Speakers to address Port on Tuesday

Permalink +

Mon, Apr 30, 2012, 9:54 pm  //  John Servais

A group of citizens are planning attend the Port meeting on Tuesday to urge the commissioners to expand the port commission from 3 to 5 members by placing the issue on the August ballot.  The initiative process has begun, but the Port has the power to save us from weeks of signature gathering.  State law allows the issue to be put on the ballot via either an initiative or a vote of the current three port commissioners.

After the messy dismissal of Charlie Sheldon, this is an opportunity for the commissioners to show some respect and trust for the voters of Whatcom County.  We are not asking the commissioners to endorse expanding the commission to 5.  We are just asking them to allow the voters to decide this question. 

If the commissioners do not place this on the ballot,  we are sure we will easily get enough signatures to put it on the ballot.   And "we" is a rapidly increasing number of people who are asking for petitions.  We need only 7,000 from the entire county. 

We urge others to join us tomorrow at the Port meeting at 3 p.m. and ask the commissioners to place this issue on the ballot for the August primary election.  The meeting is at the port offices on Roeder Avenue.

Here is what the ballot would ask:

Should the number of Port Commissioners be increased from three (3) to five (5) by adding two at-large positions?  yes?___   no? ____

Then the pros and cons of approving this can be hashed out over May, June and July.  Many of us feel this expansion is long overdue and will provide a better decision-making commission.  By approving this in August, we can elect the two new commissioners inthe November general election.

Speakers to address Port on Tuesday

Mon, Apr 30, 2012, 9:54 pm  //  John Servais

Several people will be urging the Port of Bellingham commissioners to place the question of expanding to 5 commissioners on the ballot.

0 comments

5 Port Commissioners Initiative Now Circulating

Sat, Apr 28, 2012, 9:09 am  //  John Servais

A county wide initiative will allow voters to decide whether to expand the Port of Bellingham commission from 3 to 5 commissioners.

1 comments; last on Apr 28, 2012

Village Books

In historic Fairhaven. Take Exit 250 from I-5.

Ron Paul Delegates Railroaded at Whatcom GOP Convention

Tue, Apr 24, 2012, 11:07 am  //  Riley Sweeney

Riley attended the Whatcom GOP Convention and reports back

1 comments; last on Apr 29, 2012

Charlie Sheldon has Herald Op-Ed

Tue, Apr 24, 2012, 8:25 am  //  John Servais

Today's Bellingham Herald carries an article from Sheldon, with facts, falsehoods and his perspective on his forced resignation as Executive Director of the Port of Bellingham.

0 comments

The Road to Nowhere Can Go Forward

Tue, Apr 24, 2012, 12:02 am  //  Guest writer

Developers are gaming the system with help from the county government - and big changes are made in multiple small changes.

1 comments; last on Apr 27, 2012

Earth Day Alert:  Rocket Donuts to throw Fairhaven trees in the Deepfry

Sun, Apr 22, 2012, 6:28 pm  //  Tip Johnson

Will donuts prove more important than street trees?

10 comments; last on May 02, 2012

Video of port commissioners is posted

Wed, Apr 18, 2012, 11:28 am  //  John Servais

A 26 minute video of the port commissioners explaining their positions on the firing of executive director Charlie Sheldon is posted.

7 comments; last on Apr 19, 2012

Port Meeting Today, Tuesday, at 3 p.m.

Tue, Apr 17, 2012, 11:51 am  //  John Servais

At 3 p.m. today - Tuesday, April 17 - the Port of Bellingham meets. Let's attend and support rehiring Charlie Sheldon.

3 comments; last on Apr 18, 2012

100 years ago, at 5:38 p.m. today Bellingham time

Sat, Apr 14, 2012, 3:09 pm  //  John Servais

The Titanic struck the iceberg at 11:40 p.m. This post is non political - unless you want to draw a parallel with recent Port of Bellingham events.

0 comments

Jim Jorgensen May Reverse His Vote

Fri, Apr 13, 2012, 4:47 pm  //  John Servais

Friday update: Herald reports Jim Jorgensen could change his mind on firing of Port of Bellingham Executive Director Charlie Sheldon

3 comments; last on Apr 17, 2012

Two Port Commissioners Held Illegal Meeting

Tue, Apr 10, 2012, 7:52 pm  //  John Servais

An illegal serial Port Commission meeting should be investigated by the State Auditor, and two commissioners should be made accountable for their actions.

5 comments; last on Apr 11, 2012

A Time for Port Reform

Sun, Apr 08, 2012, 10:33 am  //  Tip Johnson

Wherein the shenanigans start smelling too fishy to tolerate

1 comments; last on Apr 11, 2012

Padden Trails.  It Is Not About Infill; It Is About Profits

Sat, Apr 07, 2012, 1:05 pm  //  Dick Conoboy

The issue is not sprawl or infill, but the money to be made by the type of infill and its placement

7 comments; last on Apr 09, 2012

Growth, Sprawl & Infill:  Padden Trails Project

Fri, Apr 06, 2012, 7:16 am  //  Guest writer

Ken Mann writes a guest article of his personal support for the Padden Trails development inside the Bellingham city limits.

