The following letter is in response to Randi Miller, Already Checked Out.

Irritated Tulsan,

What is the purpose of saying mean and cruel things.. I am pretty sure most of the folks parking in the old Bells area thought Bells not being there was nice.. Not one complained.. Fair gate up 9%.. Oh my.

Why would she want to be in meetings that she is not going to be around to support.
Why is no one asking either of the two candidates what their opinions are.. Why spend the words on Randi? Lets ask Sally or Karen about the jail, or the fair.

What happened to Wilbert.. or Bob? Seems we are a fickle group of citiznes..

So Sally or Karen, what is your response to the jail questions or the questions of the fair that arise.. Tell us before I vote.. So I know whom to question when you don’t follow your promises.

Signed,
Ben
 

Dear Ben,

Thank you for writing in and being another person that took something I wrote too seriously.  It's good to see a Randi Miller Warrior.

I can't answer your last question because I am not the direct link to Bell or Keith.  I can answer the others.

"What is the purpose of saying mean and cruel things.."  - It's fun.

"Why would she want to be in meetings that she is not going to be around to support." - Absolutely right.  Why start attending meetings now?

"What happened to Wilbert.. or Bob?" - What!?!?!?!  What did you do!?!?!?!  Noooooo!!!!!!!  The blood!  Bulging eyes!  Furry tails!  Tails?  Oh wait, that's just another one of the 5,000 dead squirrels I've seen in Midtown.  Calm down, they're fine.  Just fine.

Signed,
Irritated Tulsan

Then there is this. Ms. Murray is clearly out of touch with today’s pluralistic world, which brings to people the riches of the world’s religions, science, literature, the arts, and scholarship. In the face of this, Ms. Murray cites some shallow theology and a spurious interpretation of the Bible to call people back to a narrow “One Way, One Truth” kind of religious path. For my part, I’m grateful that a prophet like Martin Luther King, Jr., ignored calls like this. MLK Jr. discovered the power of peace through the works of a Hindu saint, Gandhi; and his eyes were opened to the New Testament’s message of love when he read a spiritual classic of Hinduism, the Bhagavad Gita. To me, this says that a spiritual life which draws wisely from multiple religious traditions can change lives and change the world. It also says that if you want to be enriched in your home religious tradition, don’t be afraid to explore other voices and other ways. God is too big to be contained by any single tradition, and this is but evidence of God’s goodness and God’s mercy.

Rev. Anthony David

Senior Minister, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta

I can give you the whole story if you're interested, but I implore you to not patronize that gas station or the Quiznos next door.  It was one of the scariest experiences I've ever had and I'm SUPER angry at the management.  

-------------------------------

To the Editor:

On Friday, I was at the Circle K gas station on north Lincoln Avenue in Urbana. While in the store, some young men verbally assaulted me for no apparent reason.  They circled around me, yelled profanities, and called me names. The experience was intimidating, frightening and unprovoked.  I was shocked that anyone would speak like that to a stranger in public.What happened next was more shocking.

After the men left, I asked to speak to a manager.  He was dismissive and disrespectful.  He made an already bad situation even worse. He claimed there was nothing he could do because I could not give a full description of the man.  I asked to speak to the other two employees who were present, since one of the men said he was a former employee. The manager  refused to talk to either of the clerks in front of me calling it a “confidential personnel matter.”  I insisted that we talk to the clerk behind the counter and that he take down my name and number. The police were eventually called, but not until after the men and I had left the store.

I will not be returning to that gas station, nor to the attached Quiznos sandwich shop.  It is clear from this experience that the management does not value the safety of their customers.  Although they are not responsible for the actions of the men, they failed to react immediately and appropriately to what could have been an extremely dangerous situation.

Today I thought I'd try to voice an opinion that will, hopefully, involve all of our readers, American, Canadian and internationally.  I read a lot of online news (Huffington Post, Salon, Gawker) that tends to take a liberal (my mom might say socialist) point of view.  Salon recently published a letter-to-the-editor that was both thought-provoking and incredibly well developed; America is scaring the hell out of us Canadians! is a treatise on nationalism, fear, and the impact of American Global Culture on Canadians.

Bottom line, my old coping strategy -- which was something along the lines of "love the Americans, not that wild about their government" -- just isn't working anymore. America 2.0 scares the living crap out of me. And at what point in time do I have to accept that you're sincere and take you at your "brand promise," as marketing and P.R. types like to put it, that your government is truly representative of your people?

