There's no question that the local rag has dawned a despicable version of titanium kneepads here to get this massive waste of money built because they will PERSONALLY benefit without paying a thing for the privlege; as disgusting a violation of ethics and as large a conflict of interest as any I've ever seen.
In today's ongoing campaign piece where journalism has long since left the building, they moronically put together another in their unconscionable series of puff pieces designed to lull the public into actually believing their desire to enslave us to pay them more money is based on what's good for the community.
Bull.
You can read it here. There's nothing new, and everything is repeated, and none of it makes any sense except for and to those slimeballs doing all they can to shove yet another tax down our throats without a vote, something this rag specializes in, but something that rarely will enrich them so directly.
City Councilman Jack Burkman, who has shot to the top of my local hero list with a bullet is withstanding tremendous pressure by the scum behind this crap and is publicly speaking out against this obvious theft of precious public money where fire station closures are fine, but a Ballpark built entirely for a private owner is even better.
Burkman calls the local rag to task, and does it brilliantly in his comment on another inexcusable abrogation of what they laughingly call "journalism."
Why?
Jack Burkman · Council Member at City of VancouverApril 2010 the Editorial Board wrote about funding a stadium for the Beavers. They said, “As we’ve editorialized before, there appears to be no way any of that money could or even should be provided by taxpayers. … There’s still a lot of interest in bringing Beavers baseball or Triple-A baseball to Clark County. Private interests are working on a financing plan, he said. To which we respond: Great! Work away! Which is a nice way of saying don’t come begging to cash-strapped city or county governments.”.
Is it okay to use tax money now and if so, why?
Because like on so many other issues, the situational ethics of the rag have created a newspaper of rank hypocrites, where right or wrong have no place, but pursuit of their money at our expense is secondary to anything approaching their responsibility to this community.
Thank you so much Councilman Burkman.
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I too am gaining more and more respect for Jack Burkman
ReplyDeleteJust thought I might add, snoozemedia took the page down. I am getting the old 404!
ReplyDeleteJust did a columbian search, here is the updated link to the OpEd piece.
http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/jun/05/in-our-view-learn-about-baseball/
And there is some new comments from John Laird you might want read. Blaphemous and blabberwacky...
As I have been saying for nearly a year, i had three people in mind who might be challenging Tim in 2013, if he decided to run again, he'll be facing Burkman for sure.
ReplyDeleteEvery current falsetto step he is making as mayor is making it easier and easier for his challengers to beat him. Gosh, what real fair turnabout playing, eh?
And yes, from what i have seen from Jack, he has the credentials even without the spew and sputtering online to actually give whoever runs for the mayor a run for the money. These comments in the article section just adds more to it.
Did he not say he was going to bow out of the commentary and discussion around the Baseball stadium because he was a trustee on the Clark College board? I remember him saying something a week or two ago at the city council meeting.
What I like about Jack is he is in office and sticking up for us. He's not out on the campaign trail telling me one thing and then flipping once elected.
ReplyDeleteI might not always agree with him but that is what I want in my representitives.
I serve as both a Vancouver Councilmember and a Clark College Trustee. Trying to represent both could easily present a conflict of interest.
ReplyDeleteTo fix that, I have formally announced that I am stepping away from anything having to do with baseball (recusing) in my role as College Trustee.
I am keeping my ability to freely represent Vancouver on this issue.
Jack, Thank you for being honest and forthright. From the years I have been away and come back to Vancouver, its fresh and nice to see a few city council members speaking their true minds and hearts.
ReplyDeleteI know this must be a really hard line you are having to walk because of your involvement with Clark College as a trustee that beholdens you to create and keep our local community college to the highest standards and experience.
And add to a finer point and line you are having to further walk as a city of Vancouver council member where you have similar line walk. To do both must take a tremendous amount of energy and time to do.
It probably was the right thing to do to step aside ethically, so even if there is the thinnest of a conflict of interest on the subject of a baseball stadium, you have the best interests of both the community and Clark College as best as you can.
I still feel you have the right to your political opinion and judgement, along with the ability to ask questions about this project that if for some reason being significantly pushed at warp speed in our community without any of us having a conversation about what it means.
Yes, I may like the ability of the community to be able to use this facility during the nontimes this team may need it.
But I stand with Kelly in saying with our economic situation at four levels of government from local, regional (county and metro area,) state and federal budgets that have continued to shrink, there is really no money for this project.
And why are we bonding county economic capacity for a nicety of a project like this when the county has had to squeeze every dollar that is being given and any dollar that is received from the state or feds usually requires some form of matching funds?
This county in is an economic slump... To me, we all ready have many different athletic, personal and public recreational activities paid for by capital bonds and other sources.
Why are we talking about a further extravagance when the city is about ready to cut further into the Parks and Rec area if this economic slumps cuts further into their budget.....