Mr. Stevens’ letter placing blame on the mayor for the city’s financial woes misses the mark entirely. We learned in the last few years that we are suffering from an entirely dysfunctional City Council that cannot find a way to compromise on significant issues. Even when they do sometimes agree on a policy or program they come back later and pull the rug out from under some poor city employee that had the audacity to enforce their stated wishes.
It’s official: the city finance director is projecting that the city will go $4 million in the hole this year, a loss of almost one in every six dollars of the taxes, fees, grants and loans taken in. Unless the city issues councilmanic debt (what an apt name!), the city will burn through almost all of its cash by the end of 2008, leaving us in a liquidity crisis.
Janet Kragen’s letter (“Foxes would take care of varmints,” Aug. 9) denounced deer as varmints. I would like to offer another view and some suggestions. I admit I’m not much interested in gardening, but to me having those beautiful wild animals strolling past my window is worth any number of posies all standing in a row.
In a recent letter to the editor (“City needs to communicate,” Aug. 6), islander Joe Honick expressed hope that younger working people with families would weigh in on the controversies surrounding our city government.
It has been a few weeks since the Kitsap County “Notice of Value” statements were sent to property owners. We received our statement with some consternation. As was reported, our home was decreased in value from 2008 about 15 percent for the 2009 assessment. However, the dirt we have lived on for 22 years magically increased in value by 83 percent in 2008, according to the Kitsap County assessor.
Those that plant “heritage trees” never get to see the full glory of the fruits of their labor. The trees are planted often with future generations in mind.
The League of Women Voters believes that democratic government depends upon the informed and active participation of its citizens. Therefore, we encourage all voters to become informed about the candidates running for office in the primary election on Tuesday, Aug. 19.
What does it matter to the dead, the maimed, the widowed, the orphaned, whose homes and work are destroyed, whose cities lie in ruins, whether the mad destruction is done in the name of brutal dictators or in the name of noble defenders of peace and democracy?
It’s a disgrace that it took the FDA over three months to trace the salmonella saintpaul outbreak to jalapeno peppers, and to finally only be able to “warn” us to not eat jalapenos and serranos on July 21. (Thanks to food industry lobbyists, the FDA lacks mandatory recall authority.)
“Say buddy, can you spare any change or a couple ‘Forever’ postage stamps?”
The Bainbridge Review published the article, “Lot Closure Gives New Life To Ericksen-Hildebrand Issue” on July 12 and Brian Danzig’s letter to the editor, “Ericksen/Hildebrand: It’s Time For City To Take Some Action” on July 19. At Debbi Lester’s suggestion, we met to discuss the issues. By the end of the meeting we were both quite thankful to have had a face to face dialogue.
Surveys conducted on the island earlier this year indicated strong support for continued efforts to protect land and water resources, build the facilities needed to allow the public to safely access and enjoy both existing and newly acquired park lands, and develop off-road trail access between major parks and island population centers.
As a commercial real estate professional with more than 20 years experience, I find that property owners are often divided into two groups when discussing land use issues. One group thinks any attempt at imminently reasonable regulation is outrageous, unfair and un-American. The second wants to tell everyone else what to do with their property, often in pursuit of self-serving benefits.