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Nimbys, Bananas, and Greens (chin deep)

6/19/2013

22 Comments

 
PictureAngry sign, recently seen.
     Futurewise has been power-tripping the light fantastic, over the moon, since it won its rural element "water" case against Whatcom County at the Growth Management Hearings Board  (GMHB) on June 7.  Maybe you've seen or heard the hyperbole that's been flooding the press and radio airwaves about it.


Depite all the early whoop, on Tuesday night former county planning director and current Bellingham city county planning employee David Stalheim spat flames and venom at council in person, threatening to "play hardball" ("...it's going to be long and it's going to be expensive,"  and, "You dig holes, and you dig 'em deeper").  Dog-gonnit, this county had better knuckle under and restrict growth more that it does already, or else.  Bullies do things like that.

By all accounts, the evidence given to the Growth Management Hearings Board in the latest water diatribe was cherry picked to make it appear that the county has done "absolutely nothing" in the last ten years to protect water, allowed pollution, and failed-failed-failed to protect fish (check out the decision's voluminous footnotes).  And it seems that the all-appointee GMHB ate-up the mountain of vague reports and odd accounts of "science" presented by Futurewise's attorney and WWU prof, prior planning commissioner Jean Melious.  Check out the Stalheim-Melious blog "Get Whatcom Planning."  It's regularly loaded with bitter complaints, dramatic interpretations of law, and rather pathetic and phobic-sounding posts about germs and "poop" in an unfair world.

Melious pleaded to the GMHB that dire neglect and "lack of water" have created a crisis that requires strict "measures" despite the reality that this is, and will very likely remain, a rain capital on the Pacific Ocean.  (Uh, step outside but better take your umbrella.)

With this "ruling" - Melious and Stalheim and their very tight band of city supporters fiercely intend to have their way in many respects:  reductions of land use to 20% or lower, even stricter restrictions of "impervious surfaces," more plantings, etc. and so forth.  There was even talk between Melious and the board about a "moratorium" on permits if need be, which is something citizens cringe to hear.  The Lake Whatcom moratorium has lived on and on - well over 10 years.

Denying folks the use of water and land - the property they've dreamed to use, paid taxes on, and will continue to pay taxes on - was discussed glibly as a practical necessity for what? To retain "rural character."  Would all these regulatory impositions and losses be compensated?  Forget that.  Color that precious rural character increasingly desperate and frustrated as the rural community itself is run not by residents but by regulation.

Mind you, Futurewise isn't the only party looking to win big in this legal battle that has waged on for years. The grossly ballooned conservation industry and tribes stand to do very well cashing in on restrictions and resources they've cobbled-up to the tune of "How dry I am".  It's sad to think that few everyday folk can afford the outrageous cost of environmental "restoration" that never quite meets elusive and ever changing goals.  Elaborate retrofitting for stormwater and other "solutions" can run into the tens of thousands, and some have little practical value most particularly in sparsely settled rural areas.   (Remember, all this is supposedly saving rural areas - the "rural element" of the comprehensive plan.)

Other "solutions" waiting in the wings are crippling  (like buying credits from the newly-created Lummi Wetland and Habitat Mitigation Bank, at $200,000 per credit or share), or from the Washington Water Bank which has been sniffing the environs.  Some very cozy crony relationships have developed, including well paid-partnerships that - let's face it - have become routine patronage.  Planning-buddy outfits like Farm Friends and ReSources are constantly on the dole -  along with sole source relationship vendors like Dumas, Blake, and Peterson.  Facilitators can work deals from agencies simultaneously for "outreach" while fishing and nudging grants along that rely on this crisis scenario.   (Facilitators coordinated the recent "certainty" symposium at considerable cost).

The deepest price of all this is paid by the public in personal disappointment if permits are denied to those who can't afford expensive testing and other requirements. The ability to put a thrifty trailer or modest home on a rural lot is slipping out of reach.  It skews rural life, which used to be practical.  It may be no big deal for the rich.  But even those who can afford kneel-and-deal permits may be forced to encumber their deeds forever to trusts or to forfeit extra buffers and open space, just to build or to get water.  It's unsettling to think that rural property owners should be commandeered to agree to unspecified future demands to merely use their land, or to access water in this wet place.  But that's what "measures" mean to Futurewise and friends.  The planning bureaucrats have paved an impervious trail that led to this point.  How did Stalheim put it when he challenged council?  Something like, "We've built a case".  Yes, he did - they did.

