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THE LAST WORD
New local faces... Can they make a difference?
By Lary Coppola |
| Some new local faces make for interesting commentary. The Kitsap Economic Development Alliance (KEDA) has hired a new executive director, Bill Stewart. Financially beleaguered Westsound Bank has a new CEO, Terry A. Peterson. And local Republicans actually recruited a candidate, Tim Matthes, for the south end commissioner’s seat... (Full Article) |
POLITICS
And the 12 original Republican
presidential candidates were who?
By Adele Ferguson |
| “John McCain may not be our first choice,” said Judy Needles, president of the Washington Federation of Republican Women, “he may not be our second, but he’s our choice... (Full Article) |
Made in USA hinges upon innovation,
quality and cost control
By Don C. Brunell, President
Association of Washington Business |
| There is no question about it. American manufacturers have their work cut out for them these days. If they are not innovative, cost competitive and quality driven, they won’t survive... (Full Article) |
DAVID CLARK
Moving Ahead |
| A friend of mine is in a spot. It is hard to know what to say in response to his request for a suggestion. What kind of spot depends on one’s point of view. The outside observer could fairly say he is about to go under. It may be he is in the best possible place he could be. But it is crucial that this spot is used as a crossroads from which to take some different direction than he has previously taken... (Full Article) |
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Narrows Bridge |
| I sent an e-mail to every member of the Washington State Senate several times during the last session of the legislature asking them to not support renaming the Narrows Bridge after the late Senator Bob Oke. The effort was successful as the Joint Memorial never made it past the Senate and therefore died... (Full Article) |
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Narrows Bridge |
| Some people are whining about naming the Tacoma Narrows Bridge after the late Senator Bob Oke, while others, like Representatives Larry Seaquist and Pat Lantz, have been absolutely shameful in their vitrolic disrespect. So I’d like to add my two cents worth to the discussion... (Full Article) |
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
PSRC |
| The Kitsap County Commissioners are elected to act on behalf of the citizens of this County. They have relegated their responsibilities to an unelected layer of quasi government, the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC). Yes, they are elected and have the authority to govern for the people residing in Kitsap County. They should not give their power to PSRC.
They say that they won’t have enough funding; it must come through PSRC. A comparable county, Thurston, has proven that this is not true. Figures have shown that, if done properly by the elected officials and their staff, a smaller county can do very well on its own.
Kitsap County is unique. Why do the Commissioners want all of the control, which they now have, given to PSRC? Are they not proud of our County? Do they not want us to remain unique? If we remain in PSRC, we will be forced to come under the same rules and regulations as three large counties, King, Pierce, and Snohomish, and by extension, more like them.
I urge you to ask your Commissioner to remove Kitsap County from PSRC as soon as possible.
Dorothy Guice
Poulsbo
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THE LAST WORD
Healthcare, SKIA, and Gratitude...
By Lary Coppola |
| With our Healthcare Quarterly appearing this issue, the following seems especially timely… The blog entries published in a recent issue of the Kitsap Sun debating universal healthcare seemed to me to totally miss the point. One side argued we have the best health care available on the planet, and socializing medicine will significantly reduce the quality, but not necessarily the cost... (Full Article) |
POLITICS
Lousy memories, but easy to impress
By Adele Ferguson |
| It’s going to be interesting to see whether those Democrats who were so offended by the way King County beat Republican Dino Rossi out of election for governor will stand by their 2004 vows to atone for it the second time around... (Full Article) |
Let the market dictate the miles you drive
By Don C. Brunell, President
Association of Washington Business |
| Today, there is an unavoidable urge to let government engineer our lives in the name of climate change. For example, under legislation passed this year in Olympia, lawmakers decided to limit the number of miles we drive in order to curb greenhouse gases. Despite business appeals to her to veto that section of the broad climate change bill, Gov. Chris Gregoire signed the legislation without striking the limits on miles traveled... (Full Article) |
DAVID CLARK
A Few Cups of Coffee |
| My work as a “second” for my new client took me to an interesting meeting. There were a dozen high-powered individuals there. I was there only as an observer. My client asked me to go so I could better act as a sounding board on the topic... (Full Article) |
MY TURN
Lend a hand close to home
By Dave Foote |
| The Dec. 3, 2007 weather event brings home the meaning of our United Way tagline “Lend a hand close to home.” After a couple of years of disasters around the world, at United Way we have talked a lot about the importance of personal giving and reminding ourselves that a disaster can strike anytime, anyplace to anyone — just as it happened right here in Kitsap... (Full Article) |
THE LAST WORD
Random political thoughts...
