by Contributed
Vote for Gordon
Can farmers farm in Skagit County? It seems to depend on who at the county planning department likes how farming practices take place. If county administrators are not informed about farming practices, then farmers may have to farm based on how county employees feel about the activity.
The Skagit Valley Herald editorial Oct. 9 had it right endorsing Don Gordon for County Commissioner. It is time to get new leadership in the commissioners’ office. We need commissioners who can think on their feet to continue promoting and protecting our valuable agriculture land and productivity.
Understanding budgeting priorities and assertive actions by our leaders instead of dead-weight obstructions will allow farmers to farm while the county provides the public a safe and healthy environment where they can live and prosper.
Let’s elect Don Gordon and Ron Wesen to preserve our farming heritage.
Randy Good
Sedro-Woolley
A natural for commissioner
While I am not currently blessed with living in Skagit County, I have lived there five out of the last seven years and I consider it my home.
A number of years ago I worked for Bill Turner. During that time I got to know him quite well. From my experiences with him, I have no reservations in supporting Bill Turner for Skagit County Commissioner.
Mr. Turner is a very intelligent man with a unique background and a love of problem-solving. I believe these attributes make him a natural for a position such as County Commissioner. He is capable and willing to understand issues and ideas from more than one perspective. This is what I believe we should all look for in all our political leaders.
Bill has unique qualifications for political office. He grew up working on his family’s farm talking to the farmers and working men. He also earned a degree in psychology from one of America’s most prestigious universities. He is both a Democrat and a small business owner, an environmentalist and a developer. In the 1980s, long before talk of energy conservation was pervasive, he built passive-solar heated homes in Skagit Valley. Five years ago, while other developers were clear cutting developments, Bill and his wife learned and implemented the ideas of low-impact developing.
Skagit County, like the rest of our country, faces many challenges as we grow into the future. It is key that our leaders understand all sides of the issues as they make decisions that effect us all. My experience with Mr. Turner and my knowledge of his background tells me that he’ll be a great County Commissioner for Skagit County.
Jared Wood
Baltimore
PUD electric not so risky
For those who have bought a home, the feeling of risk and responsibility usually looms large. PSE tells us of the “danger” that lurks for us in a local government-run electric utilities. We are hit with the fear factor in every medium we see or hear. PSE has limitless funds for this campaign and is willing to use them.
But what, in fact, is the risk? And is there a risk of continuing to “rent” our electric system?
PSE is $2.6 billion in debt. The pending sale of PSE to Australia’s Macquarie Bank, adds another $1.2 billion in debt.
PSE must borrow $5 billion more over the next five years to maintain and upgrade its total distribution network. That will put PSE’s debt at a staggering $8.8 billion.
Skagit County represents about 5.2 percent of PSE’s customer base, Skagit ratepayers will be on the hook for about $447 million of that debt, which will be paid for through higher rates.
The fact is that Skagit electric customers can buy the local PSE distribution network for far less than they will pay to retire PSE’s sizeable debt — as much as $200 million less according to PSE’s own study which put the minimum price at $240 million.
That’s a savings of $3,500 per customer.
The record shows that public power utilities, every electric PUD in Washington, provides reliable service at lower rates than we pay to Puget Sound Energy.
From that perspective, sticking with PSE would seem to be far riskier than granting the Skagit County PUD authority to at least study whether to become an electric provider.
I urge the voters of Skagit County to put their trust in themselves to evaluate the feasibility of becoming an electric provider. Keep that option open by voting ‘yes’ on PUD Proposition 1.
John M. Smith
Clear Lake
Who put our country in this mess?
Senator Pelosi (D-CA) states, “Democrats accepts no responsibility for this financial collapse.” She is truly delusional. The reality is that she and Senator Reed have led the House and Senate to be called “The Do Nothing Congress” with an approval rate of 9 percent. And that was before they took their last vacation while the nation was experiencing an energy crisis.
In 1995, President Clinton strong-armed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to buy all these “subprime loans and mortgages.” Jim Johnson was CEO of Fannie during these years (1991-1998). The same man that was managing director of Lehman, now bankrupt, the same man Obama hired to help him pick his vice president. The same man that was on the board of directors of Goldman Sachs who gave $700,000 to Obama.
As soon as Clinton-crony Franklin Delano Raines took the helm in 1999 at Fannie Mae, he used it as his personal piggy bank for a total of more than $100 million in compensation by the time he left in early 2005 under an ethical cloud. Obama hired him to be his Financial Advisor.
Senators Dodd (D-CT) and Frank (D-MA) both are heads of committees that were supposed to protect us from this sort of thing. President Bush tried to warn congress twice (2001 and 2003) about Fannie and Freddie. But Democrats said all was fine. Then Senator McCain in 2005 co-sponsored a Bill (S-190) that would regulate the two. But again, the Democrats stopped it.
