ping
FYI
Isn't that what the Washington State message board is for?
It's there for this exact reason...to discuss politics and such within your own state.
Anyone have any thoughts on this candidate?
BTTT AWESOME work Sionnsar!
Like the new digs:)
Several people are coming togather determined to see REAL election reforms in the next legislative session. If you are interested in being a part of this, please e-mail me at hanna@televar.com
Vivian Henderson is Kitsap County's version of Ron Ewart.
Charlie Bermant of the Newspaper Group asked me for a statement on the forum last night. I don't know how much, if any of the following statement he will print but I wrote this up and submitted it.
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A lot of people last night were skillfully fed bland, lukewarm pablum. Early in the program Commissioner Endresen told the audience “This is an opportunity for everyone to have their questions answered.” That was not true. Questions were randomly drawn from a communal box. Cindy Baker, Director of Community Development, made the statement “…20 or more times the public has had an opportunity to participate.” That is not true. That she can make a public statement like that in good conscience troubles me.
Any property owner who walked away from that meeting last night relieved to learn that most land use rules remain unchanged will be in for quite a surprise if and when they ever have to apply for a permit.
I was extremely disappointed when Commissioner Jan Angel, (R) defended the county’s failure to include the public in the Critical Areas updating process.
It wasn’t the questions they answered last night. It was the questions that were not answered. It wasn’t the information that was presented last night; it was the information that was not presented. For example not one word was mentioned that the county will require critical areas and their buffers dedicated as open space in perpetuity.
The property owner will never be able to use that property – ever.
There is no evidence that the existing critical areas ordinance is not sufficiently protecting our critical areas. The claim that the “state made us do it” is a matter of degree. The question we need to be asking ourselves is “Do we have local elected officials who are protecting us from the overreach of a too powerful state and federal government or have our local elected officials joined forces with state and federal agencies in violating our constitutional rights as property owners and citizens.” I fear it is the latter.
The county gave a “performance” last night. There is a huge difference in an audience witnessing a “performance” and an audience being allowed to participate in the process.
Property owners are the lobsters in the pot. If they don’t mind some of their property rights being taken away today, some tomorrow, more at the next critical areas update, more when the comprehensive plan is revised, more when the countywide planning policies are updated, more with stormwater management regulations then they don’t have anything to worry about. Those of us who are worried need to get involved now before we no longer have any rights.
The blank checks property owners are being asked to sign in this latest update of the Critical Areas Ordinance are:
Recent US Supreme Court decisions have focused the public’s attention on eminent domain abuses. Probably even more egregious are the regulatory abuses government has been inflicting on property owners for the past 30 years.
“Death by a 1,000 cuts.” That is what is happening to property rights in Kitsap County.
Vivian Henderson
Executive Director
Kitsap Alliance of Property Owners