By Lary Coppola |
| For children of the 60s, like me, this presidential election represents a turning point in American history. It seemingly represents a lot of the change we all believed in and worked for. Senator Barack Obama, a highly charismatic African-American man — one who isn’t Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton — is being embraced by people of all persuasions. He is, as the Reverend Martin Luther King predicted in his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, being judged not by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character... (Full Article) |
POLITICS
McCain, Obama, condoms and bridges
By Adele Ferguson |
| ITEM: John McCain. the likely Republican nominee for president, says there will be no new taxes “under any circumstances” during his administration if he is elected the nation’s chief. Democrat Barack Obama says if he’s elected, “I’ll be a president who puts a middle class tax cut in the pockets of Americans... (Full Article) |
A bad “fix” will increase home prices
and spawn a new round of lawsuits
By Don C. Brunell, President
Association of Washington Business |
| Recently, a researcher from the University of Washington reported land use regulations — most notably the state’s Growth Management Act — added $200,000 to the price of a home in Seattle. That staggering figure blows one’s hair back and makes you wonder what went wrong and ask, can it get much worse... (Full Article) |
MY TURN
Can artists survive in the new Bremerton?
By Amy Burnett |
| Some economists only read books about cities like Bremerton. And it reads like an epic novel that repeats itself over and over. The same old story of the vibrant city that falls to the wayside as progress reaches to virgin soil that can be molded under a developer’s majestic dream or the reality of opportunity... (Full Article) |
DAVID CLARK
Automatic Decision |
| I had breakfast with a 50 year-old Dentist. We’d never met, so we spent the first few minutes on our personal history. He began with the present day of being a Dentist. I asked how long he’d been practicing. He grinned: “Well, not quite as long as you’d think. I spent a few years doing other things... (Full Article) |
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Clarification |
| Thank you for your very gracious mention of me in your February issue. However, I would like to clarify one statement which was made in the article... (Full Article) |
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Thank You |
| I cannot tell you how much Bill Hoke and Patricia Graf-Hoke’s article in the Business Journal meant to my husband and me. I seriously wanted to cry. We often times wonder if anyone notices or appreciates the work of a small business. You hit the nail right on the head. We don’t run our business to be patted on the back, but I have to tell you — it sure feels good when someone does. Thank you!!
Laura and John M Nesby
Chef/Owners, MorMor Bistro & Bar, Poulsbo
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THE LAST WORD
Can Rossi win? Should Kriedler go?
By Lary Coppola |
| Republican candidate for Governor Dino Rossi recently visited Kitsap, establishing a high-powered local fundraising committee that includes some local Democrats — or as he calls them, “Dinocrats.” In the interest of full disclosure let me say up front Rossi and I are personal friends, and I serve of the board of the pro-business organization he founded, the Forward Washington Foundation... (Full Article) |
POLITICS
Cruel and unusual, or just too painful?
By Adele Ferguson |
| The late King County prosecutor Norm Maleng was a dear friend of mine and I would have liked to see him become governor but he had one little flaw that irked me. That was his hesitation, even reluctance as I saw it, to pursue the death penalty when it seemed called for to me. He wasn’t opposed to the death penalty per se, I think he was just super wary when it came to adding up the cost and time involved in seeking it... (Full Article) |
A few words on behalf of your
local retailers for 2008
By Bill Hoke and Patricia Graf-Hoke
Small Business Marketing Partners
90 Minute Branding and Marketing Plan |
| They clean your clothes, fix your furnace, detail your car, mow your lawn, pamper your pet, make handmade gifts, grow local lettuce, cook hash browns just the way you like and are steadfast supporters of hundreds of your local community activities... (Full Article) |
DAVID CLARK
The Ladies in Charge |
| One of the best things about coming back to a place is going to the diner. If you’re lucky, the same waitress who gave you a hard time last time will see you walking across the parking lot, and your coffee and water will be waiting on a table for you when you come in... (Full Article) |
Top 10 things Washington’s Legislature
can do to help the economy
By Don C. Brunell, President
Association of Washington Business |
| Lawmakers starting their legislative session in Olympia should remember the slogan from the first Clinton campaign: “It’s the Economy!” While Washington has been blessed with a strong economy over the last few years, there are signs it is weakening. For legislators, the telltale sign is state revenues slipped below projections late last year. Our state is not immune to the nationwide slowdown... (Full Article) |
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Bridge Tolls |
| I was floored by the letter from Terry Weiss complaining about getting a $49 ticket for blowing past the toll plaza at the new Narrows bridge... (Full Article) |
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
SEED |
| Mary Ann Huntington’s election defeat should have sent a loud and clear message to the Port of Bremerton that we citizens are sick and tired of having our hard-earned tax money squandered on boondoggles like the SEED project.
