How did East Wenatchee council members plunge into a self-created swamp miles east of the city and lose $112,000 in two years? Easily. A majority was driven by an enthusiastic Mayor Lacy, its economic development policy and urged on by its event director Dawn Collings and her advisory board, United States Sprint Boat Association officials and fans. How did the council climb out? Immediately. At the Council’s September 27 meeting Mayor Lacy brought up Thunder Swamp for discussion even though it wasn’t on the agenda. Despite race fans’ supportive emails and testimony at a hearing on September 20, the council voted 5-2 to immediately cancel the land lease and contract with the USSBA. My blog on the 27th recommended it exit immediately and commission an agent to sell its rights, but council members left that opportunity open to investors. It’s time for supporters to invest.<< MORE >>

This is a story of an incendiary sentence that alert village voices dampened before it ignited a wildfire of raging rumors. Three issues created combustible conditions for rumors. Distrust is one issue. Our citizens distrust those west of the Cascades. Some citizens distrust developers, especially after 2003 when Twin W co-developers were fined $23,156 as mitigation for removing 115,000 square feet of protected vegetation along Columbia River’s shoreline. Then commissioners changed a rule that would have assisted Twin W’s shoreline development, but were forced to reverse it. On October 28, 2003 the Wenatchee World’s James Pitkin reported “Douglas County Commissioners voted 2-1 ... to reverse a change that weakened waterfront protection rules after a challenge from a citizen watchdog group." Commissioners had changed the rule in a public meeting without notice or a public hearing. Distrust from public misbehavior smolders in citizen activist groups. << MORE >>

Below are rejoinders I would like to have heard or read during the heavy criticism of Standard & Poor’s downgrade of US Debt. I summarize frequent criticisms followed by my responses to those criticisms. I know this occurred was a long time ago in media headlines, but publishing this works to soothe my inner voices yearning to be free. As you might recall, or wish to forget, or never knew and didn’t care but are unavoidably curious, Standard & Poors downgraded US debt for two reasons: Washington DC’s presidential and Congressional Leaders’ debt deal made a mockery of responsible fiscal planning even though all those leaders agreed the nation’s fiscal path is unsustainable. Who can argue with those two reasons -- apparently pundits in Washington, D.C. and on Wall Street? Here are the arguments and the fallacies behind each argument.<< MORE >>

In October 2010 my heart’s EKG looked like a grandchild had scribbled across the chart with a crayon. Two days later I had an echogram and appointments with a cardiologist and sleep specialist. This is an update of my heart team’s performance. My cardiologist diagnosed a cardiomyopathy because my left ventricle pumped 35-40 percent of the blood available versus the healthy 55-60 percent two years earlier. He doesn’t know what damaged it.<< MORE >>

Imagine your dire responsibility as an online broadcaster if you have to follow a report on the Casey Anthony trial with the Bureau of Labor Statistics June 2011 report on two channel switching issues: employment statistics and unemployment rates. This is a review of the data so we can enjoy future ludicrous reactions based on our own common sense. The report stated, “Nonfarm payroll employment was essentially unchanged in June, and the unemployment rate changed little to 9.2 percent.” While BLS monthly figures are statistically rigorous, they fluctuate for several reasons. They’re collected during one week around the 12th of the month. Employment figures are payroll numbers from five percent of 9 million unemployment insurance tax reports. Unemployment rates are based on a telephone survey of 60,000 households out of 112 million. Even more drastic fluctuations come from economists’ June predictions, most of which were overly optimistic. Nevertheless reporters under deadlines sought expert quotes from inaccurate economists to explain why their forecasts were wrong, which they’d discovered minutes before the reporter contacted them.<< MORE >>

Our country is poised to shrink government so the private sector can serve us better. In reality our life, liberty and pursuit of happiness requires a balanced tussle between the two interests. An example is the counterpunching between the sweetener industry versus government agencies which are requiring nutritional labels on food packages and restaurant menus. Karen Larsen advises us to understand their importance. First, some facts. High fructose corn syrup and sugar are identical chemical compounds: about 50 percent glucose and 50 percent sucrose. The glucose from liquid HFCS surges into the liver faster than sugar, contributing to obesity and reducing mental performance. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services guidelines recommend daily consumption of less than 30 grams of sugar. The sweetener industry issues no independent guidelines. Label advocates want sugar grams identified so we stay within those guidelines. Opponents label government interference as liberal “nannyism” and useless. << MORE >>

What do we do when a neighbor is floundering and our neighborhood could help? Most people would help. What if other neighbors refuse to help because they’re angry with the one in trouble? What do we say to them? Luckily a poet, Edwin Markham, gave us these words: "He drew a circle that shut me out- Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout. But love and I had the wit to win: We drew a circle and took him In!” As neighbors of Wenatchee we face a call for help with the Town Toyota Center’s debt. << MORE >>

Karen and I were surprised to realize we retired ten years ago on June 30 in Portland Oregon. We figured we had a good 30 years ahead of us. Now we figure we have a good 25 years. We’ve done some things well and learned from many others. We started well. The first day we drove away from our rented condo, stopped for massages friends had gifted us and meandered east. We had few commitments. We were due at a retirement/birthday celebration hosted by our son in Moscow, a class reunion in Michigan, and caring for our granddaughter in Moscow in early August. Without our granddaughter we might still be heading east. In Denver a realtor called. He’d sold the Hood Canal waterfront where we considered retiring, leaving us free to locate wherever we wanted. When our granddaughter’s parents returned to relieve us, I told Karen the only reasonable choice for a home was the Spokane area. She said, “Keep looking.” A half-hour later Greater Wenatchee’s Chamber of Commerce website enticed us. We had to visit a community that could build an Apple Capital Loop Trail and new Performing Arts Center. The next morning we rolled past the promise of fiberoptics from Rock Island Dam, acres of apple orchards, parks on the Columbia River, a sign to Mission Ridge and a view of the North Cascades. We bought our condo in East Wenatchee a week later. We let our relaxed pace get hectic to the point where a friend insists we’re doing retirement with too much stress. Now I agree with him.<< MORE >>

How local citizens in Our Shoreline’s Future Vision Group performed is an equally important story compared to the report it submitted last week. I’m writing this story as a member of the group co-chaired by Eliot Scull, retired physician and environmentalist, and Mike Scott, orchardist and co-owner of Martin Scott Winery.<< MORE >>

A coalition of computer Data Centers and the City of Quincy named itself Washingtonneedsjobs and asked legislators to extend retail sales tax break on their capital equipment purchases for three years. They said give us the break and we’ll build millions of dollars of data centers and create new jobs. Don’t give it to us and we won’t build. You lose nothing but you gain jobs and taxes. The state had suspended sales taxes for 15 months and data centers were built. Nevertheless, the Speaker of the House refused to allow a vote on the bill. The request made sense to Quincy residents, local economic development authorities and legislators. Tax breaks made sense to the industry. Tax breaks make sense to every industry. Tax breaks make sense to every individual. Karen and I retired in Washington from Oregon, but I never thought to request tax breaks. We could have promised to invest our money here if the state wouldn’t charge us retail sales taxes for computers, cell phones, and routers for the first three years. The state wouldn’t lose any money because without the tax break, we wouldn’t come. Currently new retirees could say, “We’ll buy all these houses you have for sale.” The problem is new companies and people cost the state. << MORE >>