About Dick Conoboy

Dick Conoboy is a recovering civilian federal worker and military officer who was offered and accepted an all-expense paid, one year trip to Vietnam in 1968. He is a former Army Foreign Area Specialist for Western Europe and Southeast Asia, counter-terrorism intelligence analyst and information/security manager at the Defense Department. Dick also worked as a resource manager at various government offices to include then VP Al Gore’s National Partnership for Re-inventing Government, now recognized as having been a shamefully neo-liberal “think tank”. He speaks fluent French and a passable English learned through many years of elementary school experience diagramming sentences. Dick owes his writing ability to consuming large amounts of chemical laden and fried fresh water pike and perch fished from Lake Erie in the 40s and 50s near his native Cleveland whose Cuyahoga River regularly catches on fire.

By: Dick Conoboy (325)

Dick’s Picks for City Council - Burr and Petree

Independent voters are for independent thinkers on the city council. Vote for Burr and Petree.

Independent voters are for independent thinkers on the city council. Vote for Burr and Petree.

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Since the primary election, I have been speaking to candidates, reading their positions as reported in local media and watching the debates. Of all the candidates, only Roxanne Murphy has not responded to my emails asking for a meeting. I have met with Clayton Petree on two occasions, once with Bob Burr and once with Pinky Vargas.   

At-Large Seat


As for Roxanne, I am flabbergasted that a candidate for an at-large position on the Bellingham City Council, which essentially represents all wards, would not even respond to a prospective constituent’s email. All I know about her is from some statements published in various media, and her performance during the League of Women Voters debate. I am not a single issue voter, but some topics are of greater interest to me and I regard these subjects, to some extent, as bellwethers to gauge a candidate's thought processes and the use, or lack of, factual data. From what I have been able to determine, her opinion on rental health and safety has been muddled by an experience in Tacoma, a city with a badly flawed ordinance that is no more effective, and a lot more cumbersome, than what we currently have here in Bellingham. You can read my exchange with Riley Sweeney in the comment section of his blog entry on candidates by clicking here. When asked for a statement on issues for the Voters’ Pamphlet distributed by the Whatcom Couny Auditor, Roxanne wasted valuable space listing the people and organizations that have endorsed her. Endorsements are not ideas.  Endorsements are not policy concepts.  Endorsements are not positions on issues. Endorsements proffered by a candidate are nothing more than statements of obligations to groups or individuals.


By contrast, Bob Burr is long time resident of Bellingham whose learning curve on the problems facing Bellingham is not an issue. This is a man who put himself on the (rail) line for a cause (anti-coal) and was arrested during that protest. He is still facing legal action. This alone should qualify him for a council seat! Bob is a progressive thinker who will bring a badly-needed fresh presence to the council. He takes no money and therefore creates no obligations. Having been here for almost two decades he is very well informed about rental safety and health, supporting the registration and inspection of all rental units through a revenue neutral fee system that will not affect the city's general fund one whit. Bob’s statement in the Voters’ Pamphlet is about ideas and approaches to problems. It is about specific stances on issues and not at all like Roxanne’s generalized statements about endorsements and believing in Bellingham, whatever that means.

Ward 4


Pinky Vargas should have waited a few more years before running for City Council. She is lively and engaging but that is not the stuff of policy and speaks little to knowledge about issues. I enjoyed speaking with her and she listened intently. The problem is that running for office is about having knowledge and positions on issues before becoming a candidate. All candidates learn while seeking office, but running for office is not a process during which one begins to cobble together ideas for a coherent campaign. Her response to me on rental health and safety was tardy, as she evidently had no position when she began her campaign. When I did get a response, it was a mish-mash of incomplete and fuzzy thoughts that she had already provided in written form to the Bellingham Herald. You can read her comments by clicking here. It looks like a statement written by a committee. She mixes in talk of affordable housing. She "wonders" if we can have an inspection program without dipping into the general fund even though I told her that a $2 per month per unit fee would bring in over $400,000. The funding of registering and inspecting rentals would be revenue neutral. If $2 is not enough, make it $2.50. The fact that $1.5 million of our general fund goes to the museum department each year might be something for Pinky to examine, but I am not hearing anything about that.


I have met and spoken with Clayton Petree before his candidacy and twice since he began his run for City Council. We certainly do not agree on everything, but Clayton has a command of facts about the issues facing Bellingham that far surpasses Pinky’s knowledge. Clayton can hit the ground running. My friend Pat McKee of the Sunnyland neighborhood recently wrote to his neighbors, “Clayton Petree is an independent thinker, with good analytical skills. Clayton's viewpoint and talent are needed on the City Council.” I agree. When I spoke to Clayton about rental licensing, he was not an enthusiastic proponent, however, after a long conversation he came back to me in an email saying he could support the concept of licensing and inspection of rentals. This is a candidate who listens and processes facts. I can work with that.


