| The Whatcom Excavator |
|
IT'S TIME TO TAKE A BIG U-TURN.
BUT, WHAT CAN ANYBODY DO? Tell government to take a big U-turn, that's what. The free market and our individual rights are being bulldozed by outsiders.
We're being run into the ground under big wheels. Nobody's going to save us from this but us. We've got to walk our talk, stick to principles, and start showing up to say "no," "NO!," and "NEVER AGAIN." And no time like the present.
Nobody's going to swoop in and save us. Act or "be changed." Our choice.
We may have to vote out officials we thought we knew, and maybe even liked. If they've been fished-in and don't know any better, it's not okay. They have to go.
Those who have recognized bad business, but just couldn't resist the thrill of handling mountains of money can't be trusted any more, either. Any politician who has turned a blind eye definitely has to go.
The worst of the lot are the politicians who actually believe that turning this place over to a global collective is progress. It's not progress - it's the end of individual freedom.
WE'VE GOT TO FIND GOOD PEOPLE to replace them, maybe even you. No time like the present. It's an election year. An honest principled greenhorn would be better; you know it's true.
We're being run into the ground under big wheels. Nobody's going to save us from this but us. We've got to walk our talk, stick to principles, and start showing up to say "no," "NO!," and "NEVER AGAIN." And no time like the present.
Nobody's going to swoop in and save us. Act or "be changed." Our choice.
We may have to vote out officials we thought we knew, and maybe even liked. If they've been fished-in and don't know any better, it's not okay. They have to go.
Those who have recognized bad business, but just couldn't resist the thrill of handling mountains of money can't be trusted any more, either. Any politician who has turned a blind eye definitely has to go.
The worst of the lot are the politicians who actually believe that turning this place over to a global collective is progress. It's not progress - it's the end of individual freedom.
WE'VE GOT TO FIND GOOD PEOPLE to replace them, maybe even you. No time like the present. It's an election year. An honest principled greenhorn would be better; you know it's true.
Until unprincipled politicians are replaced, there's a lot we can all do.
THE FIRST THING TO DO is figure out what's been going on. So kick around these pages and find out what's been coming down, right here in Bellingham and across Whatcom County. Keep your blood up. Don't forget what you've seen, and tell us what you know too, and we'll post all the truth we can find.
THE SECOND THING TO DO is start participating. Find a fight that you're willing to take on personally. Choose an issue close to home, something you know about personally, whatever's impacting your life. But don't be afraid to speak out about unprincipled business outside your own neighborhood. Too many honest citizens have stayed silent too long.
YOU CAN write letters - you can send letters by e-mail almost everywhere now, and that's okay. It might even be safer than sending a "hard copy" letter in the mail. Just do it.
SHOWING UP AT PUBLIC MEETINGS gets more attention. Get your facts straight. Take a written "concern" letter with you to give the clerk or "facilitator." Don't be afraid, speak from the heart, and ask questions if you can. If you can't get answers, keep digging at public websites, and make public record requests (they're not hard to do). Don't be afraid.
TELL EVERYBODY WHO WILL LISTEN what you're doing, what you've learned, and maybe they'll write letters and show up at meetings too. Even if you find that you're the only person speaking out in front of a city council or county council or at some board, don't let that stop you. It's our still our country, as long as we can hold on to it. Remember that.
BE WILLING TO SERVE on one of the boards and commissions - or RUN FOR OFFICE. Everybody hates politics, but you might be able to really make a difference by "serving." The spenders and "sustainable-transition people" have been standing on the throttle. Good people have got to be willing to grab it back.
HOW TO FIND INFORMATION ON THE WEB: All of the government websites (and many other agencies) have "search engines." Keep the search words simple. Some engines will let you enter "phrases like this" (with quotation marks around them). Some will let you enter phrases by adding plus+signs+between+words. Keep digging!
Here are links to the city websites:
- City of Bellingham
- City of Ferndale
- City of Lynden
- City of Blaine
- City of Sumas
- City of Everson
- City of Nooksack
HOW TO WRITE A PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST: This isn't as hard to do as you might think. The official "sunshine laws" work pretty well.
