics. Kale chips photo booth, organic next level narwhal."
Peer review that you vain flap-mouthed harpy!
No I'm not a septic contractor, but I bet the Honeywell's new septic systems will be a whole lot better than the really old stuff that lady living in Olympia loves so much.
ReplyDeleteWhat is with these people who can't stand change, any forward progress and they go completely berserk.
What is so special about False Bay anyway. (Mar Vista is not on False Bay) This mud hole is mud because it is the end point for most valley drainage, enriched silt and soil.
Oh yes we got cow poop in there, all kinds of animal poop. (If you own a boat, you know how much bird poop there can be.)
Relax, neighbors of Mar Vista, you got a really sweet deal. Better a family compound than a casino.
Yeah, Well, Has anyone noticed the Chicken Ranch that is going up on Orcas, on the main road to town??? Right where the almighty tourist dollar will go past. Talk about an extreme eyesore on these pristine Islands!! Well don't worry, this is all covered by the Fiends of The San Juans. What?? You don't understand?? Well Marta Nielson, board member of the FOSJ owns this property, so I'm sure there can be no wrong doing. Other than the total atrocity of the place. Welcome to the reality of San Juan County, home of corruption and grant lust for your betterment in life. See you in the FEMA camp, oops interment/gulag camp.
ReplyDeleteThe Artisanal Chickenish Ranch Thingee and Petting Zoo, $15 suggested donation for adults half off children and grampa.
ReplyDeleteFree political climate change re-education workshops facilitated by Madrona Institute indentured volunteers. All traffic diverted from road blocks manned by County Sheriff deputies with nothing better to do. Attendance is mandatory.
But wait, don't those trees attacking the cars have to be cleared away so the tourists can drive faster and faster by the wonderful smells of the chicken farm?
ReplyDeleteThere does seem to be a misunderstanding of what mother nature has provided; a simple thing really called "Natural Selection."
Dumb tourists or others who somehow manage to drive into trees no longer contribute to the gene pool. Eventually you end up with a population that does not crash into trees.
An amazingly effective solution to problems like this that mother nature worked out a very long time ago. Problem is this solution is kinda slow, but if the idiots would drive a little slower in their breakneck race to sit in the ferry line, then they might live longer. (Darn it)
So everyone can see these trees are providing a vital function in culling the herd.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Marta knows Ron Zee? Hopefully, she got some help from some grants. I mean what are friends for anyway!
I think the EPA was doling out fairly large targeted chicken awareness grants, that might have provided some needed technical assistance.
ReplyDeleteAnd for $250 a night eager agro-eco-tourists can bunk down on the dirt floor of an unheated cob earth farm working coop dwelling unit (CDU) which can easily accommodate up to one dozen "worker-learners."
They will have an opportunity to practice farm chores at 5AM with a solidarity breakfast chant at 8AM followed by political climate change re-education workshops until noon.
Followed by a proactively healthful lunch of fava bean mush and hard-tack and its off to the afternoon chores planting rows of hemp in the far flung Isles of Langerhans.
Nothing can make one more sympathetic to multi-millionaires than the crazy happening over on FH Rant and Rave. They apparently misunderstand "rave" and think it means raving loony. A combination of the Kivisto supporters (her ex and kids, all of whom apparently had a sweet deal as caretakers of the property before the Honeywells bought it) and the highly educated (massage school) environmental experts. One of the locals even suggested that it was unreasonable to be afraid of Sharon--she of the poison pen and airborne pencils. Ha. I'm sending a welcome and sympathy card to the new island family and major taxpayers myself. These people are so jealous of the lucky newcomers that they refer t them as "outlanders"--you know, because only THEY are GENUINE ISLANDERS. Sick, sick, sick.
ReplyDelete@1:58
ReplyDeleteYou present quite a full schedule for the new chicken farm.
Sure we can't squeeze in a few minutes for regurgitating coal is bad talking points too?
@ 3:02 PM
ReplyDeleteGood point. We might be able to pencil that in for the 8PM talking stick sharing circle around the non-coal fire paid for out of carbon labor credits, just before the loyalty oaths are taken.
@ 1:59 PM
ReplyDeleteSome dots are connecting. Sounds like Sharon felt pretty entitled to march right in, knowing her way around that place.
Land Bank Commissioner Jim Skoog seems to be doing a great job barking orders at the Brickworkers. Someone mentions he's the caretaker or butler or janitor or whatnot at the property next door?
Really? Guess he goes back a ways. Wasn't he the Development Director over at the Madrona Institute a few years ago when Ron Zee Productions LLC wanted to buy Mar Vista and set up a big eco-activist training camp? But they didn't win the lotto or a casino jackpot. Too bad.
Boy, I can see how they just must all really have their knickers in a twist over this. And for Sharon to be hauled into court for trespassing? How incivil.
To: June 8, 2014 at 1:59 PM
ReplyDeleteYou said it. AMEN. The righteousness of "real islanders" on FB's Friday Harbor Rant and Rave is unbelievable.
The court records are avaiable to the public. Find the truth there.
Did the Friends present an amicus brief, something like:
ReplyDelete"Your Honor as we are sure you know, the shoreline belongs to us with which we have investor-backed expectations. Therefore we have an interest in this case with standing. Our staff attorney says so. In addition to her unique political blogging skills encouraging proactive community division and self-criticism, few realize Ms Kivisto is a Kwiath trained and certified Citizen Scientist, able to rush into the field anywhere at anytime whenever in expert opinion compels her to do so. She understands that precautionary measures might possibly be necessary someday. Her boldness and courage to, in President Obama's own words "truncate the process" is not trespassing. It is a selfless act of protection for probably unknown future generations of possible species of interest. That she would put herself in potentially harms way of wealthy newcomer outlanders intent on raping the shoreline we own we regard as the hight of politically correct duty to the state in the new alternative economy. Thank you, your Honor. We'll be watching."
When is the TH going to launch the "Tale your stripes back to Oregon, Zebra 1" campaign?
ReplyDeleteSan Juan County without Rob Nou as sheriff would be like a fish without a bike.
ReplyDeleteRobs doing a great job! I mean look, we are getting charges against Kivisto!
ReplyDeleteNow, never mind that you can by meth down the street from Mar Vista (and nearly everywhere else in the islands) and our police force is all tied up chasing wild Hay Wagons. Nou is great, look at all the wonderful things he has done! There's the.... Oh wait, come to think of it he hasn't actually done anything effectively except make excuses and cover his own ass. But hey - he's really good at that!
152Um, yeah, the sheriff didn't charge Kivisto. The prosecutor did - or a private party did - through civil procedure. The court records are open to the public, if you want to stick your nose in the business.
