THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN!

Thanks Washougal! Your support is gratifying. More importantly, it reminds me of my obligation to all of you to help start our city in a new direction.

The new direction, from the present perspective, includes two components:

1. Establishing the accountability required by the State Auditor.
2. Redressing the imbalance between taxes and regulation versus economic development to make Washougal a more business friendly environment.

The State Auditor has given the city a list of procedures and processes that need to be improved. The city council is already engaged in that task. My professional background, particularly the time spent at the Little Hoover Commission in California www.lhc.ca.gov, will add to the conversation about how to ensure accountability.

Redressing the imbalance between taxes and regulation versus economic development is a more complex and time consuming task – but necessary to make Washougal economically competitive. Reviewing regulations based on global warming (AKA climate change) hysteria is a good beginning.

The previous administration’s goal was to restructure the city using a problematic land use and transportation planning concept (Smart Growth) that legislates higher population densities and discourages driving. Smart Growth policies:

• Fail to recognize the automobile as the mode of transportation needed and desired by Washougal residents for essential travel to major employment and shopping centers.
• Raise the cost of housing and reduce its availability by coercive over-regulation that tries to restructure the housing market (e.g. Cottage housing regulations).
• Introduce congestion on streets to discourage automobile use (e.g. Use of curb extensions and the E Street Road Diet).
• Are based theories about the dangers of carbon dioxide to the environment for which there is:
  • A rapidly unraveling scientific consensus.
  • Significant anecdotal evidence that suggests man has little effect on carbon dioxide levels, and less ability to influence them.
• Raise the cost of City government (e.g. by requiring hybrid vehicles).
• Focus on bicycle and pedestrian traffic thoroughfares used primarily for receation at the expense of vital motor vehicle lifelines to employment and shopping centers.

The unraveling scientific consensus about global warming is not apparent to most of us because the major media, academe, the entertainment industry, businesses that seek to profit from the “green” economy, and a variety of others are keeping from the general public information that contradicts their assertions. An example of the problems with global warming theory was recently published by an MIT meteorologist of some repute. His credentials are listed on his the Massachusetts Institute of Technology website at: http://www-eaps.mit.edu/faculty/lindzen.htm. His peer reviewed article may be found at: http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-7715-Portland-Civil-Rights-Examiner~y2009m8d18-Carbon-Dioxide-irrelevant-in-climate-debate-says-MIT-Scientist.

My initial efforts will be toward achieving the two goals listed above, starting with establishing accountability for city funds to ensure that expenditures are (1) in the public interest, and (2) properly reported and accounted for.

The voters of Washougal have honored me with the opportunity to serve. I will do my best to advance and protect their interests.