Like toxic water flowing from GP
The link to No Forced Fluoride in Bellingham is posted to the right. The pro-fluoride initiative backers - financed by Seattle powers with well-laundered money passed along to hide the sources - has s
The link to No Forced Fluoride in Bellingham is posted to the right. The pro-fluoride initiative backers - financed by Seattle powers with well-laundered money passed along to hide the sources - has s
A modest correction to yesterday’s post below. Contrary to paragraph 3, prior to 9/11 the international terrorists could also find sanctuary in Yemen, Canada and the USA. These are in addition to Afgh
Lets see if we can state this in a way conservatives and war hawks can understand. Because 9/11 is being used as a false excuse for the war in Iraq and because Bush had no post-war plan for Iraq, we n
We found the nerve endings. The fluoride proponents don’t like the word “medicine” as used in the June 16 post below. Of course fluoride in water is just that - medicine. Medicine that is supposedly h
The fluoride proponents don’t have a clue. They don’t get it. When I open my water tap, I want clean water to come out, not medicine.
These well-meaning folks think they know what I need - and
Chuckanut Ridge is a controversy now - and it is deja vu of 1996. On October ‘96, NwCitizen broke new information and posted three reports that helped to stop the development. It also recommended that
Very. How childish and petty? Very. How uncaring in supporting our soldiers? Very. How incompetent and wasting of lives and money while not paying attention to the basics of war? Very.
David
The folks trying to buy the 100-acre Fairhaven Highlands proposed development and turn it into a city park now have their own website - One Hundred Acre Wood.
New - local website that addresses
The media conference was a surprising success. Surprising because so many attended and were very focused on learning more about independent media. Over 20 people attended all the sessions I checked ou
There is an interesting media conference this Saturday, May 21, in Bellingham, that is oriented towards independent and grassroots efforts. This includes blogs, public TV and radio, small newspapers,
Well, when my sainted aunt writes asking if I’m feeling OK because nothing has been posted here, then it is time to pay attention to this blog. With over 300 people a day checking for posts, I could b
Our county auditor has decided to buy vote-counting machines with secret software. Here is a link to information on a lawsuit in Everett dealing with these same machines. Sequoia machines are being ch
Apparently my name is on Larsen’s black list. He has replied to some others on his vote for the bankruptcy bill - but only, as he writes, because they support him. He explains that only 25 people emai
Still no answer from Rick Larsen’s staff. No answer to direct questions has been the process for the past couple years. His office probably responds the same day to questions from lobbyists, PR firms
Rick Larsen is voting with the conservative Republicans these days. Rick was one of the key few Democrats who voted FOR the harsh new bankruptcy law - and for the elimination of all estate taxe
Shock and awe was the strategy of the Bush government. Maybe we are in shock now as our kids continue to be killed and maimed. 1,500 dead and thousands with blown off limbs. We may soon be in awe of t
Sinn Fein is a sham. Gerry Adams and Sinn Fein are fronts for the IRA - the Irish Republican Army and its brutal methods of torture and killing of innocent Irish.
The government will arrest some poor guys and execute them for the murder of Sister Stang. The government will say they are shocked, just shocked. But the government of Brazil is relieved that Stang i
Maria Cantwell has voted to restrict class-action law suits - siding with the Bush administration to remove legal rights from working people. My Democratic friends seem to be silent on her voting reco
With the Bush government in high celebration of the Iraqi election, and all the TV news reporting from the Green Zone that all is going great - even though they only know what the US Army tells them -
What if we gave $10 for every American. That would be $3 billion. Family of three? Give $30.
Let’s not criticize George Bush for being slow to respond to the tsunami disaster. Unless you will also hammer UN Secretary Kofi Annan for spending three more days at the Jackson Hole ski resort after
These photos below may not be of the Tsunami. An email says they are of the Qiantang Tidal Bore in China - a real tidal wave generated by the tides.