ReplyDeleteThe prosecutor or a private party brings the suit, not the sheriff. The sheriff brings the charges to the prosecutor, then the prosecutor evaluates and determines if a charge should be brought. Or, if it is a private party, they file a Complaint and sue.
If you want to point fingers about drug charges, point at the prosecutor - who is running unopposed - by the way.
Study the legal process. It's fun.
@10:44
ReplyDeleteHow dare you say that our dear Sheriff has "done nothing effectively"
When Rob came here, he was a 16 handicap. In his tenure as sheriff, that has been lowered to an impressive 4.
If that isn't an "effective" accomplishment, I don't know what is.
A large rule taught to journalists is a person must do something to thrust themselves into the public eye before you as a journalist can jump them with coverage of whatever they did or said.
ReplyDeleteIn short, a person has the right to be private, to live without media coverage of whatever they may do or even want to do unless they do press releases or seek public opinion.
In my opinion Kivisto (no journalism schooling I know of,) is in deep shit simply because the owners of Mar Vista are at the level of no identity, they have never written a public letter, never sought public support, never nothing.
Take out an equity line Ms. Kivisto you're going to need it.
@8:29
ReplyDeleteTo appropriate or to CS to step into the fray???????
I checked out The Russel Barsh Of Kwiaht News letter. Used to be known as the sounder.
ReplyDeleteRuss, has got two articles.
First. news of an algal bloom featuring a eagle with a fish up its ass. Next, "Even Kids Care". Supported by The Local Laboratory Kwaight.
I am personally offended that the resident's in this county are constantly, and with out proof, accused of mindlessly trashing these islands.
Why is this happening? A paycheck for those that came here for the feeding frenzy.
I foresee a future when we talk about how mellow the friends were. Before our visitors bureau, Ranker and Russ started seeing dollar signs.
We are just a stepping stone for some. Is Senator Barsh next?
ReplyDeleteAnd then there is the "Could you use 5 bucks?" ad from Opalco.
"We could use your input as Co-op members and owners. Let's trade!".
So, Co-op members and owners wish to trade with themselves?
I would like to hear where the "5 Bucks" come from.
Somehow. Every co-op gets warped and turns into a power/ money trip.
@11:58
ReplyDeleteThanks for your snarky response about the legal process. I have a pretty good grasp of how it works. Sorry I offended your legal sense by insinuating that the Sherriff might be involved in any way in the bringing of criminal charges- how silly of me! Why, that would involve him actually doing somthing in consultation with another office. Imagine our Sherriff involved in anything like that!
As to the drug issues, sorry, but that one gets pinned on Nou. Our Sherriff would rather focus on breaking up high school proms (not the party afterwords, but the ACTUALL PROM) than dealing with activities that have some real level of criminal involvement.
I think it is fair to say that the current administration would rather harass children at dances and hay-rides than actually "DO" anything. And yes... They did not charge Kivisto, that was Randy's doing, and that too will fall apart because the investigation will never get done.
Russ Barsh - Mall Cop
ReplyDeleteuh, make that Eco Cop
And what is this about the high school prom. Seriously?!
So who needs bucks? Sharon Kivisto. You can anonymously donate one dollar on her fund raising site and leave a comment, like can we buy your online shreik sheet and get you to move to Detroit or something?
Uh..listen legal eagle, investigations happen BEFORE you are brought to trial so obviously an investigation has already occured...
ReplyDelete@1:18
ReplyDeleteYou obviously never worked in the criminal justice field.
The charges usually come at the begining of the investigation. Then the investigation takes a good chunk of time. Then you go to trial.
As I understand it Kivisto is still months from trial, an I can tell you that at this point there is still a ton of investigating to be done, and yes, in our county that will fall on the shoulders of the Sherriffs office.
How about you drop your little legal critique and focus on the point of the original statement- Nou sucks. Always has. Always will.
Regarding Kivisto: The charge is trespassing. There were witnesses. How much investigation is required? Why will the trial not occur for months? I note that she had "no comment" on the trespass charge. Let's be serious. Did she enter the property of another without permission, or with permission based on misrepresentation? How hard can this be? Everything the County does has to be overly complicated and cost lots of time and money. Hooray.
ReplyDeleteIt's levy lift time, people! Remember that levy lift due to the horrible economy? Where they threatened to cut services we care about, while not even making a serious dent in the stuff that is bloated and unnecessary. Well, they want the levy lift increased and soon. At the same time, they seem to be planning to create another County department--Natural Resources. That's great--another director's salary (maybe Shireen?), another bunch of paperwork. Looks to be an effort to make the programs that exist only because of grant money into permanent taxpayer-funded jobs. On the agenda for next week. We still spend way more per person than any comparable county. Is Council ever going to address that?
ReplyDeletere: Journal Opinion piece "Big Dock,Big Boats, Bad Idea" which includes the statement:
ReplyDelete"Precedent: There are virtually no docks on this side of the island and approving this project would open the doors to other similar development, leading to a cumulative negative environmental and aesthetic impact, as docks start to appear along the coves on the westside. "
Might want to take a look at these previous "real islander"'s west side dock:
http://www.nps.gov/sajh/historyculture/copy-of-native-american-stewardship-series.htm
"Coast Salish and Nootka canoes and “Columbia River” boats dock below the old Kanaka village (see page 19) on its namesake bay, c. 1897." ..."Coast Salish from across the region reef netted or trolled for salmon here for generations."
What's this whole telling people what to do by sending them a letter in the paper? Why not welcome them, and if you have a concern let them know what it is. Like a kind, considerate person. The signing of a public comments like this "In kindness" or "peace" or so on, as has been done, really don't cut it.
Calling brush clearing a clearcut, on an island that's been heavily logged multiple times, didn't buy anyone anyone freaking out about that any credibility. A result of that clearing is the protected indian paintbrush on the site has increased and is thriving - as reported in the far reaches of the recent Journal article about Mar Vista, at the bottom, the part most people don't bother to read.
If I don't like that you bought a new car - or that you own a boat - because either of those can have, in their manufacture, operation, and ultimate disposal, as much damaging environmental impact as a dock - no matter where you park them - should I write a letter to the editor to band a bunch of people together to make you return it? Not even talk to you about it, with some humility and respect? I'm not saying docks on the westside are a good or bad thing, just saying -
This is getting nutty, and is no way to treat anybody.
Is this that "island spirit" people are always talking about?
Anyone see that hideous addition to the park at Fishing Bay? How many more ugly signs can we take here? That's supposed to be public land just like the island, but these Kwiaht people are all over it like white on rice. How about they just leave it alone and let the public enjoy it quietly?
ReplyDeleteSomebody please contact enforcement!
ReplyDeleteYou should see the nasty, hideous sign right in the center of Eastsound...who approves this garbage. Again the pseudo scientists of Kwiat??? Short for "If you speak fast enough, smell bad and no one understands, then you must be an expert."
