United in Jefferson
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Peninsula Daily News Port Townsend-Jefferson County’s Daily Newspaper
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Jefferson officials give to tax effort Department heads among Prop. 1 donors By Paul Gottlieb
Peninsula Daily News
PORT TOWNSEND — The campaign to pass Proposition 1, which would benefit Jefferson County government programs by raising the county sales tax, is being mostly bankrolled by department heads and the county Democratic Party, which donated $500 to pass the countywide measure. Proposition 1, which is on the Tuesday general election ballot, would increase the sales tax by 0.3 percent, to 8.7 percent, or by 3 cents on every $10 of non-food purchases. Proceeds would be shared by the county and the city of Port Townsend. County officials have contended the increase is needed to help cover a projected shortfall for 2011 that is now estimated at $1.1 million, up from a $900,000 estimate earlier this year because of expected reductions in timber revenue and investment income.
Budget cutbacks feared County officials also said that without the sales tax increase, cuts will be made to county services such as the sheriff’s department, animal control, community centers and programs for at-risk youth. Many officials have put their own money behind the effort to pass the measure, according to a review of state Public Disclosure Commission records. Of $2,529 in cash and in-kind contributions raised by the Yes on Proposition #1 Committee, $150 was donated by County Administrator Philip Morley, $140 by Pub-
lic Works Director Frank Gifford, $135 by Democratic County Assessor Jack Westerman III and $100 each from Democratic Prosecuting Attorney JueMorley lie Dalzell, Superior Court Clerk Ruth Gordon, and county Health and Human Services Director Jean Baldwin. County Treasurer Judy Morris, a Republican, and her husband, Milt, also each donated $67.50. Baldwin said there was no organized effort by department heads to donate to the cause. Morley’s was the largest individual contribution to the proProposition 1 effort and the second highest behind the county Democrats. “I certainly stand behind that choice,” Morley said. County Republican Central Committee Chairman Ron Gregory criticized Morley Gregory for making the contribution. Gregory initially supplied the Peninsula Daily News with the list of pro-Proposition 1 contributors, a list that the PDN confirmed with the state. The Republican Central Committee has voted unanimously against the measure’s approval. “We have been against mismanagement of the budget for a long time,” Gregory said, suggesting the county should concentrate on generating revenue and promoting growth rather than seeking an increase in taxes. Turn
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October 28, 2010
Summit of achievement
Charlie Bermant/Peninsula Daily News
Father-son conquerers of Mount Everest, Jim, left, and Leif Whittaker, chat with Celeste Dybeck during the Whittakers’ presentation at the Northwest Maritime Center on Tuesday night.
Conquering Everest all part of this family By Charlie Bermant Peninsula Daily News
PORT TOWNSEND — When Leif Whittaker left home last winter on his way to scale Mount Everest, his father — who was the first American to make the trek to the 29,000-foot summit in 1963 — had some important advice. “He told me that it was ONLINE . . . important get to the top,” said ■ See video of the Port Townsend native. Jim and Leif “But that it was crucial to Whittaker talking make it back down.” about conquering The younger Whittaker Mount Everest. talked at the Northwest Maripeninsula time Center on Tuesday night, dailynews.com presenting details about his trip, which culminated with the 25-year-old spending less than 30 minutes at the top of the world May 25. The 200 people present turned the evening into a sellout event, necessitating the scheduling of a second presentation at 7 p.m. Nov. 11 at the Northwest Maritime Center, 431 Water St., Port Townsend.
Leif at the top of Mount Everest.
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Candidates for legal posts in forum finale Judge, prosecutor hopefuls discuss law and society
opponent John Wood, 64, a Port Townsend attorney. Also speaking at the forum were candidates for prosecuting attorney, Port Townsend resident Scott Rosekrans, 58, the deputy prosecuting attorney — a DemoBy Charlie Bermant crat — and Paul Richmond, 50, a Peninsula Daily News Port Townsend attorney — who PORT TOWNSEND — Candi- lists himself as an independent. The candidates are on Tuesdates for Jefferson County Disday’s general election ballot. trict Court judge and prosecuting attorney, speaking at a forum this week, agreed that times used to More crime be simpler — and discussed how Landes was responding to a to handle the change. question from moderator Bob “When I was growing up, there Carter, who said that when he was no need for law enforcement was growing up in Port Townsend, because everyone else’s mother would watch out for you,” said there were three law enforcement District Court Judge Jill Landes, officers in the entire county. He said he wondered why, who is running for a second term. “I grew up in a small town when the city’s population has where everyone was more con- doubled and the county’s population has tripled, the number of nected to each other.” Landes, 60, was appearing at a law enforcement officers has Tuesday night candidate forum increased tenfold. The answer is, simply, there is hosted by the Port Townsend Kiwanis Club along with her more crime, Rosekrans said.
Landes
Wood
“I grew up in a ‘Leave It to Beaver’ place in the country where most everything we did was harmless,” Rosekrans said. “We live in a different time today, with rampant drug and violence problems and when every time the Legislature meets, they pass more laws that we have to enforce,” he added. Richmond, who has been at odds with Rosekrans during much of the campaign, said he agreed with his opponent on this issue, if
Rosekrans
only peripherally. “There are so many laws on the books, and that creates a ‘make work’ attitude,” Richmond said. Richmond advocated more attention to mental health issues, something with which none of the other candidates disagreed. “When I grew up, families could support themselves on one salary,” Wood said. “Today, too much of parents’ time is taken up by all the things they need to do.
Richmond “When there is less supervision of children, there is more stress on them, and they can more easily become involved in criminal activity.” Landes agreed that society has changed. “I would love to put myself out of business,” she said. “I would like to live in a society where we do not have the problems we have today.” Turn
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Inside Today’s Peninsula Daily News 94th year, 252nd issue — 3 sections, 24 pages
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