Response to Gordy's Response

To the Editor:

I don't know why I should be surprised to agree with much of what Gordy Petersen says (see Gordy Response To Farming Editorial)--especially when his tongue is not in his cheek, but one sentence in his most recent letter to the editor in regard to agricultural land left me with my mouth agape. He says, "Therefore the cost of services has remained relatively stable while the assessment base has increased exponentially."

Huh? My assessment is that the cost of "services" in this county has grown significantly, and in some measure attributable to our county government being able to tap into the new construction values which allow spending to increase more than the 1% provided for without voter approval.

Now I assume Gordy is a thinking man and based on his previous writings he probably didn't really mean to say it quite that way anyway. But I just can't let that pass and leave an unsuspecting public with the impression that the total cost of our government "services" has remained relatively stable.

Dan Zaehring
Friday Harbor


(Gordy responds: "I did not mean to infer that cost of services has not increased. The latest assessments average somewhere between a 40-50% increase, while the tax rate per thousand dollars of assessed value declined once again for 2007. The cost of services such as sheriff, fire, schools, roads, etc. have increased by the allowable 1% more or less, that is, they have not increased at the pace of assessed valuations for residential development. The budgets for services have remained stable in comparison with property assessments. I'm sorry if that was not clear")

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Who Subsidizes Whom?

To the Editor:

I agree with most of what Eliza Habegger has to say (Guest Editorial) about the benefits of farming in San Juan County. I must praise her for her idealism. But we have mostly hobby farms here. It is doubtful if the income from actual farming activities can even generate property taxes on most farms, let alone the mortgage on farmland purchases at today's inflated prices.

I believe most people would agree that open space, forest, and farmland add great value to a community. San Juan County is blessed to have almost half of her land in this category. 31.44% of parcels in this category pay reduced taxes 15.68% are tax-exempt parcels. However I can't let a myth often stated as a fact to go unchallenged.

Take a minute to read and understand her argument: "financial studies conducted in dozens of communities nationwide have consistently found that farms and open lands generate more tax revenues than they receive back in public services. This holds true even when the land is assessed at its current agricultural use. In comparison, residential land use consumes more public funds than it generates." This quote from her editorial is based on studies that are misleading and biased and lead to false conclusions. (see: Myth of growth and Taxes )

She is correct to say that much of our farmland does not pay fair market rate taxes. Agricultural lands in reduced tax or tax-exempt status shift tax burdens to other parcels. In other words residential land use helps to subsidize farms and most people go along with this because they understand that farms benefit our communities.

However, to assert that residential development does not pay for itself is not true no matter how many times it is repeated. A very convincing case can be made that extremely large homes built on waterfront occupied by part-time residents who use few if any county services help to make all those services more affordable for many families living in moderately priced homes or living on farms.

I am not encouraging this type of housing alternative. I'm only using it as an example, but it is a fact that if there were additional huge waterfront or view mansions occupied only in the summer our taxe rate per capita would decrease substantially. This is an example of an increasing residential development trend that subsidizes all other types of land use.

In the last 12-15 years new construction has increased assessed values by approximately 1 billion dollars countywide. The increase in new construction and the rise in real estate prices factored into to the assessment base help disburse the tax burden to all taxpayers. Because of this tax rates have actually decreased per thousand dollars of assessed value.

Further, the ability for the taxing districts to collect the ‘cost of new construction' (3-4%) and add it to revenues is a bonus that would not be possible without new residential construction. Therefore the cost of services has remained relatively stable while the assessment base has increased exponentially.

When you add the revenues from sales tax paid by new construction and by residents who work and shop and live here the benefit of residents paying into the system is much greater than if the county was all open space or farms with fewer people.

Residential taxpayers have bent over backwards to help farms to succeed. We have subsidized crops and even paid farmers not to farm. This is okay with most people because the farmer feeds us all. It is simply divisive and incorrect to say residential taxpayers don't pay their fair share.

Gordy Petersen
San Juan

(Mr. Petersen writes a column for The Island Guardian; his work can be read at Gordy Petersen )


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Letters On Not Allowing Rose To Attend Meeting

--------------------------What Are They ThinkingTo the Editor

What are Mr. Ranker and Mr. Lichter thinking? At the annual Washington Public Ports Association conference that I attend, Port Commissioners as elected policy makers attend and vote on association business. Unelected staff _also_ attend, are invited and expected to attend, and though they don't vote they learn and participate in the many programs

the Association presents at the conference. At the County Associations upcoming conference, information on recent legislation and pending state policy changes will be presented. They will also discuss upcoming legislation.

