Camano Community

Opinion: Stage set for emergency taxing

by Ed Jenkins

Island County Commissioner John Dean states, “The situation is no different than a community that has suffered a devastating natural disaster, such as an earthquake. In such situations, governments must prioritize services based on critical needs.”

This financial crisis did not fall upon us like some natural disaster with no warning. I am certainly no genius but myself and many friends read the papers over the past years and realized that there was going to be a huge problem very soon. Why was the inevitable crash such a shock to our government leaders?

via www.pnwlocalnews.com

Island County Elected officials make budget demands

Six elected Island County officials signed onto a stinging open letter to the county commissioners, demanding that they take certain steps before making cuts in their departments to plug the $1.2 million shortfall in the 2010 general fund budget.

The letter insists that the commissioners cut funding for all non-mandated programs, which would include the WSU Extension Service and parks; renegotiate a large increase in the public defense contract; dip into reserve funds; and work with the unions to gain concessions.

via www.pnwlocalnews.com

Library tax holds slim approval

A tax increase proposal that would help maintain library services across Snohomish and Island counties gained a little breathing room Wednesday as another large batch of ballots was counted.

via www.heraldnet.com

‘Everything but marriage' law close to victory

Majorities of voters in Snohomish and Island counties supported the measure. In Snohomish County, the referendum was winning approval 51.5 percent to 48.5 percent while in Island County the margin was 53 percent to 47 percent.

via www.heraldnet.com

Incumbents leading across Snohomish County

Three Snohomish County Councilmen were winning in their attempts to retain their seats in early election results Tuesday night.

Republican John Koster was leading his opponent Ellen Hiatt Watson while Democrats Dave Somers and Dave Gossett were leading their opponents Bob Meador and Steve Dana.

via heraldnet.com

If you are interested in election results from around the nation...

Here's a link to the RCP blog.

Opinion: What would real political change look like?

By Ted Van Dyk at Crosscut

The election will bring change, but the entrenched factors suggest only a few nudges. Here's an agenda for substantive change in our tax system, our spending priorities, our stalemated politics, and the post-Boeing economy.

via crosscut.com

Election Updates

I'll be keeping vote totals updated here tonight starting at 8PM for local races.

CITY OF STANWOOD COUNCIL POS 2 0/7 0.00%

	Vote Count	Percent
Gerald (JJ) Steik	242	29.30%
Timothy A. Pearce	581	70.34%
Write-In	3	0.36%
Total	826	100.00%

CITY OF STANWOOD MAYOR

0/7 0.00%

	Vote Count	Percent
Dianne Warsinske White	576	62.27%
Timothy Loney	347	37.51%
Write-In	2	0.22%
Total	925	100.00%

SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE POS 2

0/742 0.00%

	Vote Count	Percent
Joe Wilson	31,147	39.94%
David Hulbert	12,599	16.16%
Rico Tessandore	23,010	29.51%
Scott Peterson	6,516	8.36%
Scott Lord	4,249	5.45%
Write-In	454	0.58%
Total	77,975	100.00%

Commissioner, Position 5 

DON TIMMERMAN 2,206 60.94%
GARY BRADLEY 1,414 39.06%

In the meantime, here are some links:

Snohomish County Election Results

Island County Election Results

Washington Secretary of State

Boeing Heads South For Better Business Climate: Washington State Politicians Are Surprised?

Union leaders and politicians like Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., expressed shock, dismay and outrage at the company’s decision.

Either they are feigning surprise, or they’ve been comatose for the last decade. Your guess is as good as mine.

via biggovernment.com

Sno-Isle Library pins hopes on levy increase

The Sno-Isle library system is seeing tough times, from the inside out.

More people are using the libraries in the 21-branch system in Island and Snohomish counties, and officials from Sno-Isle Libraries say the sputtering economy is the main reason why.

But the library system is itself ailing in this economic downturn. It’s facing a $2.5 million shortfall, and library officials are freezing salaries, cutting the pay for their highest-paid employees and chopping the budgets for new materials and equipment. Officials are also pushing back the replacement of a library computer system until 2011.

via www.pnwlocalnews.com

Boeing Roundup

Demands were clear to Machinists, Boeing says

Loss of New 787 Line May Hurt Snohomish County Housing Market

State lawmakers, business leaders respond to Boeing plant decision

SC governor signs incentive package for Boeing

Financial emergency declared by Island County

Island County elected officials and department heads decided to declare a financial emergency during a tense roundtable discussion Wednesday afternoon.

The resolution wouldn't have any legal effect, Budget Director Elaine Marlow explained, but it would convey a message to the community and staff about the seriousness of the projected $1.2 million budget deficit next year.

via www.pnwlocalnews.com

Many races uncontested in Island County

There are uncontested races for seats on the Port of Coupeville, Port of Mabana, Whidbey Island Public Hospital District, Coupeville School Board, Oak Harbor School Board, Stanwood-Camano School Board, and numerous fire district commissions, parks commissions, cemetery districts and water districts.

via heraldnet.com

Twin City Foods suspends Stanwood Pea Processing

Twin City Foods announced recently it will not process green peas at its Stanwood, Wash., plant next year.

The temporary closure of the last pea processing plant in Northwest Washington removes an important rotation crop for Northwest Washington farmers, said Mike Shelby, executive director of the Western Washington Agricultural Association.

And it raises concerns among growers that the processing line could close for good.

via www.capitalpress.com

Opinion: Our state must learn a hard lesson from Boeing

by Rep. Norma Smith

I am very disappointed to hear about Boeing’s 787 decision. Today’s announcement is a vital reminder that Washington state simply does not have a business climate that is fair to its employers. Employers continually face uncompetitive and high costs from the state’s workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, regulatory, and health insurance systems. These problems have not been addressed by the Legislature and were significant factors in Boeing’s recent decision.

Opinion: The political fallout from Boeing's bombshell

By David Brewster at Crosscut

Gov. Gregoire just finished an artful press conference, disclaiming any responsibility for Boeing's decision to build a second 787 production line in North Charleston, S.C., noting again that Boeing had told her there was nothing the state could do about the decision. The governor then tried to shift the public's attention to working together to keep future 737s and tanker projects in the state. No recriminations, please.

via crosscut.com

Commissioner silent after conflict-of-interest claim

Concerned about the appearance of a conflict of interest, Island County Commissioner Helen Price Johnson has decided to go mum about the raging dispute in Diking District 1.

via www.pnwlocalnews.com

I-1033 concerns Whidbey officials

Capping government revenues and cutting property taxes are goals of Initiative 1033, coming before voters on Nov. 3.

Though Tim Eyman calls his latest ballot proposal a practical check on government, Whidbey Island leaders say it threatens to disrupt local economic recovery and cripple public programs.

via www.pnwlocalnews.com

Land fee proposal moves forward in Island County

Island County commissioners took a step toward approving a new fee on county property that would fund two conservation districts.

The three commissioners unanimously approved a motion to instruct the county prosecutor to draft the necessary ordinance to implement the special assessment of $5 per parcel plus 5 cents per acre. But the ultimate passage of the ordinance may not be a slam dunk.

via www.pnwlocalnews.com

Gregoire signals new willingness to talk taxes

By Austin Jenkins at Crosscut

As the state's projected deficit grows, the governor's new chief of staff says he "would be surprised" if the shortfall can be closed without new revenue.

via crosscut.com