Tales From The Dark Side Online

July 31, 2009 by 4 Comments

In the not too distant past, BlogSunnyside was mentioned alongside another political blog on the Yakima Herald-Republic website.  The YHR is a great paper, and maintains its own blogs on-line.  One is oriented towards politics, and is called “Checks and Balances”.  It is a good blog, and naturally much of the posts are about Yakima.

The other political blog they mentioned on that occasion is The Other Side Online, which is maintained by the Yakima County Democrats.  It is a good blog, even if much of it does not make sense, and I encourage everyone to check it out.

Recently, in the Yakima Herald-Republic, they published an article about how the Mayor of Yakima got his undies all in a bunch over “Republican” partisanship in the city politics there.  It seems those evil Republicans did not endorse his proposed increase in taxes earlier in the year, so he is blaming them for his inability to get it approved by voters.

As The Other Side Online said:

Now is the time for republicans to muster the courage to speak out against these two faced, lying hippocrites.

As far as I know, there was no discussion among the Republicans of endorsing City Council candidates before this meeting between Mayor Elder and the Yakima County Republicans took place.

Mayor Edler should get over the fact that political conservatives did not approve of his failed EMS levy.  Trying to blame it on “partisanship” is barking up the wrong tree.

If Mayor Edler is a Republican, he should examine why he chose to become one.  He has, in the past, told people, that he is a Republican.  As an outside observer, however, I am left wondering that if all of his policies seem to lead to bigger government, and higher taxes, perhaps he is the “two faced, lying hypocrite” the Yakima County Democrats are speaking of.

Filed under 2009 Election, Uncategorized, Yakima County Republicans Tagged with , , , ,

Drug Test For Welfare Check?

July 29, 2009 by 2 Comments

This is the topic of a poll question that has been making the rounds on Facebook lately.  Several of my friends have answered that yes, they would want welfare recipients to pass a drug test before receiving money.

My comment to one friend on Facebook was that I if I could change the question, I would not want anyone to receive welfare at all.  This prompted a number of responses from others, so I thought I might elaborate on why I said such a thing.

First of all, we must acknowledge that there are people in need.  Some have disabilities, others may just be down on their luck.  And yes, some may have alcohol and/or drug addiction problems.

When I say that they should not receive a welfare check, I am not saying they should not receive help.

Having experience working in a Rescue Mission, I encountered a wide range of people in need.  Some were welfare recipients, some had addiction problems, some were homeless, others were families going through hard times and needed help filling their kitchen pantry for the week.

The organization I worked with did a good job stretching resources to the maximum extent possible.  It survived on the genorosity of the community, through donations and also through funds raised through thrift stores.  (I worked in the industrial and thrift store operations that the Mission had.)  The Mission did not take any government or United Way funds.  They did not want the conditions that come with grants.  They were seen as infringements on the religous freedoms enjoyed by the staff and volunteers working there.

Government programs are by their very nature more wasteful and inefficient than private enterprise.  Faith based addiction recovery programs have a significantly higher success rate that secular ones.  The ability to make spending decisions on a localized basis ensures resources go to where they are most needed.  Allowing people of faith to express their beliefs openly is something our founding fathers would not have objected to.

However, in the modern era, we have large numbers of people turning to government for answers to everyday problems.  Government workers are prohibited from saying that they believe in Jesus, Allah, Buddha, or any other religious views they may have.  Spiritual needs go unmet.  These same government workers are prohibited from telling someone to go away and sober up before they come and ask for aid.

Many homeless shelters ask the residents to help cook and clean, or to attend devotional or life skills classes in order to stay there.  This helps cover the cost of operation for the shelter, as well as offers oppurtunities to teach the residents things that will hopefully get them to a better place in life.

Government programs offer aid with little or no conditions.  Seldom are welfare recipients required to work for the aid they receive.  These are not good life lessons to teach.

Another issue I have with welfare is that it forcibly takes money from productive members of society (the taxpayers) and gives it to those who are not contributing.  This is morally wrong.