Obviously not. They continue to blindly support this taxpayer-funded full employment opportunity for Tim Botkin. What exactly are we getting for our $12,000 a month?
Nestor Torres
Silverdale
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Initiatives |
| To all Legislators in the State of Washington: Keep your hands off the people’s initiative process. You are already doing more harm than good.
Niels G. Nielsen
Manchester
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THE LAST WORD
Does PSRC membership
make sense for Kitsap?
By Lary Coppola |
| I attended the recent Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) public hearing held in the Commissioner’s Chambers, and have been following the editorial commentary on the local blogs and in Letters to the Editor since then... (Full Article) |
POLITICS
A few thoughts on some recent news items
By Adele Ferguson |
| ITEM — Rep. Jim McDermott of Seattle was one of nine Democrats who voted against a resolution to recognize the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith, after he voted for recognition of the Islamic holiday of Ramadan and the festival of Diwali, celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains, both of which resolutions posed unanimously. McDermott said he did it as a protest against President Bush’s veto of a children’s health care bill... (Full Article) |
DAVID CLARK
Doing Good |
| This is my last week of being involved with my friend’s Mayoral campaign. My friend is now Mayor-Elect. The last bit of work on my plate is the Inauguration, along with getting the office cleaned out so it can be turned back over to the landlord... (Full Article) |
Studies say suburbs, not cities,
help fight global warming
By Don C. Brunell, President
Association of Washington Business |
| The debate over global warming is turning some long-held “truths” upside down. For example, suburban sprawl may be a good thing after all... (Full Article) |
Successfully promoting tourism and boosting business:
A conversation with Laureen Lund
By Rodika Tollefson |
| The city of Gig Harbor may be a bit off mainstream with regards to spending its hotel/motel taxes. Instead of funneling those funds to another entity, the city decided to be in control of that money. As a result, it has its own marketing department, which has been growing since its inception... (Full Article) |
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Bridge Tolls |
| The Olympic Peninsula is a beautiful place to visit. We come at least once a year from Oregon to stay in Port Townsend. We stop on the way to buy gas, shop, and eat meals in Kitsap County. We stay at a hotel on the peninsula... (Full Article) |
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Immigration |
| Exactly why is it so difficult for a certain segment of our population to understand the word “illegal?” My four grandparents came legally to this country at the end of the 1800s. They all came from Sweden and believe me there is no way I’d want millions and millions of Swedes leaving their Socialist country today to descend on us illegally... (Full Article) |
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Support Americas, not China |
| If U.S. companies cannot make or find products in the U.S. and are going to outsource jobs and increase imports, why not do more business with Mexico, Central America and South America, which need the jobs. This would help stem the uncontrolled flow of illegal immigrants to the U.S.A... (Full Article) |
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
PSRC |
| After attending the recent so called “public hearing” put on by the Puget Sound Regional Council. It’s clear that we shouldn’t walk away from them, but run — and as fast as we can.
David Miller
Kingston
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Thanks Port Orchard |
| Coming from Bremerton to Manchester we decided to drive through downtown Port Orchard one recent evening. The town was beautiful, the Christmas decorations and lights on all the buildings, both private and governmental, the trees, everything was a pleasure to see. It reminded me of my hometown years ago, and you should be proud. Thanks for a wonderful show. Our best to all involved.
