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Co-editors Ana Wolpin, Stephen Schumacher and Annette Huenke have a combined history of more than 120 years in Port Townsend. See the “About the Free Press” page for more about the editorial team.
Join in the 9/11 Environmental Clean Up!
A Day of Service and Remembrance on 9/11. EastJeffersonKennedy.org is inviting volunteers to join in Environmental Clean Up on Monday 9-11-2023. We will pick up trash along the highway. Meet at Kala Square Place parking lot at 3:30 pm. Bring gloves and garbage bags. “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” Pres. John F. Kennedy
City Consultant Counters ‘Deficit Thinking’
Folks need to stop focusing on the massive endless deficits the Aquatic Center would cost our City, because that is “deficit thinking”! Instead we need to “flip malaise and negative thinking habits” and “practice the appreciative approach through reflecting and looking for what made it work — Edge Lane roads as an example.”
That’s the positive message a paid “Lead Groups Better” facilitator is bringing to the City Council at their special “Appreciative Inquiry” Workshop this Monday, September 11 at 6pm. Read all about it at:
https://cityofpt.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=4&event_id=1971&meta_id=219121
Councilors will learn about “What is so great about an appreciative and positive thinking approach? Why is ‘deficit discourse’ letting us down? How often do we ask for input on our strengths? What is the proportion of Appreciative vs Deficit thinking that we use in our regular City and community discourse? How does it feel? Do you notice a difference in your overall sense of well-being and possibility when that proportion changes? What does an appreciative approach make possible?”
The workshop concludes by brainstorming “How do we include a wider set of voices while the deficit perspective tends to be louder and more persistent?” Things will sure be a lot more positive and inclusive once deficit thinkers are drowned out!!
There will be two opportunities for Public Comment during the workshop, so here’s your chance to join in and show some appreciation!
Incredible! City administration’s efforts to invalidate public pushback over wasteful spending, misguided pet projects and skewed priorities knows no bounds.
As Jim notes, with millions wasted on the Cherry Street project debacle, Mayor David Faber imperiously declared “I wouldn’t change a single thing about what we did.” Yet more tax dollars are now being thrown down that money pit as the city goes out for bids to tear down the long-standing public health hazard and eyesore.
When the city’s determination to permanently install eateries in high-traffic city streets was met with broad opposition, Faber dismissed the outcry with an aggressive “do not [be] beholden to the loud minority.” He characterized the overwhelmingly negative responses from business owners and general citizenry as “a bunch of loud, angry people.” He led off one council discussion regarding the massive opposition voiced in survey responses and in letters to council by emphatically instructing, ‘Do NOT take that as a statement from the majority.’ All negative input was to be disregarded.
While city finances are “fall[ing] off a cliff,” local electeds focus on incurring more debt (our tax dollars) for a $35-50 million new pool. That and the specter of increased taxation to take care of neglected basic infrastructure like crumbling streets has led to increasing public feedback over a loss of common-sense priorities.
The city’s response to ongoing criticism was to create a new marketing position — Communications and Marketing Manager — a new hire who hit the ground running in May with “a creative approach to allowing everyone to come up to speed quickly with the Financial Sustainability Initiative.” That series of videos to convince the public that we need more taxes, along with other propaganda, hasn’t persuaded the community that city “leaders” are on the right track.
The public isn’t having it.
Clearly the money spent on an in-house spin doctor and hundreds of thousands on consultants hasn’t done the trick. What to try next? How do we stop all the complaining?
Now more funds are being thrown at yet another consultant, this one specializing in re-framing basic, common-sense feedback as “deficit thinking”. “Deficit discourse” is” letting us down.” We need “an appreciative and positive thinking approach.”
Is there no end to the city’s inability to listen to the public it is supposed to serve? To the wasted resources rationalizing their mismanagement and warped priorities? To their determination to defend bad choices and fiscal incompetence?
Each new day brings a fresh opportunity for PT officialdom to shock and awe its taxpayers. Micro to macro, we’re paying for the psyops being employed against us by ever-expanding, already morbidly obese bureaucracies.
I see that the CDC and City of Seattle are some of this “Lead Groups Better” consultant’s clients. Makes perfect sense. She might have called her business “Lipstick for that Pig.”
Let’s talk about those edge lane roads (ELRs). I wrote to Public Works director, Steve King, upon hearing that 49th Street would be undergoing that transformation here shortly. A group of folks who live on the stretch between Jackman and Cook Ave decided that this will address speeding on 49th. The hundreds of folks living in linked neighborhoods—people who use 49th nearly every day—weren’t invited to share their opinions ahead of this decision.
I shared with King that I’d recently narrowly avoided a head-on collision heading north on Kuhn when I encountered a gal driving up the hill from NB Park in the center of the road. As I was already in the right lane, I was able to divert to the grass off the road edge just in time. I asked him why he’s using the single metric of speed while disregarding the obvious dangers of blind hills and curves. I asked him for evidence supporting his claim of reduced speed because an ELR “…represents a one lane street which means folks need to slow down.”