ReplyDeleteThe tacky takeover needs to be stopped - and why is it in conjunction with other entities, also without public input???
I think "tacky takeover" is spot on. This is a torn T-shirt crowd of gibbering jihadists in thrall to a few crystal gazing gurus straight out of central casting. A dull little cult. No style. No cool pop songs. No art of the movement. No real intellectuals. No set of coherent ideas about the way forward other than to just scold, prevent, bully, trespass, shriek, regulate and spend. Just a waste of space. Next I expect to hear them say, stop breathing, you carbon polluter.
ReplyDeleteA lot of this has to do with the bad advice the new owners of Mar Vista seem to be getting.
ReplyDeleteBanging Kivisto is certainly justified and long overdue, but a waste of time and effort, and a PR miss step. Just let it go! This dame is her own worst nightmare, she will do herself in without much help.
"Big Boats!" Who says so? Do these people even own any boats?
Here again is a raft of bad advice. Taking a dock in and out every six months is, well, stupid and ridiculously expensive. (Like where do you park this puppy in the Winter?)
Some comment, the woman is total nouveau, well I'm surrounded by old rich and they are never here to enjoy the properties their maintenance people slave over for the never coming approval.
Maybe a nouveau rich person might be more interesting, than someone who has little or no contact with anyone outside the club.
Shit, would it kill you to wave hello and smile?
ReplyDeleteDame? I thought Frank Sinatra died.
If they really want that big dock, some protection insurance would help. They should call their Friendly broker and arrange a little deal.
ReplyDeleteSpecial thanks to all the TH readers who have contributed to Sharon's legal defense fund. From all of your generosity, the TH has received 28 cents so far. We knew this would be a long road (defending the indefensible usually is).
ReplyDeleteI just can't help but giggle when I think of someone with nearly unlimited resources sticking their "big dock" in the face of the Friends.
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping they suck the friends dry in the battle!
Yep. I am glad these guys are hauling Kivisto into court. Let this be an example to Stephanie Buffer. Sometimes it takes a newcomer with some resources to just go "WTF??!!" and remind the rest of us that we just have to pound these bastards into the dust before they do the same to us.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it is about time for another kind of Welcome Wagon.
Re: the Mar Vista property and the precious Indian paintbrush plant. First of all, I wonder how many of the shriekers on FB rant and rave could even identify it.
ReplyDelete2nd, are they aware that the expert from the Feds actually said, and this is confirmed by botany references, that the cutting of the shrubs that was done allowed more space and light to the Indian paint brush. It will thrive like it hasn't in years.
They didn't plow the hillside, all restoration required for stability was done.
It looks nice.
Mr and Mrs Honeywell, if you read the TH, don't let the fringe make you think you are not welcome here.
Thank you for your contributions to the food bank as well as the local economy.
Actually, I think the writer was using the slang. Dame, as in a woman a female. Not dame as in grand dame, mistress of a household, a woman in authority.
ReplyDeleteWe're talking the old English concept of a household, something a good deal more imposing than most of us have here.
Certainly Kivisto is: "Nothing, but a dame." but clearly she wants to be: "A Dame." (Especially the "authority" part of that.)
Dame Sharon Kivisto
ReplyDeleteHas kind of ring to it. Of authority. Old school. Old country. Harrumph and all that, say what?
This wasn't trespassing. This was a Royal Tour. With shrill horns and bugles. Capering maidens flinging rose petals high in the air and what not.
Considering Kivisto bragged to a number of people that she did this under some bulldorf guise of finding antlers from decades past, and that some of those that heard this are willing to come forward, she should be working on a plea deal.
ReplyDeleteAny good lawyer will look at the case and tell her to take a deal.
Khavisto is quite lucky, if she indeed forced her way into a private home, that the homeowner didn't deal with the problem more forcefully and permanently, as is allowed by Washington State Law.
ReplyDeleteWith a history of unstable pencil flinging and frothing at the mouth, I don't think a jury would disagree that the homeowner would feel threatened...
How many times has Her Ladyship sic'd the cops, permit enforcers, dull witted pols, ecofacists and the lumpen-proletariat brandishing torches and pitchforks on just plain folks minding their own business, pursuing happiness and the peaceful private enjoyment of years of hard work?
ReplyDeleteDunk the trespassing witch. Throw the book at her.
Hear, hear; can't we get her to go there! (As in never, never land.)
ReplyDeleteThe San Juan Eye-Lander
ReplyDelete"Trespassing on our neighbors since 1999."
Comments are forbidden
Have you ever had to wait for a news website to load while being told you being checked out to be sure you weren't launching a Denial of Service attack?
What a freak show. Paranoid delusions only exceeded by megalomaniacal fantasies of power and glory. Let's raise some funds and offer her a grant to move to Mosul with the rest of those fundamentalist fanatics.
You come across a blank piece of paper. Now think carefully. Is it.....
ReplyDeleteA) A list of Sheriff Nou's accomplishments?
B) A list of princess Rickki Hughes's accomplishments?
Or
C) A list of Ed Hale's qualifications.
Prizes will be awarded for the best answer.
No need to choose. It is a compilation of all of the above.
ReplyDeleteNot to switch gears to anything too serious, but I am very interested in understanding the opt-out possibility for SJC with regard to the GMA.
ReplyDeleteThe state GMA, which was designed to help define limits and growth paterns has always been far too over reaching for small counties like San Juan. The amount of money we have wasted in trying to maintain compliance with non-applicable regulation is astounding.
If the GMA were opted out of, we could eliminate 3-4 county positions tomorrow. We could get back to a world where regulation is driven by the needs of the county and not by the needs of the storm water regulators in Seattle.
I hope this issue ends up on the table for council discussion, because even if all they accomplish us this one item- it could be the most important thing done in this county in the last 2 decades.
What you will hear from the naysayers and the Ecoagitprop Machine of Friends is why bother? It doesn't matter. The CAO is still required and everything that goes with it is still required, that doesn't change at all. Forget it. Nothing will change.
ReplyDeleteWhat they won't tell you, among other things, is that opting out gets rid of the Growth Management Hearings Board. That alone is huge.
And, once these counties opt out, it sets the ball rolling, finally, towards the ultimate repeal or at least major overhaul of the GMA.
So, this is a Very Big Deal. That is why you will hear it doesn't make any difference, so why bother?
A state house bill in 2012 was drafted to allow several (3 or 4) small counties opting out of GMA. Bob and Rick were made aware of it, as they had just taken office.
ReplyDeleteThat would have been the time to pursue it. They choose to do nothing.
I haven't followed up what happened with the bill but I will research it.
Good idea to followup on it. The bill was passed in late March, a few months ago. So the time to focus on it, is "the sooner the better". There is an expiring deadline a county must meet in order to exercise the option. After that deadline passes, no deal.
