2nd Posting - The UGA Land Supply Debate

I WAS wrong, and in my first posting too! That could be embarrassing, but somehow, I'm not.

The County Council actually wimped on a planned Resolution to 'negotiate' with the City on additional UGA lands. Instead, they equivocated and agreed on another 'public hearing' event on August 7. That should be interesting, a room full of angry people and 'special interests' demanding that the Council accept the responsibility to do something creative to help the City -supposedly their biggest constituent and ally- actually achieve the goals the two parties ostensibly wanted to achieve, in good faith! By the way, that is the same night that Bellingham neighborhoods host National Night Out Against Crime' events, present company included. Good way of involving the public?

Will this additional 'public hearing' achieve its stated purpse, or will it merely serve as cover to a County Council that has essentially abrogated its elected responsibility to its very vocal -appointed- advisory Planning Commission? It has been said that to claim a virtue, one only has to assume it. Has that happened? Is it a virtue? One wonders. Is David Hunter now the acting County Council Chair? He sounded like it, and it may be a post he might enjoy, but he was not elected to it! Will the County Council simply accept the edict of its appointed -not annointed- Planning Commission? Or, will the Council do its duty and have the fortitude to independently analyze the situation, even without any PC recommendations? That is the question. I am informed that after 47 -count them- public meetings the County Planning Commission did not even agree on recommendations to the County Council! If that is true, is it acceptable? What is wrong with this picture?

On to other stuff. The Bill MIze Forum is tonight, but I won't attend this one. Instead, I did consider the 7 questions posed and answered them to my own satisfaction. Anyone interested can contact me for the answers.

Tomorrow, I take up another concern; that of whether there is anything to the buzz that there may exist, a conspiracy between The Cascadia Weekly, Conservation Northwest and the McShane Campaign, all sponsored by Trillium. Speculation? Maybe. Proof? Remains to be seen. Questions to be posed and answered? Certainly! Let the process begin!

I keep six honest serving-men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who.

-Rudyard Kipling