[Vision2020] Another Hired Gun Speaks

[J Ford]

Editorial in the MDN (my comments are in CAPS)

Virginia Henderson for the editorial board  (OF THE "MOSCOW DAILY NEWS" 
Otherwise known as "THE WILSON CRYING-RAG"?)

It’s not often you get to live next door to a neighbor for three years 
before deciding whether the relationship is going to work. (HEY, IT AIN'T 
A-WORKIN'...AND HASN'T FOR MANY YEARS AND ON MANY LEVELS.)

Moscow enjoys this luxury in the conditional staff and student use permit 
application(THE CUP DOES NOT STAND FOR "CONDITIONAL STAFF AND STUDENT USE 
PERMIT APPLICATION" - IT STANDS FOR CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT)  by New Saint 
Andrews College, which has operated on the corner (CORNER?  ITS SMACK IN THE 
MIDDLE OF THE BLOCK, FOR PITY'S SAKE.) of Fourth and Main streets since 
2002. (HEY, CHECK OUT THEIR SITE - THEY STATE THEY'VE BEEN THERE SINCE 
2001.)

The Board of Adjustment could settle the fate of NSA Tuesday night after a 
public hearing.(IF THE DECISION GOES AGAINST NSA, THEY WILL UNDOUBTEDLY 
APPEAL TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND THEN TO THE COURTS - THEIR PATTERN.  THIS 
CERTAINLY DOES NOT "settle the fate of NSA.")

Some people don’t want educational institutions downtown. If allowed, they 
say the University of Idaho and others would take over buildings, dominate 
parking and contribute nothing to the property tax base.  (FACT, LADY.  THEY 
WOULD.)

What other educational institutions might do is best left to the conditional 
staff and student use application (WHERE IN THE WORLD IS SHE GETTING THIS 
TITLE?  THERE IS NO SUCH APPLICATION.) process (NOW THAT'S FORWARD THINKING. 
  DON'T BOTHER WITH TODAY'S ISSUES, WAIT UNTIL THEY CROP UP AGAIN AND AGAIN 
TOMORROW AND THEN WORK ON IT.  ) — should they apply. It is not the issue 
before the board. The City Council already decided educational institutions 
are allowed downtown in the central business zone on a case-by-case basis.

NSA is the question.  (CORRECTION - NSA IS THE PROBLEM.)

Is this classical Christian, religion-based college of 140 full- and 
part-time students a good fit? (YEAH, FOR NOW THEY ARE 140 STRONG.  THEY DO 
HAVE PLANS TO EXPAND, AS ANY COLLEGE HAS TO JUST TO KEEP UP.  THUS, NO - 
THEY ARE NOT A GOOD FIT ON THIS LEVEL AND OTHERS.)

The past two years have given no reason for doubt. ("NO REASON FOR DOUBT"?  
WHAT ABOUT THE PARKING ISSUE WHICH THEY CONTINUE TO BRING UP AS A 
"NON-ISSUE" YET HAVE MANY SURVEYS ABOUT?  OR THE FACT THAT NSA STUDENTS HAVE 
TAKEN BOGUS LETTERS OF SUPPORT AROUND AND THEN LIED ABOUT THE RESULTS TO THE 
CITY COUNCIL?  OR THAT THEY LIED ABOUT INCREASING THE COMMERCIAL SPACE AND 
JOBS AVAILABLE IN THE CBD?  OR THAT THE DEAN CHASTISED PEOPLE FOR ATTENDING 
THE ANNUAL BALL AND NOT PAYING BEFORE HAND AND THEN DEMANDED SEVERE 
"REPAYMENT" FOR THE 'PRIVILAGE' OF ATTENDING THIS ANNUAL MONEY-MAKER?  OR 
THAT THEY ARE NOT OPEN TO THE GENERAL STUDENT - AN APPLICANT MUST BE 
SPONSORED BY THEIR CHURCH JUST TO APPLY?)

One of the biggest gripes against NSA is that its students take up valuable 
consumer parking. (WRONG!  HOW ABOUT THE FACT THAT IT IS AN ILLEGAL, HUGE 
SPACE THAT IS NON-TAX PAYING YET WE, THE LEGAL TAX PAYER, HAS TO SUPPORT 
THEM?) NSA staff and students are consumers. In an NSA poll taken last fall, 
49.5 percent of the students said they dine in a restaurant downtown and 
78.2 percent said they visit coffee shops, 33.9 percent shop in local stores 
and 8.6 percent work downtown.

(OK, LETS BREAK THIS DOWN IN ROUGH NUMBERS:

49% - THAT'S 69 STUDENTS "DINE IN A RESTAURANT DOWNTOWN" - HOW DO THEY KNOW 
THIS? AND WITH WHAT FREQUENCY?  ONCE A YEAR? TWICE? MAYBE THREE?

78.2% - THAT'S 109 STUDENTS "VISIT COFFEE SHOPS  - NOTICE THEY NEVER VERIFY 
what COFFEE SHOPS THEY GO TO AND CC HAS MORE THAN ONE DOWNTOWN.  AND WITH 
WHAT FREQUENCY DO THEY GO TO THESE COFFEE SHOPS?  REMEMBER THE GIRLS THAT 
WERE "CAUGHT" AT ONE WORLD CAFE - WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM?

33% - THAT'S 46 STUDENTS SHOP IN LOCAL STORES - AGAIN, HOW DO THEY KNOW 
THIS? AND HOW OFTEN DO THEY GO INTO THEM?

8.6% - THAT'S 2.8 STUDENTS WORK DOWNTOWN - AGAIN, NOTICE THEY DON'T SAY 
WHERE DOWNTOWN - HINT: NSA!

