City right to take a stand against T-Mobile decision
This is an open letter to Mayor Dean Maxwell, city planner Ian Munce, members of the Anacortes City Council, and also to Rep. Rick Larson, and Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray.

I read with great appreciation the piece on the front page of the Anacortes American regarding the city’s decision to appeal the decision by U.S. District Court Judge Richard A. Jones to allow T-Mobile to erect a wireless communication monopole on church property in a residentially zoned area of our beautiful city.

This decision overturned the City Council’s ruling, after many reviews and hearings, as well as offers of other suitable locations, to deny T-Mobile’s application.
Now the city has decided to enact an emergency ordinance to effect an appeal to this ruling.

Our “Hurrays!” to city management, who have decided to spend the thousands of dollars it will take to make this appeal. They are saying to the residents of this fine city, with their integrity, that it is time to make a stand against unfair, and in this case “unjustified” encroachment on city laws and the people’s rights under the U.S. Constitution.

I protested this T-Mobile action in a previous letter to the Anacortes American, in which I explained the position of the residents in my area. This included depreciation of our property by noise from the tower, buildings to supply it, topping of huge, beautiful fir trees, and in some cases, loss of scenic value for which higher taxes are paid.

I warned newspaper readers that as we are now subject to this overruling of zoning restrictions, so will other areas of our city be vulnerable, as well as other cities, which guard their property values against corporate controlled federal government regulations.
Vesta E. Lavin
Anacortes

Keep curb cuts out of Old Town neighborhood
So we want some protection for our homes here in Old Town do we? Well good for us.

I want to thank Councilman Nick Petrish for trying to keep this discussion on point; reminding residents that some of their fondest wishes have nothing to do with the subject is forthright of him. I also see a need for me and others to pay closer attention to these proceedings before our planning director cum city attorney dings us in the wrong way for the wrong reasons with his self-described pathetic thinking.

No curb cuts is good. Old Town has alleys and is designed to them. This is a hallmark quality of Old Town. While a few homes have been built here from the ’50s on with garages and curb cuts on the street, this has proven to not be appropriate, so let us have no more of it.

Let us not penalize our neighbors with these homes. Let us just not allow any more of them. The few of us without alleys get a curb cut perhaps with conditions. Pretty simple. Yes, Mr. Petrish, disallowing curb cuts and street-side garages is a tool to preserve Old Town.

Building heights restricted to 25 feet? Get a life. Twenty-five feet isn’t the issue; perhaps banning flat-top roofed homes is the issue. I dunno. A good looking proper mansard roof fits right into Old Town so please be careful with our revulsion of those California flat-topped roof styles. Hey, I grew up in one before I first moved here in 1967.

Tax lots? Is anyone talking tax lots? Much of Old Town is platted as 30 feet or so wide tax lots. Some are even 25 feet. And most, but not all of our Old Town homes are built on two of them, sometimes three, maybe even more. Now, 30 feet and certainly 25 is a bit skinny. Damn our founding real estate speculators for this one, not those of us who live on ‘em now. You want to control “McMansions”? Use the tax lots as a tool.

When people do what amounts to a “nuke and pave,” a greater than 50 percent rebuild or a whole new home even, I’d suggest two tax lots be the limit for a single city utility hookup fee, which we all acknowledge as steep. But if you want to aggregate and build huge on three or more tax lots, then maybe we ought to charge an individual hookup fee for each of those tax lots. Sixty feet wide is sufficient to build a very respectable Old Town style home.

Ten percent is a little harsh to be kicking in the heavy control and cost measures. Yet homeowners and their contractors have long had their ways of dealing with these benchmarks. By the time you factor out all the “maintenance” and do a couple of smaller remodel projects, it is amazing what you can squeak under any benchmark rule. We are all very clever this way.

We already have a 50 percent benchmark rule which a lot of McMansioning is done under already. If the proposed 10 percent rule is on the table, then it may be a proper figure to negotiate to the final benchmark.

That is enough for today.
Bill Brown
Anacortes

U.S isn’t as undertaxed as many think
Kudos to the American for a well-researched and balanced article on taxes.

