By Highlands Community Council
Over the years a buzzword in politics has been transparency.
We’ve heard it from leaders at the national level right down to our community activists. It looks like Kansas has accomplished exactly what we need here in Washington State as well as the City of Renton.
In 2007, Kansas lawmakers took the lead with first-in-the-nation legislation to create an innovative budget transparency Web site. Led by Rep. Kasha Kelley and Sen. Tim Huelskamp et al., this legislation, which created the widely popular www.kansas.gov/kanview/, now allows Kansas taxpayers to see how their hard earned dollars are being spent with the click of a mouse.
Read the rest of the story in the Kansas City Kansan.
And for even more reading take a look at this.
By Highlands Community Council
How many times have you asked yourself. Why in the world would they put a sidewalk there? It’s the only house on the block that has one.
Dori Monson from KIRO Radio asked the same question.
You can read the Seattle Times story here. The MyNorthwest story is here.
You’ll notice that some of the comments on MyNorthwest.Com talk about throwing out the politicians. The politicians are only part of the problem. Many times it’s not the politicians but the government bureaucrats making these decisions.
By Highlands Community Council
Bernadine Dochnahl, a board member of the Renton Community Foundation and an influential player in the city’s development, took issue with the insult when antidevelopment gadfly Inez Somerville Petersen used the archaic word to slam her. “What a haughty and proud pharisee she is,” Petersen wrote on her blog in April 2007 in response to a gushing profile of Dochnahl in Renton Magazine. In addition, Petersen sent several letters to the editor of the Renton Reporter, criticizing a mall development that Dochnahl supported. In retaliation, Dochnahl and her husband, Dennis Dochnahl, sued Petersen in King County Superior Court for “false, vindictive, malicious, and defamatory statements” and “intentional infliction of emotional distress.”
However, in late February 2009, King County Superior Court judge Laura Gene Middaugh determined the Dochnahls’ suit was “frivolous,” and that while Petersen’s statements were “clearly not flattering opinions about the plaintiffs… they are also clearly opinions.” She added, “Calling someone a ‘pharisee’ is not grounds for a suit.” Judge Middaugh also required the Dochnahls’ attorney, Robert Green, to reimburse Petersen’s counsel, the Buck Law Group, $75,000 in attorney fees. The lawsuit resembled a SLAPP—a “strategic lawsuit against public participation”—according to Petersen attorney Peter Buck. Historically, these suits are filed to keep persnickety citizens, who generally can’t afford attorneys, from tangling in the business of big business and government.
Read the reset of the story in “The Stranger”. Why is the Renton Reporter (Editor Dean Ratford) afraid to print editorial in our local Paper?
By Highlands Community Council
SEATTLE — A series of multimillion-dollar, tax-funded salmon restoration projects are in shambles following January’s big flood.
Read more from KIRO 7 Eyewitness News.
By Highlands Community Council
Fred Jarrett, former 41st District State Representative, is running for the King County Executive position being vacated by Ron Sims.
Do we really want a guy who switched parties because of “bashing” the government to be running the county? The news everyday shows both Democrats and Republicans upset with the way the government works. Does that mean everyone should switch parties?
There’s nothing wrong with disagreement. That’s how we end up with a better solution in the end.
Read more of the story here from the Issaquah Press.
By Highlands Community Council
Valley Medical Center purchased the medical office building at 17820 Talbot Road South in Renton, WA, for $3.3 million, or about $435 per square foot.
Read more here.
Valley Medical Center Location
By Highlands Community Council
The Washington State Public Disclosure web is showing there are currently 3 filings for Renton City Council positions.
- Randy Corman (Position 1)
- Rich Zwicker (Position 2)
- Terri Briere (Position 6)
Rich Zwicker is the only candiate with expenditures at this time. ($122.44 as the time of this post.)
If you would like to keep track of who’s supporting who, click here.
By Highlands Community Council
While other districts our slashing their budgets, the Renton School District insists on raising our property taxes even more.
Maybe it’s time to call the School Board Members and have them follow the lead of Kent, Issaquah, North Shore and Lake Washington School Districts. The test scores in Renton School District prove that spending more money does not raise test scores.
Read the KOMO News story here.
