Speed Bumps: Steve Bauer + 630 Signatures + Six Months = No Change

August 25 will mark six months to the day from the County Board of Commissioners meeting at which Steve Bauer and Jan Angel were presented with over 600 signatures on a petition demanding that the speed bumps be removed. (Josh Brown was busy with something more important that evening and thus was not present).

What has Commissioner Bauer done in response? Well, as one who has been involved in the front lines of the fight, I can say that he has exhibited very little willingness to talk straight with people who are against the bumps, and has repeatedly failed to respond to straightforward inquiries regarding his role in the process that got the bumps installed, his bias in favor of the bumps, and his scheme for trying to defuse the issue and make the problem go away.

But - Bauer has at least made it clear that he does not care what the majority of Hansville citizens think about the bumps. He has ignored emails asking whether he will respect a majority vote of the affected residents/owners as to whether the bumps should stay or go. In fact, at an April 23 meeting, he very clearly stated that he was not going to remove the bumps simply because a huge majority of people wanted them gone.

So, Bauer has reverted to a proven technique that government and public agencies rely on all the time: death by meeting. Bauer and his lieutenant, County employee Ann Blair, have rolled out a plan for endless meetings, with no clear outcomes, and with no commitment by Bauer or the Commissioners to do anything when the meetings are all over. Bauer's game plan is the famous "Four Ds" of using procedure to kill something off - an endless series of meetings and "process" designed to "delay, defuse, discourage, and defeat." For a guy who took the position - publicly - that the bumps needed broad community support before they were put in, he has certainly changed his tune. Now, he accepts them as valid, and has placed the burden on those opposed to the bumps - the majority - to somehow "satisfy" the pro-bumpers' needs (as defined by the pro-bumpers) before Bauer will even consider doing anything at all.

The series of meetings that Bauer set up to try to fend off the speed bump critics has been a sorry exhibition of much that is wrong with today's trends du jour in management theory and organizational development. First, nobody will actually be responsible for making a decision and taking the heat for it. Instead, somehow, the people of Hansville - if they just go to enough meetings and talk enough about validating each other's core principles and personal needs, etc., etc. - will end up agreeing on everything. That way, the non-decision maker (Bauer) simply stands aside, lets everyone have a lovefest, and in the end pats himself on the back for guiding everyone along such a successful path to personal fulfillment and harmony. After all, as Bauer has stated publicly, he does not want to choose a winner and loser. Well, OK, but I thought that was a core function of any governmental official, especially an elected one: making the decision between two opposing views, and letting the chips fall where they may.

Instead, Bauer wants the two opposing camps to simply continue to bludgeon each other until one side or the other calls it quits. That is not a recipe for happiness in Hansville. Bauer and the pro-bumpers have already been surprised by the scope, intensity, and depth of the opposition to their bumps, and by now they would presumably understand that the speed bump opponents will not be going quietly into that dark night.

And, more to the point, Bauer is picking a winner: the speed bumps. Every day that he keeps them in place, while endless meetings with no defined outcome take place, he is picking a winner. Rather than treat the bumps as the unwarranted and unsupported deviation that they are, recognizing the mistake made in putting them in, and then promptly taking them out - thus returning everyone to the pre-mistake setting - Bauer is treating them as though they belong there. For Bauer to claim that he is not picking a winner is simply disingenuous.

Second, some of the meetings have been so condescending to Hansville's citizens that it makes you wonder what the County people were thinking, or if they were thinking at all. Therese Reilly wrote an excellent review of the big April 23 meeting, at which we were treated to a Sheriff who was there to compare the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to the death and destruction that would occur in Hansville if the bumps weren't there - oh, and who also mentioned that a few of his deputies were there to "keep the peace" because of concerns about tempers getting out of hand at the meeting. Puh-leez, Sheriff. And, there was Kreskin the Fire Chief, who somehow tested things without testing them . . . .