Finding a place for a home has become very tough for the young, the struggling, for retirees, and others who can barely get by in this county. Those with only lint in their pockets have avoided the high-tax, high-rent cities to live in rural areas.  That demographic - that reality - is well known.  Now, thanks to the strong-arm tactics of Futurewise and the growing mitigation industry, rural living will become even more unaffordable for the neediest.

Given this ugly trend, WE thought we'd share this excerpt from a Tom DeWeese, American Policy Center piece.  It's depressing; sorry about that.  But it hits close to home, here on the heels of yet another Futurewise-GMHB decision:

Excerpt from
NIMBYS, BANANAS AND GREENS
By Tom DeWeese

"The real political parties in America are the NIMBYs (Not In My Back Yard) and the BANANAs (Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything). These two political forces are driving the future of the nation by dictating the policy agendas of the Republicans and Democrats. Soon, the national bird will no longer be the noble eagle, but the ostrich.

Americans are becoming adolescent children who want towns to remain small, yet they themselves have children who must have schools, jobs and homes of their own. They want to build their homes in rural areas with beautiful vistas, yet complain when someone else wants to do the same thing. They argue that a neighbor’s new home has blocked their “view shed,” never considering that their home used to be someone else’s view shed or open space. Americans support programs to lock away land to keep wilderness pristine, free of human development, power lines and cell towers. Yet they want to use their cell phones and computers wherever they go. They want three car garages to house the family van, the daughter’s little bug and the husband’s sports car; but don’t blight the landscape with filling stations, refineries or power plants.

There’s no place in our pretty, clean, politically-correct, well-ordered world for industry to make the things we need, yet when all of our toys don’t work, Americans are outraged and they want heads to roll. Fix it!

Yes, what silly children Americans have become. But, one can hardly blame the results of three decades of implementing the radical agendas of special interests like the Sierra Club and The Nature Conservancy. These rich and powerful groups have spent billions of dollars to push their agenda of no growth (called Sustainable Development) through Congress and into our local communities. And they use the news media and corporate commercials to constantly barrage us with the “Go Green” message to indoctrinate the rest of us to feel guilty about our very existence. We’re sorry we need to use energy. We’re sorry that we have to grow food to eat. We’re sorry that we keep inventing creature comforts for ourselves.

The answer from a sorry society, while not giving up our toys, is to just ban the building of the things that make them work. It all sounds so noble."...

"...Our elected representatives play silly games. The Greens relentlessly push their anti-civilization agenda. And the indignant NIMBY’s and BANANA’s continue to sleep, satisfied that their world is well controlled. These are the cadre of self-serving brats who now are selling out America to their whims.

22 Comments
Greg Brown
6/20/2013 01:22:12 am

And these NIMBYS, BANANAS and GREENS are the minority who are pretending to represent the majority. An unsuspecting majority that is busy trying to raise their families and earn a supporting wage. These "do gooders" are people that in most cases have traveled to this corner of the our state in order change our lifestyle into something "they" want rather than to assimilate into the existing culture. They are much like the illegal aliens who cross the national borders and are given more rights and voice than the residents. WE will continue to reject "their" efforts to create a stagnant over-regulated environment and work to inform and rally those who support a growing and vibrant community that can provide for the dreams for all.

Reply
Peggy Uppiano
6/20/2013 02:41:01 am

I am not that familiar with Futurewise's "work", but did attend that council meeting on Tuesday. I was appalled at Mr. Stalheim's attempt to intimidate the Council. It pretty much amounted to "Bring it on. Our lawyers can beat up your lawyers." It seemed as though he was deliberately creating a hostile environment and trying to instigate a fight.

Is this group ever satisfied with any concession? It seems not. The Sudden Valley residents who spoke about the costs they've absorbed personally indicated that they had caved to Futurewise's demands for less dense development. But since that goal has been accomplished in Sudden Valley, apparently there's no need to graciously acknowledge these people's sacrifice. Instead, it means that the focus can be shifted and pressure brought to bear elsewhere.

