Disqus - Latest Comments for Publius98110

Re: Conflict of interest or just unethical? | Letters | Aug. 28 - Bainbridge Island Review

Publius98110 — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 16:26:43 -0000

Yes, a very clear, concise & fact-based letter. Vancil is a career politician that has been involved in island politics for at least 15 years. Take a look at her financial history & council decisions and comments. It pretty much mirrors her council actions and is partially responsible for the financial chaos our city is in. It is time to continue the change started with the FOG vote and elect someone other than a Vancil or relative to the council. Ms. Lester has received money from the city, is an activist involving island government and her husband- Ryan Vancil is involved in law suits that encompass the city, various developers and parties to subject government finances.

Have you noticed that the letters supporting Vancil & Family are mostly from people involved in organizations that Vancil has help get city funding or been a part of the FOG campaign? I agree that Vancil & family has been on the council, in or involved in the government long enough. My vote is for real change and empowering a new council with fresh ideas to kick-start our local government. Nepotism and conflicts of interest should be made things of the past for our new, ethical city form of government.

Re: Conflict of interest or just unethical? | Letters | Aug. 28 - Bainbridge Island Review

Publius98110 — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 08:23:03 -0000

a well written and fact-based letter. Vancil has been on the council far too long & is partially to blame for our current city finances. Look at her financial history & past decisions. Then look at her city council financial history & decisions. We are getting the same. It is time to continue the theme of change and replace her. Vancil's daughter in law- Lester - is an activist with agendas, a husband that is involved in various city & island law suits, and she has benefited by receiving money from the city in the past. We have had 15 years of a Vancil involved in city politics, we need to replace the career politicians and not abide nepotism.

Re: Police arrest Bainbridge resident on assault charge - Bainbridge Island Review

Publius98110 — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:16:42 -0000

There is more info on the Sun web site. Sounds like a case of underage drinkers (some of which are related) beating each other up over cigs & an iPod. You can almost hear the banjo music twangin' in the background. Hope not too much effort & tax money is being spent on this.

Re: Vancil, Hytopoulos, Lester big winners in primaries - Bainbridge Island Review

Publius98110 — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:20:13 -0000

I think there will be open & candid information out there in the next couple of months about the candidates. Vancil, in particular, will not be smelling so rosy. She will have to explain her voting history, her comments, her financial & legal history, etc.

Comments such as "I'm not a career politician." vs. the fact that she has been 7 years on the Planning Commission, then another two-terms (8 years) on the city council. I guess 15 years goes by quick for her. Didn't she state she was going to run for mayor if the FOG vote failed?

Didn't she vote for & endorse a waterfront restroom Taj Mahal? Didn't she push through & vote for a city property purchase with restrictions tied to a developer?

Public online court records show a history there too, mostly poor financials.

15 years is enough, time to move on. Time for change, not a continuation of the last 8 years.

Re: North Ward race a battle of two councilors and a newcomer - Bainbridge Island Review

Publius98110 — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:52:05 -0000

Yes, the election is about issues, but just as important (and maybe more so) is how one deals with issues. I agree w/BIVoter that the election is certainly not about a child's goats. However, I think it is not only relevant but also prudent to be knowledgeable about a candidate's track record of behavior and decisions. We don't have a track record of elected decisions to go by, only Ms. Keenan's life choices and reasoning she has herself publicly established. People that choose to enter the public arena, as an elected official should know that their history and life would face scrutiny.

In the seven years candidate Keenan has been here on the island, she has accumulated 16 court dockets in Kitsap Superior, Kitsap District and Bainbridge Municipal Courts. Add another 3 cases in King County Superior & District Courts from the previous three years she lived in Western Washington. Her husband & member of her campaign add another three court cases to the King County numbers. That is an amazing amount of contention & litigation for a private citizen! Why would I believe that Keenan would behave differently as a council member? There is nothing to suggest that she would.

And yes, I looked into candidate Vancil’s public records as well. Her public financial & courts records pretty much are consistent with her voting record and behavior, and no doubt have contributed to where the city finances are today. I won’t be voting for her again, if she makes it to November. I admit I learned too late about her track record. I won’t be repeating that mistake with Keenan. It is a shame we don’t have an investigative reporter around that really digs into candidates to let the facts stand out in the open for others to weigh & make decisions on.

Re: North Ward race a battle of two councilors and a newcomer - Bainbridge Island Review

Publius98110 — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 11:12:00 -0000

I am not implying that Keenan has a DUI or credit problems, merely commenting on Name's listing of those types of court cases being on anyone's record. Especially for someone running for local council. Hopefully Keenan will address her own record and let us judge whether we want to vote for her or not. Perhaps a member of the audiance can bring it up at Monday's forum if she doesn't herself?

Re: North Ward race a battle of two councilors and a newcomer - Bainbridge Island Review

Publius98110 — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 22:16:18 -0000

Name,
I hear what you are saying. But considering the length of time Keenan & Gander have been in Washington State and that they are not elected officials nor been on the board of a corporation, their long list of legal cases is astronomical. Way out of the norm for the average joe. If she by some chance makes it to the general election, you can bet that the specifics of the court cases will be brought out. By the way, DUI & credit problems are not the kind of baggage I want my local elected official to bring on board. Those issues in themselves are revealing about the choices a preson makes.