Where? Indonesia is my guess. They were sent to me. If you know any more about the location, please let me know. The bottom photo is a close up of the second photo’s far right side, just behind the gr
An animated map of the Indian Ocean shows how the deep-ocean waves sped out from the earthquake. NOAA prepared the map.
He embarked on a war of conquest of a foreign country for the benefit of oil companies.
Reading foreign news websites is a most enlightening process. We learn things and read perspectives not found in our controlled US media. Not that other media are not controlled to some extent also, b
Richard Cohen of the Washington Post has it right. You need to register with the Wa Post to read his column, Presidential medals of Failure. The fourth failure is, of course, Bush himself. But these t
When Al-Jazeera first went with an English version last year, they were boomed off line in the US by several never-revealed Internet companies using illegal electronic processes. The common assumption
An energetic reporter set it up - and made sure it would happen. Edward Lee Pitts, embedded with a unit going north to Iraq, saw the troops working with unarmored vehicles and saw an opportunity to ge
Israel is restarting the terrorist violence. Since Arafat died a month ago, there have been no serious Palestinian attacks - and all the world has been watching the Palestinian leaders try to organize
To be concise, if we start to rationalize torture then we are lost. It is the absolute opposite direction of democracy. It is the basic tool of the tyrant - the dictator. Terror is created by torture.
to my post of Nov 6. He sees things differently, and I think he is right. I received several emails on that post, but this is the one that explains things best.
<
blockquote>The gay “issue” did
Today they again arrested Mordechai Vanunu. We expect the worst for him. This courageous Jew has dared to speak out against Israel’s madness. This in a country that says it is tolerant. But he
The Democratic Party continues to be unable to understand people and what motivates them. The party - and party members - have pushed extreme gay rights issues up the noses of conservative Christians
Well, Americans like the Bush vision and values. He is elected by a majority of the people and electors. And he has a Senate and House of Representatives that are able to carry through his programs.<b
I don’t kid myself that these have much affect, as most who check this blog have their own strong opinions. But, for the record, and for those who ask me each election, here are some issues and candid
The beauty of a website is you don’t force yourself on others. I got an email today from TL - and he graciously gave me the email addresses of dozens of people. And he gave them to many others. All of
Jon Stewart - host of The Daily Show on Comedy Central - was guest on CNN Crossfire on Friday. They thought he would be funny as well as plug his book America (The Book) A Citizen’s Guide to Democr
Robin Bailey is running to replace Doug Ericksen as state representative. Check her website and her positions. Whatcom County would benefit greatly if she wins. Ericksen has not represented even his c
(My conservative readers can now stop reading. Nothing local posted this morning.)
At the debate last night, Bush stressed that rather than controls on who buys guns, we should more strongly pu
Note. Tue, Oct 5 - I have tweaked this post to correct a confusing statement.
Rarely are we allowed a vote for real choice. And for real improvement in our government. If you value our environm
FoxNews.com posted fabricated Kerry quotes today - and was caught. Of course it was a “mistake” - but it had already done some harm. The reporter, Carl Cameron, is their reporter covering Kerry and he
by any political junkie from Whatcom County. Larry just barely lost to Suzanne Sinclair for Republican challenger to Rick Larsen for US Congress. You can download it from the link below, or you can go
The daily rate of deaths is the second highest since the war “ended”. And this is the 4th straight month of increased deaths. But daily we are told by the Bush government that things are getting better.
70 US Soldiers killed in September - so far. Another 10 of our kids may be killed by Friday, the end of the month, for a total of 80 - the fourth highest since the war “ended”. Wounded and maimed? Ver
Larry is running for Congress. He wants to replace Rick Larsen as the 2nd District’s Representative. He is a Republican but prefers to call himself a ‘New Republican’ because he has a broader view of
Rhea.
