Kristallnacht at the Columbian

As we all know, Governor Jay Inslee snuck into town a couple weeks ago and issued marching orders to “increase the decibels” to shout down the struggling middle class taxpayers in Clark County who oppose being straddled with decades of increases in the gas tax, license fees, tolls and more to fund the CRC light rail project from Portland that they have repeatedly shown they do not want.

Apparently seeing an opportunity to try to derail the growing opposition, the Columbian mouthpiece is pulling out all of the stops to engage in a so called journalistic Kristallnacht assault on the choice of Sen. Don Benton to take over the vacant Dept of Environmental Concern for the County.

Since it came out Wednesday evening, we have been subjected to no less than 12 screeds objecting to the hiring, from articles, an editorial and Stephanie Rice’s hit pieces, 4 in a single day on the lazy c’s blogs.

Sunday’s John Laird rant can only been seen as the icing on the cake, or maybe better as the major window smashed by the jackbooted thugs in print as he falsely claims to have extinguished fires in opposition to the deeply troubled project.

Making Clark County Government Better

Clark County Washington sits in an awkward position at the southern most point of Washington State where the Columbia River separates the state from its Southern Neighbor, Oregon.

Positioned where we are, Washington State often ignores us, except of course when the time comes to want taxes, and Oregon treats us as their bedroom, the hicks to north they like to poke fun at.

All too often our elected officials, seeing Portland, Oregon as that “economic powerhouse” south of us, cater to the whims of Oregon over the desires of Clark County citizens.

Kitzhaber Puts On His Bully Pants

Just as opponents of the Columbia River Crossing light rail project have been saying all along, Portland, Oregon is calling the shots while Clark County Washington will be bearing the lion’s share of expense.

We have been saying for some time now that this is not a bridge replacement project, that is only the carrot used to force Clark County into not only accepting Portland’s financially failing, deep in debt light rail against our wishes and now we once again see the truth of that coming out of Oregon.

As published in the Columbian evening online edition, Kitzhaber: Without light rail, new span across Columbia is history and Kitzhaber: Removal of light rail will kill CRC project as our state legislature is going back and forth over funding and light rail of the project.

Even opponents agree a new bridge would be great, but as was indicated in the Columbian’s recent poll, 87% of county residents want a third bridge first.

Jim Moeller, Time To Come Out Of the Closet

It would appear that Jim Moeller, Democrat so-called Representative of Washington State’s 49th Legislative District still tries to hide in a self imposed closet. No, I don’t mean his homosexuality, he’s very open about that and in fact, wears it like a badge of honor on his left sleeve.

I’m talking about his disdain for constituents, especially any who do not immediately jump up to agree with his communist positions and even more so, his advocacy for Portland, Oregon over the district he has been reelected to represent 5 times now.

That my fellow 49ers remain so blind to Jim Moeller’s advocacy for Portland over the well-being of the 49th Legislative District is astonishing to me. What will it take for these people to ever open their eyes?

Moeller has shown himself to be a real enemy to the middle class families of Washington State by advocating higher taxes, higher fees and higher costs all to be piled on the backs of the struggling middle class families.

World Class Entertainment on Behalf of Veterans

We all enjoy good entertainment as well as helping our Veterans when they are in need. As previously shown, we have a great chance to do both at the same time this Valentine’s Day here in Vancouver, Washington.

Valentine’s Dinner With Elvis – Supporting Veterans

Although tickets are selling well, there are still a few available for you to spend an enjoyable evening with your sweetheart and be entertained like we rarely see in Vancouver.

The headlining acts lined up are unmatched in our area and can only be described as ‘world class’ and all for just $20 a ticket, far less than you would expect for such a line-up of talent.

A sampling of some of the entertainment lined up to perform,

GVCC’s Kelly Parker Attempting An End Run Around Voters

Once again we witness efforts by the few in Southwest Washington to circumvent voters, ignore our votes and lobby funds the state does not have to forcibly ram Portland’s financially beleaguered light rail on us and into our community.

It is Kelly Parker, President/CEO Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce who has sent out an email soliciting signatures from selected business owners with the Greater Vancouver area to show support for the Columbia River Crossing Project and light rail, even though voters have clearly said we do not want it in proxy votes, such as the recent defeat of C-TRAN’s Proposition 1 to fund operations & maintenance by a sales tax increase.