Mr. King didn’t say a word about the near-crash, nor did he provide proof for his statements. He dragged out the old canard about people having difficulty with change, and went on about how much he likes these single lane roads, hilariously adding “It wasn’t that long ago when most of the road were single laned roads.” He must be a lot older than he looks.
He didn’t bother to answer my question about the timeline for the project, or whether or not the city will be liable if/when there is a serious accident resulting from the pathetic little travel direction that does exist—a sign at each end of the street that looks like this — ↑↓. wtf?
These functionaries are not serving us. They’re paid phenomenal sums to follow an agenda designed by entities whose names and intentions they’re wholly unaware of. Time to throw these babies right on out with the icky bathwater.
At least some of us who live on 49th Street think the edge lane road idea is absurd. I went to one of the meetings the city had with residents. It was obvious in that meeting that the only option the city was interested in was the edge lane road, primarily because the city thinks edge lane roads are cool, wants to be seen as trend setters and edge lane roads are the least expensive option for “traffic calming”. I’m sure once the striping happens, which is imminent, that there will be accidents.
My blood ran cold the one and only time I drove on Kuhn edge road. Definitely recommend for thrill seakers living on the edge. Not OK. Engineering malpractice. Hope the taxpayers are saving up for a multi-million dollar payout. Does anyone know a QUALIFIED, non-compromised engineer who could help get this shut down before someone dies?
The edge roads in my neighborhood are just another humiliation ritual from our WEF occupation government. The new pavement décor didn’t change anything here. People drive, walk and cycle (very rarely) like they always did – most sharing the road and resisting the urge to splash mud on pedestrians walking in the street next to perfectly good sidewalks.
Council. Have thee no dignity?
Does the City Council including the appointed mayor have no dignity? Common sense? What about faith in self to look at all aspects of things before them and arrive at a position each can defend as sentient individuals? Then from there work on compromises to facilitate doing city business effectively and honestly? To approve city funds to be spent by city manager trainee John Mauro to hire a consultant to instruct individual, allegedly sentient beings on how to think the same way and ignore negative realities to arrive at desired decisions is simply beyond belief.
Council OK’s funds to brainwash council. A new low even for this crew.
Bots occupying space in a broken system sit before us. Faber a bot that took city newsletter space to assure all he can replicate. A proven self-obsessed loser, bound for another term. Cherry Street legacy and so much more is the evidence that he is beyond redemption. And he does it with smirking attitude. Perfect tool for those just out of sight to use for agendas few grasp.
I abandon any thought of getting 4 seats up for grabs on council occupied by free thinking sentient beings as write in candidates. Like the Cherry Street apartments, the city government, made up of neighbors hiding behind thin curtains, is full of toxic waste and a total loss. No need to tear down the city though. It will collapse on its own with a little help from trainee Mauro and the council that obviously follows his clueless newspeak lead. We are far down that rutted road. So, we must be taught to ignore the negative and focus on positive thoughts. Please share a positive story with the group. You are a team player, aren’t you?
Trainee Mauro rubs everyone’s nose in the excrement that are his ideas by trying to sell nose plugs.
In other news, I just finished the Wooden Boat weekend, historically a very slow sales weekend due to a total lack of customer parking and the majority of life being sucked to the docks. For twenty bucks a head. Around 2 pm I got a call from a regular customer who had circled the block many times trying to find parking to buy over $500 worth of work from me. All around were the usual all day parking hogs in addition to those who do Wooden Boat yearly, including some with trucks and trailers who simply take 2 hour street parking for three days straight. Tradition. On any given day business is lost to all due to the ongoing denial of reality. Another expensive study regarding business losses into the millions of dollars ignored for years. By the bot council and trainee Mauro.
Labels foisted upon us all by those who control and manipulate those eager to be part of a label or brand is the tool. It’s easy to keep most battling each other and ignoring root causes. Such as Faber, Mauro and bot council in this little tide pool.
Preparation For the Aquatic Center Onslaught.
IF there are sufficient people in JeffCo who have the intelligence to recognize a money grab by the Port Townsend cabal, and IF there are those who will work to stop it, this county must organize NOW. The Republican Party of Washington state AND Jefferson County has an opportunity in this to demonstrate it is more than just talk, that it will go head to head against the tax theft that the aquatic center represents, and fight to WIN.
JeffCo is an example of rural interests dominated politically by urban voting blocks.
“Progressive” agendas getting trashed by KOMO audience
Check out these Puget Sound/OP region test polls Komo is running…
https://komonews.com/question
Apparently according to a recent Leader LTE there is budget money and there was a plan to begin repaving streets with bumpy Discovery some distance down to the school, but work did not begin as planned in Spring. This really is a terrible stretch of road receiving more traffic to intentionally route cars and RVs coming into town away from main thorough fare. Does any one know why it has not been handled as planned and when it will be? My car and I thank you.