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. They are also ticketing the general public for being in the middle of the street when the walk light changes. They are ticketing bicyclists for parking their bikes against bollards for a minute while they chat or buy a sandwich. They are ticketing people who make the slightest mistake while riding a bike or walking across a street. They are lurking on their motorcycles like cheap sneaks. One cop, ticketing a person for having one foot off the curb while waiting for the light to change said "I love my job".

After reading the Skinny, I went out and got first hand reports myself. It is happening.

Why? The Skinny suggests greed. But there is a more sinister possibility. Police chief Randy Carroll is hitting back at those who have criticized his department for not properly dealing with downtown crime. He is going to drive people away from the businesses who have dared to speak out. It is abuse of police power.

Last spring, Randy told merchants to cough up donations to the police if they wanted protection. Extortion. The merchants did not.

Where is the mayor and city council? Nowhere.

Tacoma had an unqualified police chief and ignored the danger signs until too late. Our police chief also has a checkered and problematic personal history. He is not qualified by emotional temperament to be even an officer in our police force. He was chosen by the mayor without any search. Will Bellingham have to endure a tragedy before we wake up?

Read the Skinny. Think about what is happening. Speak out. Dare to.