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JOURNALEDITORIAL
Mason County senior association relocation makes perfect sense
We hope that the Mason -- and the rest of the downtown things stand. ~hrough the City of Shelton. to this project -- PUD 3 wins,
County Seniors Activi- Shelton business community. The group has launched a Most of the rest of the funding is Mason County seniors win and
ties Association is able Local seniors began talking fundraising campaign to raiselikely to come from private dona- the City of Shelton wins. MCSAA
to pull off its plans to purchase about that possibility almost as the estimated $2 million needed tions, has been growing ever since its
the Mason County PUD 3 head- soon as PUD 3 decided to build a to purchase and renovate the PUD 3 is set to begin its relo- inception in 1981 and shows no
quarters in downtown Shelton. new Johns Prairie headquarters, buildings. About $700.000 of that cation process as early as next signs of letup. Shaw describes
We think they would be great Those initial whispers have only total would go toward renova-month and MCSAA has an op- the current senior population
neighbors for us -- the building grown and last week MCSAA Ex-tions and MCSAA has already tion on the downtown propertyas a "Silver Tsunami." Here's to
sits across the street from the ecutive Director Terri Shaw gave applied for a $1 million corn- that is good until July. hoping that the tidal wave lands
Shelton-Mason County Journal an in-depth briefing on wheremunity development block grant There really is no downside at the corner of Third and Cota.
LETTERSTOTHEEDITOR
to the road department op-
2 pensions crating engineers.
Effective January 1,
aren't better 2010 through December 31,
2010, Mason County's con-
than I tributioninto the Western
Conference of Teamsters
Pension Trust Fund is an
Editor, the Journal amount equal to sixty-five
The county's 2010 fi- cents ($0.65) per hour for
uancial statements are each hour for which com-
interesting reading. Most pensation is paid to ap-
citizens would understand praisers in the Assessor's
that all full-time county Office.
employees are covered Effective January 1,
by a state-run pension 2010 through December 31,
plan. I believe this plan 2010, Mason County's con-
to be a very good plan, tribution into the Western
the same as is provided Conference of Teamsters
to state government em- Pension Trust Fund is an
ployees. Why, then, haveamount equal to fifty cents
county taxpayers paid an($0.50) per hour for each
additional $500,000-plushour for which compensa-
during the past nine years tion is paid to members of
for the same employees to the General Services and
receive a second pensionDetention offices."
managed by the Team- Expenditures obtained
sters? How many private through public disclosure,
employers offer two paidexcept for the Assessor's
pensions? unit, which must be esti-
According to the annual mated due to their unique
report, the Mason Countyprocessing in payroll (8
fiscal year ended Dec. 31, staffx $0.65 x 2,040 hours
2010. The information isper year):
available online at http://
wei.secstate.wa.gov/mason/ Actual all other units:
FinancialServices/Pages/2003 .................... $44,847.60
FinancialServices.aspx, 2004 .................... $45,819.53
Here are pages 39 and 2005 .................... $52,500.89
40: 2006 .................... $57,150.21
"Effective January 1, 2007 .................... $74,893.48
2010 through December 31 ....... 2008~,...:.:.,,.,.~,,. $99,919.30
2010, Mason County's con- 12009 ............... ,:... $79,279.35
tribution"into the Western 20i0~, ....... :i:":iL..: $72,484.94
Conference of Teamsters 2011 ........... ~.:.: .... $67,508.21
Pension Trust Fund is anTotal ................. $594,403.51
amount equal to $2.50
per hour for each hour for Estimated Assessors:
which compensation is paid 2003 .................... $10,608.00
to the road department per- 2004 .................... $10,608.00
sonnel. 2005 .................... $10,608.00
Effective January 1, 2006 .................... $10,608.00
2010 through December 31, 2007 .................... $10,608.00
2010, Mason County's con- 2008 .................... $10,608.00
tribution into the Western 2009 ........ . ........... $10,608.00
Conference of Teamsters2010 ...... .............. $10,608.00
Pension Trust Fund is an 2011 .................... $10,608.00
amount equal to $1.90 Total ................... $95,472.00
per hour for each hour for
which compensation is paid Teamsters Union
Pension Fund County
expenditure; total
annual cost:
2003 .................... $55,455.60
2004 .................... $56,427.53
2005 .................... $63,108.89 to
2006 .................... $67,758.21
2007 .................... $85,501.48 of local
2008 .................. $110,527.30
2009 .................... $89,88735
2010 .................... $83,092.94 should provide
2011 .................... $78,116.21
Total ................. $689,875.51 for the Journa]:
M. J. Hrbacek
Shelton
wait-and-see-what-happens
Wait-and- solution has not worked
well for the county in the
past? I am quite concerned
see that he would advocate us-
ing this approach yet again.
annroach i certainly hope that the
taxpayers of Mason County
....; would not be ultimately
U
n
$e
VVI
responsible for footing the
costs of any lawsuits stem-
Editor, the Journal ming from these hasty er-
At the Jan. 31 Belfair rots.
county commission meet-
ing, several questions were Jennifer Hines
asked, including who would Belfair
be financially responsible
for the judgmel~ts, attor-
ney~" [bes and court costs A different
when Belfair residents
bring suit for the unlawful
entry on their property by k i nd of
the county to install sewer
hardware, biomass
Apparently in the plan-
ning and execution of the
sewer installation, there threat
were several instances
where hardware was in- Editor, the Journal
stalled on private property This short session of the
without first obtaining an Legislature has just begun
easement, condemnation and many bills attempt to
or even written permission circumvent hard-won envi-
from the owners, ronmental protections. In-'
After the meeting, Corn- dustry is taking advantage
missioner Tim Sheldon of a sluggish economy to
commented that, "Just say they need less regula-
because someone files suit tion, I believe we can have
does not necessarily mean pollution-lYee prosperity,
that they will win." as evidenced by the many
Perhaps a small heads- new companies investing in
up should be given to Com- wind, solar, wave and other
missioner Sheldon that this new energy technologies.
