Disqus - Latest Comments for bothell_Vision

Re: Public should be heard first - Bothell Reporter

bothell_Vision — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:13:08 -0000

KirstinB: Very good thoughts about participation. Having served on a board in the past, I can tell you the "public comments" section is always an area of disagreement. How much time is fair? Let's be honest, there are always some folks who take a lot of time to convey their thoughts or to argue their issues. Some folks are overly repetitious, and some are just nervous and not used to speaking in public. All should be heard fairly. What our board did was to allow five minutes per person with a 20-minute limit for one subject area. Then we allowed a second opportunity for the public to speak before a final vote. Lastly, for those courageous people who stayed the whole meeting a brief final public comment was allowed before adjournment.

Sound overly generous? We didn't think so because controversial topics deserve to be thrashed around openly. Time limits were occasionally set aside to allow as many people as reasonable to talk, or until comments became repetitive. Things rarely got out of hand. And on many issues board members interacted with the public, asking questions for clarity, or just responding. Time consuming? Maybe. But our public never complained they couldn't be heard.

The public should remember that the council's meetings are business meetings that happen, by law, to be open. Meetings were not designed to be free-for-all discussion sessions. That's what budget hearings and study sessions are for. There are times, too, when the council will hear the public but not interact on items not on the agenda. The City Council must determine what works best for both public input as well as efficient business meetings. If Bothell citizens want changes in the current system for public input, they should ask the council to review its procedures.

Re: Bothell voters to decide on four City Council seats - Bothell Reporter

bothell_Vision — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:10:51 -0000

Anne: You really pointed out how low someone like Moritz will go---but is it for his own self-aggrandizement or for the candidates he's apparently supporting? It's curious that this rude person gets the attention and ear of Tom Corrigan, I noticed when discussing Gerry Gawne's campaign either Gawne or Corrigan uses the word "lockstep" to describe how the council votes. Tom/Gerry, you very well know that word conjures up an image of nazi soldiers marching. And shame on you deliberately using that word and image in discussing our elected representatives.

Then Tom Corrigan uses the word "attack" to describe Bill Moritz's filing of an "inquiry" with the PDC. (by the way, Tom, it's not a "complaint" until the PDC declares an "inquiry" to be one.) Next Corrigan uses the word "blasted" to describe Moritz's accusation about a pot luck at a park. Tom writes Armenta was "BLASTED" for her get-together. "Blasted"? Since when do you describe one little guy's gripe as "blasting" someone? Did Bill run into Tom's office with an army of wildly protesting people behind him? Was Bill screaming and frothing at the mouth, he was so upset? Is that why Tom felt no other word would do but "blasted"? Tom just wanted to use words like "attack" and "blast" to make a nothing inquiry into something more exciting (and pleasing to Moritz). Makes for better press, huh? But blast it Tom---Mr. B-V doesn't mean to attack you!

Nola, please get a grip. No one is going to build skyscrapers in Bothell. Norway Hill is right, I've seen signs for all the candidates, including school district, knocked over, disappearing from one day to next, You lose your argument when you refuse to examine both sides of issues, And you lose even more when you take what Moritz writes as gospel.

Hey! Cheer up everyone!! It's Election Day! The signs go away! They've all had their say!!!

Re: Bothell voters to decide on four City Council seats - Bothell Reporter

bothell_Vision — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:44:36 -0000

Oh, Norway Hill, you devil ! You sure raised Nola's hackels with that letter, PLUS this letter has to make one wonder....who is the real Joyce Wojcik?

At any rate, I believe you've said it all in your last post. Bothell Vision believes in the voters of our city. Bill Moritz has once again proven what a one-sided (or is unbalanced the right word?) person he is. And if he thinks he's the final word on right or wrong, good or bad, he should try putting his "charming" personality out there once again for election to the council. That way he can prove he's not a disgruntled, bitter and rejected former council candidate. I AGREE WITH YOU; EVERYBODY, VOTE WHATEVER WAY YOU THINK IS BEST, BUT PLEASE VOTE !!

Re: Bothell voters to decide on four City Council seats - Bothell Reporter

bothell_Vision — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 01:09:41 -0000

Well, Bill Moritz, desperate for attention (as usual) has been running around putting notices on front doorknobs directing people to his website. This personal advertisement recommends voters throw out three solid council members and replace them with three one-note, anti-revitalization, negative personalities, But get this: You, the voter have to also return Patrick Ewing for another four years as he will lead the three new council members, making sure they vote as he directs.

But voters have been watching the reruns on Channel 21 of the candidates' forum of Oct. 12th. And these smart voters are rejecting wild accusations and giving their attention to Guinn, Freed, Spivey and Armenta, candidates who think positively and in the best interest of our Bothell community. People who like gossip, negativity, partial truths may believe some of Moritz's ranting,but ultimately voters reject attack messages and promises that the sky is falling.

