GHYR Kick-Off

The effervescence of young Republicans who gathered at the Foursquare Church in Aberdeen for the Grays Harbor Young Republicans Kick-Off Party had enough "fizz" to give new meaning to the word "party"!

Between snacks and soda, young Republicans ages 18 to 40 heard more about the Party, issues, candidates, campaigns, and how they can plug in. Several guests from Cowlitz County attended.

Jesse Young, candidate for Congress in the 6th District, was the special speaker at the March 17 event. After introductory remarks, Young opened the floor to a lengthy Q and A session with many who are new to political activism. The informal afternoon sparked questions on everything from private vs. public sectorunions to fiscal policy, defense and environmentalism.

The Grays Harbor Young Republicans meet once a month at All Wrapped Up in Montesano. For more info., contact Jonathan or Kyla Gerber, President and Vice-President. Visit them on Facebook.

Education, Jobs, Gov't Efficiency Top McKenna Issues

Education, unemployment, over-regulation, a county field plan, volunteer opportunities and Wild Olympics were topics on the table at last week's Grays Harbor for Rob McKenna Steering Committee Meeting. Facilitated by McKenna Political Director Jill Fagan, the meeting maxed out available booth space at the Golden Dragon on March 20.

Fagan identified McKenna's "top three issues" as education, jobs, and government efficiency. She briefed attendees on the success of recent small business roundtables hosted by McKenna at 13 locations statewide, citing de-regulation as key for business growth. Recent polling data, a Grays Harbor "field plan" and volunteer opportunities were presented. A calendar of events was also discussed, including the possibility of a post-parade picnic with McKenna and other candidates following the Loggers Playday Parade in September.

The next steering committee meeting is scheduled for April 17 at the Golden Dragon. Contact Cathy Colley for details.

Pink Slime - a progressive issue?

Pink Slime is the name of my fictionalized short story and contains real facts with some surprising conclusions. Pink Slime has America in an uproar. It's the derogatory term for ground-up slaughterhouse meat scraps that's ammonia sanitized. Investigative reporter Digger Cavanaugh has his lunch ruined when a TV report shows what's in 70% of ground beef. Feeling betrayed by the USDA, he investigates pink slime and goes up the food chain. Things are not as he thought.  


But here's where it gets interesting. As I researched the topic I found the progressives want pink slime to reduce our global warming carbon footprint. The premise one official made was that 'lean finely textured beef' LFTB, reduces the necessary cattle herd by 1.5 million head. We know progressive hate flatulent cattle. Of course, I am making an educated guess that vegans have infiltrated the USDA and White House, and that they secretly want the Pink Slime scare to continue so as to reduce overall meat consumption. But is that really stretching it much? Go to www.pinkslime.us or www.rainforestpress.com. It's for sale electronically at Amazon , B&N, Goodreads, and Smashwords (you can sample it as well): www.smashwords.com/books/view/142597.

Legislators Need to Set Priorities

I see that our State Legislature is going into an Extra Session because they could not pass a budget. It seems to me that passing a budget is THE most important thing that these people are entrusted with. Wouldn’t it make sense that this is the absolutely first thing that they should do? It’s called setting priorities.

Apparently that is not the case with this bunch. The House of Representatives had the time to introduce 818 bills and pass 140 of them. The Senate did a little less in that only 727 bills were introduced and 131 passed. But ……. NO BUDGET.

How about someone (the Governor ?) taking a leadership role and saying that no bills will be introduced, considered either by committee or the entire body, nor voted upon until after the budget is passed. This would force the legislators to address the peoples’ most important item prior to playing around with their (or their supporters’) favorite project. This would certainly reduce the necessity of an Extra Session thereby saving, we the taxpayers, money.

There is an election coming in November. How about we vote all of these people out and elect people who will actually deal with the people’s business.

Should He Run?

To run or not to run, that is the question.

By Richard Sanders

Should I run for re-election to the Court?