I have a small bone to pick with Doug Everhart, who thinks we in the USA are undertaxed. Doug is a scholar and a gentleman and I had the pleasure of seeing his presentation on Turkey recently, but the idea that Americans pay less tax than residents of other countries is a pernicious myth, opening the door to those who would like to raise our taxes further.

Doug states that the average tax rate in Turkey is 60 percent. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the top marginal rate on personal income, including social security contributions, is 26 percent in Turkey and 47 percent in the U.S. Corporate taxes, which are generally passed through to customers, top out at 20 percent in Turkey and 39 percent here.

Turkey also has a value added (national sales) tax of 18 percent. We are spared the VAT, but we have state and local sales taxes and a range of other taxes, such as the property tax which is the main focus of the article. Because tax systems vary, exact comparisons are difficult, but even a quick review of the OECD tax data will make clear that the U.S. is no longer a low tax nation. Yet this legend remains an article of faith among many.

Another key point, which Doug touches upon also, is what we get for our money. While we may pay a bit less tax than residents of France or Germany, for example, our taxes do not pay for national health care or free education through the university level.

Setting aside the discussion whether this is good policy, the fact remains that such programs relieve the financial burden on the middle class (the rich don’t need them and the poor often benefit from targeted programs). We Americans instead get bridges to nowhere.

Tax rates matter, not just because of their immediate effect on our wallets. In a highly competitive global economy, a nation with low taxes will generally experience higher economic growth. Look at Ireland in recent years. Raising the tax burden on our people and companies puts us at a competitive disadvantage.

By the way, the U.S. Treasury accepts voluntary contributions, so those who truly feel undertaxed do have a means to rectify the problem.
Mark Lijek
Anacortes

Country is indeed in dire distress thanks to Bush
Jim Kight’s condemnation of the young man displaying the United States flag upside down at the corner of 12th and Commercial was disconcerting. Mr. Kight was adamant in his letter May 21 that the act was disgraceful, disrespectful and even vulgar.

For his enlightenment, I cite the United States Flag Code, Title 4, Sec. 8 (a): “The flag should never be displayed with the Union down except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.”

It may come as a surprise to Mr. Kight that millions of patriotic veterans believe that because of the incompetence and failed polices of George W. Bush, our country is today in dire distress. But what really got my red, white and blue dander up was his statement, “I respect their (the Bushies) restraint in letting him protest.”

Does Mr. Kight imply that the young man was in harm’s way because he was exercising his constitutional rights? I find this intolerance to be even more disgraceful, disrespectful, even vulgar.

For the record, I am a Korean War veteran, and from 1956 through 1962 I was a National Park Service historian stationed at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine — the Birthplace of the Star Spangled Banner.
Wes Wolfe
Anacortes

Without ethanol gas prices would be even higher
Oil at $120 a barrel is doing severe damage to our national economy. We’re all feeling it the local level, too, every time we fill up our vehicles.

Gas prices have doubled in just three years. Despite what ethanol’s opponents would have us believe, these skyrocketing fuel prices are the cause of higher food prices — not corn or ethanol.

The food part of corn isn’t even used for ethanol, because processors only take out the corn’s starch and the nutrients are all returned to the market as animal feed.

Without ethanol, gas prices would be even higher, to the tune of 40 or 50 cents a gallon. Without ethanol we’d also be missing out on what it does for clean air, economic development and reducing our reliance on expensive imports of oil and gas.

Don’t believe Big Oil’s line that it is optional for America to develop alternatives to their very profitable oil. If we continue down this path of $120 per barrel oil, gas at $3.50 a gallon may seem like a bargain in a few years.
Roger Barnhard
Anacortes

Many helped students get their sports physicals
The Seahawk Athletic Booster Association of the Anacortes High School would like to thank the many doctors, nurses, medical students and volunteers who helped make the Spring Sports Physical Night a big success on May 20th. Their contribution of 78 sport physicals allows our student athletes to continue playing in their favorite sports for next year in our middle school and high school.

SABA saves families more than $1,000 in medical fees while providing a necessary service by giving more students the opportunity to participate in school sport activities. Each sport physical is good for 13 months from the date provided.