I support my local church, thrift stores, shelters, and other charities by choice.  I resent it when the government takes money from my check and gives it away on programs that are wasteful, ineffective, or conflict with my personal values and beliefs.

These are just a few of the reasons I am opposed to giving someone a welfare check.  However, we in America have a long tradition of helping those in need.  I believe it should be done outside of the government, especially the Federal government.

Filed under Constitutional Issues, Freedom Issues, Traditional Values, Uncategorized Tagged with , , , , , , ,

Sunnyside Council Silliness

July 28, 2009 by 3 Comments

The Sunnyside City Council met last night, and officially suspended and fired City Manager Eric Swansen.  There was no mention as to why they were voting on resolutions to do this, and no debate on the matter.  However, it appears he is still on the payroll for the City.

This reminds me of the movie “Office Space” where a man was fired, but through a glitch in payroll continued to get paid for years.  In addition, through another “glitch” in personnel, he was never notified that he had been laid off.  Management “fixed” the problem by adjusting payroll not to cut him a check any longer, but still did not inform the man he had been fired!

This would be funny, except that we are not supposed to be playing out a comedy script at our Council meetings.

In other activity, the Council again took up the topic of the airport.  About a year ago, the Council had referred the matter to the Planning Commission for them to study the issue of development around the airport, and make recommendations.  For some unknown reason, the City Council took up the issue before the Planning Commission had finished studying the issue!

Mayor Pro Tem Jim Restucci said he could add any item to the agenda he wanted to.  Hmm, that’s interesting.  Did the City Council vote to take up the issue after a consensus had been reached to refer it to the Planning Commission?  Maybe I missed that, or maybe the Council is just making stuff up as it goes along.

The Council had a public hearing on the proposed airport overlay zoning district.  Council Member Nick Paulakis asked if a map of the extremely large number of people effected could be published to let everyone know the severity of restrictions being discussed, as well as how many people and businesses could be impacted.  He also asked if individuals falling under the overlay had been notified of the hearing.

Of course, the answer to both of those questions is an emphatic NO!  Legal counsel for Mr. Padelford, who is already suing the City for its bad faith actions regarding his annexation, was not notified that the Council would be holding the hearing either.  This happened even after the Council has said that they want all the “stakeholders” to take part in the process of making plans for future development of the airport.

In “testimony” against allowing development in Sunnyside, Amber Hansen from the Port of Sunnyside made comments that a new study showed that air transportation services would grow 85% by 2030, and that restricting development by the airport would be necessary.

This was immediately followed by “testimony” from the head of a pilot’s association who contradicted Ms. Hansen by saying that airports across the country are under “attack” and that 60 public use airports are being forced to shut down each year.  He also favored not allowing development in Sunnyside, in order to “protect” the airport.

My head was seriously spinning as I listened to someone saying that  airports would continue to grow, and that they were also under “attack” and being forced to close at the same time.  How they both conclude that not allowing development will help Sunnyside is beyond me.

Perhaps most telling, was when Barbara Johnson got up to speak about the difficulty in selling her homestead of 48 years.  They are in the County, just outside the City limits, but live by the airport.  Because they are in the Urban Growth Area for Sunnyside, and subject to zoning designations from the City, they are unable to close on a sale of their residence.

Council Member Theresa Hancock commented at the end of the hearing that “…the planning commission did a good job, a good piece of work.”  Excuse me?  The planning commission was not even done!  Ms. Hancock was apparently the only Council Member to go on record saying she wanted the Council to take up the matter before the commission made recommendations, as she said she wanted them to do when the Council referred it back to the Planning Commission in the first place.

Ms. Hancock did not comment about property owners’ inability to buy and sell due to the moratoriums, and anti-development stance taken by the Council.  Sorry, Ms. Johnson, but your home and accumulated life savings are of no concern to the Sunnyside City Council.

Filed under Freedom Issues, Sunnyside Council, Sunnyside Planning Commission, Uncategorized Tagged with , , , , ,

The Friends of Sunnyside

July 27, 2009 by 3 Comments

A new website has been advertised in the Sunnyside Daily Sun News this past week.  It is called Friends of Sunnyside.  The website is edited by Wayne Overland, a property owner in Sunnyside.

