JOURNALEDITORIAL
GUESTCOLUMN
Commissioner Erickson misled Washington House committee
Time to adapt or die
On Friday, Mason County CommisWhen questioned about the presented sioner Lynda Ring Erickson testified be- amounts by the Journal on Tuesday fore the Washington House’s Local GovErickson still did not know the amount ernment Committee. It is the opinion of Mason County spent on legal notices. this newspaper that Erickson misled the The number is less than $35,000. The committee while garnering support for Journal discovered this after a two minHouse Bill 1478. ute phone call to the county auditor’s Erickson claimed that with “the office. amount [Mason When presented County] spent on with the accurate Washington HB1478 these publications amounts, Erickson we could keep the shifted blame for her Modifies publication auditor, the assesmisinformation to the sor, the treasurers Washington State Asrequirements to allow office open for two sociation of Counties certain local government hours a day, they (WSAC), saying that are now closed, and entities to post information it provided the inforadd full services for mation. But Erickson related to the adoption homeless teens.” sits on the legislative That amount was of ordinances and the steering committee $153,895 according of the WSAC and is a scheduling and content to Erickson. past president of the The bill Erickson organization. of public meetings on was testifying about By our count, Ergovernment web sites. only pertains to reickson misled the legquired legal notice islature once, was too publications in newspapers of record, lazy to fact check her information when but the number Erickson presented was she presented it a second time, and has supposedly all media spending by the defended her ignorance of the facts by county, nearly 80 percent of which she passing the blame to the WSAC. and her fellow commissioners already During Erickson’s meeting with the have the choice not to spend. Journal editorial board, she claimed While presenting this informathat “if” she made a mistake she was tion, Erickson did not know the actual apologetic. amount Mason County had spent on leThere is no “if” Commissioner Erickgal notices in 2010. After the committee son. You presented misleading informaquestioned the validity of her numbers, tion to a Washington House Committee she admitted she might not be comparwith the intent of promoting a bill that ing “apples to apples.” Erickson claims undermines the public’s ability to keep she later sent an e-mail to the committabs on local government. tee with an updated (but still incorrect) All of Mason County deserves an amount of “about $60,000.” apology.
LETTERSTOTHEEDITOR
Streetlights out and increase of graffiti? Editor, the Journal Recently I read in the Journal an article titled “Dark nights with fewer lights” explaining that phase one of the city’s project to turn off selected streetlights throughout the city in an effort to save money has been completed. According to the article, 47 streetlights have been turned off as a result of phase one. The city commission is being asked to approve phase two of the project, which would turn out an additional 36 streetlights. Eventually, a third phase plans to eliminate another 24 streetlights. Has anyone noticed the sudden increase in graffiti spray painted all around town? Probably just a coincidence. Jim Killoran Shelton
No longer green Editor, the Journal Now its 2017 Back to see what’s come to be
Journal Letter Policy
The Journal welcomes and encourages your letters to the editor. We will print signed, original letters of local interest. We will not publish letters that are libelous or scurrilous in nature. Letters should be under 350 words and provide contact and address information for the Journal. Out on fateful John’s Prairie It doesn’t look so green to me Empty homes, the woods scraped bare A choking smog hangs in the air People tried to say, “Please don’t” Niceness didn’t stop the smoke How were we to know, they say politicians feign dismay Bellowing our dreams away Many had foretold this day We gave up and moved away Now to check on those who stayed Politicians had assured us Money, it will cure what ills us We need revenue, they cried Then turned their heads as people died Give us back our petition
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3,000 names and what’s been done? Those who stayed they bought air filters But something is way out of kilter When kids must play all sports indoors Now we’re all prisoners, of a sort
