Tag: Democrat
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Staff – Help, Or Hinder
One question the newly elected official needs to ask is; what the hired help are there for? Every form of government has paid staff, the people who do all the work. Contrary to popular opinion Elected persons actually don’t do much in the way of work, as such. There is much that can be learned…
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Laws, How Do You Need?
One of the first lesions that an elected office holder learns is, there are more laws on the books than are enforced. Every year the Congress of the Untied Sates of America passes thousands of laws. Add to this the hundreds of laws passed by the fifty States, the half of a hundred laws passed…
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Native Plants Verses Implants
There is a lot of talk these days on conserving water. Let the lawn turn brown, no oxygen producing grass. Plant drought resistant plants, in the wettest spring in one hundred years, and use native plants. Using native plants would mean that, in the Northwest, using: Dogwood Sugar Pine Douglass fir Vine maple Broadleaf maple…
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Water Should Cost Less In The Summer
Every year, about this time, cities and towns all across America send out flyers about conserving water. As an elected official you will take part in conservation discussions and perhaps even enact some laws. Fee structures will be set in place and woe to them that use too much. There is a much boarder picture…
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A Word About Comparing Cities
A reader made some comments about comparing Portland Oregon with Redmond Oregon. Portland sits in a hole while Redmond sits on a flat plain. Redmond receives more sun more times of he year. As this relates to solar power there are some valid points. The reason I use Friday Harbor Washington as an example is…
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Infilling And Solar Power
The latest thing in land use planning is called infilling. This is where property is re-plated so additional housing or business can be built. As the population increases, a provision to house them, and provide places for them to work becomes paramount. In Portland Oregon, this translates to single-family houses on seven thousand square foot…
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Raising Taxes
From time to time you will be tempted to raise taxes in order to balance a budget or raise money for some other purpose. Raising taxes is seen, by the general public, as something politicians do because they can. As opposed to raising taxes for a specific need. The only way government, any government, gets…
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Another Word About Who Wins
Sam Adams is now mayor elect of the City of Portland Oregon. He thinks he obtained this position because he is smart and powerful people like him. He is, of course wrong, he obtained this position because he received more votes than the other guy. Sherman
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The Public Trust
When holding elected office, you will hear a bit about something called The Public Trust. When mentioned it is usually in hushed tones, taking on a reverence all of it own. Yet it appears that few elected persons know what, exactly, the public trust is. The Public Trust is the view the general public has,…
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What It Means To Be Elected
With the big general election coming up in a few short months it a good idea, I think, to have a discussion about what it means to be elected. Some people seem to think that be elected you must be rich, very smart, politically savvy, or some sort of “Brain”. This is not actually true…
Down The Sewer Pipe - Politically Speaking 