So who are you going to trust to bring our country out of this mess? The same ones that played a huge, huge part in going us to this point? Or the leader who tried to warn them before this happened?
Barbara A. Hanger
Mount Vernon
Re-elect Ken Dahlstedt
Institutional memory, a knowledge of facts, concepts and experiences of an organization is absolutely necessary for the successful operation of that organization, especially when there is a change in leadership. On Tuesday, Nov. 4, the Board of Skagit County Commissioners is about to experience a major change in leadership. The retirement of Commissioner Don Munks in District 1 assures that Commissioner District 1 will be represented by a new commissioner to the Board, hopefully Bill Turner. And while Sharon Dillon has capably represented Commissioner District 3, she will have completed only one term on the Board. Therefore, at this time there is only one candidate who will bring institutional memory to the Skagit County Board of Commissioners and that is Commissioner Ken Dahlstedt.
Commissioner Dahlstedt, who serves as the Chair of the Skagit Transit Board and as a member of the Northwest Regional Council on Aging, has served on many other county and national boards. He has consistently worked to preserve our agricultural base, protect our resource lands, encourage business and save taxpayer dollars. I urge you to re-elect County Commissioner Ken Dahlstedt.
Bob Snell
Anacortes
Vote yes on Skagit Transit’s Prop. 1
Skagit County pays the lowest tax rate in the area. The Transit has not had an increase in taxes since it began 15 years ago. Fuel and wage prices have increased greatly since it began. There are many areas away from the fixed route service that only receive “pocket service,” which is two days a week. The Everett Express has been standing room only lately.
If you feel that those who live off of the fixed route out in the country, the people riding to Everett and others who depend on the bus to get them where they need to go do not deserve to have any transportation, then vote no and these services will end when the grants expire this year.
If this does not pass, I hope that you will volunteer for the Skagit County Chore Program and/or RSVP to give rides to those who cannot drive and live off the bus route. I have been doing this for more than two years by driving out to get someone, bringing them into town to shop, go to the doctor and socialize at least two times a week then returning them home. It averages 33 miles a trip. If bus service was available, then they would not be isolated in their home all of the time. I know many others could use help with transportation, but without bus service and not enough volunteers to help everyone, they are isolated in their homes.
Vote Yes on Skagit Transit’s Prop. 1.
Patti Santangelo
Anacortes
Yes on Proposition 1
Puget Sound Energy has wasted nearly a million dollars on a high-octane spin campaign by Washington’s very own Karl Rove, Mr. Ron Dotzauer. Dotzauer’s strategy? Fear and doubt. Dotzauer, who nominally claims to be a Democrat, would have Franklin Delano Roosevelt turning in his grave. FDR said that “we have nothing to fear but fear itself,” and Americans rose to the challenge.
Today, we all benefit from public power on the Columbia, a gift given to us by the greatest generation. Today, our generation has nothing to fear but guys like Dotzauer, and the corporate toads for which he shills. Go ask a developer in Chelan County whether public power is a good deal for their community: they don’t pay impact fees because the local PUD funds public improvements. In our community that money pays the bloated salaries of incompetent PSE brass.
Clean electrical power will become more valuable. Contemplate the effect on the electrical market of a switch to electric vehicles, for example. Contemplate the power needs of Google and other Internet-centric companies.
And that’s why corporate pirates like Macquaire are frothing at the mouth to get their mitts on our local utility.
Don’t drink the PSE Kool-Aid. We are not a third world country. Local control of our power is a no-brainer. Vote yes for Proposition 1.
Maura Marlin
Mount Vernon
McCain-Palin have the skills
This year’s election is not just about changing bodies in different seats of government, it’s about correcting the anti-constitution and anti-American freedoms of hard-working citizens.
For president and vice president, we have extreme differences: John McCain, who has proved his love for this country by his service fighting for it and years of experience in our Senate voting conservative trying to save taxpayers’ money.
I believe he picked for his vice president possibly the finest running mate this country needs to help get us back to the democracy our forefathers enjoyed. Sarah Palin’s proven record as a leader in politics and advancement to governor, in the fewest years, in Alaska. By her leadership and popularity she won elections by huge majorities. She has a devoted, hard-working husband, five children who know how to work, play, lead and enjoy this land of opportunity.
The Democrats and Socialists are so afraid of her that they have filled the media and TVs with now-proven lies. Here are some facts: she is a hunter, for guns, against abortions, for oil drilling and utilizing our God-given resources while creating thousands of jobs for those unemployed, is a conservative, believes in small government and is a Christian.
Now, here is Barack Hussien Obama’s record: he had been indoctrinated since he was a child to hate American people. Starting with Reverend Jeremiah Wright, 20 years listening to whites are blacks’ enemies. Close relationship with radical Muslim Louis Farrakhan, terrorist and bomber William Ayers, Syrian, Antoin Rezko, Obama’s close friend that they had real estate dealings together until Rezko was convicted in court for fraud and kickback scemes.