I know that I agree strongly with the majority of sentiment expressed in this letter.  I'm terrified of the impact that the American election will have on my life.  I'm unable to contribute my vote but the outcome of this election will change the way my country manages its economy, forms policies, enforces law, and how it chooses to participates in global warfare.  The American election is, literally, a crapshoot as far as being a Canadian is concerned.  We are impacted profoundly, but are unable to control the outcome.

What we are able to do is to vote with our consciences in our election on October 14th (yes, I've said this before, VOTE).  If you're a Canadian citizen who will be 18 or older on October 14th you are eligable to vote, no matter where you are in the world. It is your responsibility to vote and you should embrace the opportunity; if you need more information on registering to vote or voting from overseas, visit the Elections Canada Gateway.

Yesterday I mailed my vote back to Ottawa.  Who I voted for is irrelevant, but I will say that I didn't vote Conservatives because I believe that their policies make Canada a weaker, less welcoming, unequal country.  So, while you're busy watching the US debates or busy mocking Palin for another misstep in dress or mothering, maybe take a moment on the CBC (or, hell, the National Post if it's your sort of thing) to look up the candidate in your riding, the national platforms, and think about what YOU believe Canada is all about.

Copyright © 2008 WrappedUpInBooksBlog. All rights reserved.

I believe it was George Orwell who said "myths which are believed in tend to become true".

I like Jason Rojas. He's a nice guy and no doubt a great father. Certainly he doesn't lack passion or drive. I can't sit idle however and watch the propagation of myths.

As much as I like Mr. Rojas I just can't bring myself to support him in legislating my life and taxes as a representative for the 9th House Seat. You see, Mr. Rojas believes he represents fiscal restraint but his record on the East Hartford Town Council disputes that claim.

It was Mr. Rojas who introduced and voted for a measure to increase the town's electric costs by up to 28% in the name of "being green". It was also Mr. Rojas who aggressively defended and voted for a raise in the Mayor's already generous executive salary. Both of these in a time when according to Mr. Rojas himself families are struggling financially to meet their own burdens, forget dealing with the increasing taxes he has consistently voted for. Sadly, it gets worse from there.

During this year's budget process Mr. Rojas clearly demonstrated his disconnect from the rest of us when he suggested that our property tax burden, roughly $383 per month for the average household, isn't a large factor in foreclosures in this town and is somehow an acceptable burden.

He followed up nicely by heralding the arrival of the "foreclosure assistance" bill along with Mayor Currey and Senator LeBeau. The bill is more appropriately called the "citizen shakedown" bill since it provides for the state, also known as you and I, to pay the mortgages on McMansions for up to 5 years with few requirements for qualification. Whether Mr. Rojas supports the fleecing of the taxpayer in this manner, or simply didn't read the bill he was lauding I don't know. Either way, it's not the way I want a state representative to govern.

Would I have coffee with Mr. Rojas? Yes. Would I vote for him? No.

I was inspired to submit this letter after reading a letter from Jason which was published in the Journal Inquirer titled "Economic leadership needed". Jason's letter can be viewed here: September 27-38 Letters

In other news, I'm proud to announce that the 6th District Republicans are hosting the first annual Make Something Happen Day on Saturday, October 25th. This fundraiser is an opportunity for Republicans to come together and discuss the future of our town as well as our party and hear from our candidates, including Joe Visconti.  

I also expect the East Hartford Republicans to be announcing a tax reform strategy before too much more time passes.

He also compares the required service as a low-paying job. A quick calculation would show that it is equivalent to a $10 wage after taxes. This is much more than I make, and my job doesn't set me on the path for a life of community service.

He finally states that this program would be covered by tax payers. Of course it would be. Taxes are there for the purpose of helping improve the community in ways that individuals can't do alone. Additionally, helping the poor climb out of poverty would lead to increased opportunities for the helpless, leading to increased national revenue and standard of living for the country as a whole, leading to increased revenue for the government. Every party is a winner.

Let's not let partisan tunnel-vision skew our views of the issues.

Patrick Turley, Provo

Ben Thornton - Bothell, Wash.

The latter letter was even more irksome than the first. The author stated "It is because of feminists that men do not sexually harass you on a daily basis." What a sexist comment in itself! Essentially, she is saying that men are sexually driven pigs that only keep their hands to themselves out of fear of being sued. I believe that men do not sexually harass women "on a daily basis" out of respect toward them. Mind you, respect for womanhood has been around a lot longer than the feminist movement (the term chivalry may ring a bell).

