8 — Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Argument: Cont. from page 7 if it is built upon false assumptions then the entire argument is faulty. To add insult to injury, Mr. Petersen assures all that we
“As visually appealing and inspiring as these islands are, there is nothing pristine about them. Not by a long shot.” are either slavery-loving authoritarians or freedom-loving libertarians. And further, that those of us who support the need for
Opinion/Letters the CAO in concept are liars. How is this useful? I roundly reject these accusatory, factchallenged statements, not the individuals who care enough to speak their minds. We would benefit from a more fact-based and varied civic debate given the unprecedented challenges we face. We do need more time for sorting out ramifications and crafting intelligent revisions to the CAO. It’s damned important. All sides sling opinions that are repeated like the misleading mantras they are. I just don’t get the frequent blurring of fact and fiction. I will vote for candidates who exhibit the smarts and humility to understand the need for reasonable restraints upon our selfish human interests that continue to cumulatively trash the public commons. I expect them to think creatively to transition us into a more diverse and sustainable economy. I hope for a reduction of layered government and the real, not imagined, increasing intrusions into our rights of privacy. The newest council will also have to endure efforts by monkey-wrenchers to derail hard won progress in recognizing our collective responsibilities to future generations and the natural world to which we remain inextricably linked. — Editors’s note: U.S. Parks Service retiree Steve Ulvi and his wife arrived on San Juan Island in 2007, following 33 years of “irresponsible” adventure in the Far North.
• REDUCE • • REUSE • • RECYCLE •
The Journal of the San Juan Islands | SanJuanJournal.com
Resistance : Cont. from page 7 told that a great catastrophe is looming over the islands because our homes are too close to the shoreline and that our mere presence in nature is something to be loathed. If we don’t accept half-mile buffers for the Peregrine Falcon we must want them extinct. None of it is true. That’s why we are seeing a paradigm shift. Judge Darrah had his office in downtown Seattle, where Peregrine Falcons nest on top of buildings. Imagine a half-mile buffer being imposed in that densely populated area. Ridiculous? Then why does the CAO require it here? Where’s the common sense? The CAO cannot fix a problem that doesn’t exist in the first place. According to the science these islands are pristine. The biggest lie is trying to justify these CAO prohibitions on the premise that increased protections are desperately needed. The fact is that our existing laws have done the job nicely. The evidence is all around us. The division in our island society generally breaks down along the lines of authoritarianism versus libertarianism. It’s all about how people perceive the role of government in their lives. The authoritarians want to use the power of government to control the actions of the people, while the libertarians want to use the power of the people
Letters:
Continued from page 7 tance of having a friendly and effective “customer service” policy on the part of the county. Please join me in keeping this fine Orcas Islander in office. Thanks for reading. Tom Starr San Juan Island
Uniquely skilled; Byers in District 2
I am writing to urge support for Lisa Byers’s election to the County Council. We badly need intelligent, responsible, and well informed representatives to administer San Juan County, and under our newly adopted system of three countywide officials, each representative will have an especially powerful voice in decisions that affect us all. Lisa Byers is unusually well qualified for this task. As the executive director of OPAL, the Orcas community land trust, she has led an exceptionally successful effort to provide affordable housing on Orcas Island. Over the years of her leadership, OPAL has put 138 families in permanently affordable ownership homes and taken over operation of Lavender Hollow apartments, which provides affordable housing for an additional 22 families. Leading this effort has required Lisa to be intimately familiar with the public world of citizens’
“How did this movement grow? The lies got bigger and more obvious.”
to control government. The authoritarian nightmare has played out recently in an enforcement campaign. We have a situation now where neighbors turn in neighbors for building code violations. New regulations are used as tools to prosecute people in the most authoritarian manner. I’ve visited a lot of homes in the islands and every one of them has some violation subject to fines and possibly jail. Do we really want to treat our neighbors like criminals when they plant blueberries near a wetland, or sell organic foods from their farm stand? Many people have seen the authoritarian path that the CAO promoters want to take us down and have said, “Enough! We love nature but we don’t worship it.” That’s why the Resistance is growing. Don’t be surprised if the authoritarian candidates are defeated again in the next election. It’s not stealth. It’s not wealth. It’s about living free in this place we all love. — Editor’s note: Local columnist, entreprenuer and property rights advocate, Gordy Petersen is a former county council candidate and former chairman of the Charter Review Commission.
needs, real estate practices, the economics of affordable housing, and community planning. At the same time, she has guided OPAL’s operations, which include such diverse activities as raising funds from grants and gifts, dealing with federal and state housing officials, and identifying appropriate recipients for OPAL’s services. Lisa will bring to the council years of experience in our county, intelligence, and a habit of working hard. She will make an exceptional public servant. Karin Agosta San Juan Island
It’s in the resume; Stephens in Dist. 3
Experience counts. Prior to being elected to the county council two years ago, Jamie Stephens was a port commissioner, a substitute teacher at Lopez School, a board member of several local non-profits, including the Lopez Community Land Trust and Lopez Island Family Resource Center, and taught business classes to future entrepreneurs using his extensive business experiences. He has been a local community leader for all of the 17 years he and his family have lived on Lopez Island. Jamie brings a fresh and positive approach to the council and has been instrumental in resolving the county’s solid waste issues, developing innovative economic development opportunities and uses his
business background to control the county budget. He works to protect our communities’ environment and at the same time helps farmers find new ways to market their products. Jamie Stephens deserves to be reelected. Tom Cowan Lopez Island
Many to thank for ‘Scholars’ success
On behalf of the San Juan Island Dollars for Scholars Board I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who came out on March 28th to support our annual Dining for Scholars event. It was wonderful to see so many community minded friends and families dining out to support the mission of volunteerism and scholarship here on San Juan Island. We also want to extend our gratitude to all of our partner restaurants who donated a portion of their March 28th proceeds to the Dollars for Scholars scholarship fund. Without their generosity this event would not happen. So, I would like to offer a sincere note of thanks to… Crows Nest, Roy’s, Sweet Retreat, Café Demeter, Rocky Bay Café, Hungry Clam, Roche Harbor’s Lime Kiln Café, KO Subs, Blue Water, China Pearl/Kung Fu Pizza, Spring Street Deli, Market Chef, Vic’s Drive In, Rumor Mill, Haley’s, Cask & Schooner, Downriggers, Mi Casita, Coho and Roche See LETTERS, Page 9