Justice Tom Chambers announced he is not going to run for reelection this year, which creates a rare open seat on the Court.

When I look at the other two candidates who have announced, I have concerns about their political background and ambitions.

There's Judge Bruce Hilyer of the King County Superior Court and twice losing candidate for King County Executive; and John Ladenburg, formally Pierce County Prosecutor and Executive, and two time losing candidate for Attorney General.

Frankly, I can't vote for either.

• Neither has any appellate court experience as a judge and little as an attorney. By contrast, I served 15 years on the Supreme Court and handled about 100 appeals before going there.
• I heard over 2,000 cases and wrote more than 600 opinions of the highest quality, they wrote none.
• I published in law reviews and professional texts (one of which is used as course material at Harvard Law School.) As far as I can tell, they published little or nothing of the kind.

Both ran for partisan office (and lost) before running for the Court. Judge Hilyer was defeated twice running as a Democrat for King County Executive before running for the bench. Mr. Ladenburg was whipped by Rob McKenna in his most recent race for attorney general before announcing for the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court should not be a consolation prize for defeated partisan politicians, but a place for a dedicated member of a nonpartisan judiciary with principles and ideals independent of the government.

I cannot think of a single member of the current court who first ran for partisan political office. After all, an independent judiciary is independent from the executive and legislative branch and must, foremost, protect the rights of private citizens under attack by those other branches. At least that's how I made decisions.

Mr. Ladenburg's political career showed contempt for the private citizens as he ridiculed judges who stood by them. Judge Hilyer has imposed numerous user fees on private citizens who tried to access the King County Superior Court.

In contrast, Justice Chambers has written extensively on the burden this kind of fee has unfairly caused to the most needy.

An independent and accessible judiciary is a priority we pay taxes for, not, for example, a billion dollars worth of professional sports stadiums. Judges should be proud of our judiciary and fight for it, not accommodate politicians who want to balance their bloated budgets on the backs of private citizens seeking justice in our courts.

But whether I should run again is another question.

You can go online now to let your opinion be heard.

I don't need a government job. The question is what does the Court need? What do the citizens of Washington need?

But what do you think? Should I run?

That's the question that I need answered.

Let me know, today. Click here.

Importantly, if you want me to run, are you willing to help out? Raising money is a must. I will need endorsements and volunteers to hold and display yard signs. I would need help setting up events or getting a speaking invitation.

In addition to myself, the Supreme Court has lost or is about to lose the very judges most protective of individual rights: Justice Alexander retired last year and Justice Chambers will not run again.

I want as many people participating in this decision as possible.

There will not be another chance. It's now or never.

Let your voice be heard.

Should I run?

GH Young Republicans Kick-Off Party!

The Grays Harbor Young Republicans Kick-Off Party will be Saturday, March 17 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Grays Harbor Foursquare Church.

Join us for good food, good company, and engaging discussion as we celebrate the re-formation of the Grays Harbor Young Republicans! We are honored to have Rick Winsman, candidate for State Senate, 19th District, and Jesse Young, candidate for Congress, 6th District, speak at this event. Come, bring your friends, and bring your party hats!

The church is located at 4800 Central Park Drive in Aberdeen. For more information, contact Jonathan or Kyla Gerber at: :360-249-0510.

(Please RSVP so we can fully prepare for our guests!)

Letter to Doug Cloud

By motion of the Central Committee of the Grays Harbor Republican Party, GHRP Chair Kristine Lowder sent the following letter to the Doug Cloud campaign on 07 March, 2012. An electronic copy was sent to WSRP Chair Kirby Wilbur and the GOP County Chairs of the 6th Congressional District:

"Dear Mr. Cloud:

By motion of the Central Committee of the Grays Harbor Republican Party, I respectfully request that you support Jesse Young for Congress. Doing so will avoid dividing the party, diluting the Republican vote, and lessen the chance of a two-way Democratic win in the primary.