The last big meeting on June --- was a doozy. Adult citizens of Hansville were subjected to a lecture from a rather agitated Ann Blair about how things were going to be done - and then proceeded to put little sticky dots on some paper on the wall. If this sounds like 3rd grade to you - well, that's about what it felt like in the crowd. Another highlight was her explanation that when someone votes for a solution, they won't know what they are voting for because a smaller group will later decide what the proposal meant, and craft something that they think is appropriate.

So, there will be more meetings, more committees, more emails about working as a team and listening to our hearts so that we can move forward with a cohesive mission that validates all of our core values and achieves a new paradigm of community love, and - critically - more time spent by people to whom time is precious, doing work that will very likely be ingnominiously flushed down the nearest receptacle by Steve Bauer.

Because I think Bauer already knows what the outcome of all this tail-chasing is. He just isn't telling you and me.

Hansville Redneck? Or Lawn Mower Assailant?

Well, maybe both! This must be the kind of guy that those GHAAC members are concerned about. If we could only dress him up in some nice Ralph Lauren togs, give him a haircut, Blackberry, and a BMW - and perhaps a bath - then he would be just the kind of "professional" that GHAAC says it wants to attract to Hansville! Maybe he could even be appointed as a County Commissioner some day . . .

OK, OK - he's not really from Hansville, and maybe that's a good thing. Otherwise, GHAAC would need to form a Firearms Safety and Lawn Equipment Protection Committee, known as the FSLEPC, to take aggressive action to keep Hansville safe.

Sandra LaCelle for County Commissioner, Position 1

It was bad enough for Hansville citizens when the county's Democratic party leaders (I use the term loosely) decided to saddle us with Steve Bauer as an unelected commissioner to take the place of Chris Endresen. Endresen was responsible for the speed bumps that were installed in Hansville without broad community support and without meaningful notice and input from the community as a whole. Bauer, of course, was a pro-bumper and has been a key figure in the hostile takeover of Hansville by the GHAAC in 2007, when the County agreed to let a small, self-appointed group of people be the official "voice of all Hansville" (and Eglon, etc. as well) in all dealings with the County, and officially committed to helping that group achieve their "mandated GHA goals."

Bauer has proven to be completely unresponsive to people who do not agree with his pre-set agenda for Hansville (speed bumps included), and has revealed a remarkable lack of candor and openness when it comes to hard questions about his background, biases, and decision making processes regarding the speed bumps. While he is surely a golden boy appointee for the small group of people who are getting what they want from his new position, he has been a disaster for those who want to see transparency, accountability, and responsibility in County government, and for everyone in Hansville who thinks that they are quite capable of communicating with the County on their own and do not need the GHAAC to think and act for them.

As the deadline to file for candidacy in this fall's election approached, it looked bad for Hansville - nobody was filing to run against Bauer, and it appeared that he was going to get a free ride in the fall elections, Hansville being the Democratic Party country that it is. But shortly before the deadline, Sandra LaCelle, a Poulsbo attorney, filed to run against Bauer. She is running as a Republican.

Now, after two terms of Dubyah and his criminal enterprise, I had sworn I would never vote for a Republican candidate, no matter what the office. But one should never say never - and when given the choice between Steve Bauer and Sandra LaCelle, this is an easy call: VOTE LACELLE! My initial investigation of LaCelle and her approach to the commissioner's job has led me to conclude that a vote for her is a vote for someone who will bring the transparency, accountability, financial discipline, and responsiveness to all Hansville citizens that Bauer has failed to deliver. Yes, she is a Republican (and for those in Hansville who tend to vote GOP, that is fine), but I do not see the commissioner's job as being a particularly partisan seat. And it is hard for me to see how she could possibly be worse for Hansville than the divisive, polarizing, ultra-biased Steve Bauer. So, I will be just one of many Hansville Democrats voting for Sandra LaCelle.

For more information on Sandra LaCelle, check out both www.sandraclacelle.googlepages.com and www.lacellelaw.com.

Why Such Unrest?

Over the past many months I have given a great deal of thought as to why Hansville has become so divided. The speed tables are the issue that have brought to light the GHAAC, it's structure and conduct, and eventually the Greater Hansville Sign controversy. I believe that most of the hardworking volunteers who make up the GHAAC truely do not grasp why there are people in the community who do not agree with what they are doing or how they conduct their business. The following analogy may shed some light for them.

