OPINION
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North Kitsap
Page A6
IN OUR OPINION
Fall initiatives: Common sense and firearms I
f you can’t convince them, confuse them. It’s a shrewd, if cynical axiom that could pay off for opponents of gunsale background checks. This fall, voters will weigh in on two competing initiatives: I-594, which would require background checks on firearm sales and transfers, including online sales and gun shows; and, I-591, which would prohibit background checks “unless a national standard is required.” An April 15 Elway poll illustrates the confusion, with 72 percent of respondents likely to vote for background checks, 55 percent likely to vote for the initiative with the “unless a national standard” language, and 40 percent inclined to vote for both (!). Presupposing that the impossible happens and both measures pass, the Legislature will need to disentangle the mess (more counterlogic, but possible) or the state Supreme Court will decide. Dave Ammons, communications director for the Secretary of State and a longtime Associated Press scribe and analyst, figures the court is the more likely resolver. Washingtonians will get gobsmacked by ads from both sides. Will the onslaught disabuse voters of misconceptions? Ideally, yes, distortion and hyperbole notwithstanding. Most Washingtonians support background checks, so the smart money is on I-594 passing. I-591, polling in the mid-50s, is less of a sure thing, with numbers consistent with Eyman-like initiatives that historically crash and burn. And then there’s the money. Unlike previous campaigns, pro-background forces will have it, and expert political help too. Washington is a bellwether. Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is pouring $50 million into a grassroots gun-control push, a political counterweight to the National Rifle Association. A lot of that likely will flow this way, helping level the ad wars. It’s an unfortunate fight because background checks are clearly in the public interest, especially to limit those living with mental illness from purchasing a firearm. And felons should have obstacles to prevent them from easily copping a gun online or at a gun show.
For the record n Whiskey Creek Steakhouse received a 100 percent score on its Feb. 18, 2014 inspection by the Kitsap Public Health District. The score was not included in the list of restaurant inspection scores provided by the health district and published on page A21, April 18 North Kitsap Herald. n Miss Viking Fest contestant sponsor Karen Bazar’s name was misspelled in information provided to the North Kitsap Herald for the April 18 edition, page A24. n Miss Viking Fest contestant Aliyah Palafox’s name was misspelled in information provided to the North Kitsap Herald for the April 18 edition, page A24. — Accuracy and fairness are fundamental to good journalism. If you believe we have erred, call Editor Richard Walker at (360) 779-4464, or send an e-mail to rwalker@northkitsapherald.com
NorthKitsapHerald.com
Friday, May 2, 2014 | North Kitsap Herald
Letters Park is designed; grant is next step On April 23, we, the undersigned commissioners of the Port of Kingston, approved the landscape architect’s design for a proposed park on the site of the old Kingston Inn. The design will be the centerpiece of the port’s application for a grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and is available on the port’s website at www.portofkingston.org. At this milestone, it is appropriate for us — on behalf of the community as a whole — to express sincere thanks to the donors of the property and the Kitsap Community Foundation. Our personal thanks, also, to the many members of the public who shared their thoughts and ideas at public meetings, filled out surveys and offered their comments and opinions of the draft designs via email and in-person visits with the port staff. Finally, we also thank the port staff, both past and present, for their patience and hard work in getting the project to this point in the process. Beginning with the cleanup of nine years of accumulated debris left after the 2005 fire that destroyed the Kingston Inn, the staff has worked hard, conducting public meetings, collecting and tracking all of the public’s comments, ideas and suggestions and then researching and distilling it all into a compelling grant application. There is no denying that the public debate on the design of the park became spirited at times, but no matter how spirited the debate became, there was always a sense of everyone caring and wanting to do what is best for Kingston. For that, we are grateful to be part of the Kingston community. If the port is awarded a WWRP grant, we would expect to begin construction of the park in the spring of 2015. With the submission of the grant application, however, the port has achieved a significant step in a project that was initiated in early 2013 by the donation of this property by the anonymous donors through the Kingston Community
Foundation. WWRP grants are very competitive; there is no guarantee of receiving a grant in the current grant cycle, but we will keep working for as long as it takes. We are committed to bringing the donors’ vision of a public open space to fruition on what is arguably the most visible face of Kingston. Again, our thanks to the donors, KCF, port staff and the residents of Kingston for their respective contributions to this process. Pete DeBoer, Walt Elliott Bruce MacIntyre Kingston Port Commission
People are people, corporations are not Tired of elections in our country being bought by big money and SuperPACs? Tired of our legislators spending the bulk of their time on fundraising for their next campaigns and on legislation to serve the needs of special-interest donors? Tired of big corporations calling the shots? An initiative is circulating in Washington state right now that calls on each of us to help turn this around. I-1329 urges Washington’s congressional delegation to propose amending the U.S. Constitution to clarify that constitutional rights apply to real people, not corporations, and to authorize greater regulation of political contributions and expenditures. In doing so,
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Washington state will be joining 16 other states who have taken this step. The Constitution has been amended 27 times. One amendment gave me, a woman, the right to vote. Another repealed Prohibition. Yet another ensured African-Americans’ voting rights. It’s time to stop complaining and “being tired” about bought and sold elections. I’ve always believed in that adage, “If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.” You can become part of the solution by signing the initiative, I-1329, in front of Central Market on Tuesday and Friday afternoons. Enough signatures on this document will make it possible for all of us to vote on it this coming fall. You can also find a “WAmend” booth at Viking Fest. I found some terrific information about this initiative and how to become involved at www.wamend. org. Mary Ekstrand Lemolo
When skateboarding, please wear a helmet When I picked up the April 25 Herald, I noticed something disturbing in the picture on the front page: The skateboarder pictured is missing any protective equipment! Placing oneself on anything with wheels has the potential for injury. As an emergency room nurse, I have witnessed numerous See LETTERS, Page A7
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