It bothers me that their tactics of bullying and deceit are frequently rewarded. These are unsavory behaviors, and should be instead rebuffed and challenged. Is there any sense in continually trying to negotiate with people who have no intent to compromise?

Reply
Karl Uppiano link
6/20/2013 03:24:13 am

I read this on a blog the other day: "Government is taking our rights and selling them back to us as permits."

My jaw dropped as David Stallheim bullied the council, not once, but twice at Tuesday's council meeting. Maybe he doesn't realize it, but those council members represent me, and by bullying them, he's bullying me, and a large number of "out in the county" citizens. That offends us (to use his words).

How dare he think that he can bully his way through, and the rest of us can suck pond water? These little tyrants need to come to grips with the fact that they're going to get push-back when they try to criminalize and regulate our basic human activities.

Reply
Karl Uppiano link
6/20/2013 04:16:09 am

Department of Ecology's testimony caused my jaw to drop even further, when he said that if we somehow manage to reduce the amount of phosphorus entering Lake Whatcom from the City of Bellingham diversion from the Nooksack River, it would lower the "natural levels" of phosphorus, putting property owners on the hook for /even further/ reductions in the already negligible amount of phosphorus in runoff from their property (new development, and evidently existing homes now).

It is obvious that meeting arbitrary goals and impractical metrics (and compliance with conflicting regulations) is a bigger problem than actually improving lake water quality in absolute terms. It seems it doesn't matter that these capricious goals don't pass a sanity check. Homeowners and developers are obligated to mitigate to arbitrary standards, regardless of where the point of diminishing returns happens to fall.

It is obvious that the real goal is to put the price of development or home ownership out of the reach of most people. Maybe the very rich can still afford it. Is that selfish, or what?

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Comrade X
6/20/2013 04:28:51 am

"The theory of the Communists may be summed up in the single sentence: Abolition of private property." KARL MARX

When you stretch Stalin you end up with Stalheim; WOW I just stretched Marx and got Melious (they even kinda look alike when you squint!), amazing how that works, how the world changes but evil remains the same!

Reply
Lorraine Newman
6/20/2013 06:28:33 am

Thanks for your report. I have been attending council meetings for the last year and your picture of last Tuesday's meeting is dead on. Future Wise has taken land use issues from "Not in my backyard" to "Not in ANYONE'S backyard." They are perfectly pleased that the Growth Management Board has become the "NO Growth Management Board.

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Skagit Tulip
6/20/2013 06:47:57 am

I want one of those signs!

Futurewises one size fits all life by design approach says they know whats best about everything, better than our council and way better than the people. They are arrogant. And they hijack healthy government all over the state using whatever stretchers it takes to suit the purpose. Sue, sue, sue! It's a lawsuit engine tied to a hearings board with case history thats largely their own flotsam. Control is everything, necessary or not. The obsession with regulations is unhinged, and downright mean. The new crime is not doing harm but not filling out paperwork. Hows them apples? Skagit 2060 scares the pants off of everybody here once they find out about it. Don't let them do that to you guys.

Reply
Childofww2
6/20/2013 07:19:50 am

Thanks goodness neither Stalheim or Melious were elected last time around - the County Council is contentious enough over whose rights are whose: had they got onto the council there would be nothing left for our family farmers in Whatcom County.

Reply
Comarde X
6/20/2013 07:29:34 am

How about all of us citizens whose property values are being hurt, all of us renters whose rents are going up and all of us future home owners who will be paying more for less file a class action against the people causing all the pain & grief & suffering;

FUTUREWISE!

I may even have a few grand to throw in for an adventure like that one, sounds like fun! This class action should be in the millions!

Let's see how they like being on the receiving end for once!

Reply
muslimpride
6/22/2013 07:35:30 am

Do Representative Overstreet or Roger Almskaar have any opinions on the Hearings Board decision? Thank you for linking to it in your latest post.

Reply
WE Editors
6/28/2013 01:53:35 pm

WE could not begin to speculate what position either of those persons might take on this issue. Neither is affiliated with the Whatcom Excavator.

Reply
muslimpride
6/29/2013 04:04:11 am

Both Jason Overstreet and Roger Almskaar are affiliated with the Whatcom Excavator. In fact, Representative Overstreet's website links to your WE article, which I suggest provides approval of it's content.