Even Harriet Spanel, our supposed liberal champion of fairness, was one of the leaders in the legislative process to weaken our votes. Last March she kept quiet and went along with the Democratic part
has just opened their new website. It is refreshingly easy to read and well organized It is now listed in the right-side column. They are providing a schedule of all local events. As we stare into the
We have passed 1,000 killed American soldiers in Iraq. 23 killed since last Wednesday when most of us were planning our Labor Day weekend. I hope you know that over 1,100 were “wounded” in August. Tha
I’ll be voting for Chuck Snyder for Superior Court Judge. He is impartial and has been dedicated for many years to being a fair judge. The fact that outgoing judge Nichols has endorsed him rate
I’ll be voting for Paul EveryHope over Dave Quall for State Representative in the 40th District. Quall willingly participated with the secret deal of giving us this horrible Primary Election process.
in 13 of the 18 months we have been at war in Iraq. 66 killed and over 500 wounded - most seriously. We will hit 1,000 killed on Sept. 9 - a week from today. And the Bush government can’t wait for the
has passed July and June already. It may become the 5th-highest month total of the 18-month-old war. At the current rate of killing, we will reach 1,000 by mid September.
This doesn’t count the
How did Bush get in the National Guard and avoid Vietnam?
Let the truth prevail. What is wrong with the Swift Boat ads that trash Kerry’s Vietnam record? Is it because they are 527 ads? No. Is
Make it disappear. Never happened. The 205th Military Brigade - the outfit running the Abu Ghraib prison - has deleted the links to pages with photos of their officers and staff goofing off in Iraq. G
This morning the Rome Grange canceled the Motor Boats Off issue from their agenda at this evening’s Bill Mize Forum. Why? Threats and demands from the motor-boating community. Rational used to cancel:
The military records of Kerry and Bush are relevant. Both sides have spent millions because they think the American voters care. We are in a war and personal military experience is relevant.
Ke
The Bush campaign machine’s smear of Kerry’s service record is beginning to backfire. Soon, when attention is turned to Bush’s record, watch the Republicans scream foul. None screamed as lies were tol
Bush ads are trashing a Vietnam veteran’s record. The trashing of Vietnam veterans is supposedly the realm of war-hating hippies and liberals. Republicans have expressed their disdain about this for o
So - will the Bush government now seek a violent way to overthrow Chavez as president of Venezuela now that he has easily survived the recall referendum? Our CIA and other secret U.S. agencies have be
Fahrenheit 911, in my opinion. Dan Carpenter of the Indianapolis Star puts the movie into perspective.
The Mercury Study by the U.S. Geological Survey has been released. It is available as a PDF file.
He has his leering look as he leans over a podium and says the US is safer with Saddam removed from power. That’s it. And variations on that. He has it down pat. He stumbles when he speaks of anything
Well, no surprise. And not even close to the extreme measures the weird people behind Bush will go to in order to avoid being thrown out of office. They went ballistic when Clinton was elected. They u
Seems most of my conservative friends are avoiding it. But they tell me what they think of Michael Moore and they are not nice comments. They should see the movie first.
Fahrenheit 9/11
Very good documentary. The Democrats do not get off clean. The Democrats are well documented in the movie going along with Bush’s absurd war against Iraq. They are shown as mindless suits without a bi
This from the movie revenue watch website Box Office MoJo: “In terms of raw dollars, Fahrenheit is actually the biggest opening ever for a movie playing at less than 1,000 theaters, topping Roc
No showing of Fahrenheit 9/11 in Bellingham this past week. Why not? Because Regal Cinema booked the rights to show it but waited to see if it was well attended. Regal controls all three movie
From a friend who is an enlisted person in the military - in a combat unit. The officers - the lieutenants - of his unit lectured them this week about torture. The officers said the enlisted soldiers
and we will suffer for it. Reagan did not win the Cold War. Communism was systemically fatal - just as all the conservatives kept saying. Reagan did do the right things to end the Cold War - and he de
Today the Washington Department of Ecology released a report that says, basically, that mercury in the lake is less now than in the past. “Decreasing” is the operative word.
Local conservatives
The initiative is ‘remove motor boats’, not ‘remove boats’ from Lake Whatcom. Our Chamber of Commerce just lies in print to achieve their goal of defeating the initiative.