The motion for this request was passed at our March 6 Central Committee Meeting by unanimous vote.

As you may know, the GHRP Central Committee voted unanimously to endorse Jesse Young for Congress in October 2011. We ask you to do likewise.

Thank you for your consideration."

Wood Burning Device Ban

Do you have a wood fireplace, stove, or furnace? If so, you better start to worry because your progressive legislators just voted to approve HB 2326, a bill that “may include requiring disclosure, removal, rendering inoperable, providing evidence of destruction ... as may be approved by ... the department” of wood stoves or fireplaces in private residences. Right now it specifically only applies to Pierce County and the near future possibly Yakima, but an amendment also includes any area where a specific particulate concentration is found. Mightn't that include the Olympic Peninsula in the near future? And isn't it likely environmentalists will continue to push that threshold LOWER?

This bill, the door is open for it to be applied to any county, particularly those upwind of the I-5 Corridor. Since the law is tied into the “national ambient air quality standard”, if the feds tighten those standards in the future, the areas affected within Washington State could automatically expand if the law applies to the entire state. Sen. Hargrove objected to the original bill and offered an amendment “I will be taking one of 2 actions- voting NO or amending the bill to cover only Pierce County, the county whose clean air violations prompted this legislation”. However, his action made the bill more likely to pass, which it did by the narrow margin of 26-21. All the Republicans voted NO. Both Sen. Kilmer, who now is running for the 6th Congressional District seat left vacant by Norm Dicks, and Sen. Hargrove who might also run, voted FOR the Bill.

In a conversation between Kaj Ahlburg, a Port Angeles resident, and Rep. Van De Wege, Kevin said this would never actually be done, that this was not a regulation but just a “game plan” to bring Pierce County back into compliance with federal rules. But woe to Van De Wege because Kaj is a Harvard trained attorney, and knows better. Kaj responded to Van De Wege that “may include” does indeed authorize government to do the things specified in the bill, which government may not have been able to do in the absence of such authorization. He also told our representative that imposing legal rules known to be unenforceable from a practical or political standpoint was just bad policy and breeds contempt for law in general. Kaj gave as an example the addition of “no net loss” to the Shoreline Master Program Guidelines in 2003, the effect of which is being felt now.

The Bill specifically states it's for 'social justice'. Worry when you see that phrase because conflicts with 'equal justice'. Already some exemptions were inserted. It also said it was to improve the 'health' of people but isn't cutting, hauling, splitting, and stacking firewood a significant source of exercise for many? 

The Bill also creates an unfunded mandate. It says "the local air pollution control authority or the department shall, within available resources, provide assistance to households using solid fuel burning devices to reduce the emissions from those devices or change out to a lower emission device.” Why isn’t this listed in the Multiple Agency Fiscal Note Summary? Because the Legislature didn't ask for a fiscal determination according to the accountant, and the Senate did but was told there was no cost. In a discussion with the accountant I found she didn't know of the unfunded mandate. As I advocated back in 2008, the cost to the public and to local and county government ALSO should be determined.

Before you vote for any politician, please look at all the issues. Some may claim to want to protect you but if they are taking away your freedoms, and burdening you with extra costs so as to placate people outside the district or county, do they really deserve your support? Too often county officials claim they have no influence over state or federal decisions thus don’t make the effort. Working Wild Olympics showed that isn’t true. Some of our state officials stay out of federal decisions, that’s how we got the Spotted Owl fiasco and why two dams that had produced over $360 million in cheap electricity and helped build a thriving logging industry was torn down at a cost to taxpayers of $350 million. Forget what the media, or political and union leaders tell you do. Use common sense. If politicians are making decisions that increase your taxes, increasing your cost of living, decreasing your ability to recreate or enjoy life, taking away freedoms, and eliminating private sector jobs, then speak up and do the right thing. 