Mr. Almskaar is the President of CAPR, the Citizen's Alliance for Property Rights, which your group supports, at least ostensibly. . Almskaar has written extensively on the subject of land use in Whatcom County and is considered an expert in the field.

An opinion on the Hearings Board decision by these two responsible individuals would be welcome and add some gravity to your article on NIMBYS and BANANAS, which is amusing---but not particularly helpful---as far as Whatcom County land use policy is concerned.

Reply
WE Editors
6/29/2013 04:37:59 am

You are utterly incorrect. Neither of those parties are involved in Whatcom Excavator.

Our editorial policy is: "Please make an effort to substantiate claims that support opinion."

As for Overstreet: WE relay legislative updates independently.

As for Almskaar: The Excavator does not officially or otherwise recognize him as an expert in any field. He has never contributed to the Excavator in any way.

WE focus on issues, not personalities. Visit the "About Us" page. Perhaps you would like to contribute your views. If so, "Contact us."

Spartacus link
6/29/2013 05:25:17 am

As an occasional contributor to this blog, I have it on good authority that it has become a national pastime (or a Whatcom County pastime anyway) to speculate on who the eevil perpetrators are. WE're having a ball with that.

However... The fact that someone links to our website, or likes it on facebook is random chance. An important logical axiom states: correlation does not imply causation. Almskaar and Overstreet can be fans without being a contributors.

Eye yam Spartacus!

Riley Sweeney link
6/30/2013 03:10:40 am

Say what you will about Jean Melious and David Stalheim but when they criticize someone, they have the faith and determination to sign their own name to it and put it in the public record, rather than hiding behind pseudonyms and anonymity. I wish the Whatcom Excavators had as much courage as Jean Melious and David Stalheim.

Reply
Publius
6/30/2013 02:13:15 pm

WE focus on issues and ideas, and About Us relays why “What we do is what we do.” The backbiting and backstabbing WE see at the Herald blog and other local sites is repulsive.

It’s sheer observation that (unelected) Melious and Stalheim have repeatedly confronted (elected) council at the podium, threatening more lawsuits if their will isn’t imposed. Has that taken courage or insufferable brass? As citizen journalists WE have every right to opine about Futurewise’s tactics, and all other inappropriate attempts to dictate public policy in contempt of the people.

“Society is produced by our wants, and government by wickedness; the former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affections, the latter negatively by restraining our vices. The one encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions. The first is a patron, the last a punisher.” Thomas Paine, Common Sense.

If folks don’t respect the wisdom and value of representative democracy or this “channel,” pound sand or click away.

Reply
Spartacus link
6/30/2013 02:39:19 pm

It's worth noting that Thomas Paine published "Common Sense" anonymously. Very few people knew who was behind it at the time. Paine certainly had his detractors. WE love that we're following in that tradition.

Eye Yam Spartacus!

Reply
WE-responding to
7/1/2013 06:12:19 am

Muslimpride: Representative Overstreet links to the WE site and supports the content of your recent article. Facts can be troublesome things.
WE: WE don’t find that fact troublesome at all. WE’re happy that Jason Overstreet posted a link to this site, but he isn’t “affiliated” with it.

Muslimpride: Overstreet's linking and republishing of WE content signifies agreement with your editorial point of view.
WE: We’re glad if a Representative agrees with us. Good for him. Good for us.

Muslimpride: By contrast, I doubt that Mr. Overstreet supports the objectives of Planned Parenthood and find no links to PP or other "progressive" websites in his online communications with voters and the public in general.
WE: You could be right. WE wouldn’t expect him to. That would be very surprising. What of it?

Muslimpride: Politicians are defined by the company they keep. Your current efforts to distance yourself from Rep. Overstreet's online approbations are a sign of journalistic cowardice. Jason Overstreet is an elected official and able to craft policies on the issues of the day. His opinions matter more than yours.
WE: Distance? WE’re not trying to distance ourselves from Overstreet at all. Cowardice? What do WE have to be afraid of? WE simply said he isn’t affiliated with this website as you had implied earlier. Not that it matters. We’ve heard stranger attributions.

