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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
May 12, 2011     Shelton Mason County Journal
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May 12, 2011
 
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COLUMN EDITORIAL Good news sports fans! Those of you with 24 hours worth of free time to spare each and eve~week can keep up with Mason County government. Under new rules adopted last week, the county com- missioners can meet at anytime between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Some of the meetings will be announced beforehand and include agendas, while some of the meetings will be like, well, surprise parties! Wanna know when the commissioners may or not meet on one of those three days. No problem! Just show up for the alloted eight hours on each of the first three days of every week. Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy! P.S. Be sure to bring a paperbag lunch or somesuch in case the commissioners want to get together over the noon hour. • • • This is my recurring nightmare: A male African lion is begin- ning to move toward me, across a small patch of dirt yard. Knowing that all of his 600 pounds of muscle, claws, teeth and terror will soon be upon me I watch as he accelerates with every step and I turn to the ramshack- le house in my dream, hoping to make it safely in- side. When I cross the threshold and slam the door I can still see him com- ing, now in full TOM charge, because MULLEN there is only a screen door and it bounces with a bang and the lion leaps toward me. The lion, I have come to believe in my waking hours, is my ego. Sigmund Freud would have called him my Id. That is, my will to live that supersedes all my other de- sires. He will devour me if I let him and in my dreams it appears I have no choice. When I was young enough to have a mentor I was told things like "real newspapermen have no ! friends" and "never stop doubting your own beliefs" and "we have nothing to fear from the truth." These platitudes are meant to keep the ego in check, the lion at bay. If you start to believe that your work is somehow special, that you are the righteous protector of the citizenry, that it is some kind of mission from God, then you doom yourself to be eaten by the lion - and then you become the lion. If I am to believe the good things people say about my work as a newspaperman, then I must also believe the bad and so I have learned to take little stock in ei- ther. Today I was reminded of a time when that wasn't so, when the lion ruled my psyche. A potential advertiser com- plained to someone (not me) that they would not support the news- paper because of the way we had failed to adequately cover one sto- ry or that we were too harsh in ottr coverage of another story. Any criticism of how a reporter covers a particular story is inher- ently fair because it is subjective in nature - just as the reporter's hearing and re-telling of that story is subjective, so that rarely bothers me. The threat of losing potential we don't want to lose your adver- advertising bothers me because tising but the only reason to spend I've got to eat but I must, in good money with us is because youql conscience, push those emotions make more money by doing it.~ aside if I am to maintain any cred- But I let the lion win that day ibility. To allow an advertiser to and maybe he's winning now as I dictate the content of any story is write. a lose/lose proposition. The only Today I also had the singu- reason this newspaper has existed lar pleasure of interviewing Bill longer than just about every other Ohrman. The Drummond artist's business in town is because gen- work is a treasure of truth and eratious of readers have come to talent that surrounds engulfs the trust that those people charged viewer. with the care of their paper will He told me a story about a man not be ruled by the man with the whom he thought to be a Saudi. most gold. The story was spurred perhaps And if we allow our advertisers by my questions on the killing of to dictate the content of our stories Osama bin Laden. then we give them their advertis- Bill hesitated in telling the ing for free - meaning we have story because he too tries to keep nothing to sell them. the lion at bay and I apologize to But here is what bothered me him here for retelling it because I then and bothers me still: "I don't know he wouldn't want me to. want to support the paper..." After viewing Bill's work the Well guess what? I don't want Saudi bowed deeply to him several support. When I first heard that times and when their eyes finally line it was from a cafe owner and met Bill could see tears streaming I was insulted enough to fire right down the Saudi's face. back. The truth in Bill's work had "How would you feel," I que- touched the man deeply and re- ried, "if I told you the only reason vealed for Bill, and me and now I come to this restaurant and eat you, the humanity that we all your food is because I want our share. town to have a cafe?" And sometimes the truth is What I had been schooled to say painful but I wasn't taught to hide was more along the lines of "look, it. TO EDITOR can accommodate 300 more prisoners. Are we lucky, or what? incinerator What's a "Prison Recep- tion Center" you say? Well, would trade ,,,s kind of like boot camp for new prisoners. Yeah, I health know, but it sounds alot o u r better than an "Indoctrina- tionCenter," and makes everybody feel a little better for profits about what goes oninside. Didn't get the memo? Editor, the Journal Well, the hearing was held Contrary to Mr. Hager's this past Friday evening opinion regarding my state- at the new Public Works ments in a April 2(3 letter building. It wasn't re- have finally snagged a real During the last two budget deficit, which is to the editor, the Olympic ally the