ABC News has an exclusive interview with a sergeant in the 302 MI Battalion, a unit of Col Pappas 205 MI Brigade. See NwCit report below of May 4 - two weeks ago. The sergeant says there was and is a
This statement was posted on the DOD website on Saturday - and I took a computer photo of it on Sunday - to catch them if they changed it. Well, they went back and doctored it - improved it - without
It is to cause extreme physical or mental pain for punishment or to extract a confession or information. Our government officials are now saying we do not torture because we follow the Geneva rules. T
A short note. For days we have all listened to voices from the left demand resignations and voices from the right actually defend this behavior or at least excuse it. We have not seen any reporting on
Questions not being asked by the press about the abuses. At least I’ve not run across them in news reports. The reports have not gone into any more detail in three days. We see a few more photos but n
Colonel Thomas Pappas continues in command of the 205th Military Intelligence Brigade - according to today’s Baltimore Sun. He is the bastard who has the most to answer for in this whole abuse mess. A
Colonel Thomas Pappas. Why have the news media not told you about this guy? They have told us a lot about General Janis Karpinski, the commander of the military police who operated the Abu Ghraib pris
is a sad development for our country. I don’t want to pile on and kick our military as we need a strong armed services to survive in this world. We can only hope that full investigations are carried o
C-130 gunships are massacring innocent people in Fallujah and Najaf. No question - we Americans have constructed horrible killing machines. The military likes to say they save “friendly” personnel. We
They wanted to help defend democracy and our country. Instead they were used as cannon fodder in a foreign war of conquest - ordered by men who avoided their own military service when they were youngs
They have chosen to stop being dupes of the US. The Spanish people overwhelmingly told their government to stop the invasion and occupation of a country that was no threat to any other country - and c
This will go down as the worst presidential press conference in the history of the American Presidency.
The fellow spoke today to mute the headlines that would result from his intelligence chie
The following is from an email I received from Takhoman, the Internet news in Tacoma who first broke the story of their police chief Brame when the regular media would not touch it. Takhoman is reliab
If you want to know what is happening in Iraq then you have to read the foreign press and independent websites. The major American news media are not present where the action is and are simply sanitiz
You will not learn the full truth about this week in Iraq for many years - if the US military has its way. Our troops are causing unspeakable horrors to the Iraqi people. You must read the foreign pre
To watch CNN today is to ask “what mass killing of Iraqis in a mosque”. Same on FoxNews. Not mentioned directly and you have to look elsewhere for details. Much talk about ‘test of wills’ and US milit
When some of the 24 US soldiers wounded in Iraq over the weekend die from their wounds - they will not be counted as deaths in Iraq. Only those who actually die on the battlefield are counted.<
Initiative 872 will allow us citizens to vote to have a ‘Top 2’ primary election process. The ‘Peoples Choice’ initiative is now launched by the Washington State Grange. You can order petitions at the
10:30 am
As scripted, a partial veto. Gov. Locke vetoed the ‘Top 2’ section of the primary election bill, SB6453. This gets the Republican and Democrat party bosses off the hook - a huge favor to t
Gov. Locke is not scheduled to act on the primary election bill today. This the 20th day since the legislature adjourned and supposedly the last day he can act on a bill. SB6453 is missing from his fu
For your morning entertainment. And for those who are in awe of the ‘experts’ in Olympia. Gov Locke vetoes three sections of a bill meant to streamline our bankruptcy laws. To wit:
<
blockquote>Marc
Before Wednesday, Gov. Locke will act on SB6453, the primary election bill. There has been no news on his deliberations these past two weeks. All legislators are very quiet. No press releases by the p
Gov. Locke has not acted on the primary election bill. No doubt he is wondering how his reputation will be hurt if he vetoes the ‘Top 2’ process. He will be known in the future as the guy who tried to
Today’s Bham Herald editorial is well meaning but hopelessly ignorant of the process in Olympia. Naive may be a better word to describe their editorial board. Gee, goes the editorial - the legislature
Will Gov Locke veto the ‘Top 2’ primary process and allow the Montana process to become law? Probably, but not necessarily. He may sign the entire bill - getting himself off the hook with voters - and
The ‘Top 2’ primary election bill has a poison pill in it. Our legislators tonight have changed just three words that will allow the Republican and Democratic party bosses to successfully challenge th
We have Kelli Linville and Doug Ericksen voting against democracy and for the iron grip of the two political parties on our election process. Shame on them.