Parker’s email bypassed numerous businesses, such as Acuity Group PLLC, a Forensic Accounting Firm in Vancouver hired to independently audit CRC’s books and that was met with foot dragging, a huge document dump, usually designed to confuse and overwhelm, lack of cooperation and even a lawsuit from a contractor to inhibit access to some documents that might show where some $160 Million of our tax dollars has gone, seemingly targeted to those few who may profit from the project or who would merely pass along any expense to taxpayers, already bearing the brunt of the multi-Billion expense.

Valentine’s Dinner With Elvis – Supporting Veterans

Few entertainers have achieved the lasting notoriety as did Rock n Roll singing star, Elvis Presley. Presley died August 16, 1977 after a 24 year career on stage and in movies with his fame growing after his death, spawning the careers of many impressionists keeping his name and songs alive.

Many of today’s ‘Tribute Artists’ hadn’t been born when Presley was reaching the peak of his fame, but even they draw crowds to their shows as well as a competitions held throughout the land, judging which ones offer the overall best tributes to Elvis.

We are fortunate in Clark County to have one of the better artists, Mark Stevenz, a top 20 in the world Elvis Tribute Artist who has performed and delighted crowds all over North America, including Las Vegas and Memphis.

CRC Proponents Ignoring The Will Of The Voters

Once again, voters in Clark County have spoken on dragging Portland, Oregon’s financially failing light rail into our community by defeating the latest C-Tran Proposition 1 for raising the sales tax to cover the cost of operations & maintenance of the light rail line. Just as before, voters resoundingly rejected it by nearly 20,000 votes.

In spite of claims otherwise by proponents, the vote was well known among voters to be a proxy vote on light rail itself since all promises previously made of letting voters vote on whether or not we even want Portland’s folly have been denied by elected rulers.

One of the first was Vancouver’s Mayor, ‘Teflon’ Tim Leavitt, known for lying through his teeth to win office as upon seeing the results of the election indicated the “result only confirms that voters do not support raising sales tax to pay for light rail.”

High Capacity Light Rail and $ Million Busses, Warranted in Clark County?

A citizen perspective by Margaret Tweet

For the last few years, I’ve followed the proposed light rail extension from Portland to Vancouver via meetings by CTRAN, the Regional Transportation Council (RTC), the Washington Policy Center, the Cascade Policy Institute, and town halls on transportation issues. Precious little discussion is held on the true transportation needs of our region by the government agencies that propose costly solutions. Instead of thoroughly examining present conditions, the focus is on rosy predictions for 2030 and 2035 and the most costly transportation options possible.  CTRAN, RTC, and the contractors that will benefit have a dream, and they expect Clark County taxpayers and businesses to pay for it. The CTRAN and RTC boards that oversee the agencies include all 3 county commissioners and select city council representatives. Following is information I’ve gleaned and offer to fellow citizens.

Vancouver Mayor Leavitt and State Representative Moeller have oft declared that light rail is required on the proposed CRC I-5 bridge replacement.  Recently, WADOT Director Paula Hammond clarified at the October CRC oversight committee meeting that light rail is a “political” requirement placed on the project by Oregon. In the Tuesday Nov. 6 election, WA voters have a say on light rail via CTRAN proposition 1.  The CTRAN proposition is to raise the Clark County sales tax  to extend Portland’s TriMet light rail into Clark County and add costly $Million 60 foot bendable buses to the CTRAN fleet. If voters approve the High Capacity Transit taxing authority, the CTRAN long term plan is to extend light rail and 60 foot bendable busses in Clark County.

Rep. Moeller Inadvertently Admits, “Portland Is More Important Than Vancouver”

Since 2002, Democrat 49th Legislative District Representative Jim Moeller has successfully warded off challenges to his seat by some very capable Republicans, often winning by large margins exceeding 60%. Obviously, he is an effective campaigner, but 5 consecutive wins seems to have gone to his head as today we see him wearing his arrogance over those wins on his sleeve as proudly as he does his homosexuality.

He is well known for snarky comments left for constituents who disagree with him as much as he is his love of taxing the pants off of his constituents (no pun intended).

But his effectiveness in the Washington Legislature is questionable. Yes, he is very effective at pushing through special interest matters while ignoring the growing budget gaps every session, but a quick look shows that his district, the 49th is much worse off today than it has been for some time.