In conclusion, let's take it easy on the prejudgments and sexist comments.

Jared Johns - Milwaukee, Wis.

What if we extended the tipping argument beyond the restaurant business? Your kids go to school and their teacher writes an article in the local paper stating that your kids' Christmas gifts to her should be at least 20 percent of the annual cost of educating the child because that is just what teachers deserve and teachers are paid too little anyway. Or how about paying the attendant a 20 percent tip when you pay for gas?

Tipping is an anachronistic beast that non-Americans loathe and don't understand. I say restaurateurs should join the rest of the capitalistic world and pay their employees, the servers, what they believe the servers are worth. Those that do well, get raises. Those that don't, eventually get fired. To cover the cost of the waiters, the price of the food is increased. Simple, right? It works for the rest of capitalism, let's get the food industry on board! This tipping thing is bizarre. And by the way, I deserve to be paid a 20 percent premium for my time in writing this letter from every one of you who reads it.

Dennis Wise - Orem

It never ceases to amaze me the misconceptions about Republican ideals and policies. It never ceases to amaze me how many different variations are out there. The one thing that doesn't surprise me is that they are all based on Democratic misinformation and propaganda. And so when I read today's Des Moines Register I just shook my head and chuckled at the absurdity of the letter writer's conclusions. The letter in question was written by one Julie Simanski from Ankeny. You can find the actual letter here. Ms. Simanski makes the argument that Republicans are anti-woman in their policies and that the McCain/Palin ticket is anti-woman. When I read that I thought to myself, so now I am supposed to believe that a woman is against herself. Ms. Simanski is being foolish; she just doesn't realize it yet. Now what I am going to do is go through this misinformed souls letter to correct the vast mistakes that she has made.

The first position in the letter that she uses to make the claim of an anti-female ticket is the Republican stance on abortion. She attempts to link Republican's belief in life as being anti-choice. I am sorry Ms. Simanski, Republicans are not against choice, we are against the murder of innocent unborn babies. In Ms. Simanski's mind and the mind of those like her, abortion is an acceptable form of birth control. They don't view the unborn child as a life. They view it as an inconvenience, as a unfavorable situation that is holding them back from doing what they want to do. For Republicans we believe that that child has every right to life that it's mother has.

The next policy or belief that she attacks is the Republican stance on affirmative action. Ms. Simanski attempts to claim that because Republicans oppose affirmative action, then we must be anti-woman and sexist. Sadly Ms. Simanski has bought into years of Democratic propaganda when she has come to this position. Let me explain to you Ms. Simanski, Republicans are against affirmative action because it unfairly values one individual over another. Republicans want an even and fair playing field for all individuals. Affirmative action is racist in itself. Affirmative action requires that certain individuals be treated differently because they are deemed a minority. Republicans believe that we should all be treated equally and affirmative action prevents that from happening.

The next argument that Ms. Simanski makes is that Republicans are anti-equal pay for women. This argument is asinine at best because she has already shown herself to be indoctrinated by the Democratic Party. For the record Ms. Simanski, Republicans are for equal pay for women. The difference here is that Republicans don't believe that we should legislate it. Instead we believe that it will be achieved through education and experience. We believe that legislating it would be another government handout that would just create bigger government which at this point in time is something that we do not need.

These are just a few examples of how effective the Democratic indoctrination has been. For all intents and purposes Ms. Simanski seems to be an intelligent and hard working woman. But her one flaw is that she believes in these flawed arguments that Republicans are anti-woman. I urge Ms. Simanski to take a long hard look at the issues. Republicans aren't anti-woman. On the contrary they are pro-woman. They just happen to be pro-life at the same time. Believe me Ms. Simanski, those two terms can and do reside together happily. Just ask my wife.

Dear Editor;    

There seems to be a lot of patting each other on the back at the Grant County PUD lately. We’ve managed to lower our industrial rates to be one of the lowest in the nation. If our forefathers that helped sign contracts for the Priest Rapids and Wanapum dams would have had any idea where the cheap power is now going, they would have walked away in total disgust. These people were the residents, farmers, commercial and farm related industries. They are the ones who took the risk. Normally, the risk-takers are the ones rewarded with the greatest in returns when things worked out, while the "Johnny come latelys" might receive a good deal, but it should never exceed the deal given to the investors.