ReplyDeleteThat deadline won't be coming for awhile. But County government has a habit of dragging their feet.
From the Senator from Republic who authored the bill:
ReplyDelete“The Growth Management Act is a prime example of how the Legislature looks at a problem in an urban area, like urban sprawl, and then passes legislation to try and address this throughout the state,” Dansel said. “The result is a costly, difficult process that is trying to address a problem that, in many places, isn’t there.”
Amen Senator Dansel! The same can be said for costly regulations invented by DOE to deal with similar urban issues that simply don't exist in smaller rural areas.
San Juan County should opt out sooner rather than later. The costs or compliance with the GMA are numerous and overly burdensome to the residents of this county.
Say what? FOSJ now has competition? Most have now received the multi page flyer from FOSJ flogging more then I have time to read. But, also a mailer card (67pd card stock...expensive) from this outfit "the San Juan Preservation Trust."
ReplyDeleteUsing the same doom is right at hand approach; maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next week, maybe not this year, but, oh my, certainly this century!
The same cataclysmic approach so successful for FOSJ membership and funding, so why not join in the fun.
Certainly most of us know there is a possibly of a nasty oil spill on our shores, but it is getting a bit tiring getting this pitch over and over again, from these outfits whose only goal is to get us in their crib.
Any parent who allowed their child to be "used" in the cover of the latest FOSJ flyer needs to think a whole lot more. Exploitation of kids is just about the lowest low.
ReplyDeleteGetting off the train ride into a brick wall with the GMA is an excellent idea.
With our home rule, we can do it. Never mind the three sloths...
By golly Jarman actually made a motion! Wow.Try again, Bob, you might find it is something you should have been doing for how long now? Months or years?
This might be a great new article for the TH.
ReplyDeleteEHB 1224, from my layman reading of the bill, would allow the county council to opt out of GMA. Ranker, Lytton, and Larsen all voted FOR the final version. Infact, it passed the final form UNANIMOUSLY. How often does that happen in any legislature.
From my reading, and any legal eagles that are TH readers, chime in please, the council has to pass an ordinance,
Notify the town, then get a reply from the town that they acknowledge it. From reading of the population language I don't think there are enough people in the town of FH to stop this. We have no other cities or tones so it comes down to the council.
This is very interesting folks. A bi partisan bill passed unanimously in the senate in final form and passed the house 4:1 or 5:1. This allows small rural counties with small populations to get out of GMA planning. I don't know exactly what the law means with the term "partial planning", but I imagine you have to have something. Hello, we do already.
But wait, there is more, if you opt out, you can't opt in for 10 years. Ok. Works.
Rick and Bob, here is your one shot at redemption. Your one chance to leave a lasting and valuable legacy. Look at the decades of legal battles, tens of millions, that's right, TENS of MILLIONS of dollars, and countless hours wasted trying to fit the round peg GMA in to the square hole San Juans.
I'm betting Jamie is a GMA supporter, and I don't begrudge him for that. I'm guessing Thomas is too.
Bob we can count on. Rick. It is all up to you.
Do you want to live in a rural island with rural character, with a truly local governance? Your successors, voted in by the citizens would not be constrained by the GMA.
How much money comes in to the general fund as a result of GMA $. I have no clue? Anyone?
Can we live up to our rugged self sustaining, close knit community supporting each other legacy, proud history?
Can we back the state government up a bit and say, hey we got this. The folks here have done a phenomenal job of keeping this place pristine.
Sure there are a few eyesore properties, but honestly, what has been the biggest screw ups as it relates to development? The county. Insane road projects with blown budgets and crooked sidewalks. Failed solid waste management. Failed storm water infrastructure projects. Failed CAO process and results.
What's the common theme here? Over paid bureacratS fighting for self preservation.
We need to regain local control. This is our one and only shot folks. We need to talk to Rick. Maybe a petition to compel them, if that is legal.
Tell the Council to listen to WE THE PEOPLE, not they thy Staff.
The 800# gorilla in the room locally, state level, federally, is that government is too big. It needs to be blunted back at every possible turn.
Rick. We implore you to listen and give this most serious consideration.
Jamie got his national monument. We have plenty of laws and protections. Let's reform them how we know what's best for us, by us. Sure we will still have planning commission debates, lawsuits and all that, but this is a real chance to shrink the influence of people with no real stake.
Folks, if ever we showed up for anything, this could be the single biggest turning point in county history.
Rick, search your feelings and heart. Close your ears to all the noise. Think about all you know and love about this place. The people you admire and respect, the citizens that frequent your store. You will see that this is the right thing to do.
If for some reason, after soul searching, you can not come to support this, you owe it to the citizens to explain, in writing, in detail, why.
Thank you.
@9:46, @5:55- good posts. Right in point , and the council should have an open debate on this. It damn well better be on the next agenda.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunatly, this is too hot-button for Rick. Everyone in the world of county administration will say that getting rid of the GMA is bad, an because he is in the room he will agree. They will all profess the doom and gloom that will happen if we drop it.
Yes, there will be a period of adjustment, but in the end we will be able to govern much better without it. As stated earlier, did we not choose "Home Rule". Lets live by our convictions.
No GMA. Not Tomorrow. Not Today.
Let's have a GMA-Free County
ReplyDeleteIt's the only alternatively orgasmic and proactively resilient go-forward best available management plan I can think of.
TH could sell T-Shirts at the County Fair. GMA in a red circle with a line drawn through it. "GMA Free - Or Die." "GMO Free Zone"
Coffee cups. Duck bill caps. Glass tumblers. Scented candles. Wind breakers. Chap stick.
Sorry but Rick is solidly owned by the fosj and his own greed. He will not give up any control of Eastsound and will not relent to any plea to get rid of the GMA even though it is in his own best interest. He will wallow in his own death throes when those GMA rules kill his own business and home property rights. So sorry, Rick, but support everybody or suffer your fate singly. Best of Luck, FOOL.
ReplyDeleteDump the GMA in the dump!
ReplyDeleteHas the GMA ever done anything for you? Out now!
ReplyDeleteThere is a sepulchre sitting on the State's bent knee, an idea from a tomb. The Growth Management Act, is just such a dead idea dragged along for no legitimate reason.
ReplyDeleteGoodbye GMA, we're leaving.
The EHB 1224 contains the following language as one of the conditions for opting out:
ReplyDelete(B) The county has previously adopted a resolution indicating its
33 intention to have subsection (1) of this section apply to the county;
We had to opt in originally, not be mandated to comply. Can anyone confirm that this is applicable? My memory is that the council crew before Evans and Co. were the ones that opted us in to this.
