Northern Pacific Report hopes to report on council meetings, and possibly some interesting court hearings and trials, around the Puget Sound Area on a regular basis. This blog will focus on Newcastle, particularly, but may also go to places like Mercer Island, Bellevue, Seattle and Federal Way on an occasional basis. To help me with this work, particularly for time spent and travel expenses, I'm asking for any kind of donations to extend this journalistic work. I expect to report on Newcastle on a regular basis, including some commission meetings as well as almost all council meetings. In order to get the word out about Northern Pacific Report, I'll be passing out fliers and posting on social media sites, but readers' word-of-mouth or social media communications would also be appreciated. Thanks!
Previous post: "Town Council Decreases Own Salaries"
- Mark Greene, chairman of the Party of Commons
[revised on 9/21/12]
Name and Address for donations: (prefer checks or money orders)
(Mark Greene/Party of Commons), P.O. Box 612, Bellevue, WA 98009
Sep 20, 2012
Sep 19, 2012
Town Council Decreases Own Salaries
City of Newcastle, WA -- Council Meeting of 9/18/12
In a token but decisive effort to shore up this small city's budget, the Newcastle City Council voted 4 to 3 to decrease regular council member salaries to $500 per month, and decrease the mayor's salary to $600 per month. A $200-or-so decrease. This action was taken on Tues., Sept. 18th, despite the improved, if not overly rosy, budget forecast by Finance Director, Chris Olson. Olson had said earlier in the meeting that the city's revenues were expected to increase more than previously expected because of increases in sources such as retail sales taxes and development revenue, and that a budget surplus would ensue. Councilmember Bill Erxleben did not seem particularly impressed with the forecast as he noted that needed repairs to streets and roads in Newcastle would conceivably take up a large part of future budgets, and implied that nobody should be jumping for joy over Newcastle's financial future. Councilmember John Dulcich and Mayor Rich Crispo, in his dual role as mayor and councilmember, took a more conciliatory tone regarding the budget, as the mayor, in particular, downplayed Erxleben's concern that streets and roads would be as troublesome and burdensome for the city as Erxleben portended. Erxleben said that it was the city's responsibility to have a first-rate infrastructure system, putting particular emphasis on streets and roads. Councilmember Carol Simpson said that the city must not neglect security concerns besides infrastructure concerns, implying that the size of the city's police force was not keeping pace with Newcastle's population growth.
Regarding the salary decrease ordinance, Councilmember Simpson and Deputy Mayor Lisa Jensen both were concerned about who would be the Newcastle councilmembers of the future if the salaries were so low that it would tend to dissuade some members of the public from running for office; Jensen, in particular, stressed the importance of having a diverse council. Councilmember Dulcich suggested that any council member who voted for the ordinance should return some or all of their salary to the city, now, as any such solicitous feeling could be immediately effected. He said the whole exercise about salaries was a "feel-good" proposition, and that it couldn't take effect anyway, by law, until new council terms took effect. Erxleben, at first, said that he would vote against the ordinance because it didn't decrease salaries low enough for his taste, but later changed his mind, apparently because his vote looked decisive, which it indeed was.
The council, by a vote of 6 - 1, Gordon Bisset dissenting, also approved a "temporary" public works project regarding storm water management to be directed by Public Works Director, Mark Rigos, at a cost of about fifty thousand dollars.
Votes regarding decreasing salaries were as follows:
Yes: Crispo, Bisset, Erxleben and Buri
No: Simpson, Dulcich and Jensen
[revised on 9/19/12]
Copyright 2009 - 2012, Party of Commons TM
In a token but decisive effort to shore up this small city's budget, the Newcastle City Council voted 4 to 3 to decrease regular council member salaries to $500 per month, and decrease the mayor's salary to $600 per month. A $200-or-so decrease. This action was taken on Tues., Sept. 18th, despite the improved, if not overly rosy, budget forecast by Finance Director, Chris Olson. Olson had said earlier in the meeting that the city's revenues were expected to increase more than previously expected because of increases in sources such as retail sales taxes and development revenue, and that a budget surplus would ensue. Councilmember Bill Erxleben did not seem particularly impressed with the forecast as he noted that needed repairs to streets and roads in Newcastle would conceivably take up a large part of future budgets, and implied that nobody should be jumping for joy over Newcastle's financial future. Councilmember John Dulcich and Mayor Rich Crispo, in his dual role as mayor and councilmember, took a more conciliatory tone regarding the budget, as the mayor, in particular, downplayed Erxleben's concern that streets and roads would be as troublesome and burdensome for the city as Erxleben portended. Erxleben said that it was the city's responsibility to have a first-rate infrastructure system, putting particular emphasis on streets and roads. Councilmember Carol Simpson said that the city must not neglect security concerns besides infrastructure concerns, implying that the size of the city's police force was not keeping pace with Newcastle's population growth.