Mr. Overland is not very happy with the performance of the Sunnyside City Council.  In June, he wrote a letter to the editor which urged the City Council to hold off on naming a new City Manager until after the fall elections.  Thankfully, it appears that the City Council will indeed, follow this sound piece of advice.

After I announced I would be running for City Council in District 1, running against incumbent Theresa Hancock, Mr. Overland contacted me to express some concerns he has for our city.  (I welcome anyone and everyone to contact me with any issues they have.)

He and his group are upset with out of control spending by the current City Council, the cutting of police officers, and the resulting fiasco created by the way the Council terminated former City Manager Eric Swansen.  (I thought that was already a done deal, but it is again on the agenda for tonight’s meeting of the Council!)

The Friends of Sunnyside has a number of issues presented on their website, which I am actively reviewing.  However, I do share many of Mr. Overland’s concerns, and wish to make every effort to restore all the police officer positions cut by this City Council (these cuts to law enforcement were supported by my opponent Theresa Hancock.)

This fall, the 3/10 of a cent sales tax dedicated to law and justice will be on the ballot for renewal.  The Sunnyside Police Department used funds from these monies to hire additional officers and other personnel prior to this City Council term.

After expending all reserve funds, the current City Council then eliminated police officer positions, despite having the extra revenue from this sales tax approved by the voters.  The citizens have spoken at the ballot box, and voted extra taxes to go for law enforcement.  Why has the City Council gone and cut officers?

We can do better than this.  I promise “The Friends of Sunnyside”, and all citizens, that if I am elected, I will support a complete review of the budget as suggested by Mike Farmer in the Yakima Herald this week. (Mike Farmer is a City Council candidate in District 2 for Sunnyside.)  In an effort to beef up law enforcement, I will support the continued collection of the 3/10 sales tax for law and justice!

As far as I know, I am the first candidate for the Sunnyside City Council to publicly take a position on this law and justice ballot issue for 2009.  Along with a steady source of revenue for law enforcement, I will resist all efforts to “cost shift” employee pay raises and benefits at City Hall.  The first order of business is going to be public safety when it comes to budget priorities.  After getting patrol officers back out on the street in full force, then we can negotiate pay raises for administrators, and the virtues of 9 weeks of vacation each year for City employees (which has been the priority of the current City Council).

I want to thank Mr. Overland and his friends for taking an interest in improving conditions in Sunnyside.  All citizens and business owners in Sunnyside are encouraged to voice their concerns to me at any time.  Please feel free to drop me a line at my e-mail: editor@blogsunnyside.com about any issues you wish to discuss.

Filed under 2009 Election, Sunnyside Council, Sunnyside Crime Issues, Uncategorized Tagged with ,

Kingpins and Jesus Nuts

July 24, 2009 by 2 Comments

This past week a truck in Grandview, Washington hit a curb and lost its load.  The flatbed trailer was stacked high with boxes of apples.  The upset load came crashing down on the side of the rig and the trailer.  Interestingly, the force involved twisted the trailer like a tornado, but the tractor and front part of the trailer stayed upright.

Photo: news

Photo By Dan Atha, Published in the Daily Sun News

This goes to show just how strong the fifth wheel lock jaws are when they grab ahold of the kingpin on the trailer.  I have even seen pictures of a semi-truck cab hanging off a bridge, hanging only by the kingpin on the trailer.  The next time you are driving down the road, think about how it is that the tiny kingpin is holding 40,000 lbs or more of cargo and trailer together with the truck pulling it.

The Kingpin is the pivot of the connection point for fifth wheel coupling of tractor and trailer.

The Kingpin is the pivot of the connection point for fifth wheel coupling of tractor and trailer.

The tiny kingpin is attached underneath the semi-trailer.  Thank goodness they make them strong!