Quall and Morris voted for the ‘Top
SB6453 passed the House late this evening by a vote of 51 to 46. Now - if Gov. Locke will just sign it. More when we have more facts. The morning papers should cover it decently.
Kelli Linville
On Friday morning at 8 am, the WA House committee on government will hold a hearing on the “Top 2” primary election bill - Senate Bill 6453. This is the hot bill this legislative session. The House wi
If WWU gets their way, $20 million in state taxes will be spent on jack-hammering out good roads and building new ones a hundred yards away. No increase in safety nor traffic movement. A big in
Empty and rigged voting system or citizens choosing their representatives? Which will our state legislators choose? The US Supreme Court on Monday made final the requirement that our state legislature
Dean link is moved down as his website will continue to push for change in this country. Kucinich link is at top as he needs to be heard and paid attention to. Kerry - not a great candidate and not a
We see 1/100 of one part per billion or less of benzene to water during most of the year 2000 and into the spring of 2001. Then in the summer we see the amount rise by ten fold to over 1/10 of one par
Motor boats off Lake Whatcom? What was that apology from City Senior Planner Chris Spens at the city council on Monday? El-bull-in-china-shop Chris got the word from el mayor that the motor-boat initi
We have mercury contamination all over our county. That we know. Lake Whatcom and Bellingham Bay. Georgia Pacific’s chlorine plant leaked mercury for about 35 years and neither GP nor our environmenta
He will certainly have my support if he gets the nomination. And it looks like the Democratic party machine will give him that at the convention in Boston next July.
That said, it is really a m
Let’s hope the Democrats select Howard Dean at their caucuses tomorrow in Washington State. Let’s select the guy with the best potential to beat Bush. And let’s hope we get a Cajun primary from our St
a much better chance of beating Bush than John Kerry? Because Kerry will be tarred and feathered by the Republicans if he is the nominee. Kerry is a guy who puts effort into his image and little into
Hell, he was a deserter. Now, now. It is quite true. I’ve been through this several times over three years now with conservative friends. They end up changing the subject or getting all excited about
Know how to stop Western Washington University from repeatedly trying to destroy the neighborhoods around it? By limiting its potential size and by starting a new university in Everett or Port Angeles
CBS said ad too controversial for Americans
Super Bowl is nice family occasion
FCC refused to speak out or monitor CBS
Ad with horse farting in woman’s face is OK
Ad with dog biting man on
Am adding a link to the Evergreen Freedom Foundation down in the Reference section. They post fiscal information on government agencies, state and local. They are the folks who uncovered the hundreds
Moveon.org has a TV ad about the huge national deficit that George W is giving us. They have raised the million or more dollars to run it during the Super Bowl broadcast this coming Sunday. But - CBS
The Town Crier has a nicely improved home page which lists all articles with dates of publication. This Bellingham-based website is worth your checking for a more conservative viewpoint. You can find
added to the Reference section in the right side column. It deals with our 4th Amendment rights to privacy - just what the government is busy dismantling in the name of security. Bill Scannell runs th
The future of our war in Iraq is analyzed and predictions are made in a new post on the website World In Conflict, a sub-site of NwCitizen. Credit for the articles there belongs to a local academic wh
in Iowa embarrassed me. Watching John Edwards speak after his surprise 2nd-place finish was refreshing and hopeful. Edwards spoke to America during his 7 minutes of coverage by all the networks. Dean
and champion of our basic rights. Without him we would be a more backward country today - and perhaps have more internal violence. He showed the way for whites as well as blacks towards a society of e
by Tim Paxton. He posted this to the Lake Whatcom discussion group and has given permission for posting here. I phoned the city attorney’s office and asked the name of this attorney in Tim’s report. T
for President. The most important single reason is that I think he can beat George Bush. I’m independent, never having belonged to either party. Some of my best liberal friends insist I’m a closet con
The online edition has the same articles as the four-page tabloid. It would help if the editor would put dates with the online articles so we know which are current. Editor James Johann prints an anal
About 240 citizens check NwCitizen each day and regular readers check about once a week. Over 4,000 unique - different - citizens check this site every month. Examining where you come from reve
We read that 35 US soldiers were “hit” in Iraq yesterday. When our Bellingham Herald does print war casualties on the front page, the choice of words seeks to minimize the tragedy. Hit. Did someone pu
this afternoon? A small 2.7 intensity quake under the southern part of Chuckanut Mountain, about 4 miles south of Fairhaven, jolted us. You can check the earthquake site for details.
