[Vision2020] real economic development in Moscow

[Bruce and Jean Livingston]

Beyond agreeing with your condemnation of name calling, where to start?

Th ice rink?  The City Supervisor, the City Attorney and the Mayor were the 
problem, not the Council.  The Council didn't want to issue a cease and 
desist order, and Linda and Aaron and others on the council are working hard 
to find an in-town location that works for the rink and already approved a 
long term conditional use permit for as long as the County will allow.  And 
if I recall, Bill Lambert was on the Mayor's side on this one, and in my 
opinion, they both followed the attorneys lead.

The handling of the trees around the mall?  Does that mean you side with the 
mall, the organization that flaunted the law, cut down trees when not 
allowed to do so and destroyed the natural buffer screening that had been 
required in order for them to exist in the first place?  More favoring of 
businesses regardless what the law says?  Special privilege non-enforcement 
of the law, for big monied commercial outfits, eh Jeff?

Meddling with Whitman County?  You mean, worrying about our water, our 
businesses and traffic congestion in the corridor, and havign the gall to 
say "here is how this project effects us"?

The effort to go around state protocols regarding firearms?  You mean 
writing a letter to the Attorney General and asking what right, if any, the 
City had to keep armed citizens out of contentious public meetings?

The big retail store decisions?  You mean passing a "big box" ordinance that 
required huge stores to do traffic impact studies so that we could evaluate 
the impact of their siting request on the neighborhoods around the proposed 
development?  Or do you mean the dark store and size cap ardinances that 
were NOT passed?

Removing as chair of a commission a 15 year volunterr?  You mean removing as 
chair, a man who refused to conduct open meetings on tv, even after 
instructed that he must do so by the City Attorney?  Removing the man who 
wouldn't give the ice rink the hearings that were needed to have a 
conditional use permit?  Removing someone who was rude beyond belief to 
ordinary citizens at hearings?

the third st. decision?  I sure do recall that.  The one that would have 
bissected the town and put in a boulevard on Third St. and destroyed our 
showcase street and the ambience of East City Park?  Glad I see where you 
stand on that.

Worrying about our downtown and religious institutions?  You mean having the 
temerity to consider the Comprehensive Plan and the fact that downtown is 
supposed to be pedestrian friendly, retail or professional offices?  Nobody 
is the least bit concerned about people with religious convictions buying 
commercial property in the downtown for commercial, retail purposes.  Or do 
you mean worrying about parking and requiring it from an educational 
institution, NSA, that was allowed there against the zoning code in the 
first place, but was given an amended code to be allowed to stay, provided 
they provided a portion of their parking?

You're Wayne Krauss' treasurer, right?  How many of these positions of 
Council's that we are supposed to recall does he think were wrong?

Bruce Livingston


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jeff Harkins" <jeffh at moscow.com>
To: "Joe Campbell" <joekc at adelphia.net>; <vision2020 at moscow.com>
Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2007 12:34 PM
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] real economic development in Moscow


> Joe, I do not appreciate my honesty being called into question simply
> because we disagree on selected issues.  It is a very disingenuous
> tactic that you and your political allies use to obfuscate the
> issues.  It is unbecoming of you and very "anti-intellectual".  I
> would have presumed that you would not resort to such
> behaviors.  Perhaps it is because you have nothing else to offer and
> can only resort to name calling.
>
> If you disagree with me, fine - state your case, I'll state mine -
> and we will move on.
>
> As to the topic we were engaged in, "No Joe", you appear to have a
> significantly different view about our local government.
>
> Let's take a close look at what the council has done (and not done) -
> here is a sampling:
>
> Remember the ice rink decisions - and the impact on the hundreds of
> ice rink users.
>
> Remember the posturing for "no development in the corridor"  - which
> has resulted in significant friction with our neighbors to the West.
>
> Remember the handling of the removal of Mr. Jon Wheaton from his 15
> years of volunteer service on Board of Adjustment.  Local government
> can certainly make changes in positions, but to "fire" a volunteer,
> just because he has a different opinion?
>
> Remember the WalMart and big retail store decisions.
>
> Remember all the rhetoric concerning the development of the 77 acre
> Thompson property - are you proud of how that was handled?
>
> Remember the 3rd Street decisions - and the fact that folks living on
> D St and 6th Street have been waiting for years for their quality of
> life to improve (and their traffic to abate some) - a clear example
> of protect the few and punish the many.
>
> Remember the New Cities Vision - thousands of tax dollars to obtain a
> recommendation that Moscow should have high rise apartments and
> condos in downtown - and oh, downtown visitors should also have an
> unobstructed view of the surrounding countryside.
>
> Remember the fight with the County over who should manage the impact
> zone and the City's position on that - a rather clear end run around
> state protocols.
>
> Remember the effort to bring firearm bans to Moscow - another effort
> to go around state protocols.
>
> Remember the handling of the trees around the Moscow Mall.
>
> Need I mention all the angst over selected religious organizations
> and their occupancy of downtown spaces.
>
> Remember the decisions about whether we could cooperate with Whitman
> County in sharing in development of shared government services
> (utilities, fire, security) in the corridor.
>
> Recall the decision on "living wages"?
>
> Granted, you will no doubt favor the actions that the council took on
> several of these issues (the issues are necessarily philosophical and
> ideological in tenor).  But the fact is that each of these decisions
> casts a cloud on some aspect of economic development.  If you are
> persuaded that their actions were appropriate, then you are espousing
> "anti-growth" and "anti-development" sentiments.  And contributing to
> the view that Moscow is "anti-business" and "anti-growth".
>
>
> At 07:55 AM 10/25/2007, you wrote:
>>The real question, Jeff, is now that BJ has responded to your
>>question will you
>>read it and take note of it or will you continue to spread the lie
>>of anti-growth
>>just to get some of your friends elected?
>>
>>I'm betting the latter!
>>
>>Best, Joe
>>
>>------------------------------
>>
>>Message: 5
>>Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2007 21:15:57 -0700
>>From: Jeff Harkins <jeffh at moscow.com>
>>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] real economic development in Moscow
>>To: bjswan at moscow.com, vision2020 at moscow.com
>>Message-ID: <200710250416.l9P4GBfJ070204 at mail-gw.fsr.net>
>>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
>>
>>Perhaps Ms. Swanson would provide us with a list of the economic
>>development accomplishments of the current city government.
>>
>>
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