This simple but essential element in a tractor-trailer rig setup is critical for its successful operation.  Do you know of any “kingpins” in your company or organization?  Someone that everyone seems to pivot around, but is rarely celebrated?  I think we all can think of someone that matches that description.  Sometimes it is the person with a seemingly small part to play in a big operation that is most critical for the overall success of the group.

As an aside, this also reminds me of the “Jesus Nut”, which is another critical piece in a complex machine.  Without this part doing its job, the entire machine would fail and likely cause the death of anyone unlucky enough to be riding in the vehicle.  What am I talking about?  The “Jesus Nut” is the part of the old Huey style helicopter that holds the rotor onto the body of the aircraft.  It it comes undone, there is nothing to keep you airborne.  That is why service members would refer to it as the “Jesus Nut”: everyone would pray that this single part would not fail!

Jesus Nut picture from Wikipedia.org

Jesus Nut picture from Wikipedia.org

Newer helicoptors may not have a “Jesus Nut” but you get the idea.  Now the question is this: is the person you were thinking of before a Kingpin or a Jesus Nut?

Without the Kingpin the truck and trailer would not stay together.  Without the “Jesus Nut” holding the rotors on, a helicopter would not fly.

Never underestimate the importance of a single, small part to play.  It often is critical for everyone to be successful in getting their jobs done.

File:Uh-1 vietnam.jpg

A Vietnam era Huey Helicopter that relied on a "Jesus Nut"

Filed under Uncategorized Tagged with ,

Fetuses Have Memories

July 20, 2009 by

A new scientific study has concluded that fetuses have memories.  In the study, a low frequency vibration was used as a stimulus while the fetus was being observed with ultrasound.  Its reactions were studied, and the conclusion is that it can remember what it is experiencing.

I am no medical doctor, but with three children of my own, I can tell you that babies do seem to respond to their parents voices when they are born.  Have you ever noticed that before?  This scientific study seems to back up something that parents and grandparents instinctively have known for many years.

Reference:

Yahoo! News: Fetuses Have Memories

Filed under Traditional Values, Uncategorized Tagged with , ,

Backbenchers, Bloggers, and Radio Talk Show Hosts

July 16, 2009 by 2 Comments

As a veracious consumer of news, I take subscriptions to two newspapers, one news magazine, listen to right and left wing radio talk shows, surf the web for news, and even occasionally watch some TV news.

Mark Levin, a conservative host, talks about other radio hosts as “backbenchers” because he speaks of news events before they do.  He also comes on the air in the afternoon/evening time frame, so that makes a difference.  While on the air, he sometimes pokes fun of bloggers and advertises links to what he calls “deranged bloggers”, many of whom have criticized him on the Internet.  Despite him making fun of some bloggers, he is clearly reading and searching the blogosphere for different people’s views of news events.

Fred Thomspon, former Presidential candidate, and now talk show host, also references blogs on his program.  He does not make fun of them, but actually says things like: “Let’s see what the bloggers are saying about this…” while pulling up information he talks about on the air.

Thom Hartmann, a liberal talk show host, likes to reference comments from liberal bloggers while on the air.  Ed Schultz, another liberal host, also does the same thing, usually referencing the Huffington Post.

I have heard Bill O’reilly and Michael Savage criticize bloggers saying that if people cared what they thought, they would be syndicated nationwide as they are.  That’s real classy guys.  Of course, if a person is addicted to OxyContin, they will be on the most stations nationwide!

Yesterday, I did a post about protesters turning the U.S. flag upside down.  I linked to a couple of different media sources that talk about this situation.  One site is run by a nationally syndicated talk show host: Alex Jones.

Imagine my surprise when I was listening to the podcast of his show from yesterday: he opened his program with a monologue about using an upside down flag in protests!  Did he read my blog?

I don’t know the answer to that, but is is certainly possible.  One time I did a post about a Washington D.C. based think tank, and had CBS News link to my blog.  I am a small time operation, and the high traffic caused people not to be able to see my blog.  (I don’t yet pay for extra bandwidth.)  A few hours later they stopped linking to my blog, but it was an interesting experience!