Next question, and maybe one for a legal person, the new section, critical section of HB1224 states:
(b)(i) Until December 31, 2015, the legislative authority of a
26 county may adopt a resolution removing the county and the cities
27 located within the county from the requirements to plan under this
28 section if:
"The legislative authority of a county...".
That typically means the council, but could that be an act put forth by the initiative powers in our charter?
Aren't we the people, as a home rule charter, the legislative authority per se in some manner?
I will do my reading but hoping someone with law degree can weigh in.
If this applies to us then we need to do it. Period.
Step one. Have it brought up immediately by Bob to see if the other 2 are interested in pursuing the opt out or at least having a debate or layout of the pros and cons.
If there isn't any sign of will from either of the 2, then we need to quickly (or simultaneously) mobilize to execute this action via our initiative process._
This is the single most important action we can take on a local level to regain control and pare back the over reach of the state. It is not needed.
If this door is open, we have less than 18 months to make it happen.
Quickly assessing the willingness of Rick or Jamie to comply is necessary. That would be the best course. Let's not assume that either of them would be opposed.
We need to demand that they respond to this, on the record, and state their clear position. So we are dealing in no uncertain terms.
I, (insert council member name here), am IN FAVOR OF/OPPOSED TO (circle one), pursuing "partial planning" pursuant to State EHB 1224 and removing San Juan County from GMA planning requirements.
Please list the 3 key reasons for your decision.
This is accountability, plain and simple.
Ok. Let's get to work.
All of you fail to understand that the 3 Hacks currently in office are there, or at least they think they are there because of the fiends of the San Juans. If you think that they will oppose anything that they stand for then you are sorely mistaken. The County, The Council, and all of the political players in this game are completely in the control of the fiends et al, Kiwhat, whatever eco NAZI group you want to define! Well you can see that us commoners, are well and truly screwed. Welcome to the club!!!
ReplyDeleteYep!! Welcome to the concentration camps. Hope you didn't plan on retiring here. Cause you will be exported. (If you haven't donated enough) Make your contribution now or forever be banned. FOSJ
ReplyDeleteFor an initiative to work we signatures equal to 15% of the people that voted in the last gubernatorial election. In 2012, that was 10,400ish. So we need 1560 signature (+/- 10).
ReplyDeleteYou have 120 days from approval by the auditor to collect signatures. Once the required signatures are collected, it get approved to form by the auditor and placed on the ballot for the next election at least 120 days out.
This means November 2015.
This also mean that if we want to gather signatures using the most effective means possible, we need to hustle to get the initiative and petition approved so signature collection can begin. For this to succeed, we need to capture signatures at the fair.
The path of least resistance is clearly to get Rick or Jamie to go along with this so that shouldn't be discounted as an option, but we should assume it won't work and that we have to do this ourselves.
Come on people.... YES WE CAN....
(wait a sec, need a different slogan that that....:))
An initiative is a fascinating idea ... don't forget the mini-initiative as a way to force the issue quickly.
ReplyDeleteRemember that a voter initiative has to create an ordinance and the ordinance language has to be hammered out completely AND approved-for-form before signatures can even be gathered.
So, what is the new law being proposed?
I would guess that the "intent of the legislature" was that this opt-out provision can only be exercised by the official representative legislative body of the county ... the council.
Somehow I doubt this is an open road for a voter initiative. I could be wrong, hope I am. In any event, we have to make this happen.
Yes, we did opt in and did have a choice originally. Bob Jarmon would definitely support opting out. Jamie obviously wouldn't.
ReplyDeleteRick is the one. Can there be some letters about the GMA?
I believe that Mr. Eaton of FH may have some serious criticisms of the GMA in relation to the islands. It would be fantastic to publicly hear his arguments against it.
Could the man who gave the talks at the Middle School Commons a few years ago about the CAO talk about the GMA and it's implications in a public forum?
The people on the GMA board know nothing about island life and are the ultimate decision makers concerning the CAO and the eligibility for strings attached grants.
Who spends time with Rick? Who knows what being tied to the GMA really means for islanders? Who can explain this to him? There are very good reasons to opt out that cannot be argued w/(it seems to me) and any grants that come from our participation are poisonous strings that limit our ability, with our intimacy w/the islands, to make appropriate decisions for our home.
Who can write that letter? It seems that every islander who loves it here doesn't want people from Olympia making their choices for them.
I am starting this process now. 2 ideas. 1) Use an initiative to pass an ordinance that follows procedures in HB 1224 and let the voters decide if we should opt out or not. Or 2) if the voters can not do this by initiative, then use the initiative process to pass an ordinance that compels/requires the council to take action.
ReplyDeleteYes, I have long thought that a properly crafted ordinance can compel the Council away from staff driven or agency driven directives.
ReplyDeleteOne way is to limit budget authorizations. Example: Who cares if the state laws force us to pass a CAO and the citizens cannot overturn it by referendum (because the state requires it as other counties have learned).
Can the State force the county so spend any money implementing the CAO? Don't believe they can.
So an initiative that focuses on specific budget and policy priorities can potentially be pretty powerful ...
1) The County may no spend one thin dime, burn one light-bulb, provide any level of staffing, accept any conditioned grant money and so on to implement, administer, enforce or otherwise manage:
* the CAO
* any GMA driven planning activity
* any Pictometry or land use data collection activity
* any grant conditioned road, wetland or storm-water activities
* any policy activity involving coordination with any NGO, quasi-governmental organization or state or federal agency
Funds captured or saved in this manner will partially be used to finance a formal 10th Amendment Coordination legal department accountable directly to the County Council to advise and manage legal affairs with any external public agency involved land use management activities within the boundary of San Juan County.
The San Juan County Budget Control Act of 2015
There was a presentation on Orcas regarding this last night. Did anyone happen to tape it? If so, can you get it posted to you tube?
ReplyDeleteThanks!
As another fund raising tool for all the money we'll need to get stuff done like legal aid for Sharon Kivisto the Friends Protection Insurance Fund and the GMA Free Zone Campaign, may I propose a set of action figure toys?
ReplyDeleteThe Ocean Hero. Comes with detachable duck waders, jar of pomade, estuarine habitat and fetching young intern.
The Rosendorf. Sort of a two headed affair, featuring two draw strings generating simultaneous incoherent ramblings.
The Council Critter. A dashboard bobble-head, with permanent glue to fix in one position forever. Comes with a variety of easily changed facial expressions and movable glad hands.
The Friendly Funder. Comes with 5,000 sq ft waterfront estate with full complement of wait staff, grounds keepers, guest house, a personal Land Bank Commissioner, a 1,200 ft dock, an eloquence of lawyers and a plunder of goons.
"Isn't it pretty to think so."
ReplyDeleteUnless an entity like Trust Islanders steps up, all this hyperbola here is a waste of time as it usually is.