Once upon a time a group of volunteers got together in a small town called Hansville. They worked together and came up with a preferred future for their community. They got input from about 15% of the population and drew up a plan based on that input and their own analysis. One of their concerns was that the community was served by only two roads and thousands of people had to use those small roads to access their homes. They worked to have these roads improved and widened so that the majority of the towns population could have easier access. They know that the people living along those two roads might not be very happy, but they did live on collector distributor roads, and their inconvenience was a small price to pay for the betterment of the overall community.

The group working to have the roads widened and improved did have to be careful about how much information they let out about their project as they worked up their proposal. They had to manage public perception of the issues and they also had to garner the support of county officials. This was easy to do - they had a close relationship with their current commissioner, who was planning to leave office and therefore could afford to help them out and not be around later to suffer the political fallout.

They group prevailed and the road was widened. The neighbors who lived along it were caught off guard and could not believe that a small group of their fellow citizens could plan their future, alter the infra-structure of their town, and lower their quality of life all in an effort to maintain the "livability" of Hansville. To them the town was now less livable. One member of the group was even appointed county commissioner to replace the one who quit. This appointment made it difficult for those opposed to the road widening.

So the town became divided. Neighbors were mad at neighbors and a lack of respect and understanding prevailed in the town. Citizens who were spoke out against the community volunteers were branded as dissenters and their efforts to make sure the town was managed in a democratic fashion were branded as trouble making. They were now called "Hansvillains".

Policies and decisions about the real Hansville need to take everyone into account. The GHAAC needs to make sure everyone has a chance to be heard, and that communication between the GHAAC and the citizens it represents is truly two-way. When the GHAAC makes decisions, especially if they impact peoples daily lives, they need to take everyone's needs into account. If not, the citizens of Hansville will continued to be divided and the number of "Hansvillains" will continue to grow.

County to Promote Fundamentalist Muslim Summer School?

I'm not sure if that is on the horizon - but we DO know that the County is promoting some kind of Christian bible school this summer, by means of the fancy new Hansville sign at the corner of Eglon Road.

Uhh . . . did anyone stop to think about those possible pesky First Amendment issues? Of course not, because the GHAAC (which, according to its "Operations Manager", Linda Redling, is in charge of the sign) has never bothered to stop and think about how things are different when you are a group cloaked with authority as an arm of County government, as opposed to when you are just a group of people acting in a purely private capacity to try to get goodies from the County.

This will likely turn out to be another "learning experience" for the GHAAC, as they respond with blank stares when somebody asks "Hey, didn't you think about this???" . . . . If you have an opinion on this one way or the other, Linda Redling is your contact, at 638-0007 or email at LR6025@att.com.

Meantime, I will be preparing the sign for my own institution of higher religious learning, Wiegenstein's North Kitsap Madrassa and its upcoming summer school program - free burkahs provided to all girls who attend! Look for the sign coming soon to the Hansville sign location - I'm sure Linda Redling and the GHAAC will gladly agree to put it up, just like they put up the one for the Bible school, right? Of course, people will then have to figure out whether some crazy Jewish guy really is running a Muslim school (how's that for diversity and cross-pollenization?), or if it is merely a long-lapsed Catholic just joking about one. :-)

RURAL REDNECKS

I was shocked and dismayed to read the transcript from the GHAAC meeting held on July 8, 2008. The GHAAC discussed the perception of the community that a poor job has been done in letting residents know who they are, what neighborhood they represent, and how to contact them. The group talks about their concerns in letting the residents of the neighborhoods they represent know who they are and how to contact them. The discussion begins on page 22 of the transcript. On page 24, a GHAAC representative stated, "I vote to associate our names with our representative areas". Another GHAAC representative stated, "I have rural rednecks and I'm not sure". RURAL REDNECKS?! What's really shocking is that not one of the other members of the GHAAC, or the County Representative, Jim Bolger, responded to the use of this "label". These are the leaders of our community that want to speak for the residents of the area? I'm sorry, but the person that made that comment should be removed from the board and an apology should be given to the entire community. We should never condone this type of behavior.