Keystone Pipeline

I read a lot about the Keystone Pipeline and see misunderstandings from both sides. I’d like to put this issue into perspective. The Keystone pipeline is not unlike a one-way bridge between Canada and the US. Approximately 700,000 barrels of oil would be imported daily. We know environmentalist hate fossil fuel oil despite their continual use of it in their daily lives. We know some conservatives want the oil to only go to Americans despite belief in supply and demand, and many others want us to only use domestically produced oil. That aside, I want to address it as an economic issue. The dollar value of the imported oil is about $70 million per day. That equates to an import value of about $25.5 billion each year flowing into the US. Texas has the existing multi-billion dollar refineries, designed for Venezuelan oil, that can handle the heavy Albertan crude. Now if transporting and refining of the oil adds 50% of value to the product, the export value becomes $38.3 billion. That’s a net gain of $12.8 billion per year regardless of where the oil goes. If at least 40% of the gain goes into taxes the local, state, and federal coffers are increased by $5.12 billion. Why don’t progressives want the private sector to provide more tax money and union jobs?

               Albertan oil will be produced, that’s not in question, the Canadian economy is dependent upon it. Where it goes is to be decided. If US environmentalist have their way, it won’t come to the US. Okay, let’s go with that premise, and we’ll exclude the value of building the pipeline itself. The $12.8 billion extra value will go to China or Canada, not the US. That means we won’t have the $5.12 billion in tax revenue, or said another way, we won’t be able to fund 51,200 teachers each year. Undoubtedly, China will refine the oil themselves if we give them the chance and savings will give them that much more with which to purchase US and Canadian resources.

               Should America be expanding its domestic oil production? Absolutely. We have to start balancing our budgets and can only do that by producing products and services. But taking on the added role as petroleum refiner doesn’t preclude that.

               Would progressives have the same mantra of preventing resource development if Canada wanted to build a railroad to ship iron ore to Texas, which then smelted it and made steel, and then exported it to China? Is there that much difference?

               Okay, let’s now discuss one of the environmental issues. We know Canada is moving forward with developing oil sands. Can it be done cleaner? Yes. New technology has been developed to recover more oil and emit less pollution, and it’s possible this same new technology will work with US oil shale. Ask yourself this – which country would emit less air pollution in refining the heavy oil – China or the US? Regardless of the money we can make off China in selling them refined products, wouldn’t it be wiser for the US to use its superior air emissions technology in refining rather than being downwind from China with even higher emissions?

FEMA is coming for your money

The Federal Government came late Feb, 2012 to tell approximately 2,400 Grays Harbor County property owners that they ‘may’ have to buy flood insurance. This is no minor issue because it takes millions of dollars out of the pockets of county residents and sends it to Washington D.C. and to insurance companies. But it gets worse. Every property thus burdened with the new designation of being a flood risk loses value. This hurts all of us because land that has extra costs is worth less on the open market. The total value of Grays Harbor property is reduced, and thus the property tax rate must increase for every property. Think you’re safe if you don’t have a federally insured mortgage and yet live in a flood zone? Typically you won’t be required to buy flood insurance...yet. Think you dodged a bullet? Try selling your property to someone who needs a mortgage to pay for it. They’ll need this extra insurance. The premiums bantered about at the meeting was over $3,000 per year. In real estate, it’s a buyers’ market. They’ll just go elsewhere and find a cheaper property. Your property has just been devalued by the federal government.

I found out about the FEMA list less than two hours before the meeting and was flabbergasted. My property is river bluff, and my house is 120 feet elevation above the river. I came to find out the list was so generalized as to include any property that touched the revised flood zone, yet my land didn’t even do that. Whoever put the list together missed a property boundary, none of my property is in the flood zone. and I am safe, or maybe not. My address is still in their database and once one is on a government list, it’s often the listee’s responsibility to get off it. Such is the case here.