According to the Washington State Dept. of Social and Health Services, Mason County ranks poorly in most every category tracked, especially those relating to health, economics, high-risk profiles and accidental deaths. Such statistics are a dismal reflection of our current priorities. It would seem that much of what works in our County derives from caring individuals moved to participate in programs like Mason County literacy, S.O.C.K, Mason Matters, St. David’s outreach, Habitat for Humanity, Immigrant rights advocacy, local food banks and other social aid efforts. Clearly, there is no shortage of good people in our community, only a shortage of good political leadership. From 2000 to 2006, our County experienced one the biggest and longest periods of prosperity in its history, yet by 2008 we were already mired in economic hardship. That’s what poor leadership looks like in dollars and sense; no plan, no future. Just as with our own, personal finances our first course of action should be to stop digging ourselves into a hole. Yet, just last week the BOCC authorized over $108,000 for new courthouse security (real cost, about $150,000). In an effort to save money, public services are being cut and streetlights turned off, but two of our three County Commissioners still find ways to waste public funds on programs of which there is no immediate need. In this age of shifting priorities our officials need to back away from policies that have failed not only the public, but the business community as well. Tourism, timber, and shellfish industries play an important role in any economic recovery effort, but our current path toward biomass to power plants will sharply curtail tourism, jeopardize the shellfish industry and use our for-
able and responsible manner. We viewed the Simpson train that periodically stops traffic across Railroad Avenue as an attraction, and still do. As a member of the first wave of Boomers (1946), we brought our money, our ests as fuel for the proposed enthusiasm, our skills and Adage and Simpson plants. our dreams to our new comMake no mistake; immamunity; creating jobs as we ture trees are already being remodeled homes and deharvested for that purpose. veloped property. No other As a result, future tourdemographic embodies ism will likely be pushed the entrepreneurial spirit far north of Shelton, polmore than Boomers. And luted storm-water will like many to follow, we also continue to attack the Oakhave a need to contribute land Bay shellfish and poor to our community through forestry practice will result participation in volunteer in excessive erosion and a programs. nutrient starved ecosystem. But biomass to power But it doesn’t have to be plants will put an end to that way; there are other, that and to any possibility more viable options availof Shelton becoming a comable. munity that attracts new Starting this year, eight people with new ideas. The to ten thousand Babyreal tragedy is that we also Boomers will turn sixty-five lose an opportunity for ecoevery day and this trend nomic growth from new enwill go on for the next trepreneurial ventures that eighteen years; the largwould have brought more est demographic with the employment opportunities most personal wealth our than could ever be gained country has ever produced. from the biomass industry. Many of these folks will be Mason County can overlooking to relocate to more come its challenges without rural communities, but losing our identity, but we few will want to live in the need to diversify our ecoshadow of towering smokenomic base if we are to benstacks emitting pollutants efit from a rapidly changing from the incineration of business environment. biomass. ‘Adapt or Die’ is the law The fact is, most people of nature as it is the rule of prefer standing trees to capitalism; it matters little those going down the road if we like it, but it will maton the back of a truck, ter greatly if we ignore it. which means forests are Now is not the time for a source of revenue even followers, but the time for before the trees are harleaders with the courage vested. and vision to chart a new If even a small fraction course toward a more promof Boomers choose to reloising future. Let other comcate to Mason County, the munities bite the hook baiteconomic benefits will be ed with biomass, commitdramatic, long lasting and ting themselves to cycles could easily result in putof poverty. Mason County ting our financial house should heed the instinct of back in order. the salmon our area is faThe timber industry mous for and swim against plays an important role in the current for the sake of this new paradigm, maybe future survival. The old even the biggest role. My gives way to the new; it wife and I moved here in is simply how the world 2005, partly because we turns, and those who come loved the idea of living in to terms with it sooner than an area where people used later will prosper or fail, local resources in a sustain- accordingly.
By Tom Davis
They’re held in detention, even now Prison inmates breathe air that’s foul Is this an extra punishment for the inmates of a prison town? We were ignored, our questions shunned Plans went ahead, the damage is done I still remember the happy days When kids could go outside to play Now its 2017 Back to see what’s come to be Out on fateful John’s Prairie It doesn’t look so green to me
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