to fit their conservative agenda? Yes. On a daily basis. Here is a nice example.
“Dean Attack on Kerry Farm Vote Backfires” reads the headline of a Jan 2 article suggesting Dean has accused Ker
I see the Bham Herald has taken to printing US war dead on the back pages. Maybe some directive came down from Gannett headquarters telling all 80-some Gannettoids to print this awkward bad news in th
May I urge you, gentle reader and patriotic American, to check the War and Peace website links on the right. Look for articles that may give you more facts and information on what our country is doing
is the end of one chapter and the beginning of another for Iraq and also for the United States.
If your reaction to reading those words is “dahhh” then pause a moment and consider what you thin
about the impending attack? Enough to have stopped the attack? The widow of a fellow killed in the attack has refused the $1 million from the government and is suing George W and his advisors. And she
I urge you to visit the independent websites that report on events in Iraq. Independent being those not owned by US corporate media, such as CNN, Fox, MSNbc, etc. The independent War and Peace sites a
Here is a link to an excellent Flash-style animation about soldiers dying in Iraq.
of some local developers is plain to see in this photo essay at the Lake Whatcom website. The WA Dept of Ecology has enforcement folks tooling around in their spiffy pickups, but no enforcement for th
Today’s Herald has a human interest story about Greg Grant who hired sniper John Muhammad for yard chores a year ago - just a couple weeks before his rampage of killing. This past week, Greg testified
and has hired a private fueling firm for the airport, according to today’s Bham Herald. Remember a couple years ago, summer of 2001, the port terminated Alpha Aviation, saying the Port would run fueli
by Paul de Armond is posted. Paul examines the returns and gives his perspective on what the numbers mean. His is not your conventional approach.
Paul runs the Public Good website and is active
It was all fun, very brief, and is how big things get started. Of course they enjoyed the cake after, even without Dean.
a weekly newspaper based in Bellingham, will start publication next Thursday, Nov 20. It will strive to report local news. Amazing. It will be a tabloid and be distributed throughout Whatcom County. Y
Their intentions were to serve our country and they did as they were told and went where they were sent. Our presidents do not always use them correctly, sometimes using them for adventures that have
Brett Bonner sent out his concession statement last night, shortly after the auditor posted the final 7,000+ absentee ballots. It shows class by the fellow who waged a positive and forthright campaign
Shame on the Bellingham Weekly. Page 3 of today’s paper has “The Slate” with photographs taken at Mark Asmundson’s victory party on Tuesday night. They asked Mark supporters what Brett would do
Those not sure just vote for the person in office, preferring a sure thing to an unknown. I give my respect to those who took the challenge and ran against entrenched incumbents. Especially Brett Bonn
County Auditor Shirley Forslof will have the election results posted online as soon as or even before the printed copies are brought out her office door to those of us in the courthouse rotunda. First
Sunday’s Herald front page story on the mayor’s race again showed us how to skew reporting to favor your candidate. John Stark does this type of reporting on a regular basis. His story lists controver
here are my recommendations for the election.
The basic values that I apply are for elected officials to have honesty and provide open government that is accountable to the citizens. We can all
Will be posting election recommendations today. Have not had time for some good posts the past week.