3 comments; last on Apr 07, 2012

Petition to Keep Charlie Sheldon is Online

Thu, Apr 05, 2012, 3:00 pm  //  John Servais

An Online petition has been posted where citizens can sign on to request the Port Commissioners revote on Charlie Sheldon's termination.

5 comments; last on Apr 06, 2012

We Can Expand Port Commission to Five

Wed, Apr 04, 2012, 2:16 pm  //  John Servais

State law allows us to pass an initiative and increase the number of port commissioners from three to five. Thanks to Harriet Spanel.

4 comments; last on Apr 05, 2012

Two Commissioners Demanded Charlie Resign

Tue, Apr 03, 2012, 5:25 pm  //  John Servais

Port Commissioner Mike McAuley did everything he could do to change Jim Jorgensen's mind. Jim and Scott Walker forced Charlie Sheldon out.

6 comments; last on Apr 06, 2012

Questions about Population Growth

Mon, Apr 02, 2012, 11:43 am  //  Larry Horowitz

Where to begin? Misinformation. Disinformation. Truths. Myths. Same old, same old. Paradigm shift. GMA. OFM. Growth pressures. Population loss. Growth subsidies. Proportionate share.

36 comments; last on Apr 11, 2012

Charlie Sheldon resigns as Port Director

Mon, Apr 02, 2012, 11:35 am  //  John Servais

This morning, Charlie Sheldon, unexpectedly resigned as Executive Director of the Port of Bellingham.

10 comments; last on Apr 03, 2012

Mayor Kelli comes through for voters

Mon, Apr 02, 2012, 12:03 am  //  John Servais

A thanks to Kelli Linville for her quiet and effective solution to the onerous red light cameras dilemma.

0 comments

 

New Links

Reconveyance Challenge
Salish Sea Org.
the Oatmeal

Current Interest

Community Wise Bellingham
Friends of Whatcom
Lummi Island Quarry
Reconveyance Challenge
Whatcom Elections

Publisher Recommended

GlobalPost
League of Women Voters
Paul Krugman - economics
Sweeney Politics
the Oatmeal

Local Blogs & News

Bellingham Herald
Bham Herald Politics Blog
Bham Politics & Economics
Bob Sanders
Cascadia Weekly
Citizen Ted
Ferndale Record
Friends of Whatcom
Get Whatcom Planning
HamsterTalk
Jack Petree
KGMI
Latte Republic
League of Women Voters
Lynden Tribune
MikeatthePort
Northern Light
Sweeney Politics
Twilight Zoning
Wally Wonders
Western Front - WWU
Whatcom Watch

Local Causes

Bellingham Police Activity
Chuckanut Community Forest
Chuckanut Mountains
Citizens of Bellingham
City Club of Bellingham
Community Wise Bellingham
Conservation NW
Cordata & Meridian
Facebook Port Reform
Futurewise - Whatcom
Jail - local mega plans
Lake Whatcom
Lummi Island Quarry
N. Cascades Audubon
NW Holocaust Center
RE Sources
Reconveyance Challenge
Reduce Jet Noise
Salish Sea Org.
Save the Granary Building
Transition Whatcom
WA Conservation Voters

Governments

Bellingham
Port of Bellingham
Skagit County
US - The White House
WA State Access
WA State Elections
WA State Legislature
Whatcom Auditor
Whatcom County
Whatcom Elections

Weather & Climate

Cliff Mass Weather Blog
Climate Audit
NW Radar
Two day forecast
Watts Up With That? - climate

Leisure

Adventures NW
Edge of Sports
Entertainment NNW
Famous Internet Skiers
Sailing Anarchy

Good Links

Al-Jazeera online
Alaska Dispatch
AlterNet.org
Antiwar.com
Arab News
Asia Times
Atlantic, The
Common Dreams
counterpunch
Crosscut Seattle
Daily Kos
Daily Mirror
Doonesbury
Drudge Report
FiveThirtyEight
Foreign Policy in Focus
GlobalPost
Guardian Unlimited
Gulf News
Haaretz
Huffington Post
Innocence Project, The
Intrnational Herald Tribune
James Fallows
Jerusalem Post
Joel Connelly
Juan Cole
Le Diplo
Media Matters
Michael Moore
Middle East Times
MoveOn.org
Nation, The
New American Century
News Trust
NMFA
numbers
Online Journal
Palestine Daily
Palestine News
Paul Krugman - economics
Personal bio info
Portland Indy Media
Progressive Review
Project Vote Smart
Reuters
Sea Shepherd
Slate
Talking Points Memo
the Oatmeal
Tom Paine.com
truthout
War and Piece
Washington Votes
WikiLeaks.ch
ynetnews.com

NwCitizen 1995 - 2007

Early Northwest Citizen

Internet At Its Best

TED

Quiet, Offline or Dead

Bellingham Register
Carl Weimer
David Hackworth
N. Sound Conservancy
No Leaky Buckets
Northwest Review
Orcinus
Post-Oklahoman Confessions
Protect Bellingham Parks
The American Telegraph
The Crisis Papers