The following medical professionals volunteered their time and are greatly appreciated: Mark Backman, M.D.; Jason Hogge, M.D.; Rob Rieger, M.D.; Les Conway, M.D.; Deni Bowker, ARNP; Erin Rieger, ARNP; Karen McDonald, ARNP; Catherine Mizen, ARNP; Adreya Wein, ARNP; Paul Birch; Wayne Rasmussen; Geri Bamonte; Gina Thompson; Roseann Wuebbels; Karen Backman; Jewell Saunders and Jean Kohl.

The following SABA volunteers also helped make this a successful event: Colleen Painter, Heiko Miles, Carol Miles, Margaret Hardesty, Kelly Larkin, Linda Everton, Cindy Merritt, Steve Merritt, Barb Abbott, Traci Taylor, Phil Taylor, Jeff Lofgren, Kathy Lofgren, Tish Rendon, Michele Everett, Lori Calvert, Denise Brown, Heather Brennan, Kim Barrett and Don Bowker.

Thank you also to the Anacortes Middle School and Anacortes High School staff for providing all the necessary forms and helping set up and take down the tables and equipment. Because of everyone’s help and efforts, the evening was a success and student athletes will be able to participate in sports during the next school year.

SABA is a nonprofit organization that supports the Anacortes High School athletic teams and programs. See you at a sporting event next school year.
Syd Olausen,
SABA President,
Michele Everett,
SABA Secretary

Waterfront Festival had waves of support once more
At the 18th Annual Anacortes Waterfront Festival, we truly put the water back into the festival.

I mentioned last year that it takes a village to raise a festival, and that is so true. Putting together this festival takes the commitment of a very hardworking group of volunteers and the financial support of our business community.

On behalf of the board and staff of the Anacortes Chamber of Commerce I would like to thank everyone involved. The Waterfront Festival Committee members: Vic Childs, Ken Clark, Mitch Everton, Dale Fowler, Monte Hughes, Meredith Laws, Kenny Markel, Robin Pestarino, Barbara and Mike Ritts, Ed Sprauer, Rick Star, Mary Talosi (the rock), Carrie Tisinger, Jan and Norm Vigre, and TK Wegg. Plus the community organizations that are so dedicated to the festival: Anacortes Yacht Club, Wrestlers for Life, Fidalgo Island Rotary, and the Majestic Glass Car Club.

We appreciate the involvement of all of the groups who are instrumental in making this festival so special.

Yet again, the staff at the Port of Anacortes did yeoman’s work to help us have a successful event, especially: Josh Beaner, Jason Chandler, Wes George, Phil Krause, and of course, Kathy Smith.

Great additions were added to the event this year.

The Quick and Dirty Boat Building demonstration was definitely a highlight. Spectators thoroughly enjoyed watching the boat construction and enthusiastically cheered on their favorite teams during the race. Kent Morrow from Northwest Rigging was the captain of the group that put it together, with help from Pat Barrett, Fred Abelman, Ed Clausen and more.

Meredith Laws envisioned a Walking Tour of a Working Waterfront and put together a task force to complete that mission — many thanks to all who were a part of that group, most notably the Kiwanis Noon Club, who sponsored the tour, Sebo’s and The Sign Works, who made the sign holders, Linda McGuire from Bayshore Office Products whose talented eye made the dream into reality, and the Anacortes Museum staff, especially Judy Hakins. The Walking Tour is still up at the new Port esplanade, for those who missed it during the festival.

Monte Hughes, Mystic Sea Charters, ferried folks to the American Gold Seafood farm, and TK Wegg organized a radio-controlled sailboat regatta. Boat Show coordinator Joe Molitor, from Cannon Yachts, put together a great show on short notice.

We are so blessed to have festival sponsors that return year after year. Shell Puget Sound Refinery, our poster sponsor, is such a great community supporter. Other top sponsors that financially supported the festival: Skagit Valley Herald, Trident Seafoods, Dakota Creek Industries, Island Hospital, KWLE 1340 the Whale, Mark Nilson Mortgage Consultant, Samish Indian Nation, Tesoro Refining & Marketing Company, Anacortes Family Medicine, March Point Cogeneration. There were many more sponsors that we listed in the great insert produced by the Anacortes American.

So, the morning after the festival I reflected as we were loading the borrowed Bayshore truck to return borrowed items to Lakeside Industries, the city of Anacortes and Ace Hardware … it does take a village, thanks Anacortes.
Stephanie Hamilton
Anacortes Chamber of Commerce