Reliable rumor has it that another weekly newspaper will start publishing in early November
So the Public Disclosure Commission is investigating Foster without any complaint. Yet they pretend to not know of flagrant violations of the PDC laws being committed by Mark Asmundson as Mayor - to w
I’ve just posted up a commentary by Stephen Trinkaus on all the local elections. He gives the perspective of a liberal activist - one who has participated in the local process and knows what is happen
Today’s Herald devoted much of the first section of the paper to promoting the levy tax for EMS services, under the guise of reporting the issues. They printed two big graphs showing increases of resp
That is the question making the political rounds this afternoon. Foster Rose, who came in third in the primary election for mayor, today endorsed Mayor Mark Asmundson for reelection. Foster’s voters h
Tip Johnson has written the best analysis of the mayor Mark’s record that will appear anywhere. Tip, a hero to local environmentalists and liberals, takes an honest and courageous look at Mark Asmunds
The Bellingham Police Guild will endorse Don Hansey today for city council. Their executive board voted 100% last night to endorse Hansey and not Bornemann. To most political observers this will be a
The City Council yesterday evening showed their disdain for public process and for state laws against using city facilities for promoting campaign issues. And in their afternoon session they bowed to
telling me they are voting for Brett Bonner for mayor. Some very prominent ones - but they are not going public. Why not? Fear of retaliation.
Why are they against Mark? Two reasons in general.
are abuzz about the trap Brett Bonner stepped into on Tuesday evening at the Labor Council. Dave Warren blindsided Brett without even allowing an introduction. They jammed questions at him, and baited
The two differed strongly on several issues. The differences between them are becoming more apparent and this should continue for the next two weeks.
Brett continues to develop his Lake Whatcom
Port Commissioner by Sheri Ward
So what happened to all the heat among contenders for this race? It was only a few short weeks ago… (<a href=”http://nwcitizen.us/oldsite/elections/2003/ben
We need one to follow Asmundson during the next three weeks - and to nudge the Herald to do minimal checking of facts before publishing. I’m referring to Friday’s post below, where it was noted how St
If you’re a liberal and just figure you’ll vote for Mark for mayor, then read Tip Johnson’s analysis of the two candidates. Compared to John Stark’s report in this morning’s Herald, Tip gives a far su
Mayor Mark is in trouble with young liberal activists - just the voters who normally would support a liberal mayor. But they are remembering his presiding over police and court abuses that targeted yo
I am posting commentary on the election races by several very qualified local political observers who have agreed to write up their views of selected debates, candidates and issues. The first one i
The first of three Bellingham Herald Election Forums is taking place this evening at the County Council chambers.
The forums are being broadcast live on KGMI radio, 790 AM. You can see the vide
Indeed, I watched CBS news and they have the story now. (see 3 pm below) Still nada at the CNN and FOXnews websites. A search shows nothing. Novak of CNN wrote the article that exposed the identity of
How many war prisoners is the USA holding? 6,000? A new website is trying to track all the foreigners the USA is holding in secret prisons or not telling us about. Amnesty International is involved. T
All week I’m hearing from political pros how Mark will still beat Brett for mayor. Mark is too smooth, they say. Mark knows what to say in every situation. Brett is doing a poor job of exposing Mark’s
Did you know that US soldiers who get wounded in Iraq and are hospitalized in military hospitals - for amputation of their foot or other treatment - are then charged for the food they receive in the h
The look of this home page has changed today. The flag is larger and now fits official flag specs. My thanks to Conrad Suckow for this. While it is larger, the image for downloading is 1/20 the former
25 ballots today. In the only close race, Don Hansey has firmly out-polled Sheri Ward. Given how the Herald viewed the big absentee count on Friday afternoon, we can expect them to tell us tomorrow m
The dates of the Lunch Time Soapbox Forums schedule has been adjusted. It will now start on Wednesday, October 8, instead of the 1st as originally posted. The forums from that first week have been mov
Don Hansey has out-polled Sheri Ward and will face Terry Borneman for city council representative from the 5th Ward. Terry polled only 44% and probably faces a stiff race to retain his seat. Don is to
Were 8 US soldiers killed yesterday, besides the 3 being reported? We may not learn for days, weeks or months. As casualties mount, the US military appears to be playing with the numbers. The US only
Foreign Internet news sites are reporting 8 US soldiers killed in Iraq today. Nothing at the CNN, Fox and MSNBC websites. These reports are three hours old. What is happening? That would total 11 US b
It is humbling and most satisfying to see the voters choose for change in leadership at City Hall and the Port. For an incumbent to get less than 40% of the vote is a mandate for change. Ginny and Mar
The Auditor will post election results in almost-real time this evening. First post should be about 8:15, and because of the very few races the evening count may be done by 9:30.