Re: Candidates' experience defines South Ward - Bainbridge Island Review

Publius98110 — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 19:53:48 -0000

I predict that Winston will go down in flames a third time. Hopefully that will be the last we will hear from him (three strikes and you're out!) I am still trying to decide between Jacobsen & Hytopoulos. Jim does seem to be a straight-shooter with excellent common sense, something truly lacking on the current council. I like Kirsten also, but her wanting to get elected to the council with an already established "agenda" puts me off. I feel there are already too many activists with agendas on the council.

Re: North Ward race a battle of two councilors and a newcomer - Bainbridge Island Review

Publius98110 — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 09:08:11 -0000

I agree, Vancil's time has come to move on. Her financial history & decisions are partially to blame for where the city is now.

Want to learn more about Keenan, just check out the Washington Courts web site. Mr. Malcom Gander is on her public disclosure forms, he is prolific on the courts web site as well. Some people just can't get along.

I didn't agree with every decision Scales made the last time he was on the council, but he appears to be the lesser of three evils in the North Ward race.

Re: Car-bike exchange another near-miss | Letters | July 10 - Bainbridge Island Review

Publius98110 — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:27:30 -0000

Yawn....

Re: City to offer land assests for sale, transfer - Bainbridge Island Review

Publius98110 — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:45:55 -0000

That would be like thanking the federal government for a $500 hammer or a $1,000 toilet seat. Both those items are quality tools and items we use everyday but someone that pays that much for it needs to be thumped upside his head.

Re: City to offer land assests for sale, transfer - Bainbridge Island Review

Publius98110 — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:23:07 -0000

Well, lets see.... "Thousands of hours"- I'll take a simple 2000 hours (which equates to a little over a YEAR of work), then attach the average city salary & benefits cost at over $100k. So you tell me, get your money's worth? I still think excessive is too soft a word for that much inefficiency, maybe "over the top" ?

Re: City to offer land assests for sale, transfer - Bainbridge Island Review

Publius98110 — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:51:12 -0000

It took "thousands of staff hours" to simply compile this list? Gives new meaning to the phrase- Working With The Gifted.

Re: City flinches, settles lawsuit - Bainbridge Island Review

Publius98110 — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 20:06:57 -0000

Annon,
You are spot on my friend! Just the one example you gave shows the mentality of some on the council. Without a scapegoat (well, potential councilmember Melanie Keenan seems to have one ;) to blame, these "big-spender & blame others" council folks looking at a call for accountability. While the newly impowered council spends and gives away resources, they are manuvering to get healthy pay raises for themselves. For the extra work that the mayor used to do. They probably are justifying it by saying that "now we don't have to pay the $65k for a mayor." Considering the financial history of a few on the council, this monopoly money attitude is not surprising.

More later, see my website- INDEED.

Re: State Parks still pushing Fay, Fort Ward transfers - Bainbridge Island Review

Publius98110 — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 19:49:39 -0000

I say- "NO". At least if it involves tax increases/new levies. Have the park district sell off some land for the $ to take over these two State parks, if they want them so badly. Looking at the full-time state rangers & seasonal help that keeps these two parks going, I doubt that Bainbridge Parks can do so without significant tax increases. Plus, the rangers have law enforcement powers and handle those types of issues at the parks. Are we now going to have to pay for our police to routinely handle these types of incidents? Bad, bad financial move right now for us.

Re: City flinches, settles lawsuit - Bainbridge Island Review

Publius98110 — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:31:42 -0000

Why is anyone surprised? It has been my observation of the city government that the only thing that really gets their attention is a large sum of money. Especially when they don't have any or are forced to give it to others for something they screwed up.

Re: Health District will lift advisory for sewage spill Wednesday - Bainbridge Island Review

Publius98110 — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:53:21 -0000

I could care less what the Health department says, until I hear it from a consultant, it ain't true! Everybody knows that the Health department doesn't do things "Hollywood Style"....

Re: Curt Winston joins race for City Council's South Ward position - Bainbridge Island Review

Publius98110 — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:52:19 -0000

Debbie Vann?!? THAT would be a disaster. She was marginal at best the last time. Although it is too early to pick a favorite for the central ward, Ms. Vann would be at the bottom of the list.

For all these council repeat candidates, I would encourage people to look at how they all voted and behaved when they were last on the council and disregard what they are presently spouting off about. Such was posted elsewhere, "past performance is the best indicator for future behavior."

Re: Bainbridge Public Works crews repair leaking sewer line - Bainbridge Island Review

Publius98110 — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 19:59:39 -0000

Ken,
You obviously haven't lived or worked around the Puget Sound (or any significant body of water) very long. All that "lovely muck" to which you refer to has nothing to do with the broken pipe. It is a normal occurence that comes with certain temperatures and tide conditions. Algae blooms and debris are floating all over the sound from Everett to Tacoma and has nothing to do with the Eagle Harbor broken pipe. If you live on South Beach, you are exposed to more waste on a daily basis FROM the fish farm (fish & seal & feed waste) than this broken pipe. And even the fish farm is ecologically insignificant. But please, tell me more about an armored, extremely expensive, ultra high speed boat that the city supposedly owns. I'm sure the military would like one of those too. They could park it right next to their black helicopters. If you really want answers to the hyperbole you posted, why don't you ask those involved directly, instead of posting on a blog where there is no accountability or even a requirement that someone pay attention to what you post?

Re: Public access is a critical trust issue | Letters | May 29 - Bainbridge Island Review

Publius98110 — Sun, 31 May 2009 13:36:19 -0000

Kim,
Not all records are public, some are & some are not subject to public disclosure requests. When three different Superior Court judges in three different counties all rule that you cannot have what you are requesting, you need to get a clue.