Archive for March, 2007

Blogging vicariously through Darryl today.  Now that I’ve let you know the level of my laziness, just go check out all the fun stuff.  It’s quite a collection!

Hominid Views - Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza!

Ok, so even more Schweitzer!  As Gordon points out in the comment thread, there is a good Charlie Rose interview as well. 

[googlevideo]5308196622692748202[/googlevideo] 

Every time I see a clip of this guy I either want him to run for President, or just move to Montana.

I didn’t watch much TV around 9/11/06 so I guess I missed this one.  But he is right… on.

The son-in-law of embattled State Representative, Shirley Hankins, has resigned his position with the solid waste department.  Penor has resigned prior to a pre-disciplinary hearing being scheduled to take place.  But it isn’t over…

City officials notified Penor on Thursday that they intended to conduct a pre-disciplinary hearing today. However, Penor submitted his resignation prior to the hearing and the city accepted it.

The city will turn over its investigative records to Benton County prosecutors to review for possible charges.

Possible charges for a now former City of Richland employee, who State Representative Shirley Hankins used her position to influence outcomes in state contracts, and licensing issues through the city of Richland, is now, in the face of potential legal action, bowing out.  It’s kind of like the national headlines… I wonder if he will plead the 5th?

Update:  This morning’s Herald has expanded on the story.

And thanks Jim Penor for the comment.  I hope sometime soon we get to hear more.  At this point it seems what is not being said may be just as important that what has.

Rocks….

I am working on a local piece that will take me a few days.  In that light, expect light posting as I am putting the story together.

j

I was just going through my stats and I noticed a startling jump in the search term “Spartan Wrestling”, and “Ancient Spartan Wrestling”, that link back to McCranium (I think I used the term once… creepy!). 

What’s up General?  Is there going to be a GCCCR cage match?

I am just going to have to start linking over to Darryl at Hominid Views every Friday night.  What a great collection of media!

Thanks Darryl for putting these together.  I am still laughing at John Stewart on Gonzales…

“I serve at the pleasure of the President”

“I serve at the pleasure of the President”

“I serve at the pleasure of the President”

“I serve at the pleasure of the President”

“I serve at the pleasure of the President”

“I serve at the pleasure of the President”

“I serve at the pleasure of the President”

So I hear about the Town Meetings with our 8th District Representatives and think, “cool! I’ll have to go!”.  8th District Representatives Larry Haler, Shirley Hankins, and State Sen. Jerome Delvin are all going to be there.  What a great opportunity!  Then I check out the announcement and notice Richland is not on the circuit.  Now West Richland is, but why not come to the larger of the two Richland’s?  Well, one can only hope they are not doing this out of spite over the whole Hankins/NW Tire reports.  After all, there are semi-neutral places, such as the Richland Library, to hold a one-hour event without having to… you know… run into any of your accusers.  As much as I would like to think this has nothing to do with the Tri-City Herald/Chris Mullick reports well… whatever. 

Citizens are invited to join in discussions about local and legislative issues during town hall meetings Saturday, March 17, in Prosser, West Richland and Kennewick. The meetings are sponsored by Sen. Jerome Delvin, Rep. Shirley Hankins, and Rep. Larry Haler, all R-Richland.

[Ehhhuummm... all R-Richland]

If Shirley was smart, and presumedly she is, she would insist that at least one meeting takes place in Richland.  It is one thing to avoid confrontation when it isn’t productive. But it is another to run from it.  And really, confronting this issue is really the best way to do damage control.  And it isn’t like she and the rest of the gang have to answer any questions on the matter… after all, it is an “ongoing investigation”.  But seriously, holding an event in West Richland’s City Hall/Library is just fine.  It is only a two mile drive… er… doesn’t that seem silly to you too?  Scheduling a Town Hall talk two miles away?  Um… you could still walk to this one. 

Bottom line is, if Shirley Hankins is trying to make a statement to the City of Richland, she is also making another one to us.  If she is unwilling to be a true professional, and hold an event in seemingly unfriendly territory (which it isn’t), it could make it even more unfriendly two miles down the road, in a town 1/4 or so the size. 

Having this event in Prosser, West Richland and Kennewick, and not in Richland only serves to widen the rift the Herald report created.  Shirley may deny any wrongdoing, and yet may be proven correct.  Yet, my Grandmother always told me you can’t run from your problems.  Or one of your major voting bases.