The 49th, wholly contained within Clark County struggles in its 4th year straight with double digit unemployment. When I contacted Mr. Moeller, along with several others back when Oregon passed their massive anti-business tax increase (measures 66 & 67) outlining we had a “golden opportunity” to attract those much needed jobs to Washington State, he responded,

Liz Pike, Ready to Restore Washington State

The 18th Legislative District has been a strong Republican district for a long time. It is noted for electing strong conservative Republicans like Joe Zarelli, Ann Rivers and Ed Orcutt.

The recent redistricting saw Democrats licking their chops in hopes they might gain a foothold with Orcutt being districted out. Enter Liz Pike, a long time Republican who wants to see the 18th remain in the GOP’s hands and is facing two before unheard of Democrats, David Shehorn, retired computer systems worker and Ryan Gompertz, barely out of High School and studying history and economics at UW.

Neither Democrat has any political experience to speak of other than volunteer work with the party.

Liz Pike, on the other hand, comes with the experience of running for and winning an election to serve the community on the Camas City Council, as well as owning her own small business, Pike Advertising Agency.

She currently serves as Political Affairs Director for the Building Industry Association of Clark County as well and true to her roots growing up on a Clark County Dairy Farm, operates Shangri-La Farm, a small scale sustainable farm in Fern Prairie. She also was a volunteer co-organizer for the Washougal Farmers’ Market as well as an avid promoter of the “buy local, slow food” movement and more.

Meet Eileen Qutub, Candidate for State Senator 49th Legislative District

Portions of the speech given by Eileen Qutub, running for Washington State Senator, 49th Legislative District. For more information on this great Republican candidate, please visit EileenQutub.com

How Many Ways Can the Leavitt Cabal Squeeze Taxpayers?

It seems there is hardly ever a city council meeting in Vancouver that we don’t hear of BRT, LPA, CRC, LRT, C-Tran or any other maze of abbreviated acronym for any number of projects favored by Vancouver Mayor, Tim Leavitt and 4 other members of the city council, Jack Burkman, Jeanne Harris, Bart Hansen and Larry Smith.

Rarely do we hear relevant questions coming from any of them as to just how they expect citizens to pay for all of these “pie in the sky” projects apparently believing each is the only thing citizens will be paying for.

Public hearings have all of the appearance to be shams, held only to satisfy a legal requirement to allow citizens to speak while those same citizen concerns remain ignored by the cabal as they ram full speed ahead with little or no clue on just how these many projects favored by the council majority will be paid for.

Only two council members seem willing to get down to the nitty gritty of asking how such projects will be paid for with both, Jeanne Stewart and Bill Turlay being kept in a minority as the rest come across as their minds being firmly made up to forge ahead long before any public hearings are held.

Play Ball!

This morning saw the opening ceremony of the 2012 Salmon Creek Little League Season at the brand new Luke Jensen Sports Park on 78th Street in Hazel Dell. Below are highlights of the event.

Luke Jensen, if you recall, was the 9 year-old who succumbed to leukemia a couple years ago.

How fitting that shortly after his death, the community chose to name the new field in honor of this brave little boy.

I encourage you all, when you have a chance to stop by the field and see this state of the art facility.

The Adams Doctrine and Leavitt Corollary

By Professor Robert Dean

Lou B: Students, Economics 102 is now in session. Today, we have a guest lecturer, Professor Robert Dean, from Australia. Professor Dean is a distinguished graduate of the NPR All Things Considered from a Liberal Perspective workshop and of the Pol Pot Reeducation Camp program at the University of Phnom Penh.

Professor Dean: Before we start, I want to make sure you all have the prerequisite History and International Law classes. Good! As you know, the Federal Transit Authority has recently issued their predetermined Record of Decision on the $3.6 billion megaproject – Columbia River Crossing or CRC. The CRC ostensibly serves two major purposes: To “improve” traffic and commerce between Vancouver, Washington and Portland, Oregon; and to extend light rail into Vancouver.

Now, does anyone know who could possibly be opposed to the CRC?

Tim S: Anyone who doesn’t get one of the government contracts.

Ed L: Anyone who owns real estate in Downtown Vancouver or Jantzen Beach and can’t afford to stick out the 9 years of construction.

Jeanne H: You mean undercapitalized businesses opposed to progress?