ESB 5575, to which our development and imple-
own Sen. Tim Sheldon has mentation. Such invest-
signed offon, adds catego- ments are likely to stop if
ries of materials that can the utilities can purchase
be considered eligible en- cheaper power from old
ergy sources, but includes plants burning toxic mate-
some very iffy stuff." animal rials.
waste (does that include On Jan. 12, The Olym-
dead animals?) and con- pian ran two stories side by
struction waste, excluding side. In the first, "Homicide
treated lumber (who sorts no longer a top cause of
out the treated from the death," cancer is reported
untreated at a construction to be the second-most fre-
or demolition site?), black quent cause and respira-
liquor from pulp produc- tory disease is third. (The
tion (full of heavy metals role air and water pollution
and other bad stuff) and play in these two diagnoses
others, is incontrovertible). In the
It also rolls back the second story, "Power plants
1-937 voter mandate for worst warmers, says EPA,"
power plants built from the article reported that
1999 on as eligible for en- power plants released 72
ergy credits to include ear- percent of the greenhouse
lier plants. These are old gases reported to the En-
plants with poor pollution vironmental Protection
controls. There are no new Agency. And, the power
filters, controls or require- plants do the counting ar/d
ments for these old, pollut- reporting, let's hope they
ing power plants and they ~re accurate and honest
don't answer in the same though I, for one, am skep-
way to the Washington tical about this "fox guard-
Utilities and Transporta- ing the henhouse" approach
tion Committee (WUTC) as to measuring pollution.
is currently required. So, I urge voters to reject
there will be less oversight ESB 5575 by contacting
for the pre-1999 plants, their legislators and Sen.
According to the North Brian Hatfield, who is the
West Environmental Coali- Chair of the Agriculture
tion, $7 billion has come Committee, which is hear-
into Washington state since ing this bill.
the voters endorsed 1-937
in 2006 by way of clean, Constance Simpson, RN
renewable energy research, Shelton
GUESTCOLUMN
Watershed restoration
hould continue to b
My family started oyster
and shellfish farming here
more than 100 years ago.
Today I am proud to carry on this
/amily business with my brother.
'Fne two of us hope it will thrive for
another 100 years and beyond. A
healthy Puget
Sound is the
linchpin to that
dream, and we
cannot have a
healthy Puget
Sound without
protecting and
..... ~ .i'ii restoring the
watersheds that
drain into it.
Hood Canal is
home to the two
largest hatcher-
By BILL
TAYLOR
ies that supply seed to the West
Coast shellfish industry, including
mine. These hatcheries directly
support more than 150 local jobs
and many more if you include
those in related industries such as
processing, sales and shipping. Pro-
tecting and restoring the Olympic
Peninsula's watersheds ensures
cold, clean, silt-free water will
continue to flow into Puget Sound.
Without such protections, our in-
dustry would not be able to grow,
expand or continue to benefit the
economy and ecology of Washing-
ton State. Healthy Peninsula wa-
tersheds play a critical role toward
a prosperous shellfish industry and
rural economy.
Recently, there had been great
success in watershed restoration
through partnerships such as the
Skokomish Watershed Action Team
decommission or convert to trails
old, failing logging roads on Olympic
National Forest that were washing
hundreds of tons of silt and gravel
downstream into the Skokomish
River Valley, threatening fal'm-
lands, salmon habitat and oyster
beds in Hood Canal. Thankfully,
SWAT and the money invested in
their efforts have made enormous
progress in fixing tbds problem.
Now we need to safeguard these
investments through permanent
protection of the intact, healthy
parts of the watershed upstream.
That's why I have actively partici-
pated in the Wild Olympics Cam-
paign's process to develop a plan to
protect upper watersheds on Olym-
pic National Forest and why I sup-
port the proposed wilderness and
(SWAT). This public, private and Wild and Scenic designations.
tribal collaboration has worked to The announcement last month
by U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and U.S.
Rep. Norm Dicks of"a path for-
ward" to protect these special places
represents the culmination of hun-
dreds of meetings and discussions,
including a series of public work-
shops that were held last month.
Throughout this open and transpar-
ent community process Murray and
Dicks have paid careful attention to
details. Their plan will not close any
public access roads used for enjoy-
ing our public lands and they have
carefully drawn the lines to make
sure the proposal does not impact
future timber harvests. Count me
among those who strongly support
their vision for protection of our re-
maining ancient forests and rivers
as critical to restoring and main-
taining the health of Puget Sound.
I was lucky to grow up explor-
ing and enjoying the wildlands of
a priority
the Olympic Peninsula. I believe
the wilderness and wild and scenic
river designations that are part of
the drafL congressional proposal
are crucial toward ensuring both
the health of our watersheds and
the protection of our quality recre-
ational opportunities. Whether for
our livelihoods or our passions such
as hiking, hunting or fishing, the
peninsula's natural treasures are
an enduring resource. Working to
ensure future generations are guar-
anteed the same experiences that I
had in my youth is a no-brainer.
I applaud Dicks and Murray
for their leadership and action on
this issue. Hundreds of jobs and
the future of our shellfish industry
depend on it.
Bill Taylor is president of Taylor
Shellfish Company.
SheltoniMason CounW :
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Page A-4 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, February 9, 2012