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Speed Bumps . . . But Were Afraid to Ask!

One thing is for sure, you won't get an accurate picture from Hansville's "mainstream media", such as it is. Your best reference source for the whole Hansville speed bump fiasco is the Beep4Bumps site, run by Hansville resident John Hostvedt. Beep4Bumps.com was the original rallying point for Hansville residents who first objected to the bumps and the way they came about, and since those early days John has done a Herculean job of obtaining, posting, and discussing the facts and evidence regarding the bumps. The site has grown with lots of content over time, so it can be a little hard to find just what you're looking for, but in all likelihood it IS there. Does John have an opinion? Sure, and you will definitely see that come through - but even if you don't agree with everything John says, there is a treasure trove of source data and information that puts the pro-bumpers' propaganda to shame.

If you've not yet checked out Beep4Bumps.com, take a look - but be prepared for your blood pressure to go up a little as you unravel the facts behind an (all too typical) example of small-town special interest groups getting cozy with their pals in County government . . .

GHAAC: Sid Knutson Resigns Position

The Greater Hansville Area Advisory Council ("GHAAC") continues to struggle with the problems resulting from the County's decision to make GHAAC the voice of Hansville, and to give it preferred, formal status with the County. I recently posed some questions to Sid Knutson, the GHAAC representative from my neighborhood, and he was not too thrilled with that - or with some other aspects of GHAAC membership. So, on July 10, 2008 he resigned, providing notice to GHAAC chairperson Judith Foritano via email. He attributes his resignation to various causes, but one that he comes through prominently is his irritation with me and others who ask unpleasant questions and/or are critical of GHAAC. Apparently, those of us who are living "outside the Beltway" are supposed to just keep quiet, genuflect, and thank the County and GHAAC for acting on our behalf and making decisions for us.

I have not figured a way yet to post PDF documents on this blog - and perhaps it simply cannot be done - but I can share the correspondence between me and Mr. Knutson if requested by email. Click on my profile (over on the right side of this page) for the address.

A Statement of Basic Principles

Why This Blog Exists: I want to see a more open, thoughtful, and balanced debate and discussion within the community regarding issues affecting the governance and future of Hansville. I do not think I am alone in this desire; indeed, events during the past year make it clear that many people in Hansville have the same desire.

What I Want For Hansville: At the most fundamental level, my goal for Hansville would be to "let Hansville be Hansville." I believe that the great majority of Hansville residents, especially those who have lived here for many years, live in Hansville and treasure the area for what it is and has been, not for what some people like to re-make it to be. The Hansville that I know has always been a quiet, easygoing community where people tend to mind their own business, not impose their views or desires on others, and where the Kitsap County government has generally operated with a modest, unobtrusive presence, and a light touch.

The Means and Process of Political Dialogue Within the Hansville Community Must Expand and Improve: For decades, what little local governance Hansville required was typically worked out through evening meetings at somebody's home or a community center, publicized (if that is the right word) to the Hansville citizenry at large by means of sandwich board signs on a street corner, or perhaps a mention in the once monthly Hansville Log. Sometimes a flyer posted on the bulletin board of Hansville Grocery, or a rumor exchanged over a cup of coffee while waiting in line at the post office, served to help inform Hansville residents of activities and issues in their community.

I submit that those mechanisms are no longer adequate, if indeed they ever were. It is one thing to entrust to such mechanisms decisions such as which flowers ought to be planted at the Hansville Cemetery this spring; the menu for the annual Pancake Breakfast at Hansville Community Center; the drop off dates for the Rummage Sale at Hansville Community Center; or even, perhaps, discussions about development and improvement of the Greenway Trail network. But those mechanisms and means of dialogue are no longer adequate, and cannot be adequate, for meaningful debate and dialogue about more fundamental, and potentially divisive, issues pertaining to Hansville's governance.

