Saturday, January 25, 2014 • Whidbey News-Times
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BRUNELL
MORE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Another party claims the noise disclosure is inadequate. What does the Navy have to do with any of this? The Navy has operated a naval air station in the area for more than 50 years and has made no effort to keep it a secret. Real estate agencies have been providing notice of potential noise for a good deal of the time the Navy has been here, and, with that, I say let the buyer beware. I am not advocating that anyone sue anyone else, but if the members of COER feel they need to lash out at someone because of the noise, lash out at those who failed to disclose when you made your purchase, if that, is in fact, the case. Suing the Navy is counterproductive since they are only doing what they have been doing for the past 50 years. A lawsuit in this area only serves to cost every taxpayer, and that expense could be even greater if the Navy is eventually forced to go elsewhere for training. Maybe Island County should look at condemning property in high complaint areas, destroy the dwellings and allowing the property to return to its native state. Maybe that will make everyone happy. Robert E. Clark Oak Harbor
New disclosure needs additional protection Editor, Had a friend who went hiking with a buddy in the Yukon. The sign on trail said, “Beware of bears, they can be dangerous.” Short story, bear killed his buddy. Later, my friend found out that a bear(s) on that trail over the prior month had seriously mauled two other hikers. Do you think the territorial government properly warned the hikers heading
Robert Wilbur Coupeville
OF THE WEEK:
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up that trail? OK, the story is fiction, but the point is real. There is warning intended to genuinely inform, and there is warning — not to inform, but just to cover legal fannies. The newly copyrighted form by Northwest Multiple Listing Services improves on their earlier copyrighted form, but isn’t quite beyond fanny-covering. Here are four things it needs: • The disclosure should include the relevant map with an “X” designating the property location on the map. The map should include the county noise zones and the DNL and especially the actual decibel (dBA) noise contours. • Regarding the statement that noise “… may exceed 100 dba,” that should read that noise “…may range upward of 100 to 120+ dBA (decibels).” Without effective hearing protection, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that hearing loss at these levels will occur, even with short-term (seconds of) exposure, and there are other serious healthrelated risks. • Instead of just recommending the buyer consult with Island County for more information, it should offer several of the most apropos and authoritative websites related to noise/decibels and health issues. • Finally, the disclosure must be required to be displayed in a prominent location so that any buyer visiting the property is able to review that important information at first visit — as opposed to brought out of the closet the day before closing, as it was in my case. And, the disclosure form must be signed as a prerequisite component of any purchase contract.
QUESTION
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or the minimum wage if we had a robust, expanding economy that was creating tens of millions of new jobs. However, an annual avalanche of federal and state regulations is making it increasingly difficult to run a business. Bernie Marcus, co-founder of Home Depot, says he never would have been able to start the company in today’s regulatory environment. “I can tell you that today the impediments that the government imposes are impossible to deal with. Home Depot would never have succeeded if we’d tried to start it today.” How does Washington rank? It depends on whom you ask. Chief Executive magazine ranked Washington 36th out of the 50 states in 2013, up one from the previous year. While we get good marks for quality of life and workforce, we take a hit when it comes to taxes and regulations. Forbes magazine ranks Washington ninth overall, but places us 27th in business costs and 32nd in regulatory environment. The bottom line is this: While news coverage tends to focus on “big business,”
most jobs are created by small business. And launching a new company is risky in the best of times. In many ways, it’s like skydiving: You prepare the best you can, but in the end, it is a leap of faith requiring enormous courage and personal risk. Many entrepreneurs mortgage their homes and empty their savings in order to start a business. In this economy, they lie awake at night, worrying how to make payroll for the employees who depend on them. Elected officials in Washington, D.C., and Olympia — most of whom have never run a business — should keep that in mind when they consider imposing new regulations and taxes that make it harder for employers to sustain and create jobs. n Don Brunell is a business analyst, writer and columnist. He recently retired as president of the nonprofit Association of Washington Business, the state’s oldest and largest business organization. He can be contacted at thebrunells@ msn.com
How do you think the city should handle panhandling?
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“They shouldn’t make it so easy for them.” Brandon Games, Oak Harbor
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“As long as they’re not com- “Develop educational “They should make a men’s ing up to my car, or bang- opportunities for them.” shelter.” ing on my window, they’re John Umayan, Oak Harbor Lucylyn Sinette, not affecting me.” Oak Harbor Jon Mabe, Oak Harbor
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