Muslimpride: Roger Almskaar is simpatico with every land use opinion that you promote on the WE site. Quit trying to run interference with this responsible voice from the property rights contingent. Show the man some respect by soliciting his point of view.
WE: Run interference? What does that even mean? You brought up the name, WE didn’t. But WE probably agree with Roger on many issues. We’ve seen his letters to county council, and to the Bellingham Herald. WE accept articles from various contributors. If Roger ever contributes an article, we might publish it anonymously or with his by-line, depending on how he prefers it. So far, that hasn’t happened. You are welcome to make editorial suggestions, but ultimately, what WE do is what WE do.

Muslimpride: Your historical revisionism regarding Tom Paine is erroneous and off point. You need to spend more time in thoughtful analysis of land use issues and less time watching gladiator movies.
WE: Revisionist? How? Erroneous? How? Off point? How? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Paine

~ Eye Yam Spartacus

Reply
Comrade X
7/2/2013 09:18:08 am

Seeing our local land-use tyrants having their panties in a bunch over a blog that they don't & can't control; brings pleasure to every freedom loving property owner in this county!

Reply
muslimpride
7/2/2013 04:02:33 pm

Muslimpride to WEX, Comrade X and Popeye Spartacus:

WEX-Still hoping that Representative Overstreet and Roger Almskaar will come forward with their views on the Growth Management Hearings Board Decision cited/linked in your NIMBY article. Despite your offer, I seriously doubt either would do so anonymously. As it stands now, the commentary you have offered in NIMBYS, BANANAS, etc. is long on rhetoric and short on fact. If the Hearings Board decision is wrong, then cite the reasons why. I am sure there are local land use people (Mr. Almskaar is my favorite) that could offer up a good legal and scientific critique of the Board's decision. I am sure your readers would appreciate that.

Comrade X: Good luck with the Class Action suit. It could give you bragging rights, not to mention that big payday, if you are successful in your proposed legal adventure. Keep us advised.

Spartacus: Thomas Paine published Common Sense anonymously because he was concerned the Brits would charge him with treason and hang him. However, his identity was divulged just three months after publication of Common Sense, in 1776. So he was "anonymous" for all of three months.

Paine continued publishing for the next two decades under his own name. He died in 1809. The Brits never got around to hanging him, although that was his concern when CS was published.

Reply
Lyndenite25
7/2/2013 05:31:40 pm

Muslimpride, that's your real name? I like this forum because people don't retaliate here like at most other places. There are some good discussions and not everybody agrees.You just seem angry and thats too bad. Why not describe the world you want?

Reply
muslimpride
7/3/2013 03:55:42 pm

Dear Mr. Lyndenite,

Thank you for the question.

My real name is not important. The WEX Editors obviously know, but my identity is no more relevant than theirs for the purposes of these discussions.

However, the positions of an elected Washington legislator (Rep. Overstreet) and a recognized land use professional (Roger Almskaar) are particularly relevant in this blog entry on the recent Hearings Board decision.

Representative Overstreet is in a position to propose amending, strengthening or abolishing the Growth Management Act.
Can we agree that the Republican caucus in Olympia is less supportive of the GMA than the Democrats?
Some in the State GOP would like to see the GMA repealed, and it is certainly within the power of the legislature to do just that.

I do not know what Rep. Overstreet thinks of the GMA.

But it is fairly clear from his link to this article that he is not supportive of the recent Hearings Board decision, the text of which is reproduced in it's entirety.. Good politicians are supposed to weigh in on tough issues. Linking to an anonymous article on one's Facebook page is hardly the mark of a mature legislator.

Roger Almskaar is a respected and experienced land use consultant. He could provide some valuable insight into the Hearings Board's decision regarding water quality and supply in Whatcom County. He might also discuss issues that will be raised on appeal, since this matter appears to be headed for the courts.

The world is a tough place. Very few make it out of here alive. We are fortunate to live in a corner of the world that is better than most. I would like to see our state laws and institutions respected, particularly those that relate to the stewardship of natural resources.

I admire the courage of folks like Jean Melious and David Stalheim that have challenged the County's failure to protect those resources with responsible long range planning.

Keep in mind that many lawsuits and Hearings Board challenges in Whatcom County have been initiated by corporations and their frontmen. Not by citizen advocates, whose clients do not have a financial stake in the outcome.

Thanks again for your question.

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