The first live
I doubt it. Most visitors are political experts - elected, bureaucrats, reporters or junkies - and have their own candidates to support. Few casual citizens even know of this site. Regardless, below a
So now the US is crawling to the UN asking for help in Iraq. And asking France and Germany to help. George W and his Neo-conservatives are facing the abyss - defeat and humiliation.
Gentle read
A new political pressure group is organizing to try and slow the growth of Whatcom County and Bellingham. Pro-Whatcom claims to be a diverse grassroots group of citizens but is actually a savvy
Phone outage in Whatcom County, Bellingham and much of Skagit County since 7:45 am this morning according to news reports. KGMI is on top of this and the Bellingham Herald is posting special reports o
AlJazeera’s English language website has finally opened. This is the Arab news site that scooped the US news media on a weekly basis during the war last spring. The US Government supposedly blocked th
According to today’s Herald, editorial page editor Carolyn Nielson is on leave. Eric Thomas, who has been writing goofy editorials aimed at humor, is now going on vacation. So - during the two weeks l
You would think the Port of Bellingham getting a windfall of $17 million would be news. But since posting that here - and scooping the paid news media in Bellingham - they have ignored this. Th
Ginny Benton, seeking her third term as commissioner, stated this evening at the Rome Grange that she will not respond to the “mud slinging” being done against her. She will “not stoop” to dignify thi
At yesterday’s forum, the mayor and four challengers faced the audience for over an hour of questions. The forum does not allow them to use notes, so the give and take is very entertaining as well as
Go pick up today’s issue of the Bellingham Weekly and read the Skinny. It reports on the Bellingham Police giving jaywalking citations to downtown merchants who have dared to criticize the police. The
If you are interested in giving the raspberry to George W when he visits Washington State next week, then check out www.stopbushseattle.com and make travel plans. W is coming here for some photo ops o
If you like a good read then check The Door to War and the Futurist Markets article. The author takes the concept of a Terror Futures Market and looks at how the world works.
Amazing. I can call the supposed president of our country insane and my conservative friends only object to the f word. This is an adult site. If my “credibility” rests on that, then folks know nothin
Tuesday afternoon, the Bush administration back peddled from the Terrorist Futures Market idea under fire from Senators from both sides and ridicule from news media. You should know this plan was not
They are proposing a future’s market on terrorism, assassinations, atrocities and war. These guys figure out a way to make money on most anything. So this is their vision of the future - war for profi
The Bellingham Herald has good reporting in today’s paper on the City Council’s stumbling into a $300,000-plus gift to a local business. The business happens to be owned by one of the best friends of
Just to finish the reporting on the carpenters, the union members approved the new contract, which retains their health benefits. The basic reason they went on strike was to avoid cuts in these health
A tentative agreement was reached last evening by the carpenter’s and the contractors associations. Construction will resume on all the sites Monday morning and and the agreement will go to a vote of
The Associated General Contractors and the Carpenter’s Union will meet tomorrow morning to try and settle the health benefits dispute and end the strike, which has stopped major construction projects
The carpenters’ strike continued all day Friday - at St. Joe’s Hospital and at several other large construction sites around Bellingham. Nada in the Herald, of course. All over Western Washington, sit
