Trillium Woods
The Whidbey Camano Land Trust
(WCLT) nearly reached their contribution goal to purchase the 664
acre tract known as Trillium Woods. Their plan was to donate the property to
Island County with a robust conservation easement attached to the title. This
seems like a simple act of private altruism and that their
generosity
should be accepted with everlasting gratitude. However, certain issues deserve
careful analysis before Island County signs on the dotted line.
The first issue is that if accepted, the
property is no longer a gift. Island County will have to pay (from the
Conservation Futures Fund) a sum of $310.000 to pay off the WCLT bridge loan.
The Island County Technical Advisory Group
has voted to recommend to the Island County Board of
Commissioners approval of those funds. The second issue is timing. Island
County currently cannot afford to perform the most basic of services for our
existing parks. The third issue, and arguably the most important, is that the
restrictions that will surely be included in the conservation easement, are as
yet undefined. Because Island County is now the buyer and not the recipient of
a gift, it is incumbent on our Planners and Commissioners to thoughtfully and
carefully negotiate the terms of the title and conservation easement to ensure
that a broad range of Island County residents will have the opportunity to enjoy
this park. The current discussion revolves around Equestrian, Mountain Bikers
and sturdy hikers. While these are worthy users, it would be unfortunate if
this very small population group were given the only access to the exclusion of
picnicking families, overnight campers, elderly non-hikers (who would need
automobile access) hunters, bird watchers……. The list goes on. The point here
is that if Island County cannot negotiate an equitable and flexible set of
restrictions, this wonderful forest will become a maintenance and liability
burden to ALL of Island County citizens while excluding most of us. Barring a
successful negotiated solution, it might be appropriate for Trillium Woods to
remain in the capable private hands of the WCLT.
The only
way this will be appropriately handled by Island County Government is for
citizens to make their views heard. Email your Commissioners. Show up at a 10:00 AM Monday
hearing and speak out. The timing of the hearings on acceptance/purchase of the
property is not clear. However, now is the time to express your views.
Obama's FY2012 Budget: Taxes, Taxes, and More Taxes
From Ryan Ellis on Monday, February 14, 2011 12:00 PM
President Obama released his budget this morning. Rather than focusing on Washington’s over-spending problem, the budget calls for higher taxes on families and small businesses to pay for even more government spending. Under the Obama budget, tax revenues will grow from 14.4% of GDP in 2011 to 20% of GDP in 2021. By comparison, the historical average is only 18% of GDP.
Tax hike lowlights include:
- Raising the top marginal income tax rate (at which a majority of small business profits face taxation) from 35% to 39.6%. This is a $709 billion/10 year tax hike
- Raising the capital gains and dividends rate from 15% to 20%
- Raising the death tax rate from 35% to 45% and lowering the death tax exemption amount from $5 million ($10 million for couples) to $3.5 million. This is a $98 billion/ten year tax hike
Read full article
Deal made to shrink Washington state budget deficit
By The Associated Press
Democratic and Republican lawmakers said Wednesday that they have reached an agreement on a package that patches more than half of an estimated $550 million deficit in this year's state budget.
The agreement trims several state programs, including the state's health-care program for the poor and aid for the disabled, as well as transfers funds from other programs. The plan cuts the deficit by about $370 million, with about $242 million in cuts and $125 million in transfers.
Lawmakers have spent more than a month of the 105-day legislative session trying to make a deal, and once this package is approved, Gov. Chris Gregoire and legislators will have to tackle an estimated $5 billion deficit in the next two-year budget, which is roughly $37 billion.
The agreements include maintaining cash grants to the Disability Lifeline program, but reducing them by 50 percent and moving to eliminating the cash grant in the next two-year budget; limiting enrollment of children to the state's Children's Health Program to families at 200 percent of the federal poverty level; and limiting eligibility to the Basic Health Plan to those who qualify for Medicaid, essentially filtering out illegal immigrants who may be on the plan.
Read full article
Democratic and Republican lawmakers said Wednesday that they have reached an agreement on a package that patches more than half of an estimated $550 million deficit in this year's state budget.
The agreement trims several state programs, including the state's health-care program for the poor and aid for the disabled, as well as transfers funds from other programs. The plan cuts the deficit by about $370 million, with about $242 million in cuts and $125 million in transfers.
Lawmakers have spent more than a month of the 105-day legislative session trying to make a deal, and once this package is approved, Gov. Chris Gregoire and legislators will have to tackle an estimated $5 billion deficit in the next two-year budget, which is roughly $37 billion.
The agreements include maintaining cash grants to the Disability Lifeline program, but reducing them by 50 percent and moving to eliminating the cash grant in the next two-year budget; limiting enrollment of children to the state's Children's Health Program to families at 200 percent of the federal poverty level; and limiting eligibility to the Basic Health Plan to those who qualify for Medicaid, essentially filtering out illegal immigrants who may be on the plan.
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Wisconsin budget fight escalates as Dems flee Madison to avoid vote
By Mary Katharine Ham - The Daily Caller | Published: 1:31 PM 02/17/2011 | Updated: 2:57 PM 02/17/2011 By Mary Katharine Ham - The Daily Caller
A three-day-long stand-off at the Wisconsin state capitol between union supporters and those backing the Republican governor’s budget cuts just went to another level Thursday as Democratic senators apparently fled the area to prevent a vote on Gov. Scott Walker’s budget-repair bill, which would cut public employee union collective bargaining rights and require them to contribute to pensions and health care.