 Presently, farmers & residents rate payers are paying almost exactly double what the rate to the large power users like Yahoo, Microsoft and REC is, to mention a few. Might I also add, that these plants have very few employees once they are up and running (Employees per megawatt). If we had one rate for everybody, we would see residential rates go down and we would see rates to the farmers go down and a small increase to the industries. If we start using more power than we produce, the big boy users should step up to the plate. Our PUD board of commissioners has two of its members on the Grant County Economic Development Council, which help attract these industries. These commissioners (Brewer, Executive Director, and Flint) should be abstaining on any vote on power rates to industries. It looks like in 2-3 years at the present rate, we will be out of our project power, and will be buying off the open market.

 The real reason for writing is, it seems the Columbia Basin Herald is showing its biases. They printed a front-page article that was suggestively critical of PUD Commissioner Greg Hansen when he charged that fellow commissioners were meeting privately with staff on policy matters that should be discussed in front of the public. The inference of the article was that he was imagining things or as Commissioner Tom Flint put it " I know he has a hearing impairment but sometimes he just doesn’t get it." This statement should have been reported to the Washington State Human Rights Commission.

 But would the Columbia Basin Herald report that the Washington Coalition for Open Government gave Greg Hansen an award for his action against fellow commissioners for their private meetings? No, they would not, even though they were given a press release of the award.

The quality of a newspaper is judged by it’s balanced, unbiased reporting.

 Mick Hansen

The assignment is simple: We are going to write letters to the editor and we are allowed to make up whatever we want -- as long as it adds to the campaign. After today we are supposed to use our free moments at home to create a flow of fictional fan mail for McCain. "Your letters," says Phil Tuchman, "will be sent to our campaign offices in battle states. Ohio. Pennsylvania. Virginia. New Hampshire. There we'll place them in local newspapers."

Place them? I may be wrong, but I thought that in the USA only a newspaper's editors decided that.

"We will show your letters to our supporters in those states," explains Phil. "If they say: 'Yeah, he/she is right!' then we ask them to sign your letter. And then we send that letter to the local newspaper. That's how we send dozens of letters at once."

No newspaper can refuse a stream of articulate expressions of support, is the thought behind it. "This way, we will always get into some letters column."

The full story is at Salon.

 

DEFENDERS OF HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP

(How do these people sleep at night?)

I was recently tipped off that the nice folks who try to poison us with High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) were preparing to launch a massive publicity campaign designed to make the weak among us think that their beloved HFCS is not only NOT bad for you but is actually good for you, for the environment and for the world in general.

Then a day later, there it was, the first salvo fired in the form of a letter to the editor.

This appeared in the Sept. 8^th New York Sun. If this link is non-working it’s because I heard the NY Sun is soon to shut down. As of 0700 on Sept 20^th, this link is still active.

http://www.nysun.com/editorials/new-food-watchwords-at-6-private-schools-local/85320/

The President of the Corn Refiners Association, Audrae Brown, wrote the above piece with the hope that we will stop thinking of HFCS as the Devil’s Brew.

HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP IS DANGEROUS TO YOUR HEALTH. Please stop consuming “soft drinks” and other products that contain this lethal concoction. And yes, even ORGANIC HFCS is dangerous.

The Corn Refiners Association was nice enough to list two propaganda website for you to peruse:

www.HFCSfacts.com     more like HFCS Fiction

www.SweetSurpirse.com   as in when your body rots from the inside out

After you read these comic books, please do your own research.

Save your own life and save your children’s life. DO NOT consume HFCS.

Eat fresh, eat local.

Ray Salomone

Personal Trainer and Wellness Crusader

Global Ambassador of Wellness

Founder of the 100 a Day Push Up Club

www.GrecoRomanWellness.com

It has been hours since I read Edith Miller's letter to the editor where she criticized Michelle Obama for "gyrating" with talk show host Ellen DeGeneres. I had to reread the letter to make sure Edith wasn't writing her letter tongue-in-cheek. She wasn't. I am still appalled that someone would base their vote for the important office of President of the United States on something as trivial as appearance. Edith cites Cindy McCain's 'immaculately dressed' appearance as a clue to what we could expect from her as a first lady. That in turn make her husband, the best candidate for President?

Michelle Obama spent a few moments dancing with joy during a segment of a television show and that makes her husband unworthy of being elected President? Exactly what should the general public think of the fact, and it is a proven fact and not disputed by John McCain, that Cindy was dating John McCain while he was still legally married to his first wife, Carol? In fact, they married only one month after the McCain's divorce became final. How does that fit into our view of what we can expect from Cindy McCain as a first lady?

Voting is a privilege and should be based on important issues.