Mr. Rose will most likely be asked to give opinions on many of these issues in the future meetings as the Council considers new policy. Why would anyone not want the chief operations officer of the County at these County Association discussions?

This posturing is not leadership, it's petty turf protection and we deserve better from the two highest paid members of the Council!

Greg Hertel
Friday harbor WA--------------------------An Absurd Action To the Editor

The idea that County Administrator Rose should not attend the Washington State Association of Counties meeting is absurd. In my 15 years with the county, I attended all but one WSAC Annual Conference as either Deputy Clerk of the Board or Clerk of the Board. I also attended the Western District Conferences as a representative of the then BOCC when none of them could attend.

In fact, the following is a list of affiliates for WSAC to which County Administration is one:

• Association of County Human Services
• Board of County Commissioner/Council Clerks
• Washington County Administrative Association
• Washington State Association of County Engineers
• Washington State Association of County Parks/Recreation Boards & Departments
• Washington State Association of County & Regional Planning Directors
• Washington State Association of Local Public Health Officials
• Washington State Emergency Management Association
• Washington State University Extension

I found these conferences to be extremely helpful in making contacts and learning how other counties do things. Both Carolyn Morrison, Clerk to the Council, and I were officers at various times for the Clerks Association. There, we met and talked with many County Administrators, including David Goldsmith, the former CA of Jefferson County and Acting CA for San Juan County. We also forged friendships with other Clerks, WSAC Staff, other County Commissioners and so forth.

WSAC in an invaluable tool for counties. To not allow our CA to attend their conferences to network with peers and learn how other counties do things is a sad state of affairs for this administration.

Lil Hamel
Orcas Island


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Leave The Battleship Name Alone

The idea to change the name of Battleship Island is the craziest suggestion in a long time. As a longtime boater, I always thought the name came from the fact that it looks exactly like a battleship when coming north in Speiden Channel, also from the north headed south. It's one of the few of our islands that's named because of its appearance (as Orcas obvly is), because it's so unusually distinctive.

For many decades, and hopefully forever, the small number of clustered trees on the island has made it thus, gives it the outline of an old-design battleship, such as Robt Moran's "Nebraska".

The name should be left as it is.

Lee Goodwin
Orcas Island

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Questions Raised By Corbin's Letter

Walter Corbin's 1-12.07 letter expressed "shock" over the $32k salaries the new County Council members are receiving. For me, coming from the Friday Harbor Town Council where I was paid $85/meeting to a maximum of 4 meetings/month, I also wondered what was a fair County salary. The Town pay is meant to compensate for time missed at work. The noon meeting is supposed to be 1.50 hours = $56.67/hour. Two of the meetings are at noon and two at 5:30, presumably after work. There are 2-4/year extra, unpaid meetings and, depending on a members' commitment, numerous committee meetings. Finally, there is the time it takes to read material and otherwise prepare for meetings. No one complains that Town Council members are overpaid.

I'm still learning the ropes at County but we currently meet (regular and staff) a minimum of 1.5 days (call it 12 hours with travel time)/week for 3-4 weeks/month. All meetings are during the work day because of the ferry schedule. This doesn't include numerous committee meetings, meetings with constituents, travel to off-island events/meetings and preparing for the regular meetings. If we take the Town's $56.67/hour X 12 hours (1.5 days) = $680.94/week. The new County Council members gets $683.33/week plus benefits. If we count just 3 weeks of work then its $911.11/week. Since Town meetings often run longer than 1.5 hours the relationship could be different but it would still be close.

But at this level there were few candidates for the County positions – 3 of the 4 seats were uncontested. And out of the four newly elected Council members I am the only one who is not retired, although, I'm pretty close to it. Who do we want serving? Retired or working people?

Corbin sites Whatcom County's $18k salary for a bigger population as evidence that our $32k is too much. Did he notice that they only meet twice/month and all of their meetings are at 7 pm, after the workday? And their website lists just 3 standing committees.