Later that day, the think tank contacted me via Twitter, and asked if they could link to my blog on their website.  The answer to that question will always be yes.

Everything I post here is for public consumption, all who read it may link to it, or discuss it on their own blogs, talk shows, or wherever they see fit.  I am honored whenever people read what I write.  That is my reward for maintaining this blog.

You can call people “backbenchers”, “deranged” and worse if you like.  I can remember when talk radio was much maligned and not taken seriously.  However, bloggers have a place in the overall public discourse.  That will not change.  The Internet is here to stay.

I hope you enjoy reading this blog as much as I enjoy writing it.

Filed under Freedom Issues, Uncategorized Tagged with , , , ,

U.S. Flag Upside Down A Sign Of Distress

July 15, 2009 by 1 Comment

Flying the U.S. flag upside down is a sign of distress, and should not be done for any other purpose.  USFlag.org lists some Flag Etiquette on its website.

Some time ago, I did a post on this blog about a high school in California that flew a Mexican flag above the U.S. flag.  This is a big no-no and is upsetting enough, however, the U.S. flag was also upside down.  This was done to be intentionally disrespectful during the so-called “day of protest” staged by activists on behalf of immigrants who don’t seem to know how to apply for entry to the U.S. legally.  In the case of the school, a student was responsible and received disciplinary action.

More recently, some other political activists have taken to flying the U.S. flag upside down as a form of protest.  The Huffington Post is reporting that the Reverend Michael Pfleger is flying a flag upside down at his parish in protest of gun violence in his neighborhood.  Father Pfleger was a regular guest speaker at President Obama’s former church in Chicago.

Not to be outdone, activists on the other end of the political spectrum are flying the flag upside down as well.  They view the current status of the nation as being in distress, and deem the upside down flag as appropriate.  (I do not agree with this view on flag use in protests.)  A couple in North Carolina was reportedly assaulted by a police officer for flying a flag upside down, and had an article posted about them on prisonplanet.com.

Activists admittedly get lots of attention for inverting Old Glory, but I personally find the tactic to be offensive.  Some military veterans have even been caught doing it at various protest marches.  While it certainly makes a strong statement, its offensive nature should make it a taboo that protesters should avoid using.

National symbols carry significance that border on religious symbols for many in our country.  We honor the flag with color guards in parades.  On the battlefield, servicemen carry unit colors as an honor.

Most military veterans would never fly a flag upside down unless they are in some type of life and death type of distress.  Like the boy crying wolf, its inappropriate use as a protest symbol takes away from its original meaning.

A friend of mine in Sunnyside recently told me of a neighbor that was flying a flag upside down around the time of July 4th.  I have not personally seen this flag, but would hope that they have rectified this situation.  If you do fly a flag upside down in town, do not be surprised if I come knocking at your door to ask why, and to also politely ask you to fix it.

In many ways I do consider our country to be in distress.  However, flying the flag upside down is not an acceptable way to make that kind of statement.

Filed under Freedom Issues, President Obama, Traditional Values, Uncategorized Tagged with , , , , , ,

Eight Questions Asked Of Sunnyside City Council: No Answers Given

July 13, 2009 by 4 Comments

At the start of last night’s (Monday) Sunnyside City Council meeting, eight questions were asked of the Council by Don Vlieger, District 3 City Council Candidate.  None of them were answered.  All of the questions Mr. Vlieger asked were regarding circumstances surrounding the Council’s firing of former City Manager Eric Swansen.  For reference, a link for download of the resolutions regarding Mr. Swansen’s suspension and termination is at the end of this post.  It is in PDF format.

Mr. Vlieger had provided his questions to the Mayor prior to the meeting.  The questions had been disseminated to other Council Members as well.  Interim City Manager Jim Bridges was also given a copy of the questions by Mayor Pablo Garcia, who directed him to start crafting a response.  Mr. Bridges then forwarded the questions to the City’s legal team for advice.