TI (Real Estate sales) likely is too busy at this time of year making money to fuss about dumping the GMA.
Certainly we can't get three votes from the County Council, however, now that Jarman knows how to make a motion, he might make one just to make public the issue. (That would be a good idea Bob!)
Then it is ironing boards at the markets and road signs. I do believe the mini initiative is simply a let em off the hook idea going nowhere.
Paid petition signing does work and while it makes me want to retch I certainly would contribute because it does work.
If our adversary spends lots of money to keep pushing the goal posts its gonna cost a lotta money to push them back in place.
ReplyDeleteThink of Trust Islanders as a battle proven sword resting in its sheath. Give the pommel a little pat. See, its still there. All rested, and ready, and very, very sharp ...
@7:39
ReplyDeleteWe only need 2 votes, not three.
I don't believe this action yet qualifies under the mini petition. I believe, however, that it can be taken using regular initiative. I am seeking legal advice.
Trust me when I say that a new quiet movement has begun. You won't hear about it but you will notice some changes start to appear. The work is beginning in the shadows.
We are going to bounce the Sheriff out of office as a start.
They guy is acting pretty smug about the election. He either is naive or thinks he has something up his sleeve.
Well, we will soon be letting dear Robbie Nou that some of those aces up his sleeves are actually jokers.
What he thinks might be a clever campaign maneuver might very well go beyond just losing....
We smacked the machine last time around. They didn't see that coming.
Anyone who thinks we are sitting back, picking our Dorfs, and thinking what worked last time will work again and we can just coast is grossly mistaken.
The game is evolving faster than the machine can adjust. Their machine is large, burdened, slow to respond. Almost a dinosaur.
Ours is evolving.
Stay tuned.
You know Tyrannosaurus Rex was destroyed before
ReplyDeleteBy a furry little ball that crawled along
The primeval jungle floor
He stole the eggs of the dinosaur
close your eyes & create the sound
open your hands & rebuild the ground
We are egg snatchers, egg snatchers
flashin' sunshine children
Bunch of diamond thieves
Could people write out for me, explicitly, what they feel the negatives for the islands are in relation to participation in the GMA?
ReplyDeleteI know that the requirement to write the CAO has cost our county massive amounts of time and money for no obvious gain I've seen and great loss.
By the way. I've been told multiple times in the past that there was absolutely no way to get out of it once you'd joined. What's changed?
We are working on a piece now explaining the pitfalls. What had changed is the senate passed a bill allowing qualifying counties to opt out. We qualify.
ReplyDeleteI have enjoyed reading your post. It is well written. It looks like you spend a large amount of time and effort on your blog. I appreciate your effort. Please check out my site.
ReplyDeletePhoto Booth Rental Detroit
@10:32
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome. Where will that be posted?
@ 10:32 AM
ReplyDeleteTechnically speaking, the legislature passed the bill, signed into law by the Governor.
In some respects it sailed through too easily. I would like to hear the full story.
And would be surprised by an analysis that would suggest we are better off leaving things as they are ...
Hoping to see a variety of viewpoints emerge soon.
Maybe we just need some new bumperstickers. Here's one:
ReplyDelete"Nou Who? Who Nou!?"
@10:52
ReplyDeleteI tend to use the terms "senate", "legislature", "elected morons", and "&$^%#ing politicians" interchangably.
The bill got modified and ended up with a closer to unanimous passage. Our District 40 reps initially opposed it but when the final vote came up, the voted for. Heck, even Her Highness, Ranker voted for it.
Which makes my darkly suspicious nature smolder with doubt ...
ReplyDeleteI hear the original bill was a pure opt out. No more GMA period and nothing related to it including CAO. That was the sticking point. The compromise put the CAO requirement back in and a few other handy buzzwords the DOE and Washington Environmental Council could not live without.
So it is like saying to small rural counties, we don't care what you do about housing, infrastructure, economic development or the rest of that crap as if people mattered as long as you are still yoked to the CAO millstone. Sure, opt out. Hah.
And then the Democrat caucus leaders directed their whips to go forth and bring in the votes. Why?
There is something about the near unanimity here that makes me wonder what the real story is.
But, who cares. Let's do it. Its a start. We can build on this.
Any distance from the controlling interests of State government, even an inch, is worth going after.
ReplyDeleteRemember the bed these people sleep in must be very large, because the DOE and FOSJ and a whole host of others wanna sleep there.
The revelation the crown prince, Kevin Ranker, voted for the op-out option might wake you in the middle of the night. But, rest assured, he knew nothing about what he was voting on. I don't think he ever does.
My thought is let's go for it! What is your property worth? What do you want to do with it? How good would you feel to beat these creeps off your land?
However, 3:09, none of this stuff goes easy.
As an aside. It appears Ms. Lynn Peterson, Washington State Secretary of Transportation, did not like any of the candidates who wanted to be our new ferry boat boss.
Currently our "service" collects most operating cost with a 70% fare box recovery.
Check it out, for a public transportation system this is not just unusual, it does not exist.
King Metro, gets 19.1% (The dreamers budget at around 25%) Sound Transit is at around 22% fare box recovery.
So let us review:
A) Current management can't design a boat that floats upright, or is designed to minimize dredging costs. In fact, this management wants to continue to design slow expensive to build boats like the ones now 60 years old.
B) Current management has no clue as to how to market their product. The extremely large waste spaces on the boats could be used in many ways management can't be bothered in exploring.
C) Food service is a complete disaster. Never to be relied upon, it is it's own worst enemy, just short of the ridiculous reliance on VENDING MACHINES that don't work!
Frankly, Ms. Peterson looks a little anal retentive, perfect for a high paying State job, but I don't blame her in her reluctance to put another bone head in charge of the State ferry system.
Monday morning check:
ReplyDelete1) Am I under indictment for trespassing? No. Check.
2) Have I been blatantly changing historical climate data to suit an agenda? No. Check.
Ok. I think I can leave the house now.
We are excited to introduce an upcoming feature on the TH Blog. In process is the creation of a live chat room with the ability to host the local chapter meeting of FA (Friends Anonymous). This is a traditional 12 step program dedicated to providing all the tools for recovery to former members of the Friends of the San Juans, or even current members who know that they have a problem.
ReplyDeleteIn the tradition of all 12-step programs, it will be anonymous.
We have a growing number of people who suffer from this addiction (more on that later), and can offer some great community based support.
(member) "Hi, my name is Dave. I am a recovering Agenda Driven Eco Policy addict. It has been 7 months since my last donation to the FOSJ".
(Group) "HI DAVE, WELCOME"
Stay tuned.
Let ours be a "pure" opt out. F the GMA and the horse it rode in on. (Oh wait, leave the horse alone.)
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know of a analytical document relating to the GMA that explains what the county would be looking at in terms of possible funding effects by "opting out"?