Carol Callahan
Spokane Valley, WA

I think Republican presidential nominee John McCain blew Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama out of the water when he chose America's Joan of Arc--Sarah Palin--as his running mate.

As governor of Alaska, Palin is a real American and an expert on foreign policy, living between Russia on one side and Canada on the other. A 100 percent American and a life member of the honorable and patriotic National Rifle Association, Palin grew up hunting and fishing.

She is the best of everything, charging in to save our country and American freedom. Gov. Palin is America's Joan of Arc

I was thinking satire when it got to the talking point that being between Russia and Canada gives you foreign policy experience part, but the ending threw me. The whole thing just raises a bunch of burning questions:

• If Palin is Joan of Arc, does that make us the French?
• So then who are the English? Islamic fundamentalists?
• If I grew up fishing, but not hunting, does that make me 50% American?
• Seriously? I mean, seriously?

Just what we need, more new taxes. I have a better idea than taxing diners. We should take all of our earnings and combine them equally among all citizens. The next step is to ration everything we buy, and tell us what we can read and watch on television.

If I remember correctly, the American Revolution was largely a result of unfair taxation. So before it is too late, comrades, say, “no” to more taxation to support the Archway.

That’s where the restaurant tax money will go, just like money from the keno players who are supporting another bad idea, Meadowlark Hills Golf Course.

Have a good day, comrades.

If I recall correctly, the unfair nature of the taxation that sparked the American Revolution was that it was taxation without representation. (There may have been a few other reasons, but they don't rhyme so let's forget about them.) This proposed tax will have to be passed by elected representatives. This is why the legislative branch is the only one that has the ability to levy taxes, because they are most responsive to the people. If you don't like taxes, vote for different representatives.

So, deep breath. This isn't 1776 or Soviet Russia. The writer is not Paul Revere and the communists are not coming.

SD transition ... We told you so

Throughout the reconfiguration and school closure process the Comox District Teachers Association repeatedly said three things:

1. Keep the rich programming we have been providing to students

2. Do not overcrowd schools and make sure there is room to provide services

We may as well not have bothered.

The Board chose to diminish the programming that Grade Seven's had enjoyed for years. There are no longer any electives and courses once taught by specialists are now being delivered through "kits".

The decisions of the Board created schools so full that counsellors are delivering their programs from paper rooms behind curtains compromising confidentiality for students. Speech and Language Pathologists may have to reduce their services to some schools due to lack of space. Multi-purpose rooms are being used as classrooms.

The most distressing news is the discovery that there was so much mould in some portables that two have been condemned. At least three portables had been used as storage containers for tools and materials for years with no heat creating a perfect environment for mould growth. Most of the portables show signs of water leakage either through ceiling tiles, black mould around and under windows and doors and spongy rotted floors. Some of these portables had been used to house students and staff while schools were under construction.

Last year, the CDTA expressed concern about and questioned the condition of portables at District health and safety meetings, education committee meetings, board meetings and individually to staff and Board members. We were assured that all portables are and would be fit and ready for staff and students for September. As of the last week of the summer, teachers were not allowed into portables to set up; some did not have electricity, most did not have their heating and ventilation systems cleaned or connected. Now all are being tested for mould.

Two and possibly more new portables have been ordered at the cost of $67,500 each. From where does this money come and at what expense to programs or other projects such as the Lake Trail renovation?

The consequences now that the portables have been condemned, is that these classes will have to be accommodated in schools that are already full. Timetables have to be altered, multi-purpose rooms are classrooms, classes will be itinerant within their own schools; all this within 4 days of the start of school.

The responsibility of this untenable situation falls completely on the Board of Education and their decisions to create overcrowded schools and use portable classrooms. So much energy is spent discussing graduation rates and strategies to increase these rates yet the Board need only look at the fundamental principles of working and learning conditions. A healthy environment with sufficient space to provide services and full rich programming is essential for successful education. Being housed in sick buildings or learning in halls or gymnasiums is not.

Karen Langenmaier

President

Comox District Teachers Association

© Comox Valley Echo 2008

I think this thing is only going to get worse and worse for her and McCain.  Her bragging about her reform record, and her cleaning up dirty politicians (in the midst of an ethics investigation into her), and "executive experience" (even though she never issued a single order to the Alaska Nat'l Guard - a big point of emphasis for most Republicans about her experience) is going to come back to haunt her.