Decisions relating to traffic and road network policy, development of public parks in the area, zoning and infrastructure changes, and coordinated efforts at developing a more vibrant business district within "downtown" Hansville all require a more open, accessible, and inclusive dialogue process. They also demand that involved and concerned citizens be afforded easy, open access to source information and documents, so that political dialogue and decisions can be driven by facts and objectively verifiable information, rather than second or third-hand hearsay from somebody who happened to be at a meeting at somebody's garage last week, or the sketchy, incomplete, and probably inaccurate minutes of a meeting held by one committee or another.

Transparency and accountability are everything - and I hope that this blog will be a force, however modest, for significantly advancing the level of both within Hansville.

The Greater Hansville Area Advisory Council - Friend or Foe? One of my primary concerns is that the County has abdicated, and will continue to abdicate, its responsibility to listen to all of the citizens of the Hansville area, and to make decisions of political governance based on a fair and comprehensive assessment of those competing viewpoints. Our current un-elected commissioner, Steve Bauer, and his predecessor Chris Endresen, are the two people primarily responsible for this dangerous trend.

The primary example of the County's action in this regard is its June 2007 decision to "officially recognize" a body known as the Greater Hansville Area Advisory Council (GHAAC), as constituting the "primary voice" of the Hansville community, and the primary - and perhaps, if truth be known, sole - source of input to the County for political decision making affecting the Hansville area. The governing documents of the GHAAC, and its conduct in purporting to speak for the residents of the Hansville area, clearly establish that it is a non-democratic organization, providing superior and disproportionate representation to specific, self-selecting individuals and groups, while disregarding the voices and needs of a majority of the citizens of the Hansville area.

The Bedrock Principles -- Consent by the Governed, and One Person, One Vote: Should governance of Hansville remain at the Kitsap County level? Or, should local government be formed for the Hansville area, to afford greater responsiveness and effectiveness in meeting the future needs of Hansville and its citizens? I do not profess to know the right answer to this question. But, regardless of where Hansville's government is located, I stand by the bedrock principles on which the political system of our state, and indeed our nation, were founded: that those who shall be governed by a government must consent to be governed by that government, and that within that governance structure, the rule of "one person, one vote" must control. There is no other way to create and maintain over the long term an involved, democratic, representative governmental structure.

What I Hope to See from People Who Post on This Blog: Again, this blog is not intended to adhere to any specific political creed, nor is it meant to support any particular substantive political objective for the Hansville area and its citizens. In the course of future dialogue and discussion hereI simply ask that persons involved in that debate adhere to the following basic principles, which I believe will benefit everyone in the Hansville area.

1. I ask that you speak with attribution. If it is important enough for you to say it to your fellow citizens in the Hansville area and government representatives, it is important enough for you to put your name to it. BUT - I also understand that some people may feel uncomfortable, for whatever reasons, with giving their names out in connection with a particular comment or issue.
2. Be respectful, and understanding of the fact that in virtually every topic of debate, reasonable persons can have differing opinions. You can disagree, quite forcefully if you wish, but still maintain a professional tone.
3. Whenever and wherever possible, supply verifiable factual information, from primary sources if at all possible, so that others interested in your thoughts can look for themselves at the factual information on which you rely.
4. No commercial content, advertising, etc. -- this blog is a forum for political dialogue and discussion, not for people to plug their own commercial or financial interests.
   

Thanks for reading - I look forward to hearing from you.

Welcome to the Hansville Blog!

Welcome! This is my first attempt at "blogging" so I expect it to be a learning process.

This blog is intended to be a means to disseminate information, analysis, and commentary on the goings-on in Hansville, Washington - a nice little community in the north end of Kitsap County that has been experiencing growing pains and, more significant, some real problems with governance at both the County level and in the way that small special interest groups affect things at the local level.

My hope is that Hansville area residents will take the opportunity to gather information here, consider the commentary and analysis, and offer their own thoughts and analysis as to the issues affecting Hansville today. I am confident that Hansville will benefit from a vigorous debate on issues of current interest, and from a forum where true exchange of information and ideas takes place, even if people disagree on issues or are occasionally aggravated - or even offended - by someone else's viewpoint.