Notes from the League of Women Voters Forum
Notes from the League of Women Voters Forum
What a comfort. I can sit at my computer, watch the forum in a small TV window while I type this column in another - all at the comfort of my desk. BTV now streams meetings live as well as playing t
What a comfort. I can sit at my computer, watch the forum in a small TV window while I type this column in another - all at the comfort of my desk. BTV now streams meetings live as well as playing them at other times. Now, I love attending political forums, but tonight it was fun to experience this 'way of the future.' The league ran a very smooth forum tonight and we should thank them. Below are almost rough notes taken while I watched. They reflect my viewpoint as a liberal and long time activist. There is no attempt to be comprehensive. Feel free to comment.
Port # 1
Scott Walker spoke of how much he has helped the Port Commission change over the years, from one that used to berate people who spoke into one that listens. Well, people are still not listened to by the port commissioners. While the commissioners are more polite, there is the same dismissal of any concerns. Walker speaks of listening but there is no listening - there is simply a process of letting them speak. In the old days, it was rough - I know, as I was the target of the commissioners. I helped Scott first win in 1991 and had hope. But he squashed that within weeks as he gave his campaign treasurer, Fred Seeger, a plum job on the Port staff. This was spoils - pure and simple. And Scott has taken care of his friends ever since, including $180 million in Revenue Bonds to his employer BP Refinery. Scott quickly became part of the problem by acting to increase Port revenue, not create jobs.
John Blethen has a first rate mind and many years of working to improve the Port by his service on Port commissions and task forces. He knows what the problems are from the inside. He does not always explain his frustrations as well as I wish he would. At this rate, Walker will win 56% in the election.
Port # 2
Mike McAuley showed an amazing grasp of the issues and of practical approaches. Doug Smith pretty much said all is well. Mike said the Port needs to regain public confidence. Doug had no idea what he was talking about. Mike said the Port needs to look at all options before making decisions. Doug said the decisions are obvious. A contrast between the young, competent challenger and the old, over-confident insider who has not a clue. Reminded me of 1991 when Walker beat the incumbent who displayed the same arrogance and disdain. We may see that again as I think Mike can win.
County Council # 1
Kathy Kershner - had canned statements. Not herself. Really seemed like she was reading statements others had written for her. She had no answers to any questions - just generalities. She was rich in accusations of Dan. Not a pretty show. My fear is Kathy will not be her own voice but rather a channel for the extreme right wing elements in our county.
Unfortunately with Dan comes the park on the south end of Lake Whatcom - and as I vote for Dan that has to be recognized. That park land deal is a corrupt deal intended to favor Dan's friend, David Syre, and his land on the hillsides above the lake. With a park on the border of his property, Syre will have a better legal opportunity to develop his land. The park is useless for anything else. It will rob us of revenue for schools and cost us a lot to bring up to even minimal park standards.
County Council # 2
Mary Beth Teigrob - well, another reader of speeches that others have crafted for her. The right wingers seem to revel in their years of marriage, military service, their pets, and years in a community. They are very short on any ideas of what they will do if elected.
Then there is Ken Mann - just too cute a guy and hard to take seriously. Yet he speaks intelligently and shows a comprehension of our community. Mary asked trap questions - wife beating types of questions. Sad. Surely a conservative candidate can do better than that. Mary says she is open and honest and we will get what we see. The problem is we cannot figure out what we see.
County Council # 3
Michelle Luke is a real person. She froze up once answering a question but she stayed in the game. Carl was gracious and did not take advantage of her. However, Michelle showed she did not personally grasp the issues facing us in this county. She had to read her statements and had trouble with questions where her notes could not help her.
Carl Weimer is the most intelligent person on our County Council. I've watched the council live and he is invaluable. I hate his support for the Terraquarium as it would be a waste of money. But on most all other issues he brings the critical analysis that is so needed on the council. Carl is much more than his stances on issues. He is the critical voice on the council who looks into what the staff and executive are proposing.
County Council At Large
Laurie Caskey-Schreiber is also a huge backer of the reconveyance of land for the Lake Whatcom park and she is also in the group of friends of developer David Syre. She still defends the Terraquarium as a good expenditure. Laurie is philosophically a liberal, but her actual efforts are out of touch with reality.
Bill Knutzen continues to impress me. He is a classic conservative but shows a grasp of the issues and gives specific solutions to issues. And his solutions are good ones - on Lake Whatcom and on agricultural land. He will get my vote.
Bellingham Council # 6
In Bellingham we have that fellow who is sooo full of himself - Michael Lilliquist. When asked what he has done before 2007 he has only his childrens' interests to speak of. The point is, Michael has suggested and implied he has been involved in community issues for many years. The truth is, he was not involved until two years ago. He is a quick study, but he has no practical bent to his approaches to problems.
Catherine Chambers is as smart as Michael but does not flaunt it in our faces. She has decades of experience in our community and is as practical as Michael is an idealogue. I have tried to talk with him about practical issues, but he goes straight to futuristic thinking that has no relevance to the problem. For example, the Fairhaven commercial district has solvable parking problems. In asking Michael about these, he drifts to talking about how we should not cater to cars. Nice. But not a problem solver.
Catherine is just the type of person who serves citizens well on a council. She also brings a woman's perspective to the council - and this is very important. Louise and Barbara will be exiting, but there would be a great benefit to keeping two women out of seven on the council. Different perspectives are very important to councils and legislatures. We should not pretend otherwise; which brings us to Orphalee.
Bellingham Council At Large
Orphalee Smith is a trooper, a true conservative and a committed citizen who loves her city. She is running as a write-in candidate because she feels Seth needs to have his liberal ideas tested in competition. She is a serious candidate and I think she would work well on the council. She is a fiscal conservative and we need that these days.