Among the things I heard from FEMA was that they would NOT be going to individuals to tell them definitely they are in a flood zone. The official said, “it wasn’t his responsibility to watch out for people. They have to take responsibility for themselves.” Oh, such is the attitude of our benevolent federal government. The bigger it is, the harder it is for its heart to pump. Not one official had any numbers they could provide. They didn’t know how many properties would be in the new flood zone, they didn’t know the average premium, and they admitted they didn’t exclude properties where the only new flooding would occur on riparian zones that you can’t build on anyway. I’m a numbers guy so let’s say half or 1,200 properties now are in the flood zone and the premiums are $3,000. That’s $3.6 million of disposable income removed from Grays Harbor annually, and much of that will be squeeze from seniors on fixed budgets. Figure also that new flood map will reduce Grays Harbor County property values by $36 million. Get the picture?

But I came up with a plan that may help many thus affected while also saving the county a few millions. It may also lead to a small building boom as it opens up some property for better use. I call upon the County Commissioners to publicly offer to liberally vote rezoning and zoning waivers to allow residents and companies who have sufficient floodable land they can split off from the buildings not in the flood zone. This includes changing some land zoning type, not just acreage. This action may dramatically reduce the flood insurance purchasing requirement because the mortgage usually is for the house and if the house is on a lot not in the flood zone, there’s no cost other than the surveying and splitting it up. Let me give an example with my neighbor across the river. Their family has a 20-acre lot zoned A-20. One of those acres has two homes on it and is on the east side of the river. Both houses are well above flood zone and the acre’s never been used for agriculture. The other 19 acres are on my side of the river and is lying fallow and because they have their two houses, can’t be built upon. To get to their 19 acres they have to drive about 12 miles. Under the FEMA regs, they have to have flood insurance because of the 19 acres. Years ago they twice petitioned the Commissioners to allow a property split and rezone the one acre as residential. Twice the commissioners said NO. This is absolute nonsense. It’s time for our commissioners to do the right thing and be proactive, and it’s time for voters to ONLY support commissioners who help the residents. We all know FEMA and the insurance companies are seeking to expand the flood insurance pool by including properties less likely to be recipients of bailouts, I mean, government kindness. But they’re doing it on the backs of unsuspecting land owners.

The list http://www.co.grays-harbor.wa.us/info/pub_svcs/docs/2012/DFRIMPropertiesImpacted.pdf

Need for Jesse Young

Now is the opportunity for citizens in the 6th Congressional District to get a representative for the 21st century. With the departure of Norm Dicks, in Jesse Young, we have an outstanding candidate with unique qualifications that anyone should be grateful to have in Congress. Jesse Young is a computer information technology expert, as well as a business expert. Focusing my comments on the IT issue, one of America’s biggest threats is the security of our information systems. In the last couple years, individual and state sponsored hackers have proven themselves capable of infiltrating our government, military, industrial controls, our financial records, and our personal history. If you’ve not yet been hit, consider yourself lucky. Even our modern cars and computer controlled medical devices are vulnerable. Our current Congress is woefully undereducated in how to deal with the threats. Jesse, when elected, would be among the first consulted on security matters and would rise to the top quickly in decision making. What happens when Congress has politicians who don’t understand a particularly difficult issue? Over-reaction, major policy mistakes, a reduction of privacy and liberty. Naïve politicians let the lobbyists write the bills and explain their position to them. Jesse can actually help ensure over-reaction doesn’t occur because he understands the issues.

For those of us who write about information technology, my wife as a journalist for a data center magazine, and I as a fiction novelist, America’s computer security future is fraught with peril. Our government can’t keep up, and the next war WILL be fought in cyberspace. Whether you’re a Democrat, Independent, or Republican, wouldn’t it be great to have a Congressional representative in D.C. who understands the future? Visit www.jesseyoungforcongress.com or join him in one of his frequent visits to Grays Harbor County. After all, he is the first candidate to promise he’ll have an open town hall EVERY quarter in EVERY county during his terms. In eight years I’ve been here, I haven’t seen our current Congressman do that even once.