Regarding the salary decrease ordinance, Councilmember Simpson and Deputy Mayor Lisa Jensen both were concerned about who would be the Newcastle councilmembers of the future if the salaries were so low that it would tend to dissuade some members of the public from running for office; Jensen, in particular, stressed the importance of having a diverse council. Councilmember Dulcich suggested that any council member who voted for the ordinance should return some or all of their salary to the city, now, as any such solicitous feeling could be immediately effected. He said the whole exercise about salaries was a "feel-good" proposition, and that it couldn't take effect anyway, by law, until new council terms took effect. Erxleben, at first, said that he would vote against the ordinance because it didn't decrease salaries low enough for his taste, but later changed his mind, apparently because his vote looked decisive, which it indeed was.
The council, by a vote of 6 - 1, Gordon Bisset dissenting, also approved a "temporary" public works project regarding storm water management to be directed by Public Works Director, Mark Rigos, at a cost of about fifty thousand dollars.
Votes regarding decreasing salaries were as follows:
Yes: Crispo, Bisset, Erxleben and Buri
No: Simpson, Dulcich and Jensen
[revised on 9/19/12]
Copyright 2009 - 2012, Party of Commons TM
Jul 9, 2011
King County Bulletin
Not that many voters are aware of it, due to the negligence of a partisan, ideologically controlled news media, but there is an election for King County Director of Elections in November, 2011. The news blockade about the position that runs the elections department is just another piece of the puzzle about a media that is more concerned about controlling events than merely reporting the story. Objective journalism in the United States has become the purview of a handful of newspapers, blogs, radio stations and others, but being a part of the establishment-run apparatus that works primarily for the benefit of big business is the main status of the overwhelming number of so-called journalistic outfits, and that includes a good number of the quasi-alternative papers and slick news oriented internet sites & blogs. It's no accident that media organizations that downplay certain political campaigns also usually endorse the opponents of these campaigns. This is the FOX-ification of the broader sphere of journalism in the nation, today, and although this is really nothing new (objectivity and fair practices in journalism were just as rare 100 and 200 years ago as they are today), there still needs to be a reminder to the public every now and then that the big media outfits have deep biases and business-driven motives to distort, ignore or disproportionately promote stories.
[revised on 7/13/11]
Updates on "King County Bulletin" may be following in the coming stays.
Copyright 2009 - 2011, Party of Commons TM
[revised on 7/13/11]
Updates on "King County Bulletin" may be following in the coming stays.
Copyright 2009 - 2011, Party of Commons TM
Nov 29, 2009
Pierce County Tragedy
We had thought our writings on Northern Pacific Report would be mainly about mundane court business on civil & political matters and council meetings, and never expected to write about successive tragedies, but sadly, not very long after the other tragedies, four police officers from the Lakewood, WA Police Dept. were ambushed and killed by a gunman, today. Reportedly, the gunman is still at large, and Governor Christine Gregoire said that the State of Washington is extending help to the local authorities in trying to catch him. The gunman is reportedly believed to be injured by one of the deceased officers who valiantly tried to stop the gunman. "Commons" extends condolence to the families of the officers.
Post-script (added on 12/1/09): the alleged gunman was killed by a policeman, today, during a confrontation.
The names of the four deceased Lakewood Police Dept. officers are Tina Griswold, Ronald Owens, Mark Renninger and Greg Richards.
[revised on 12/29/09]
The Party of Commons does not sponsor or produce advertising.
Copyright 2009, Party of Commons TM
Post-script (added on 12/1/09): the alleged gunman was killed by a policeman, today, during a confrontation.
The names of the four deceased Lakewood Police Dept. officers are Tina Griswold, Ronald Owens, Mark Renninger and Greg Richards.
[revised on 12/29/09]
The Party of Commons does not sponsor or produce advertising.
Copyright 2009, Party of Commons TM
Nov 7, 2009
Fort Hood Tragedy
Thirteen servicemen and servicewomen were tragically killed by a gunman, and many injured earlier this week, reportedly and bizarrely by an officer in the Army, at the Army base in Fort Hood, Texas. This was obviously a senseless tragedy and "Commons," along with the nation in general, was shocked to hear about this sad news. For stopping the gunman and averting a further tragedy, praise and credit goes to female police officer Kimberly Munley, who was also severely injured during the gun battle.
"Commons" expresses condolence to the families of the deceased and hope, with prayers to the Almighty, for the speedy recovery of the injured.
The Party of Commons does not sponsor or produce advertising.
Copyright 2009, Party of Commons TM
"Commons" expresses condolence to the families of the deceased and hope, with prayers to the Almighty, for the speedy recovery of the injured.
The Party of Commons does not sponsor or produce advertising.
Copyright 2009, Party of Commons TM
Jun 21, 2009
Prologue
Welcome to Northern Pacific Report! This will be a report on court and government hearings, primarily, in the state of Washington. These reports will include the federal courts in Washington, City of Seattle council meetings, King County council meetings, legislative business in Olympia, and so forth. We hope to get as many viewers as possible for this blog as this will be an informative guide for those who want to know what is going on in the courts and in the political arenas of northwestern America.
Copyright 2009, Committee of Commons & Political Affairs TM
Copyright 2009, Committee of Commons & Political Affairs TM
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