Professor Dean: Yes, any others?

Tom M: Anyone who doesn’t live and work next to a light rail station and still has to pay for it.

C-Tran Already Drooling For Even More of Your Tax Dollars

In a Sunday November 20, 2011 Op-Ed in our local version of Pravda, the Columbian, that should rightfully be filed away in the “have you no shame” column, C-TRAN Executive Director/CEO Jeff Hamm, still drooling over having successfully conned nearly 54% of Clark County voters begins laying out his next rip-off of taxpayers, in our third year of double digit unemployment.

Oddly enough, Hamm now informs us that C-Van will be expanded with the passage of Proposition 1. I don’t recall much, if any mention that part of Prop 1 was to “expand” C-Van, do you? I thought all along it was if they didn’t get deeper into our pockets, Granny and the handicapped were going to be left standing out in the cold with no way to get to the doctor.

Apparently gazing into some liberal prophetic crystal ball, Hamm says, “Someday soon, Clark County will return to times of economic prosperity and again grow its population and employment base.”

“Someday soon?” I thought the Clark County Pravda has been telling us how much better things are now, with 9% unemployment being a “new norm” Democrats speak of and supporters of Prop 1 telling us we are stingy and greedy if we don’t give up more of our dwindling paychecks to whatever the ruling class in Clark County tells us we must.

Steve Bang Announces Write-in Candidacy for Camas City Council

It looks like Linda Dietzman has an opponent for her seat on Camas City Council, Ward 2, Position No. 1

For Immediate Release
Contact Steve Bang
StevendBang@comcast.net
Tel. 360-210-7189

Steve Bang Runs for Business-Friendly Camas Council, Sensible Taxes

Camas, October 24, 2011– Business development professional Steve Bang announced his write-in candidacy for Camas City Council, Ward 2, Position 1.

A groundswell of sentiment in Camas is urging Steve to seek the Council seat now occupied by Linda Dietzman. Steve’s extensive experience in developing businesses indicates he can change the course of Camas policy and procedure.

“I’ve received overwhelming encouragement from Camas residents to run for this position,” Bang said. “Our economic situation is urgent, and the city needs the kind of business-friendly policies that I support.”

Steve’s top priorities for Camas City government are saving taxpayer money by prioritizing city services, and streamlining city permit processes to make property available for business development.

Steve not only understands the importance of creating a healthy business environment in Camas, but believes the City needs to live within its means.

Citing the example of C-Tran, Steve said, “C-Tran has over $35 million in cash reserves, yet my opponent voted for Proposition 1, which will create a tax increase. This is the worst time imaginable for higher taxes. All our government agencies need to live within their means.”

Steve and his wife, Sarah, have been Camas residents since 1999, and love living here. Steve wants to bring his years of experience and entrepreneurial skills to help grow living wage employment in Camas.

Steve Bang is a senior business development professional with over 35 years of both domestic and international experience in the high tech industry. Steve has been on management teams that have generated over $2 billion in shareholder value and resulted in the creation of hundreds of jobs all over the world. Steve has served on management teams that have resulted in 2 IPO’s and 3 acquisitions. He has significant high-tech expertise as well as over twenty years service on the board of a multi-billion dollar west coast Credit Union. Steve has spent over twenty-five years raising funds for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals including Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland.

Steve wants to improve the quality of life in Camas and his top priority is to hear from you to understand your issues. Please contact him anytime to discuss any issues related to Camas.

More information is available at www.stevenbang.com.

Camas, you now have another choice. As in every other council race, this is not an endorsement, but for your information

Clackamas County urban renewal initiative qualifies for November ballot

From the August 23, 2011 Oregonian,

An initiative requiring voter approval for new urban renewal districts has narrowly qualified for the Nov. 8 ballot, prompting county commissioners to move quickly to place a possible competing measure on the ballot.

County Clerk Sherry Hall’s office today certified the 9,378 valid signatures needed to place the initiative on the ballot.

“I feel good,” said John Williams, a former Oregon City mayor who is one of the chief petitioners.”It was a lot of hard work and a lot of people took part in this, and it’s nice to have it culminate in an election.”

What if any effect passage of the Clackamas County initiative might have on Clark County residents ongoing battle against Light Rail is unknown at this time. One effort by Vancouver Mayor Tim Leavitt to ensure they receive the tax increase they wish to fund maintenance and operations of to create a sub-district, as they did to pass tax increase in 2005 that was voted down in 2004.

