What do the PT Ferry debacle, The I-747 judicial debacle, the PA graving yard debacle, and the plea by the county coms. in today's PDN have in common????
GOVERNMENT INCOMPETENCE
The Ferry Debacle
didn't come as a surprise. If the DOT
officials and legislators have even been reading the newspapers, they certainly
knew that one day the Coast Guard would say, "Whoa, Unsafe" about the ferries.
They should have known this for years. But, they have been
too busy trying to buy more votes by putting on more welfare programs -
- even for illegals. Those boats are 80 years old. But, building
new ferries doesn't bring in more votes - - so, they put it off . . . .
" Not on my watch - - somebody else's problem" - - - and no backup plan.
It even took a week to get a foot ferry going, which is, of course inadequate.
The millions the DOT wasted on the PA graving yard debacle would have built a new ferry - - maybe two if you count the lost tax revenue from all the lost business.
Directorship of the DOT has been a political plum handed to Democrat political hacks by past and present governors. Never mind that they have been incompetent and have been wasting millions like they were dollar bills. Dan MacDonald showed himself as an incompetent boob long before (and, of course during) the graving yard fiasco. Yet our governess* re-appointed him to the job. It seems, to her if you consistently screw up, it's O.K. so long as your intent (and politics) is good. (After all, she was a screw-up as attorney general) I don't have a clue about his replacement, but she didn't distinguish herself on the ferry deal.
* NOTE: I've been criticized for referring to her as "Governess". Well, a governess is someone hired to look after children. She is hired by the unions to look after children [Washington voters] and keep them in line, so the title is appropriate.
I-747 Debacle
Five lame brained judges, led
by drunk driver, Bobbie Bridges and assisted by Former Forks traffic court
judge, Susan Owens (who needs to return to traffic court - the level of
her competence), have not only created an immediate problem which promises
to cost the taxpayers huge amounts of property taxes - - But, even worse,
they have established "judicial opinion of voter's competence" as
a new judicial precedent. Now, any vote on anything anywhere in the
state can be voided by any judge who doesn't like it just by saying, "The
voters didn't understand what they were voting on". The attorney
general should appeal that decision to the US Supreme court in order to
wipe out that precedent - - But, he probably won't.
They do have a point, though. The voters they say don't know what they are doing are the same voters who put them in office.
The County
The county commissioners are
now scratching their heads, trying to figure out how to support law enforcement
financially. Maybe, they should have thought about that a couple
of years ago when they handed HALF A MILLION DOLLARS out of the road fund
to Sequim farmer friends for "development rights". Maybe government
should learn to live within it's means - - like the rest of us do.
So, what does all of this say?
We
need some wholesale turnover in our elected officials! At the head
of the list are judges. People generally
vote for judges according to what the lawyers say. WRONG WRONG
WRONG! Lawyers sometimes pimp for a judge because he/she is stupid
or tends to always decide their way. Never take a lawyer's opinion
on a judge -- unless you know the lawyer very well and know he/she is one
of the (few) lawyer good guys.
Judges can have more immediate
impact on your life than any other elected official. A judge can
sign a piece of paper and put you in jail, take away your kids, your property,
your reputation. In voting for judges, we need to scrutinize their
past actions. Judges who "legislate from the bench" are extremely
bad news and must be removed.
We need a competent person sitting in the governor's chair. Rossie won in '04', but was run over by the King County ballot printing press. He is running again. Send him a check (I did). This time he has to win by a big enough margin that King County can't come up with enough "late" ballots to defeat him. Dino Rossi has been a success in the real world of business, as well in the phony world of the legislature. He is smart and a good guy who listens to people and knows how to manage money and command the troops.
If he is to be successful as governor, there must be some big changes in the legislature. I'm speaking of removal of both Democrats and Republicans who will not do their job honestly and intelligently. Some of them only know if there is a problem (real or imagined) throw money at it. That's OK if it's their money - not OK if it is the taxpayers' money. Those that cater to special interests (notably, but not exclusively, unions) have to go if the state is to recover from it's malaise. Here in the 24th district, we have one outstanding legislator, Jim Hargrove. He needs to stay - - but get him some help.
We need a complete turnover in the Clallam County Commissioner's department - - two demos and one calling himself a Republican but otherwise acting as a democrat. If he runs again, the R party should force him to run honestly as a Democrat.
Of course, it goes without saying we need an overhaul of our congressional delegation - - especially in the senate. These two ladies do not have yours or the country's best interest at heart.
Thats my opinion and my view of the truth. If there are any out there who disagree, you are invited to tell me where I go wrong. . . . . . Marv