Is she really a fiscal conservative? (LINK)

Here is some snippets from the letter:

Sarah campaigned in Wasilla as a “fiscal conservative”. During her 6
years as Mayor, she increased general government expenditures by over
33%. During those same 6 years the amount of taxes collected by the
City increased by 38%. This was during a period of low inflation
(1996-2002). She reduced progressive property taxes and increased a
regressive sales tax which taxed even food. The tax cuts that she
promoted benefited large corporate property owners way more than they
benefited residents.

The huge increases in tax revenues during her mayoral administration
weren’t enough to fund everything on her wish list though, borrowed
money was needed, too. She inherited a city with zero debt, but left it
with indebtedness of over $22 million. What did Mayor Palin encourage
the voters to borrow money for? Was it the infrastructure that she said
she supported? The sewage treatment plant that the city lacked? or a
new library? No. $1m for a park. $15m-plus for construction of a
multi-use sports complex which she rushed through to build on a piece
of property that the City didn’t even have clear title to, that was
still in litigation 7 yrs later–to the delight of the lawyers
involved! The sports complex itself is a nice addition to the
community but a huge money pit, not the profit-generator she claimed it
would be. She also supported bonds for $5.5m for road projects that
could have been done in 5-7 yrs without any borrowing.

As an oil producer, the high price of oil has created a budget surplus
in Alaska. Rather than invest this surplus in technology that will
make us energy independent and increase efficiency, as Governor she
proposed distribution of this surplus to every individual in the state.

In this time of record state revenues and budget surpluses, she
recommended that the state borrow/bond for road projects, even while
she proposed distribution of surplus state revenues: spend today’s
surplus, borrow for needs.

When then-Governor Murkowski was handing out political plums, Sarah got
the best, Chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission: one
of the few jobs not in Juneau and one of the best paid. She had no
background in oil & gas issues. Within months of scoring this great
job which paid $122,400/yr, she was complaining in the press about the
high salary. I was told that she hated that job: the commute, the
structured hours, the work. Sarah became aware that a member of this
Commission (who was also the State Chair of the Republican Party)
engaged in unethical behavior on the job. In a gutsy move which some
undoubtedly cautioned her could be political suicide, Sarah solved all
her problems in one fell swoop: got out of the job she hated and
garnered gobs of media attention as the patron saint of ethics and as a
gutsy fighter against the “old boys’ club” when she dramatically quit,
exposing this man’s ethics violations (for which he was fined).

My niece sent me the link to this video. It is a most telling tale- of what can happen when the press does not do its job! If the media will not - we must!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYEiwR2KklM

It's available on the Reminder News website.

Reminder News - Letter to the Editor

Re “Should Hillary Pretend to Be a Flight Attendant?,” by Maureen Dowd (column, Nov. 14):

As a waif 22-year-old Columbia graduate student who will finish her second Ivy League master’s degree next May, I am disappointed that my worst fears are confirmed: men go for curvy bimbos.

But I’d rather die a lonely spinster in a house full of felines than stoke an insecure man’s fragile ego for the rest of his petty life. After all, I’m not that dumb.

Deena Guzder

New York, Nov. 14, 2007

Original Source

This PUD election gets funnier by the day. You have three commissioners who supposedly stated the mission statement of the PUD in a letter to the editor. Tom Flint, one of the commissioners in the minority, turns them into the Attorney General’s office for violating the public meeting law. What’s next, having a beer after work ? This little tactic is part of a larger effort by several candidates running for commissioner to condemn these three commissioners. I find it interesting that this commission is being called dysfunctional, divided and contentious. It wouldn’t be because the people making this claim are now in the minority and no longer have their way with the board would it? Before the last election, the two now in minority were in the majority and there was just as much a division on the commission but being a dysfunctional commission was never brought up. The point is, when they can’t find fault with theses commissioners doing their job they attack them personally, an old campaign strategy. That’s right, doing the job they were elected to do. In fact, they’re doing it so well that the industrial interest, led by EDC manager, Terry Brewer, are worried they’re loosing their influence over PUD policy making, as they had when the majority was in their favor. This change in the majority is causing Brewer himself to run and Bob Bernd, recruited by the industrial people, to run. Hence, Brewer, Bernd and Walker are using the contrived idea of a dysfunctional commission as a campaign issue.  The big money players, industrial customers, are now getting into the act because of the millions of dollars of power at stake.

Bjork, Allred and Hansen in a short twenty months have turned our PUD around, raised our credit rating, built the reserves and are cleaning up the excesses of past commissions. Lets keep this momentum going, lets keep this team together.

Linda Koziol, Moses Lake