Moriitz and his "chosen" (Wojcik, Agnew and Gawne) and Ewing (who thinks the downtown revitalization, after three years of hearings & discussions. is moving much too fast and now is all wrong) have clearly chosen their direction, In a few days we'll see what direction the voters want/

Re: Maximum signage - Bothell Reporter

bothell_Vision — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:52:34 -0000

Well, well, Nola has turned into Bill Moritz's Ed McMahon!! No matter how many times you tell readers to go to the darkside, Nola, all they read are the "facts" according to Moritz, the king of minutia and mendacity. Imagine building a website to self-aggrandize one's resume in a sad effort to impress people who just aren't impressed by him. Megalomania, anyone? A self-professed hired gun for insurance companies, paid to be a witness for the poor insurance companies, well, that's something to boast about for sure.

Bill who comes to life every two years to dip his poison pen of negativity into the public's voting mind. A wannabe councilperson with an agenda of bitterness and controversy. Yeah, a real attractive webmaster of... wretchedness. What a perfect hero for Nola--or is Nola Bill's hero? You may claim detailed information, but you're so over the top with your obviously biased material that I have purposely directed people to the I-B website. For all the fanatics you draw into your one-sided web, there are more people who know YOUR history, Bill, and just write off your detailed accusations as "that's just typical Bill" or "I don't know anyone who takes him seriously".

Well, Nola we know Bill takes himself seriously, as do you. Two champions of divisiveness. You would persuade people far more if you offered balanced information for voters. Instead you attack your targets thinking voters will take your comments at face value and look into candidate choices no further. You see there's some strengths as well as some weaknesses in every candidate. So why not be bala

Re: Maximum signage - Bothell Reporter

bothell_Vision — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:59:18 -0000

Another thought to those of you following this NIMBY stuff and are worried about Nola's state of mind, you might want to visit web site my neighbor emailed me about www.stop-bothell-powergrab.com

Re: Maximum signage - Bothell Reporter

bothell_Vision — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:38:59 -0000

My, my, Nola. "A hot head who spouts drivel from the sidelines"? Now who's name-calling? What did you say previously? Oh, yes: "Sticks and Stones" back at you, Nola. And profanity, too! You need to just calm down, there, there now. Go to your happy place for awhile so the grownups can get on with an adult and truthful dialogue.

Notice how quickly we've gone from 65 feet to 10 stories? Tomorrow Nola will probably claim this nefarious council has blueprints already drawn up to exceed the Columbia Tower in Seattle!
Again, over and over, all Nola can seem to focus on is her precious neighborhood and Josh Freed dancing around like Simon LeGreed. The fact is this council DOES listen to its community but like most policy-making bodies just can't please all the people all the time. Your real agenda is apparent: Not In My Back Yard (NIMBY) and stop the progress this council has put in place.

The real community, and I do mean the majority out there, (because I DO know what democracy is all about) has made its voice clear. The majority wants the downtown revitalization, it wants Bothell to experience prosperity that it does not have now. And no one on this council, no one, wants Bothell to look like Bellevue. What citizens want is to not have to GO to Bellevue to get goods and services. These good citizens want tax dollars to STAY in Bothell, not go to Everett or Woodinville. That's the vision for the next two decades.

And if threats to their own neighborhoods is the only reason council & planning commissioners serve, then they are self-serving at best and phonies at worst. And I do live within city limits---but I don't see a boogyman behind every council seat. Our city is going to be great! Try positive thinking for a change, Nola. Life's too short to be so extremely bitter.

Re: Maximum signage - Bothell Reporter

bothell_Vision — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:47:07 -0000

Nola: You are a one-trick pony. The same old yak-yak about your personal little neighborhood. It appears you and your posse are quite capable of protecting your area of turf when you feel threatened. Looks like your squeaky, no, squawking protesters can get whatever they want, so why not stop pouting?

That said, if this council is as full of villains as you claim, and you are as pure in purpose as you claim, where is your concern for all those poor citizens who haven't the great fortune to live in your neighborhood, poor things. Who could seriously believe Gawne (who just keeps repeating the same mis-information over & over, like a robot) or Agnew ("I'm just so in love with Bothell I can't stop my emotional tears") or Wojcik (your dragon-slaying leader), would be an improvement over their opponents? Oh, and there is Ewing, who should be re-elected because he accomplishes----uh, NOTHING, and insists we should feel sorry for him because he is such a victim of the other big, bad council members--that's the attractive candidate who should stay while everyone else must go?!? That's Ewing, just too darn good to go out and knock on doors, while I personally have been visited by Sandy Guinn, Jennifer Armenta, and a firefighter going door-to-door for Del Spivey. By the way, if Agnew's done so much with EMS and the fire Dep't., why have the firefighters not endorsed this self-professed caretaker of the people? Hmmm, double hmmm....but I digress...Ewing: oh, that's right, he's the onewho wants to exchange the council member "block" he opposes with the council member "block" he wants: himself (of course), Agnew, Wojcik, & Gawne.