ReplyDelete(And please don't respond with the no grant is a good grant so damn them all response. I agree you don't take the money just because its there, but federal and state granting of funds is the new mechanism by which money is doled out, so you have to take some of them if you hope to keep afloat)
What I am wondering is in the "opt-out" legislation, did the authors have the foresight to eliminate punitive damages against the counties that decided to follow the legislation? Or, does opting out come with penalties in terms of cash-flow to the county?
I have read the legislation, but I am not familiar with all of the other tentacles that tie into the GMA so I feel like I only have 1/2 the story. Anyone out there with some ideas?
Maybe Kevin can help. First he was told to oppose the bill so he did. Then, he was told to vote for the bill, so he did.
ReplyDeleteWhy?
Rosendorf I'd running...again...for a hospital board position...fuck me is there nothing for this idiot to do beside run for every and any quasi-government opening?
ReplyDeleteHowie...GET A FUCKING LIFE ALREADY
He just really wants to help and serve and rant and rave and regulate and control as if his very existance depended on it.
ReplyDeleteHowie just will not ever "get it."
ReplyDeleteGo away! Leave us without you, we'll be just fine.
Thankfully we have a competent person who could be appointed. (Any bets?)
Darn, I can't find it, but someone said they were in contact with an attorney to explain or draft an op-out petition.
ReplyDeleteHello, out there, how is that going?
We're ready to start and help pay the attorney fees.
Hello! Shireene DISMISSED from CDP??? 8 years too late ($700,000 in salary and benefits too late, 2 tons of paper full of gibberish too late, 200 meaningless public meetings too late, hundreds of lives ruined too late, economy of county nearing ruin too late, but hey--it's a start. Hoping she and her mister are moving far, far away. That would reduce the county budget outlay for payroll and benefits by $200,000 or so a year, with a net improvement in county services. Who could say no to that result? Just six or seven other surplus planners to go.
ReplyDelete"A reorganization of San Juan County's Community Development and Planning Department is underway beginning with the dismissal of Planning Coordinator Shireene Hale."
ReplyDeleteSan Juan Islander. June 24, 2014.
Ding Dong, indeed. Wonder how much pension money she'll be drawing down?
I wonder if Shireene even realizes the damage she has caused? Or is she doing a great job in her own mind and the County is unable to see the genius that she is?
ReplyDeleteI would like to see her apologize, but that would be about as likely as Lovel giving a concession speech.
Millions of dollars. Millions. That woman cost our community countless amounts of money. More than most people make in a lifetime.
Why are they keeping her around until August 1st? Are they going to have her train someone new?
I guess we shouldn't complain too much, it is a step in the right direction.
Rob Nou is next.
ReplyDeleteEvergreen State College. Alumni Entrepreneurs. Kevin Ranker.
Washington State Senator, Ocean Hero and Consulting.
Consultant = unemployable trust fund brat with no marketable skill set
ReplyDeleteFrom CSA website: "Ed Kilduff has owned property on Lopez since 1998 and been an environmental consultant for over 20 years. "
ReplyDeleteThere's a big difference between Kilduff and Ranker. Tufts. MIT and Colo. Mines engineering vs. Evergreen make-up-a-major and you can graduate.
ReplyDeleteThen there's work history. Kilduff has had real jobs doing real things with real enterprises. Ranker worked for Surfrider Foundation and the Friends and is now a politician.
Night and Day. Happy that Ranker found family money to support his whimsical career path until the taxpayers came along. Kilduff is still out there cleaning up environmental superfund sites. Real work. Real benefit to society.
“Rarely do I see an opinion so bungled and riddled with logical cul-de-sacs as the CSA opinion,” said Brian Hodges, Managing Attorney for the NW Office of the Pacific Legal Foundation, in his summation of San Juan County Superior Court Judge Eaton’s decision signed on June 19th in the case of Common Sense Alliance, et al. v. Growth Management Hearings Board of Western Washington.
ReplyDeleteWow. Hodges plays with the big boys at the (real) Supreme Court and has a remarkable record of success in slapping down government efforts to appropriate land without good reasons. It is sad that our own ragtag legal minds in the county have produced such a bad showing. I guess that is what appeals are for. But it seems that if we pay the local judge a decent salary, he could write a decent opinion. This one is indeed bungled. But so goes life in San Juan county.
Pardon me 5:23:
ReplyDeleteYou lifted only the first sentence on Kilduff. My brother is a grad of MIT as a physicist. He also has his MD and is licensed to practice in California where he now manages drug trial research teams World wide.
Oh, gee whiz, (and, yes, I know such drug trials are done a lot easier outside the US to our benefit of course) but believe me there ain't no flies on such people.
Kilduff has extensive experience in the real science of environmental issues. The guy IS a geologist and geophysicist. He knows what he is talking about!
Ranker, married well and knows how to use a doggie bag. (He probably would only do so if a photo op was in progress.) Likewise Hale, except she would still use a pooper scooper if no one was watching because she is convinced she is a good person.
The level of those who really do know something, like David Hyde, and Kilduff---well how to say it--is HUGELY different than those who have been throwing us under the bus for the last five years, while convinced they know best.
@6:05...what did Eatons decision say?
ReplyDeleteIt is Donald E. Eaton, Superior Court Judge, (elected).
ReplyDeleteOur dear judge would have done well in the World Cup as he punted perfectly. (Some think he wasn't very good at that.)
Much like Randy, Eaton is a good basic family law type; killing mom is OK because you were confused and mom, a bit on the sauce, told you to do your homework.
Both are, frankly, pretty good at dealing with such stuff. Other things; not so good.
The expectation Judge Eaton would have the smarts to see the logic and law presented with the CAO debacle here in SJC were misplaced.
Don't like em? Don't vote for em.
I believe that Ed Kilduff was on Mylasian Air flight 370 that disappeared.
ReplyDeleteCould we all stop for a minute and pray for those missing and their families.
Thanks.
@6:34
ReplyDeleteI am not sure that the 5:23 commenter even warranted a response.
When I read it, my first thought was "Sharon? shouldn't you be preparing your defense?"
If we opt out of GMA, you won't see any more lawsuits in San Juan County of xxxxx vs. the GMHB.
ReplyDeleteI knew we had one Kangaroo Court judge in Andrews, didn't know we had 2.
Wonder if we will ever see something like this in a news article?
"And the judge was quoted, between coughing fits and exhaling copious volumes of smoke saying, "hey man, its legal now..." Eyewitness reports indicated that the recently released legal ruling had "orange fingerprints, as if someone ate a whole bag of Doritos and handled the thing..."
Mike Taylor is on the hospital board. Howie's not.
ReplyDeleteHowie showed up in a t-shirt and jeans...what a fucking idiot.