There is a big question of how much we want our Council members to be visiting state legislators in Olympia and participating on state committees. This is a huge time commitment but is considered valuable to the county. Only one of us, a still full-time paid Councilmember, is currently doing this regularly.

So, for me, the jury is still out. We don't yet know what our workload will be after the Charter is fully implemented. We're still working out our committee assignments and we need to decide how much out-of-county travel is expected or encouraged. Finally, who do we want to attract for these positions and what are we willing to cut out or not do, to achieve the revenue neutrality some desire?

Since I have to close my business when doing Council work, I have a vested interest to make the Council job as minimal as possible. However, as a responsible elected citizen I have a commitment to make sure the position is right for our County.

Howard Howie Rosenfeld
County Council, District 3


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Tax Dollars At Work

To the Editor:

Mankind has experience in road-building dating back some millennia now. Be that as it may, someone who keeps our tax dollars at work in San Juan County took the initiative last year to re-invent the wheel --- more precisely, the pavement underneath the wheel.

As a daily user of the full length of Cattle Point Road, as pedestrian, driver and/or rider, I feel qualified to judge that above-mentioned effort an abject failure!

The new pavement is rough to the user on foot as it is to a car-driver; riding a two-wheeler may not quite be suicidal, the rough road surface certainly makes it a masochistic endeavor. The inconvenience of some months ago of 'flaggers', single lane traffic, loose gravel etc., etc. resulted in a public roadway that seriously challenges a car's suspension and its handling predictability; it eats tires and regurgitates oversize gravel that pelts windshields, body paint and humans not protected by hard surfaces.

The dollars I paid in taxes were accepted as payment in full. That, I surmise, implies that each dollar was deemed worth its full face value. Would I be overly demanding if I also expect full value in return for that tax payment? Will the County financially assist me in the replacement of a windshield when yet another rock strike cracks it? Will the County contribute to the purchase of a set of tires some 10,000 miles before these would have otherwise worn out?

Will the County right a wrong and repave the road one more time; that time correctly?

Although intensely curious, perhaps I had better not ask if the entire process has anything to do with the "Peter Principle"

Ary L. Hobbel
Cape San Juan


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Disgusted

To The Editor:

I am writing to express immense disgust with the Town of Friday Harbor and the Post Office. After a week of slipping and sliding and watching others, many elderly or physically compromised, do the same, I am compelled to name names and point a finger. Why is it that Kings Market parking and the block around it are clear of ice and snow and the Post Office lot and walks are still treacherous? How is it that the library lot is in comparatively better condition and their walks are clear? Why is it that the County Courthouse walks have been clear since early in the week? And the County roads I travel have been well and correctly sanded since early in the week as well.

If I hear another time that, "plowing will make it more slippery" I will forget to be polite! Yet this is the magical thinking that theoretically intelligent people use to excuse doing nothing. Granted, many times there is little or no snow and ice of a winter and doing nothing works because thaw follows in a day or two. However, a forecast of below freezing temperatures informed us thawing was not going to happen soon.

One look down Spring Street tells the story. The responsible business owners cleared snow and ice and spread salt or chemical de-icer. Those sidewalks are clear today. After the first days, the Town did basically nothing; intersections barely kissed by plow or sand, pedestrian crosswalks untouched. Apparently both the Town and Post Office management feel they have no liability for the safety of their public. There is arrogance in this unconcern for the customer that the private sector does not, for the most part, share.

Having lived in places with serious winter, I can report that in the real world even the public entities accept their responsibility of making their roads and premises safe for the community and commerce.

Thank you,

Denise Acsay
San Juan Island

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$32K For Part Time Work??

To the Editor:

Now I don't know how many of you were shocked to see the $32,000 salaries that the new four part time council members are getting.

The previous two commissioners, who are now council members, are still getting their $67,000 per year. Anyway, I was shocked because I served as a freeholder in an effort to decrease the cost of county government and increase its efficiency. The charter mandated a county manager, whom I assumed would be paid somewhere around $100,000. In so doing we stripped the commissioners/council of
all the day to day administrative duties and of getting involved with land-use legal matters. In other words, their job was to legislate. So now we have six council members doing 60% less work and, in effect, costing the County about 100% more.

Whatcom County has a constituency of a little over 150,000 people. Last year the seven part time council members were getting $18,000 per year. We only have a constituency of 17,000. You can surely do the math but it seems to me we should address this situation. I must comment that the salaries were not set by all the sitting council members, but the new council can certainly use their office to change things--- I hope.