Guess what? You may represent a neighborhood of 30-40--oh, let's be generous, say 500 people. And there are some 17,000 voters in Bothell! Well, I think the incumbents have a very good chance of keeping their seats and Ewing a pretty good chance of losing. You see, Nola, voters want council members who care about all of Bothell, not just your neighborhood. If the voters read their ballot statements, they'll vote sensibly.

Re: Maximum signage - Bothell Reporter

bothell_Vision — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:44:11 -0000

Well, Nola, it took me some time (days) to check out your accusations because unlike you, I like using facts. It is a fact that Del Spivey's signs have been taken down and destroyed. Also true that some Freed signs disappeared. Armenta's campaign reports that her signs not only have been pulled up and thrown down, they are taken and where they used to be a Wojcik or Ewing sign suddenly appears. And maybe you already know about the report of three teenage boys caught pulling up Armenta signs from a friend's front lawn and when caught by the homeowner, ran off, carrying more Armenta signs than the homeowner had put up. Hmmm, What was the incentive? $$$$? Loyalty? (to whom?) Random mischief? Ha!

Now that factually happened. Armenta has far fewer signs than Del, but they are long gone. I've also been advised Ewing signs have been taken, too. There are so many Wojcik signs, who knows---do you know by chance? Don't bother--- its a rhetorical question. I don't know about Guinn's experiences, and I don't care about Agnew's or Gawne's. Few people do

So what I found out is signs are being taken, period. It hurts all candidates and there's little to be gained, Nola, from making up your personal, unproven, paranoid conclusions. Now who's dipping into the kool-aide?

Re: Maximum signage - Bothell Reporter

bothell_Vision — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 12:54:31 -0000

Kirstin, you are on the right track. Some signs around election time are ok---they remind us to vote for one thing. But thousands of signs is overkill, and they are up for too long a period. I believe voters sometimes think they have no control over federal and state politics, but think they can at least exercise some authority at the county and city levels.

Local politics become divisive because we tend to know candidates personally and get upset when we believe a neighbor is being attacked. It's almost like when couples get into an argument and quickly move from what the argument (issue) is to bringing up all their past complaints about each other, don't you think? Then an election becomes about character, not about where candidates stand on issues. Plus, like gossip, people sort of enjoy some degree of mud-slinging. Politicians do it because it often works for them. Go figure!

Re: Bothell City Council / Challenger says Ewing is out of step with council - Bothell Reporter

bothell_Vision — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:17:06 -0000

People are in the process of voting and I hope they realize Mr. Ewing is all about negativity. All he does is complain about the council that he should be able to work with---instead he repeatedly hides behind excuses like: "I don't have enough information". If he really wanted display his years and years of time on the council he would know what information he needs and get city staff to give him in advance the detail he wants to be able to vote. He was elected to attend meetings ready to represent citizens, not use meeting time to ask for "more information". That's why he hates the "six minute" time line, he's just not prepared. so he obstructs.

And when Ewing votes "no" he often changes nothing. He just wants the appearance of standing all alone against the rest of the council members---watch channel 21 and see his drawn out speeches and sighs and overall demeanor. Where are his ideas? His vision? His solutions? Instead Ewing asks us to rescue him by electing his "2009 Block" of candidates: He tells us he's served on many committees and that he'd "like to be around" for review of the comprehensive plan. Yawn...I agree with Ewing's comment to the Reporter: he is "frustrated" and unable to solve anything unless we throw out the other candidates and put his followers in office.

Just because he's been on the council for eight long years is no reason to re-elect this unhappy person. Oh and I see above that you cite people attending council meetings from Maywood---Isn't that the neighborhood where Mr. Ewing lives? Taking care of his personal investment, hmmm...

What's his vision for other areas of Bothell beside his own and his friends' neighborhood. Don't bother to answer, You've made your bias clear. I'm voting for Sandy Guinn, Jennifer Armenta, Del Spivey, and Joshua Freed. These people take action instead of sitting around complaining.

Re: Northshore Senior Center faces budget cuts — again - Bothell Reporter

bothell_Vision — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:12:26 -0000

This is one area where we should all pitch in to help. Attending the budget hearings Oct. 22 or Oct 29, with free transportation provided, is an easy way to show you support our Senior Center. Of all programs to face more cuts, adult day care should not be shut down. We can't know today what each of us will face when we arrive at a certain age, but we all want dignity and independence for as long as possible. The Northshore Senior Center provides this and much, much more.