Less than half of the students drive, while the rest walk, bike or carpool.  
(OH, YEAH? BY WHOSE CALCULATIONS SINCE THE JACKSON STREET PARKING LOT IS 
FAIRLY WELL POPULATED WITH NSA STUDENT/STAFF VEHICLES DURING THE DAY?  THEY 
TAKE UP ALMOST TWICE WHAT VERIZON DID AND VERIZON PROVIDED THEIR EMPLOYEES 
WITH PARKING AWAY FROM THE BUILDING AND CBD!  I PERSONALLY CAN NOT SEE 
ATWOOD WALKING, MUCH LESS BIKING FROM HIS HOME TO THE CBD, OR EVEN THE 
STUDENTS WHO LIVE WITH HIM OR IN OTHER PARTS OF THE TOWN THAT ARE FAR AWAY 
FROM THE COLLEGE.)

NSA students and faculty support downtown every day with their dollars.  
(YEAH, YEAH WE KNOW - $2MIL OF THEIR HARD-SPENT DOLLARS {OR IS THAT $3MIL?  
I CAN NEVER KEEP THAT STRAIGHT - 'COURSE, NEITHER CAN THEY AS ATWOOD SAYS 
ONE THING AND BOB H SAYS ANOTHER.} IS SPENT IN THE CBD.  'COURSE, IF THEY 
ARE FORCED TO MOVE, THEIR DOLLARS GO WITH THEM - APPARENTLY, THEY CAN'T COME 
DOWNTOWN UNLESS THEY ACTUALLY HAVE A COLLEGE OR SCHOOL THERE - OUTTA SIGHT, 
OUTTA MIND?)

CHALLENGE TO BOB H AND ATWOOD - DO YOU HAVE THE STUDENTS SUBMIT RECEIPTS 
DAILY, WEEKLY, MONTHLY, QUARTERLY, BI-ANNUALLY, ANNUALLY TO VERIFY THIS 
INFORMATION?  JUST HOW DO YOU ARRIVE AT THIS $2MIL OR $3MIL MARK?)

NSA pays a staff member to work Saturdays during Farmers Market so shoppers 
can use the college restrooms. (PAY? WHAT "PAY"? THAT DUTY IS USUALLY 
ASSIGNED TO A STUDENT EACH WEEK.)

They’ve opened an expansive library to the public.  (ACCORDING TO ATWOOD 
HIMSELF, "Library Membership Plan - The College is pleased to make its new 
library resources available to members of the community through a paid 
Library Membership Plan. For a small fee, non-students may gain access to 
the library collection during limited hours. Professionals and life-time 
members can have full and unlimited access for proportionally higher 
membership rates." - 
http://www.nsa.edu/news/newsupdates.html#Anchor-Februar-55695

(MOSCOW LIBRARY IS FREE TO WHOMEVER, WHENEVER THEIR DOORS ARE OPEN.  THERE 
IS NO PAID MEMBERSHIP OR LIFE-TIME MEMBERSHIP.  UI and WSU ARE THE SAME WAY. 
  YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO LIVE IN MOSCOW TO GO INTO THOSE LIBRARIES, MUCH 
LESS BE OF THE SAME FAITH AS THOSE WHO RUN IT.)

NSA earned an historic preservation award for its renovation of the building 
it occupies. (YEAH, OK - GIVE THEM THAT ONE.)

The college has invested a large amount of money and sweat into its home on 
the corner. (AGAIN - WHAT BLOODY "CORNER"?) Now it, and the city, have 
poured a lot of money into this battle.  (DON'T DO THE CRIME IF YOU CAN'T DO 
THE TIME.  THE CITY STAFF SHOULD HAVE DONE IT'S JOB THE FIRST THREE 
GO-AROUNDS AND THIS WOULD NOT BE GOING ON NOW.)

It’s time to look at the issue objectively, and the CUP is the perfect 
instrument. (WHAT ABOUT FOLLOWING THE LAW IN THE FIRST PLACE?)

Accepting NSA’s right to exist is not embracing its theology.  (BUT, 
ACCEPTING THEIR BULLYING MEANS YOU HAVE AS THAT IS THE CHIEF MANDATE OF 
THEIR THEOLOGY. SMILE PRETTY AND CARRY A BIG STICK!")

There’s always room for diversity of belief where there is room for 
acceptance of differences. There’s enough space downtown for both. (CHECK 
OUT YOUR OWN OP-ED PAGES, LADY.  IVERSON HAS REPEATEDLY SPOKEN OUT AGAINST 
DIVERSITY - IN FACT, HE CONSIDERS IT A VERY DIRTY WORD, MUCH LESS CONCEPT.)

(THERE MAY BE PLENTY OF ROOM, AS YOU SAY, IN THE CBD, BUT THIS IS A 
COMMUNITY - NOT A CONGLOMERATE, WHICH IS WHAT WILSON ET AL ARE ATTEMPTING TO 
BUILD HERE.  GIVE THEM AN INCH THEY WILL FORCIBLY TAKE THE WHOLE TOWN.)

WHO PAID FOR THIS PIECE TO BE WRITTEN?  IS THIS PERSON EVEN A "REPORTER" OR 
JUST ANOTHER HIRED GUN FOR WILSON?  I SHUDDER TO THINK WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF 
SOME OF THE PEOPLE AT MDN ACTUALLY WORKED AT INVESTIGATING A STORY BEFORE 
THEY SPOKE.  IT IS PAINFULLY OBVIOUS THAT SHE DOES NOT READ ATWOOD'S OR 
WILSON'S PROPAGANDA VERY OFTEN.

J  :]

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