Initiative 1183, the most expensive initiative in Washington’s history, puts the state out of the liquor business. With so much money at stake and in a slow election season, citizens are being bombarded constantly by advertising from both sides, much of which either skirts the truth, makes little sense, or is guesswork as to what might happen if the initiative passes. Although I’m generally in favor of a smaller government footprint, I needed a better reason than simply eliminating what is obviously a nonessential service—one that Washington isn’t particularly good at—to vote for the initiative.
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Category Archives: Government
A Reason to Vote Yes on Initiative 1183
Posted in Government
Don’t Close This One
USPS 98312 - Note the dahlia garden
To help deal with a severe budget deficit, the USPS has proposed closing about 3700 post offices over the next year. None of Bremerton’s three branches are on the closure list. But if the list expands and the USPS cuts Bremerton back to two outlets, the gorgeous landscaping at the post office on National Avenue (see photo) should be a point in favor of keeping it open. I have never seen a post office with more curb appeal.
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Posted in Government
Changes in Ten Years
My census tract
Did your census tract change much in the first decade of the 21st century? I compared data from the 2000 and 2010 censuses for Kitsap County census tract 807 (see map) and found that in terms of overall population and number of housing units mine is about the same. What did change is the lineup of local businesses.
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Posted in Government
The Port Responds
How would you interpret this sign?
Airport Way is a new road built by the Port of Bremerton to connect the soon-to-be-developed South Kitsap Industrial Area with SR 3. It looks like a great place for weekend bike riding or power walking with views of the Olympic Mountains and the back side of the Kitsap Regional Airport runway. So I was surprised to see a “no bicycles” sign (see photo) posted at the road’s entrance. When I asked why the sign is there, it turns out that “no bicycles” isn’t exactly what it means.
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Posted in Biking, Government
But Do They Belong to the Same Party?
Last week while reading The Truth About Cars web site I learned that Carl Levin, the long-time senator from Michigan, has a brother serving in Congress. That wasn’t the point of the post—it was about additional subsidies for electric vehicles proposed by U.S. Representative Sander Levin—yet it got me to wondering if there are any other siblings currently making the nation’s laws. There are, although not as many as in two previous Congresses.
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Posted in Government
Closed on Sundays
January 30th was the last time the Port Orchard Library—or any Kitsap Regional Library branch—was open on Sunday. It was a downer day for me. Stopping by the funky old gray-and-blue building on the Port Orchard waterfront was part of my Sunday afternoon routine.
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Posted in Books & Movies, Government
Connecting with Dino
Will I feel a bond toward Republican Dino Rossi if he upsets three-term incumbent Democrat Patty Murray when the votes are counted next week in Washington’s senatorial race? I might. I did shake the man’s hand today at a rally at the Silverdale community center. Moreover, I feel good about my vote, which I marked on the mail-in ballot last week and dropped off at the post office this morning.
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Posted in Government
Driving in Bremerton
It’s the first of September, the first day of the fall school term in Bremerton. That’s one more reason to be careful when driving around town. The safety of kids is of course paramount, but that’s not what I’m writing about. With red-light cameras at major intersections and a citywide emphasis on traffic enforcement, drivers already need to be especially vigilant when driving in Bremerton. The all-day 20-mph speed limit in school zones just ups the chances of getting a traffic citation.
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Fishing Sculptures
Sculptures in 2010
Can anything new be said about the controversial public art (see photo) that was installed this month at the intersection of Fourth and Pacific in downtown Bremerton? The sculptures, of a fish and a fisherman, have been criticized in blog entries, in letters to the editor, and in hundreds of online comments on the Kitsap Sun web site. The answer is probably no, but that didn’t stop me from writing about them.
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Mud Bay and the SMP Draft Report
SMP is an abbreviation for Shoreline Master Program, a comprehensive shoreline land-use plan that includes policies and regulations for the use and development of the shoreline. The Shoreline Management Act, passed by the Washington legislature in 1971 and adopted by referendum in 1972, directs local governments to periodically update their SMPs, which are the basis for implementing the state law. A task force recently issued a draft update to Kitsap County’s SMP. A section in it describes the Mud Bay shoreline.
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Posted in Government, Mud Bay & Rocky Point