Director Lee Harper is not one to exaggerate financial circumstances. She needs to find ways to meet the projected shortfall, and you might be the one that comes up with a good plan or idea. Let's try to help our seniors.

Re: Bothell City Council / Challenger says Ewing is out of step with council - Bothell Reporter

bothell_Vision — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:56:58 -0000

Been out of town and am catching up, Lola. First, you have Mr. Bothell Vision mixed up with someone else. I didn't bring up the photo that I guess was meant to give voters the impression Joyce is just about elected so you might as well vote for her. I once saw a brochure with a candidate sitting in her husband's state senator's chair at the capital. He was moving on and she assumed voters need only picture her already in office to get elected. Didn't work. ( this was in another state)

I checked on that health insurance since everyone seems to enjoy throwing big numbers around. Seems the health insurance policy would have amounted to $52,000 a year, just about half of what you quote, However when the council decided to put the determination of added benefits to a citizen advisory group, Patrick Ewing voted NO! No committee. Even though the committee recommended to shelve the benefit!!

More checking of facts, not fiction, tells me no one on the council owns any property in downtown (Main St) Bothell, so why bring up these old issues when you insist I shouldn't bring up Ewing's illegal activities that actually DID HAPPEN, as being too old.

And you prove again that your only concern is about your home in your little neighborhood. The council has no plans to build skyscrapers in the neighborhoods, and you know that. Mr. Ewing and his "block" of friends say nothing about what they would seek to accomplish in the future---they don't have a clue. And Mr. Ewing speaks in vague, general terms but shows no vision beyond protecting your little corner of the world. And now that I've checked out all the candidates, I know Sandy Guinn will continue to do good work and Ewing's challenger, Armenta, spells out a plan of action. Compare the candidates' ballots statements and websites. I sure did.

Re: Bothell City Council / Challenger says Ewing is out of step with council - Bothell Reporter

bothell_Vision — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 17:36:02 -0000

Ah, yes,,,you, NO-la want to elect a new voting block, one that Mr. Ewing can control because he's so tired and frustrated that he can't push the current council around. What a look at 2005 does, and what you choose to conveniently ignore NO-la, is Ewing's pattern of creating his own personal group on the council--now he wants to do it again. Voters are tired of Ewing's negative attitude and the pouting face he puts on every time he doesn't get his way.

Now he asks us to return him for another four lackluster years along with his new buddies, Wojcik, Agnew, & Gawne. One sharp neighbor pointed out Ewing, Wojcik, Agnew & Gawne all just happen to be using the same bulk permit. What a cozy little Block" they make while harping on the current council.

Also, Mr. Bothell Vision thinks your real issue is all about YOU, no one else. It's about what YOU demanded of the council, it's all about YOU not getting your way--it's all about YOUR property. This old timer has watched a lot over the years--please don't pretend your concerns were altruistic.

P.S. And calm down, will you. Take an outrage break.

Re: Bothell City Council / Challenger says Ewing is out of step with council - Bothell Reporter

bothell_Vision — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:01:13 -0000

“BATTLE OF THE BLOCKS”
Candidate for re-election Patrick Ewing accuses un-named city council members of being a so-called “majority block” that he claims is not going in the direction Bothell citizens want. He does not, however, describe what this “wrong” direction is nor what his solution might be.

Ewing recommends voters reject the other three council members up for election (voting by mail is now in progress), and replace them with candidates Gawne, Wojcik and Agnew who, along with Ewing (if he is re-elected too, would form a NEW “block”.

You can count on that because a review of these four candidates’ interviews and campaign materials not only contain the same exact complaints, they often contain the exact same words as each other.

“Blocks” on the City Council are not new to Ewing. As Bothell Mayor, in 2005, Ewing formed a council voting “block” made up of himself, Tom Tobin, Mike Johnson and Andrea Perry. And this council majority gang took to meeting secretly and in private to discuss and make decisions on Bothell City business.

An audit of their conduct by state officials determined they had broken the state law that requires the business of the city be held in public, not in private homes with Mayor Ewing directing city staff to be present as well.

Now Ewing tells you to get rid of three well-known council members he has been unable to control or persuade to vote his way, and put his new “block” on the council.

So, city council “blocks” are bad unless they are Mr. Ewing’s “block” of thinkers. Even in his ballot statement Ewing begs you to help him. Don’t be taken in by all the negativity surrounding Patrick Ewing. You have an alternative candidate and an opportunity to have council business always done in open public view.

Take a good look at the positive attitude and vision offered by candidate JENNIFER ARMENTA.