Attorneys present at the meeting advised Council not to answer the questions until they had discussed them in Executive Session.  Following the regular meeting, Council went into Executive Session in part to discuss pending litigation.  At the conclusion of the Executive Session, Council took no action and also did not respond to any of Mr. Vlieger’s questions.

Here are the questions that Mr. Vlieger asked with my comments added in bullets afterwards:

“1.  Who drafted resolutions 2009-46 and 2009-47 and when?”

  • These were the resolutions that suspended and fired Mr. Swansen.  To date, no one has taken credit for writing them.  Knowing when the resolutions were written is important as well.  Some are suggesting that the resolutions were not written during the meeting, but were written at a later time and/or date.

“2.  Did all Council Members have a copy of these resolutions on the night of June 2?”

  • The state of Washington has specific legal code that deals with termination of a City Manager.  It is important to know if procedures were being followed correctly.

“3.  When were both resolutions signed by the Mayor?”

  • Under normal conditions, the resolutions would be signed by the Mayor on the night that they were voted on and passed by the City Council.

“4.  Why did it take a month to serve (as required by RCW’s) Mr. Swansen his copies and is this going to cost the City an extra month’s pay to Mr. Swansen?”

  • RCW or Revised Code of Washington mandates that the City Manager be given a written copy of resolutions notifying him he is being terminated.  This may not have happened in Mr. Swansen’s case.

“5.  Why did Ms. Estrada (Sunnyside’s City Clerk) refuse to provide copies of these resolutions until the City was threatened with a lawsuit?”

  • A citizen has notified BLOGSUNNYSIDE that they filed a public records request to obtain a copy of these resolutions.  They were allegedly denied until the citizen threatened to file a lawsuit to get them.  Since these resolutions were supposed to be passed in a public meeting, and the citizen was asking for a copy of them after the fact, why would the City delay processing a request for a copy of them?  As far as that goes, why would the City not post a copy of every resolution passed on its website?

“6.  Resolution 2009-47 says that Mr. Swansen is suspended immediately, but in the audio of the meeting both the Mayor and Mayor Pro-Tem say it is midnight June 3rd, did both of you have a copy of Resolution 2009-47 in front of you?  Does this void resolution 2009-47?”

  • I was present at the meeting where Mr. Swansen was fired.  I did not hear anything about a suspension being made immediately.  I did hear that it would be effective at midnight following the meeting.

“7.  In the audio of June 2nd, both resolutions 2009-46 and 2009-47 are passed without comment or details and without referring to the resolution numbers.  No copies were made available to the public.  How is the public supposed to know what their Council is doing (even in a public meeting) if we don’t have copies, the details are not discussed, the resolution is not read, the resolution number is not referenced, and you have to threaten to sue the City to get copies of the resolutions passed in a public meeting?”

  • As a personal witness to the events at the meeting in question, I can not recall any resolution numbers being mentioned.  The text of the resolutions were not read at the meeting, to the best of my recollection.  No copies of the resolutions were given to the public, nor were they projected on a screen during the meeting itself.  The City should be able to provide a copy of resolutions already voted on during the weeks and months following a Council meeting.  I am not sure why there was a delay in processing in the Public Records Request for these documents.  At the very least, that does not look good.

“8.  In resolution 2009-46 the termination date of Mr. Swansen is June 2nd, 2009.  This appears to conflict with RCW 35A.13.130.  Should the date have been July 2nd, 2009.  Is this resolution void because of this error?”

  • After consulting with attorneys in Executive Session, the Council should have been able to answer all these questions.

Reference Resolutions 2009-46 and 2009-47:

Response B_RES 2009-46_RES 2009-47 (1)

Filed under Sunnyside Council, Uncategorized Tagged with , , , , , , ,

Sunnyside Council Workshop On Hiring City Manager Tonight

July 13, 2009 by

BLOGSUNNYSIDE has learned the Sunnyside City Council will be holding a workshop at 5:30 PM tonight to discuss hiring a new City Manager and Finance Director.  The workshop is not posted on the City’s website, nor is it mentioned in the agenda for tonight’s regular meeting of the Council.

Filed under Sunnyside Council Tagged with , , , ,

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