Law enforcement has been sent to find missing Democratic lawmakers, according to a Madison, Wis. ABC affiliate. State Sen. leader Scott Fitzgerald said only one Democrat is needed for quorum to vote on the controversial bill, which is expected to pass a Republican-majority Senate. The “Sergeant of Arms is going door to door to find Democratic senators.”
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House breaks old taboos in cutting spree
Murtha’s pet project is first to be taken off federal dole
By Stephen Dinan-The Washington Times
While he was alive, Rep. John P. Murtha was a prince of pork, directing hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars back to his southwestern Pennsylvania district. But Wednesday, the House took the first step to turn off the spigot, voting overwhelmingly to defund the National Drug Intelligence Center that Murtha had the government build in his hometown.
And that was just the beginning.
In the first freewheeling spending debate the House has held in years, Democrats and Republicans teamed up to take on entrenched defense interests and to rewrite a GOP 2011 spending bill to cut about $800 million from NASA and from homeland security research and development, and send the savings to fund local police and firefighters.
The cuts thrilled budget hawks, who said the House was breaking decades-long taboos to go after defense spending, while Democrats crowed over adding money back to fund first responders, saying it went part of the way toward fixing the GOP‘s bill.
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And that was just the beginning.
In the first freewheeling spending debate the House has held in years, Democrats and Republicans teamed up to take on entrenched defense interests and to rewrite a GOP 2011 spending bill to cut about $800 million from NASA and from homeland security research and development, and send the savings to fund local police and firefighters.
The cuts thrilled budget hawks, who said the House was breaking decades-long taboos to go after defense spending, while Democrats crowed over adding money back to fund first responders, saying it went part of the way toward fixing the GOP‘s bill.
Read full article
House votes to overthrow 'czars'
By ROBIN BRAVENDER | 2/17/11 7:20 PM EST Updated: 2/17/11 8:43 PM EST
Republicans successfully added an amendment to the continuing resolution that would leave President Barack Obama’s senior advisers on policy issues including health care, energy and others out of a job.
Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) offered the amendment that blocks funding for various policy advisers to combat what he called “a very disturbing proliferation of czars” under Obama.
“These unappointed, unaccountable people who are literally running a shadow government, heading up these little fiefdoms that nobody can really seem to identify where they are or what they’re doing,” Scalise said Thursday. “But we do know that they’re wielding vast amounts of power.”
The jobs on the chopping block: White House-appointed advisers on health care, energy and climate, green jobs, urban affairs, the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention center, oversight of TARP executive compensation, diversity at the Federal Communications Commission and the auto industry manufacturing policy.
These so-called “czars” have been favorite targets of Republicans and conservative talk radio hosts, especially energy and climate adviser Carol Browner, who is leaving the administration
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Republicans successfully added an amendment to the continuing resolution that would leave President Barack Obama’s senior advisers on policy issues including health care, energy and others out of a job.
Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) offered the amendment that blocks funding for various policy advisers to combat what he called “a very disturbing proliferation of czars” under Obama.
“These unappointed, unaccountable people who are literally running a shadow government, heading up these little fiefdoms that nobody can really seem to identify where they are or what they’re doing,” Scalise said Thursday. “But we do know that they’re wielding vast amounts of power.”
The jobs on the chopping block: White House-appointed advisers on health care, energy and climate, green jobs, urban affairs, the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention center, oversight of TARP executive compensation, diversity at the Federal Communications Commission and the auto industry manufacturing policy.
These so-called “czars” have been favorite targets of Republicans and conservative talk radio hosts, especially energy and climate adviser Carol Browner, who is leaving the administration
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And from the Heritage crew.....
Will media report this? WI union supporter tries to sabotage Tea Party rally sound system.
Yesterday in Wisconsin a union supporter tried ripping cords from the soundboard at the tea party rally. Numerous witnesses describe him as angry; one witness describes on camera how the man tried to push him down when the witness attempted to intervene and stop him.
There has never been a case of a tea partier attempting to circumvent someone’s First Amendment rights in this or any manner. So far, only blogs are reporting this story.
There has never been a case of a tea partier attempting to circumvent someone’s First Amendment rights in this or any manner. So far, only blogs are reporting this story.
Extremist cleric to lead White House protest calling for Muslims to 'rise up and establish Islamic state in America'
By Daily Mail Reporter, last updated at 3:27 PM on 20th February 2011
A hardline Muslim cleric who sparked anger across the U.S. with his anti-American comments in a television interview this month is to hold a protest outside the White House. British extremist Anjem Choudary - who once said 'the flag of Islam will fly over the White House' - has announced he will lead a demonstration calling on Muslims to establish the Sharia law across America. The rally, planned for March 3, is to take place just weeks after his on-screen row with Fox News presenter Sean Hannity.
Mr Choudary, 43, called Americans 'the biggest criminals in the world today.' The former leader of outlawed group Islam4UK told the Daily Star 'we expect thousands to come out and support us.' Mr Choudary said the March rally was organised by the Islamic Thinkers society, an extremist group based in New York. Two other British extremists, Abu Izzadeen and Sayful Islam, have also been asked to speak at the demonstration.
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Chinese mafia rakes in millions from 'Puget Sound gold'
By Tracy Vedder
An underwater gold mine exists off the shores of Puget Sound. It centers on a bizarre-looking clam which brings a top dollar of $168 a pound.
Read full article here.
Read full article here.
