Sammamish Forum
September 17, 2008
By Administrator
Sewer markers are fine
I have a difficult time believing Mr. Bohanan (Vintage I crusades against sewer valve markers, Sept. 3, Page 3). How are these sewer markers a safety hazard? He says “People could literally impale themselves on these things.”
Not likely, unless you fall from high above and magically land on the rather blunt yellow concrete pylons. Pedestrians cannot sneak up on these immobile markers. Bicyclists should be able to avoid them.
Setting aside my disbelief of Mr. Bohanan and his association’s arguments for removal. I still cannot believe the removing of these markers themselves. We, as individuals are personally responsible for our own safety.
There are obstacles out there, and there are processes to identify and remove them. What gives Mr. Bohanan and his association the right to remove anything that is not their property?
Mr. Bohanan said, “They’re simply being arbitrary and vindictive. We have no intention of paying the fine. It’s unjustified.” No, Mr. Bohanan, your actions, and those of your association are unjustified. I expected a heftier fine. We all pay the district a portion for dealing with people who believe they have free reign over property of others.
I have no issue with them questioning these markers, or asking that the markers be removed. That is well within their rights.
However, none of us has the right to take it upon ourselves to make the changes, especially after the district responded to the request. Would Vintage I homeowners allow their children to do this to them?
I can see it now, “Dad, can I take the car tonight?” “No, Son.” After staying out all night with the car, the son comes home.
The dad says, “It’s ok son, I won’t discipline you because you felt it was necessary.”
Well, to the Vintage I HOA, and Mr. Bohanan, I have this one last thing to say.
As a paying customer of the district, should I write my next payment out to you, since you clearly believe you own the district, and its property?
Mike Rees
Sammamish
Thank you, kind stranger
To the unidentified person who found my daughter’s cell phone in Grass Lawn Park, phoned us, and then drove out at 9:30 on a Sunday night to give the phone back, “Thank you.”
My daughter was very worried about her phone and wondered if she could afford to buy a new one. You wouldn’t even accept the reward we offered. Thank you for taking the time to do this and for renewing my faith in human nature.
Jeff Newfeld
Sammamish
Obama’s economics don’t work
As the Presidential election nears, the impact of a vote for Sen. Obama and his policies will have draconian effect on the economy and ultimately your family’s standard of living.
Consider the following examples of his proposed policies and their effect:
u $600 Billion of increased taxes on corporations and the top 5 percent of income producers and an increase in capital gains for all stock owners (100 Million Americans).
This dramatic redistribution of capital will cause a severe liquidity crisis in our economy. The results will be an exponential increase in the contraction of our economy at exactly the wrong time as we are in a global slowdown. Our financial system is in the process of struggling through a liquidity crisis, another major shock to the system could cripple the U.S. economy and extend and exacerbate any recession. And the rest of the world’s economies will follow. Everything will cost more and employment will be cut as companies try to survive. Russia will expand its imperialistic efforts with its newfound wealth as they see us weaken..
If you were around in the 1970s and early 1980s, this was exactly the scenario then. Home loans were at 22 percent interest, unemployment peaked at 9.7 percent nationally (as Paul Volcker instituted strict Monetary Policy controls into the early 1980s).
• Mandated Healthcare for all.
Small business is the engine of the U.S. economy and many small businesses operate on razor thin margins (under 10 percent). One sector of the economy which would be dramatically affected would be the restaurant and food service industry.
San Francisco mandated healthcare for all workers and the impact is an additional cost of $1.17 to $1.76 per hour. As applied to Washington state’s minimum wage, this is an increased cost of 15 percent to 22 percent for Washington state restaurants.
With the restaurant and food service industry employing 48 million people (945,000 restaurants, $558 Billion in annual sales) in the U.S, Obama’s healthcare plan could result in a conservative minimum of a 10 percent decline in this business (4.8 million lost jobs).
John Burg
Sammamish
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The Federal Reserve is giving an $85 billion loan to AIG. We have the bale out of Fannie and Freddie. Give me a break. The amount of our tax money going for corporate welfare is huge. What we have under the Bush administration is socialization of corporate loss and privatization of corporate profit. if there is a liquidity crisis Obama is not responsible for it. Wake up and smell the coffee, Mr. Burg.
47 million Americans are without health care coverage. Many go to emergency rooms for basic health care. A lack of preventive care results in increased medical costs. Our health care system is failing. Get sick, sell your home, spend your 401 (k), live in the street.. Wake up and smell the coffee, Mr. Burg.
How much are we spending a day in Iraq? Before the war, White House economic adviser Lawrence Lindsay estimated the cost at $100 to $200 billion. So the White House got rid of him and “re-estimated” the cost at $50 to $60 billion. It’s now over $500 billion. Wake up and smell the coffee, Mr. Burg.
The US budget for Iraq in FY 2007 came to $4,988 per Iraqi. This is triple Iraq’s per-person GDP. It’s like spending $121,000 per person ($484,000 per family of 4) in the US. Why not just bribe the whole country? (I’m saying how it must seem to Iraqis. Think how it would be if some other planet invaded the U.S. and spent $121,000 per American per year to straighten out our country. We’d say—Just give us the money and we’ll do it ourselves.” Wake up and smell the coffee, Mr. Burg.
The nation has lost jobs in 25 of the 31 months that President Bush has been in office, making for the worst jobs record at this point in a presidency of any administration since Herbert Hoover. Including last month’s loss of 44,000 positions (when economists had predicted a 10,000-job increase), our economy has shed more than 2.5 million jobs and 3.2 million private-sector jobs since the president took office. Wake up and smell the coffee, Mr. Burg.
If your quarterback hasn’t completed a pass in 8 games, it is time to put in another player. Our nation is in such a mess, there will be no magic fix no matter how much people seek one (Sarah Palin, for example). We need to regain respect for our Constitution, apply sound economic practices, and wake up and smell the coffee.
Watch Your Back
I’d like to point out a huge falsehood that was published in the Sammamish City Newsletter, in the September 2008 issue. Under the park bond, #1 – Sammamish Landing park, where a large smear of red covers the north park of the lake, the falsehood is that it says the land for the park was donated in 2001.
This falsehood would thus imply that the homeowners, who live within that red smear, have donated their homes to the city. It would also imply that the communities who have shared those small plots of beach front for years, have also donated their properties. It would also imply that we have donated our property, even though this is the first I’ve heard of it.
It seems the city council is determined to push through their plans for the show of their ideology, regardless of the deceit and injury that they propagate to the individuals that they are supposed to protect.
Two times now, surveyors have trespassed on our land and damaged property and set up mysterious staking. The second time we caught them, these guys honestly confessed to be in hire of the city of Sammamish. The city has, of course, denied any involvement.
So the city has never contacted any of the people from this north community to ask about a park that will take over their homes and property, but the city council will put our rights and our property up to vote, as donated land.
The city council will say we have means of communication with them through their master plan meetings. Their response to the last meeting I attended was published, though mistakenly, as considering our concerns as mob mentality.
All I can say is watch your backs, citizens of Sammamish. Individual rights are non-existent in this current government. I’m personally really disgusted by the council’s blatant disregard of my community and am ashamed to have to add Sammamish as my address. Think twice before you approve any of their proposals as the next one may really be in your back yard.
Patricia Propst
Sammamish, WA