ReplyDeleteGet the point Howie and FUCK OFF AREADY...and please take the 42% brain dead morons who voted for you with you...
I think old Howie just wanted one more little soap box to stand on for one more self important little rant. He didn't really care if was appointed or not. He just wanted to be a fussbudget. Over the hill asshole. Rosendorf for sure.
ReplyDeleteWell...here we are, all these years later, so much poorer, less free, and shackled with fetters of incomprehensible regulation...THANK YOU SHIREENE!
ReplyDeleteAnd don't let that revolving door hit you on the way out. What great career opportunity lies in the private sector for one of such accomplishment.
ReplyDeleteDirector of Enforcement, Friends of the San Juans
Poet in Residence, Madrona Institute
Proactive Citizen Science Field Coordinator, Kwiath
San Juan National Monument Management Plan Analyst
The mind reels.
Well, as we saw a poster last year regularly posting how each week the Hales would be receiving another $3,000 of our taxpayer money.
ReplyDeleteGuess that can be revised downward by about half.
I think this woman is blinded by her own arrogance to know the extent of the damage she has inflicted.
In her mind, it is everyone else's fault. Blame the council, blame the planning commission, blame ecology, blame the CSA. I realize that she was not alone in the blame, but damn if she doesn't accept a single ounce of accountability.
Just remember she testified to the council, about portions of the regulations SHE WROTE, that "it's complicated, like the tax code" and "even I don't understand parts of it"
I'm sure council and Thomas are somehow obligated to say nice things publicly and thank here for her service. Disgusting.
Shireene, if you are reading this, get your resume polished and sent in to Prothman. They have a knack for shuffling incompetent bureacrats around. You should be a good fit. And if they offer you a job far far away, please don't hesitate to reach out to the community for help with moving expenses. A fundraiser for that cause would bring in untold fortunes.
Hooray! I'd love to pay for wrapping the teacups!
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, still waiting for a heads up by someone who has an attorney contact for drafting an op-out.
TH people; if you want to be a fungicide you gotta be a killer.
(Actually nothing wrong with fungi, just people who like being covered with the stuff, barely able to open one eye.)
ReplyDeleteThe Progressive Majority recruited Kevin Ranker.
Looks like he answered their questionnaire correctly.
What can we do to make the County Council opt out of the GMA? The only grants we would lose are those which fund planning under the GMA! In other words, less plans, less cost, less need for staff!
ReplyDeleteIn any normal board, a member makes a request for staff to draft legislation. The item is then opened for discussion and other board members give opinion. Generally, almost always, staff is burdened with responding with a draft. (Making staff work is always an easy decision.)
ReplyDeleteNobody has voted on anything. Things just morph along.
Staff likes the direction or dislikes it and usually this also is obvious.
The member trying to get something done makes a sales pitch when staff presents their draft.
Everybody has, at this point had lots of time to make up their mind. A real leader can change those minds. A real leader battles back and brings the issue to the floor more than once or twice, each time with more and better words.
The no votes get tired. (I actually witnessed a woman council member beat the living shit out of her colleagues over a period of six months. As a reporter, I was completely with the majority that the minor situation she wanted corrected was a non issue. She eventually won, and I'll never forget it.)
We see where CSA raised a whopping 90K in a few weeks. Mostly in response to a decision by Donald E. Eaton, sitting on the State Superior Court.
Imagine, Mr. Eaton, if that 90K was motivated in getting you replaced.
Oh, I know, you don't think about such stuff. Well of course you don't, that's just the public expressing it's concern over your ruling enforcing the in crowd.
"In any normal board, a member makes a request for staff to draft legislation. The item is then opened for discussion and other board members give opinion. Generally, almost always, staff is burdened with responding with a draft."
ReplyDeleteGood luck with getting "staff" to do anything. They sit and tell Council directly or indirectly to f---off.
This is not hard to do. A simple resolution. Maybe even one of the 400 lawyers in Randy's office could focus on it for a few minutes. Amy Vira? She could eliminate her job that way.
Regarding Judge Eaton's ruling on the GMA lawsuit, I was reminded of the poem by Persian poet Hafiz:
ReplyDeleteThe small man
Builds cages for everyone
He Knows.
While the sage,
Who has to duck his head
When the moon is low,
Keeps dropping keys all night long
For the
Beautiful
Rowdy
Prisoners.
The Heron has been dropping the keys for all of us for quite some time. Maybe he has expectation that more than a few in the community will pick them up. Just maybe he will be inspired to drop more keys if we show signs of helping ourselves. Helping CSA with the legal expenses for an appeal would be a great start. I will send a check today.
Royce Meyerott
TrustIslanders!
Dear Royce: I sent in what I could not afford ($1,000.00, two weeks ago.)
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping your's was more. Yes, I'm avoiding an unfair direct question.
I always go to sea as a sailor, because they make a point of paying me for my trouble, whereas they never pay passengers a single penny that I ever heard of. On the contrary, passengers themselves must pay. And there is all the difference in the world between paying and being paid.
ReplyDeleteThe urbane activity with which a man receives money is really marvellous, considering that we so earnestly believe money to be the root of all earthly ills, and that on no account can a monied man enter heaven. Ah! how cheerfully we consign ourselves to perdition!
"The white whale tasks me; he heaps me. Yet he is but a mask. 'Tis the thing behind the mask I chiefly hate; the malignant thing that has plagued mankind since time began; the thing that maws and mutilates our race, not killing us outright but letting us live on, with half a heart and half a lung.
ReplyDeleteAnyone following the thread on Orcas Issues about the GMA?
ReplyDeleteInteresting voices jumping in for support of repeal. Sadie Bailey, who is very much an environmentalist is bashing it. Soon we might even see a Friend or two jump in!
Kevin Buffum Hughes?
ReplyDeleteIs this a lot of weddings or reasonable small town stuff; or nothing at all?
With no difference in importance it did seem Lopez was the "Decider' but now it seems Orcas is: "Issues."
ReplyDeleteWith the staggering numbers of low information voters, this could be a huge opportunity for us......think about it.....
ReplyDelete"Vote to opt out of GMA, shut down coal shipping for good!!!!!"
That's right, every ecofool in the county would vote without thinking for the slogan:
ReplyDelete"Vote for GMA Free San Juan"
What's this all about they may ask?
Answer is simple:
Monsanto Koch Brothers are to blame. And coal trains. We can't do this to the whales. Help keep the islands GMA free!
The new food co-op on Orcas sells only GMA free goods, and Lisa Byers is the president of their board!
ReplyDeleteThe Ocean Hero urges on his flock:
ReplyDelete"Be GMA Free and Vote for ME!"
You know, aside from the great laugh lines herein, this actually might work.
ReplyDelete"Vote YES, and be GMA free for the good health of your whole family!"