Walter Corbin,
Olga. Orcas Island

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Cut Funding To Get US Out Of Iraq

On Wednesday, Jan. 3, citizens, including three parents of Iraq War veterans, gathered in Representative Rick Larsen's office to express our responsibility as citizens and taxpayers for the war in Iraq. After meeting with staff, we read aloud the names of the 3000 service men and women killed in Iraq, honoring their service and sacrifice. I ask for your consideration of my perspective and your support.

As a citizen of this great country, I studied this war every step of the way. I shared with elected representatives my doubts about the quality of intelligence leading to war, horror and grief about the killing of civilians by air strikes, dismay about counter-productive strategies alienating and inciting violence by Iraqi fighters, and questioned whether arming Iraqi police might lead to even more violence. I offered opinions and information on how to de-escalate conflicts and initiate conflict mediation and resolution – while the situation in Iraq is unique, de-escalating conflict and war has been done before.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of U.S. soldiers have been horribly injured. Infrastructure in Iraq for providing such basic services as water, electricity and security remains devastated. A study by John Hopkins University estimates 654,000 excess Iraqi deaths since March 2003. Iraqis are now suffering with civil war. The cost of this war for San Juan County taxpayers is over $19.5 million – our share of the $355 billion. Polls in both countries show majority support for withdrawing U.S. military forces. The only "winners" seem to be corporate military contractors.

Constituents in Rep Larsen's office on Wednesday expressed concerns about the divide in our country between our political and military leadership, and mystification about lack of responsiveness from Democratic Party leaders to constituent concerns. While honoring our soldiers, we also asked for Congress to cut funding for the war and to withdraw U.S. forces. With the new balance of power in Congress, now is the time to call for effective de-escalation of the violence in Iraq. Please call Representative Larsen (202) 225-2605, Senator Cantwell (202) 224-3441, and Senator Murray (202) 224-2621 today.

Rena Patty
San Juan County Democrats,
State Committeewoman

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More On Gordy Columns From Distant Reader

Dear Editor,

Your recent articles made me laugh out loud, and we love the new slogan ("We Have A Winner" column) . My husband and I are two of those possibly-to-be-transplanted Californians your pieces skewer so perfectly. We made two house-hunting trips to the islands in 2006. (During the first, when the ferry began wending its way through the islands, I almost burst into tears, it was so beautiful.) We were halfway to the airport on our way to making our third trip in November when we listened to satellite radio weather for Seattle and heard the warning not to drive "unless absolutely necessary." We turned back. For the next few weeks we kept a close eye on the weather, which as you say did not quite fall in line with the realtors' descriptions (Referenced column: "We Want A Refund!") we'd initially read online ("Banana Belt my ass!")

My husband is a web guy; I am a jazz singer and also write lyrics for animation and theatre. We both work at home much of the time but I go out of town fairly often; I suddenly pictured trying to get from Anacortes to Seattle on glass-like freeways, or white-knuckling on a puddle-jumper through gale force winds. Somehow, though, as we saw the Eastsound temperatures on Yahoo inch back up into the 40s, the forecast merely predicting constant rain, we started hearing that siren song again and planning our next trip.

We currently live in the Half Moon Bay area below San Francisco. Most people who've visited think of it as Eden, but growth here is virtually unchecked despite the untiring efforts of local preservationists, and is slated to double in our lifetimes. The islands are expensive, but not as bad as here, and the beaches, are far as we could see, are not covered with litter. You all seem to have done a damn fine job of preserving what you have.

So, please forgive us if we decide to join you anyway. We promise not to build a McMansion, and always to pick up after our dogs.

Lorraine Feather
Half Moon Bay

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Gordy Makes Sense At Last

Letter to the editor

I just read 'A Brief History Of The Islands: Part One' by the inimitable Gordy Petersen . I must say that it made the most sense of anything he has written in years. ;-)

Steven Hussey
Deer Harbor, Orcas

Gordy Responds: "I am offended by Mr. Hussey's innuendo that most of my writing does not make sense. This is ridiculous! Everything I write is nonsense! I am pleased that he likes my perverted version of Island History. But if anyone has taken my writing seriously I sincerely apologize."

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