Bob Lamb
Manchester
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THE LAST WORD
‘He’s baaack…’
By Lary Coppola |
| During the campaign for Mayor of Port Orchard, two questions I was continually asked were, if I won, would I resume writing this column, and would I also still author the West Sound Politics blog... (Full Article) |
POLITICS
Hillary and Obama? It could happen
By Adele Ferguson |
| Don’t be surprised, a top Democratic official told me the other day, if Barack Obama, despite all the scrapping with Hillary, winds up as her vice president. They’d be unbeatable... (Full Article) |
Watch out for South Carolina
By Don C. Brunell, President
Association of Washington Business |
| While parts for Boeing’s new 787 “Dreamliner” are manufactured around the world, Washington elected officials should keep a close eye on South Carolina... (Full Article) |
DAVID CLARK
Now the work begins |
| The mayoral candidate I worked for this summer won the Primary in July, but we still faced the General Election in November... (Full Article) |
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Rossi |
| Since Dino is running for office so I knew reading his column (My Turn, November, 2007, KPBJ) would be a campaign ad rather then any pertinent argument. “Gregoire is failing and plotting to raise your taxes, of course while I was in charge I didn’t raise taxes... (Full Article) |
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Rossi |
| I was pleased to see the recent column from Dino Rossi in your newspaper. Everyone knows he was most likely robbed of the governor’s office thanks to all kinds of shenanigans that took place in the King County elections office. But that’s water under the bridge now. We can only look forward, not back... (Full Article) |
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Bridge Tolls |
| The Olympic Peninsula is a beautiful place to visit. We come at least once a year from Oregon to stay in Port Townsend. We stop on the way to buy gas, shop, and eat meals in Kitsap County. We stay at a hotel on the peninsula... (Full Article) |
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Port’s Intolerance |
| The Port of Seattle’s decision to eliminate all Christmas and Hanukkah decorations from Sea-Tac Airport in the name of tolerance is intolerant of Christians and Jews. In a free society, one religion’s expression of their beliefs cannot be viewed in any way as diminishing the value of other religious... (Full Article) |
MY TURN
Our economy, state spending and you
By Dino Rossi |
| We’ve got it pretty good… right now. Our state’s unemployment rate is relatively low, economic forecasts have been positive and many business sectors are strong. There is no doubt our state has benefited from a strong national economy... (Full Article) |
POLITICS
I 960 really needed? You betcha…
By Adele Ferguson |
| Gov. Christine Gregoire called Initiative 960 “extra handcuffs’’ on state tax hikes that aren’t needed. Its author, initiative maestro Tim Eyman, says it is “just a whole lot of public disclosure’’ that we haven’t had when politicians want to raise taxes. “They are the most dangerous when they don’t think we’re looking... (Full Article) |
DAVID CLARK
The Idea Man |
| I was talking with a young man about his situation. By young, I mean he’s 32. You know how it is when you start approaching 50. Anyone without wrinkles and without a little gray hair is just a kid... (Full Article) |
“Open for Business” means government
is user friendly
By Don C. Brunell , President
Association of Washington Business |
| As you cross the West Virginia state line on Interstate 64, there’s a huge sign over the highway that reads, “Welcome to West Virginia, Open for Business!” You can’t miss it, but what does it mean... (Full Article) |
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Referendum 67 |
| Referendum 67 has not received much publicity, and this is bad for voters as we need to understand the issue before the November election... (Full Article) |
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Referendum 67 |
| I wanted to let you know about a ballot issue coming up in November that hits a nerve for all of us working in the insurance industry. It’s about the now highly-advertised Referendum 67. On the surface, it may look like a good way to prevent insurance companies from hassling people who file claims... (Full Article) |
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Shoreline Moratorium |
| The Washington Supreme Court has ruled Bainbridge Island’s shoreline moratorium was “unconstitutional and unlawful... (Full Article) |
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Support Americas, not China |
| If U.S. companies cannot make or find products in the U.S. and are going to outsource jobs and increase imports, why not do more business with Mexico, Central America and South America, which need the jobs. This would help stem the uncontrolled flow of illegal immigrants to the U.S.A... (Full Article) |
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
SEED |
| How many clean tech firms has Tim Botkin got signed on the dotted line? For the $12,000 a month he’s being paid by the Port of Bremerton, and the millions of dollars the taxpayers have contributed to his SEED boondoggle, we should be entitled to see the list. Or is there one?
Denise Norman
Silverdale
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