Regards,

Randy Dutton

CDR, USNR-Retired
Author, The Carbon Trap (An ecopolitical thriller about mankind’s attempts to control CO2 going awry and threatening all life on Earth)
www.rainforestpress.com

Volunteers Honored at Annual Dinner

The Grays Harbor Republican Party honored six outstanding volunteers at its Lincoln Day Dinner on February 18 at the Aberdeen Museum. "Volunteers are the backbone of the party," said Kristine Lowder, Grays Harbor Republican Party Chair. "We're honoring those who are the cream of the volunteer crop." Awards were presented in two categories: Eagle Volunteers and PCO (Precinct Committee Officer) of the Year.

A nationally recognized program launched by Washington State Republican Party National Committeeman Jeff Kent and National Committeewoman Fredi Simpson, the Eagle Volunteer Program recognizes the "hardest working, most effective volunteers" in each county. Criteria for selection include those who: 1) Volunteer over and over again for whatever the Party needs; 2) Can be counted upon to accomplish the task assigned to them; 3) Are positive representatives and strong advocates for the Republican Party; and 4) Inspire others to participate in Party activities. Grays Harbor Republican Party Eagle Volunteer honorees are: Christine Yeager, Jonathan Gerber, Dennis Brumbaugh, Ken Estes and Mark Paulsen.

Citing exceptional performance as a PCO and "going above and beyond the call of duty over and over again not just once or twice, but over the course of an entire year," Lowder presented the 2011 PCO of the Year Award to Terry Moore. A resident of Copalis Beach, Moore chairs the Party's Candidates and Issues Committee and is the Grays Harbor Chair for Jesse Young for Congress. PCO of the Year was determined by a vote among party PCOs.

Dicks Retires, Young Responds

After serving 18 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Norm Dicks is calling it quits. Dicks announced his plans to retire on March 2. Jesse Young is running for Dicks's seat in the 6th District, and was endorsed by the Grays Harbor Republican Party by unanimous vote at its October 4 Central Committee Meeting.

"The party's October endorsement of Jesse Young showed our confidence in Jesse, his campaign, and his ability to effect positive change for Grays Harbor," said Kristine Lowder, Grays Harbor Republican Party Chair. "Harborites can look forward to having a young, dynamic business professional who thinks 'outside the box' and knows how to get things done representing them in Congress."

Said Young, "I want to thank Congressman Dicks for his many years of public service. As he begins to chart a new course in life, I also extend my best wishes for health and prosperity in his future endeavors. Enjoy your family Congressman Dicks, and thank you again for your service." He added, "As for the future of the 6th district, I look forward to sharing our plans for effective job growth and fiscal responsibility within the district and in our nation’s capital. I am also excited to engage the people of this wonderful district and share my vision for how we can position ourselves to be at the forefront of economic recovery and prosperity."

The son of a hard-working single mom whose family was once homeless, Young grew up in the Hilltop neighborhood of Tacoma. He is a high school class valedictorian and worked as a dishwasher to help pay for his college education at Notre Dame, where he graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Management Information Systems in 1999. Since then, Young has traveled around the United States consulting with major corporations in the aerospace, healthcare, energy, insurance, and real estate industries. In 2007, Jesse accepted the position of Senior Business Technology Consultant with Russell Investments, then headquartered in Tacoma, where he consulted in the departments of Global Human Resources, Global Finance and the Office of the CEO.

Jesse, his wife Jennie and their five children reside in Gig Harbor, Washington where they are active members in their church and community.

Washington's Sixth Congressional District encompasses the Olympic Peninsula and includes Grays Harbor, Kitsap, Clallam, and Jefferson Counties and parts of Mason and Pierce Counties. For more, see: www.jesseyoungforcongress.com, or contact Terry Moore, Grays Harbor County Chair for the Jesse Young for Congress WA-6th (R) campaign at: 289.7978.

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