Seth Fleetwood is a easy going guy. He is always enough on top of issues to come off well. But he has little depth to his views. It would not hurt for him to take a sabbatical from public service. And our city council has enough liberals on it now. His ideas are often way too expensive to implement.
Port # 1
Scott Walker spoke of how much he has helped the Port Commission change over the years, from one that used to berate people who spoke into one that listens. Well, people are still not listened to by the port commissioners. While the commissioners are more polite, there is the same dismissal of any concerns. Walker speaks of listening but there is no listening - there is simply a process of letting them speak. In the old days, it was rough - I know, as I was the target of the commissioners. I helped Scott first win in 1991 and had hope. But he squashed that within weeks as he gave his campaign treasurer, Fred Seeger, a plum job on the Port staff. This was spoils - pure and simple. And Scott has taken care of his friends ever since, including $180 million in Revenue Bonds to his employer BP Refinery. Scott quickly became part of the problem by acting to increase Port revenue, not create jobs.
John Blethen has a first rate mind and many years of working to improve the Port by his service on Port commissions and task forces. He knows what the problems are from the inside. He does not always explain his frustrations as well as I wish he would. At this rate, Walker will win 56% in the election.
Port # 2
Mike McAuley showed an amazing grasp of the issues and of practical approaches. Doug Smith pretty much said all is well. Mike said the Port needs to regain public confidence. Doug had no idea what he was talking about. Mike said the Port needs to look at all options before making decisions. Doug said the decisions are obvious. A contrast between the young, competent challenger and the old, over-confident insider who has not a clue. Reminded me of 1991 when Walker beat the incumbent who displayed the same arrogance and disdain. We may see that again as I think Mike can win.
County Council # 1
Kathy Kershner - had canned statements. Not herself. Really seemed like she was reading statements others had written for her. She had no answers to any questions - just generalities. She was rich in accusations of Dan. Not a pretty show. My fear is Kathy will not be her own voice but rather a channel for the extreme right wing elements in our county.
Unfortunately with Dan comes the park on the south end of Lake Whatcom - and as I vote for Dan that has to be recognized. That park land deal is a corrupt deal intended to favor Dan's friend, David Syre, and his land on the hillsides above the lake. With a park on the border of his property, Syre will have a better legal opportunity to develop his land. The park is useless for anything else. It will rob us of revenue for schools and cost us a lot to bring up to even minimal park standards.
County Council # 2
Mary Beth Teigrob - well, another reader of speeches that others have crafted for her. The right wingers seem to revel in their years of marriage, military service, their pets, and years in a community. They are very short on any ideas of what they will do if elected.
Then there is Ken Mann - just too cute a guy and hard to take seriously. Yet he speaks intelligently and shows a comprehension of our community. Mary asked trap questions - wife beating types of questions. Sad. Surely a conservative candidate can do better than that. Mary says she is open and honest and we will get what we see. The problem is we cannot figure out what we see.
County Council # 3
Michelle Luke is a real person. She froze up once answering a question but she stayed in the game. Carl was gracious and did not take advantage of her. However, Michelle showed she did not personally grasp the issues facing us in this county. She had to read her statements and had trouble with questions where her notes could not help her.
Carl Weimer is the most intelligent person on our County Council. I've watched the council live and he is invaluable. I hate his support for the Terraquarium as it would be a waste of money. But on most all other issues he brings the critical analysis that is so needed on the council. Carl is much more than his stances on issues. He is the critical voice on the council who looks into what the staff and executive are proposing.
County Council At Large
Laurie Caskey-Schreiber is also a huge backer of the reconveyance of land for the Lake Whatcom park and she is also in the group of friends of developer David Syre. She still defends the Terraquarium as a good expenditure. Laurie is philosophically a liberal, but her actual efforts are out of touch with reality.
Bill Knutzen continues to impress me. He is a classic conservative but shows a grasp of the issues and gives specific solutions to issues. And his solutions are good ones - on Lake Whatcom and on agricultural land. He will get my vote.
Bellingham Council # 6
In Bellingham we have that fellow who is sooo full of himself - Michael Lilliquist. When asked what he has done before 2007 he has only his childrens' interests to speak of. The point is, Michael has suggested and implied he has been involved in community issues for many years. The truth is, he was not involved until two years ago. He is a quick study, but he has no practical bent to his approaches to problems.
Catherine Chambers is as smart as Michael but does not flaunt it in our faces. She has decades of experience in our community and is as practical as Michael is an idealogue. I have tried to talk with him about practical issues, but he goes straight to futuristic thinking that has no relevance to the problem. For example, the Fairhaven commercial district has solvable parking problems. In asking Michael about these, he drifts to talking about how we should not cater to cars. Nice. But not a problem solver.
Catherine is just the type of person who serves citizens well on a council. She also brings a woman's perspective to the council - and this is very important. Louise and Barbara will be exiting, but there would be a great benefit to keeping two women out of seven on the council. Different perspectives are very important to councils and legislatures. We should not pretend otherwise; which brings us to Orphalee.
Bellingham Council At Large
Orphalee Smith is a trooper, a true conservative and a committed citizen who loves her city. She is running as a write-in candidate because she feels Seth needs to have his liberal ideas tested in competition. She is a serious candidate and I think she would work well on the council. She is a fiscal conservative and we need that these days.
Seth Fleetwood is a easy going guy. He is always enough on top of issues to come off well. But he has little depth to his views. It would not hurt for him to take a sabbatical from public service. And our city council has enough liberals on it now. His ideas are often way too expensive to implement.
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