On the November 2011 ballot will be Proposition 1, to increase the sales tax by 0.2 percent, supposedly to keep C-Tran buses running at current levels.

Judging by comments left at a Columbian article covering a supporters rally at the Clark County Fair, public sentiment is against any more tax increases to C-Trans.

See also, C-Tran Proposition 1 Must Be Defeated and No More Money To C-Tran

We all must live within our means, it’s about time government subsidized agencies did too.

Can a defeat in Clackamas County be a precursor for Clark County?

Show The Yakima Bears the Door

[Updated to reflect a major correction by the Columbian in who owns the stadium]

[Update 2: More on specific ownership of the stadium from Stephanie Rice added]

Vancouver’s city council got their first formal presentation for the Class A ball Team, Yakima Bears planned move to Vancouver. All council members except Pat Campbell have given City Manager “Erik Holmes the OK to research the issue and engage in potential discussions with Clark County” for adding a 5% entertainment tax throughout the county pay for construction of a $23 Million stadium adjacent to Clark College.

The Columbian

There are several pros & cons to relocating a Class A ball team to Vancouver, a large con being that 5% entertainment tax added to movie tickets, golf courses and several other forms of entertainment.

Although Clark County taxpayers will be on the hook for 70% of the costs of the proposed stadium, we were told “the stadium would be owned and maintained by Short Season LLC.” Stephanie Rice, the writer of the article posted this morning, “Key correction: the sentence should read (and now does) ‘the stadium would be publicly owned but maintained by Short Season LLC’.”

UPDATE 2: Comment from Stephanie Rice, “Lew, to be even more specific, the team would own it while the debt was being repaid, then it would be publicly owned. Here’s what I was told by the team when I asked why in documents it says the team would own it: ‘Ownership is during the period in which the facility is indebted. It secures the asset until the debt is retired. Then it is free and clear a public facility’.”

City council members Larry Smith and Jack Burkman asked to hear alternatives to the entertainment tax and were told of none.

Asked why taxpayers should pay for the stadium, Mike Thiessen of Short Season LLC said that “the team would be putting up 30 percent of the construction costs for a stadium it would use 13 percent of the time.”

That’s not exactly reassuring.

I have kept an open mind on this proposal, even though voicing concerns over its location next to the Vancouver Campus of the Veterans Hospital, but reading “After the workshop, co-owner K.L. Wombacher said the team does have alternate plans, but they don’t involve the city of Vancouver“ seals it for me.

It’s time to close the books and show these people the door.

We do not need to be threatened into coughing up tax dollars for a new stadium to be owned by a private enterprise “at a time when public services are being cut, a fire station closed, federal grants used to keep cops on the street and the city lacks money to fill all its potholes,” as expressed by Tim Leavitt’s former campaign manager, Temple Lentz as she “questioned the rationality of raising a tax for a stadium.”

Ms. Lentz expressed, “The terms political will and vision were used as qualities to make this happen. But giving $20 million of other people’s money to the first guy who comes up and asks for it is not political will or vision.”

Baseball Team or Another White Elephant? If We Don’t Ask, We Don’t Know

For several years many Vancouverites have longed for a pro-baseball team to be located in Vancouver and it looks now as if their cries might be answered. Mayor of Portland’s Vancouver, Tim ‘no show’ Leavitt has announced the likelihood of the Yakima Bears relocating to our community after several years in Yakima.

Many are elated and ready to jump headlong into the project while strongly objecting to others who raise questions about the move, especially where a portion of the project will require the use of tax dollars. We hear comments like “I am not quite sure why every aspect of this project needs to be so thoroughly parsed and vetted” from many of the same people who strongly object if a company like Wal-Mart announces plans to build a store with all private funds.

The Yakima Bears is a Class ‘A’ team affiliated with the Arizona Diamondbacks and has been playing out of Yakima for 21 years. Financially, they have been losing money for at least the last 9 years, a loss the team owners claim is due to an undersized stadium resulting in “to low in-stadium spending” according to Team Owners.

While game attendance is said to have been increasing, the Yakima Herald reports that game attendance averages less that 1,800 per game, about half of that of other Class ‘A’ Teams.

The Portland Beavers left due to their attendance averaging less than 1,900 per game.