Just sayin…

Update:  The Tri-City Herald’s, Chris Mullick, picked up on the story (not that it wasn’t obvious) today.  While Hankins, through her staff, deny stiffing the City of R, and the City or R plays down the importance, State Sen. Jerome Delvin (R-8) provides the quote of the day.

The new format, inviting officials from ports, school districts, chambers of commerce and the like, was first tried in a town hall meeting Delvin and Hankins had last month in Benton City. Delvin said it worked well and they figured they’d try it again.

But why wasn’t anyone from the city of Richland invited to participate?

“Talk to Hankins about that one,” Delvin said.

What can I say…

Give a reporter a camera and this is what you get…

Very funny Chris… But I do recommend the Herald get you a steady cam. 

If you missed it, or are interested in reading about it, Kendall Miller live-blogged the GNEP Hearing yesterday in Pasco.  Lots and LOTS to read and good.  GNEP is interesting stuff and nuclear energy, another piece in that big energy diversification puzzle, could hold real promise.  But will we grow up and get past 3-Mile Island?  My suggestion to the anti-nuke crowd is to get in and get educated.  Alot has changed.

Also don’t miss the Tri-City Herald’s report.

This is so cool to me I thought I would share…

Yikes… we have a senior Republican in Washington’s 4th Congressional District that while having a higher ranking (as Goldy points out) than Dave Reichert in the 8th CD, and a lower ranking than the 5th CD’s McMorris-Rogers (a hyphenated republican… how odd…), is still at the bottom of the barrel on every rank except position.  That means, as far as any meaningful legislation is concerned, Doc is as effective as rope handled shovel.  After seeing Goldy’s post I thought I would go look up Doc and well… it is pretty telling.

All our Washington Republican Congress-folk are lacking and just because Democrats changed the faces doesn’t make much difference.  The lack of a record of influence and actual quality, effective legislation, and who knows how many terms, you would think at some point he might have a better ranking.  But as our Congressman here in the 4th, he is simply just another reliable Republican vote.  That’s it folks… that is all you get. 

This is disturbing…

Looks like President Bush was in Tacoma in spirit…

Update:  Goldy has another video… Hey, where are those flying barricades?

I long for the day an American President is celebrated when he comes to town.

Cause you know… they don’t shoot people with rubber bullets for throwing roses.

Just sayin…

If you thought all the details over Shirley Hankins push to promote her Daughter’s tire “recycling” business was over, think again.  As far back as last September 2006, Richland Mayor Rob Welch didn’t think so and judging from the relative quiteness from city officials, all still might not be good in at City Hall. [note: no online links, just pages ONE and TWO images of Welch's letter]

It is my belief that this matter is either not being taken seriously or there is an attempt to cover up the actions and inactions of city employees and management.  In my opinion for any of us to allow continued inaction violates the trust the public has placed in us.

[...] Out building department would not issue a business license due to multiple violations on the property making it unsafe to operate a business (Letter from Kevin Rex dates Sept. 6 2005). This item was dropped after a visit from Sate Rep. Shirley Hankins.  The business owner’s mother.  Bill King told me before our pre-meeting that at the time the city needed help on other issues from Shirley Hankins.

[...] I spoke to Scott Keller of the Port of Benton today and he stated that the cost to he Port would have been over $150,000 to move the tire bles and the bond carried by Northwest Tire was only in the amount of $10,000.  The port decided at that timeto pay Northwest Tire 450,000 to relocate off Port property.  Shirley Hankins was involved in these meetings.

This letter from last year, not included in the Herald report, suggests a level of complicity among city staff that can only be described as “business as usual”. But from Mayor Rob Welch’s perspective, it looked like the beginning of the end as the Herald broke the story.  But is it the end of the story?

The one thing we have not gotten from the City of Richland are any details as to how these problems were addressed.   Taxpayer money was spent on NW Tires location and has not been reimbursed so far as anyone knows.  And for that matter, what is the status of NW Tire’s business license?

Hankins really choked on this one.  It isn’t just liberal blogs that are calling for her resignation.  In the Tri-City Herald, letters to the editor keep pouring in calling for her to step down and many have been the dissapointed folks who have voted for her.

But it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that there was a level of complicity within the City of Richland that let these things happen.  Open and transperant government is becoming a thing of the past.  The Richland City Council should open the doors a little further and let the bad air out and rectify the situation.  So far, it looks like Mayor Rob Welch has been pretty much on his own.

Read the letter and tell me… do you think Mayor Welch’s concerns have been addressed?

(Pg. 1 and Pg. 2)