I will not automatically support party favorites. I want some clear thinking and innovative voices on the City Council. Bob Burr and Clayton Petree are my picks to turn the council into an effective and forward-looking legislative body. 
 

About Dick Conoboy

Citizen Journalist and Editor • Member since Jan 26, 2008

Dick Conoboy is a recovering civilian federal worker and military officer who was offered and accepted an all-expense paid, one year trip to Vietnam in 1968. He is a former Army [...]

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Dick’s Picks for City Council - Burr and Petree

By Dick ConoboyOn Oct 28, 2013

Independent voters are for independent thinkers on the city council. Vote for Burr and Petree.

Anatomy of a Development Proposal - Part VIII The 12 October Riot and University Ridge

By Dick ConoboyOn Oct 15, 2013

The development of University Ridge will replicate the student ghetto that fueled the riot on 12 October.

6 comments, most recent 11 years ago

Anatomy of a Development Proposal - Part VII The Hearing on University Ridge

By Dick ConoboyOn Sep 20, 2013

Hearing held on 11 September. Comment period extended 10 days. Effects on home owners already manifest.

8 comments, most recent 11 years ago

Anatomy of a Development Proposal - Part VI Hearing Examiner Date Set - A Broken Process

By Dick ConoboyOn Aug 26, 2013

The University Ridge process works only to the benefit of the developers. The public is offered tight deadlines and insufficient information.

1 comment, most recent 11 years ago

Anatomy of a Development Proposal - Part V The SEPA Determination

By Dick ConoboyOn Aug 16, 2013

The University Ridge dormitory development approval process is broken. The City Council should act.

1 comment, most recent 11 years ago

Charter Schools Redux - Primary Election for School Board upon Us

By Dick ConoboyOn Jul 23, 2013

Candidates for the Bellingham School Board need to let us know where they stand on charter schools.

3 comments, most recent 11 years ago

Anatomy of a Development Proposal - Part I The Variance

By Dick ConoboyOn Jun 26, 2013

A variance request without merit is the centerpiece of a development proposal to construct a complex of four dormitory-style buildings among single family homes in the Puget Neighborhood

D-Day 6 June 2013

By Dick ConoboyOn Jun 06, 2013

D-Day forgotten.

Skip the Fireworks - Send Money to Support Our Troops

By Dick ConoboyOn May 20, 2013

You can give your money, normally dished out to fireworks manufacturers and distributors, to organizations that help our disabled veterans. Change the way we celebrate Independence Day.

University Ridge Dormitory, The Infill Tool Kit and Our Neighborhoods

By Dick ConoboyOn May 13, 2013

Some very important issues with respect to the University Ridge private dormitory project in the Puget Neighborhood will not be considered in the approval process.

10 comments, most recent 11 years ago

Update on University Ridge Student Dormitory Development

By Dick ConoboyOn May 08, 2013

Ambling University Development has proposed building private, off-campus dormitory buildings in the Puget Neighborhood. Their revised proposal was submitted on 29 April.

Status of the Move to Ban Fireworks in Bellingham

By Dick ConoboyOn Apr 06, 2013

Dangerous fireworks likely to continue being sold in Bellingham for this 4th of July

1 comment, most recent 11 years ago

Is That Apple Hard Drive Really Yours?

By Dick ConoboyOn Apr 04, 2013

It seems that for Apple products, you do not really own that hard drive… as a journalist recently discovered.

2 comments, most recent 11 years ago

University Ridge Height Variance Hearing Postponed

By Dick ConoboyOn Mar 12, 2013

Several complaints to the city seem to have occasioned a postponement of a height variance hearing until a complete development proposal is submitted.

1 comment, most recent 11 years ago

Obamacare and the Coming (Not Again?) Wealth Transfer

By Dick ConoboyOn Mar 06, 2013

You are not likely to escape the coming transfer of $billions from your pocket to the health insurance industry. You will get little, if anything, in return.

4 comments, most recent 11 years ago

Support our Troops - Ban Fireworks

By Dick ConoboyOn Mar 03, 2013

Do we need to recreate the sounds and sights of the battlefield when doing so brings pain and suffering to our combat veterans?

University Ridge Student Housing - What is it?

By Dick ConoboyOn Feb 25, 2013

There is a private sector development proposal to house approximately 600 students in the Puget Neighborhood on 11 acres to the east of Nevada St.

5 comments, most recent 11 years ago

Behind the Charter Schools Initiative

By Dick ConoboyOn Oct 19, 2012

Washington voters have wisely turned down three attempts to create charter schools in this state. They should replicate these defeats in 2012.

1 comment, most recent 12 years ago

Petition Drive to Ban Consumer Fireworks Underway

By Dick ConoboyOn May 24, 2012

A case for eliminating consumer fireworks in Bellingham city limits

3 comments, most recent 12 years ago

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

By Dick ConoboyOn Apr 07, 2012

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

7 comments, most recent 12 years ago