Part of Lakewood’s $55,503 grant to treat problem gamblers was used to buy one or more Sea-Doo’s to patrol Lake Steilacoom. Public Disclosure Request (PDR) documents [(2012-2013) and (2013-2014)] recently obtained from the City of Lakewood reveal this and other less-than-admirable outcomes of a unanimous vote by the Lakewood City Council on August 6, 2012 […]
To Ponder
Westside Story – Election Reflection
November 4, 2014, Election Day, has come and gone.
I remember middle school elections of the 1950s. Candidates made posters. Candidates made “Vote for me” paper badges for their supporters. Little effort was expended determining which candidates were most qualified. It was a silly juvenile popularity contest based on superficial issues such as who had the best posters.
As I reflect on elections in my adult life, it appears to me that not much has changed. Today’s elections are still much like middle school; silly and juvenile.
Letter: Lie to me
Good news: “Many app-makers are experimenting with software that can analyze someone’s emotions or honesty just by a few facial cues.”
Bad news: The app wasn’t available for elections just completed.
Letter: Getting a Handle on Toilets and Governments
The City of Lakewood has responded to our long-standing complaint about traffic in Tillicum. I’ll get back to that in a minute.
The genius of government – even genie of government – is that the “guiding spirit” (genius) and the genie (the one exiting the lamp) both serve the one calling it forth.
Letter: Pretending to be what you’re not
Going as a clay pot this Halloween? Probably not. How ordinary after all. Commonplace. Seen one clay pot, seen ‘em all. But a clay pot disguised – and distinguished – as something special, valuable, coated say with a thin veneer of silver, now that’s sayin’ somethin’!
Westside Story – Downton Abbey
Are you a fan of the globally popular TV series, Downton Abbey?
I know Downton Abbey sounds like a show for the gals, but Downton Abbey can grab a guy’s interest on multiple levels such as scenery, architecture, costumes, history, characters, story lines, classic cars and historical employment rolls.
Letter: Don’t get burned this burn ban season
If you are the Deputy Mayor of Puyallup and your tenant conducts an illegal marijuana grow operation, are you liable? No.
If you receive a photo-enforcement notice of a traffic infraction in Lakewood and you, as the registered owner of the offending vehicle, allege you were not the driver, must you identify who was behind the wheel at the time of the photograph? No.
Westside Story – Infomercial #2
Being retired is great, but living on a fixed income can be challenging. To combat the downside, I have established a brand new business called Boyle Innovative Products or B. I. P. My business plan includes designing and selling ingenious products you will not find in your local brick and mortar stores.
Letter: Fife’s future foolishly follows gambling’s financial flow
They were against it before they were for it.
As the month of this past February wound down, the Fife City Council was unanimously thumbs up in its opposition to new casinos. Now in recent days – almost exactly eight months later – gambling is A-OK if located in AAA-rated hotels.