best time for most "growth industry," the bad years, while our intelli- primarily the responsibil- Region Clean Air Agency citizens to attend but, no news is that there are now gence agencies were work- ity of the Republicans in : (ORCAA) website shows matter, all the heavy hit- the amount of pollution ters were there trying to more prisoners in our coun- ing on Obama's behest toCongress, on everyone try than there are farmers, capture bin Laden, what but themselves. The Bush produced by each company get the Dept. of Corrections No, I'm not whining about was the Republican part administration inherited in our area, and Simpson/ to pick Mason County over the poor state of our socio- working on? a very nearly balanced Olympic panel are, indeed, the Bremerton or Thurston economic condition; I'm 1. Opposing health care budget from the Clinton the largest air polluters in County sites. One thing merely trying to explain reform. They had no re- administration. During the Mason County. If some- you have to say about our why you can't find a good alistic proposals of their six years in which Repub- body's lying, it isn't me. local officials is that when tomato anymore, unless you own to put forward. Theylicans had a majority in Check out the ORCAA web- it comes to government site Larry. handouts they're right up grow one yourself, had no legitimate basis for Congress they passed tax All this should make you opposing the Affordable cuts for the rich while bor- And no, Mr. Hager, I there at the front of the wonder why we're paying so Health Care Act, which rowing money to fund two am not on the payroll for line. Of course, with a little much money to people who was based on Republican wars. Anyone who can do any environmental orga- initiative it may have been think the key to our future Mitt Remney's healthcarethird grade arithmetic can nization. I work at the possible to persuade a more lies in another prison. Pris- policy for Massachusetts. figure out what that will do hospital as a laboratory suitable business to relo- ons don't really fill me with The Republican opposition to the budget deficit. When scientist. Everyday at work cate to our community, but community pride. And even to the AHCA was based pri- Obama took office he inher- I see people suffering from I guess there's no point in if they did, maybe two of marily on lies. There were ited a budget deficit of near- diseases that are caused going hunting when there's them is a little too much no death panels, the AHCA ly 1.3 trillion dollars creat- and/or exacerbated by a dead deer right there on pride for one community, creates jobs and it isn't a ed by the Republican policy pollution: chronic obstruc- the side of the road. I guess some of us will socialist proposal, of cutting taxes for the rich tive pulmonary disease, I did a little research never be happy with what 2. Promoting voter sup- while hemorrhaging money asthma and heart disease, before attending the hear- the cat dragged in. pression laws. Laws gener- for two wars. Now Repub- to name but a few. It is ing, and even tried to ask Tom Davisated by ALEC, a Republi-licans are proclaiming that a straightforward equa- the DOC guy a question Sheltoncan think tank, which are the deficit (their deficit) is tion an increase in air pol- about jobs. As it turns out, intended to make it harder the most terrible thing ever lution equals an increase in less than 20 percent of the for elderly people, students, to happen to this nation suffering. This is the basis jobs created from building a people who don't have cars and are using their deficit for my "nefarious purposes" new prison in a rural area and the disabled to vote are as an excuse to attack the so named by Mr. Hager. I will go to local residents, under consideration in Re- economic stability of the want to see health hazards He wasn't too excited about publican-dominated states middle class. The budget reduced. I want to see the getting into that, or even resulting suffering from how the rest of the posi- across the U.S. which passed the Republi- 3. Attacking the eco- can controlled House would these health hazards re- tions would be filled. Fact duced, is, he punted the question nomic security of state gut Medicaid, slash funding Obama d employees. In Wisconsin for infrastructure and edu- As I clearly stated in to the EIS guy who cocked a n the Republican controlled cation, but includes another my letter, Simpson and his head and shot me a one- legislature created a budget tax cut for the rich. Olympic panel are not what eyed turkey-look that said,Rep blica I ,oppose. While these corn- where you going with this, U n deficit and is now rising 5. Trying to change the deficit as an excuse to Medicare into an under pmnies do in fact increase son? Never did get my ques- end collective bargaining, funded voucher system that health problems with their tion answered. pollution, they also pro- Ofcotirse, not too many Similar efforts to end collec- will leave all American ex- tive bargaining or to strip cept the rich with little or vide benefits to the corn- people ever dreamed ofbe- munity in.the form of jobs, coming a prison guard, and Editor, the Journal state employees of health no protection from medical etc. There is a trade there, even less parents dreamed The recent killing of bin benefits are underway inexpenses in their old age. Republican controlled Ohio, Quite a contrast, while something for something, of such a future for their Laden provides an interest- Michigan and Indiana. Obama was going after bin and therefore a tolerable kids. The good news is that ing contrast between Presi- The model legislation used Laden, Republicans were symbiotic relationship, those responsible for bring- dent Obama and his critics However, the newly ing jobs to Mason Countyin the Republican Party. comes from ALEC. attacking their own neigh- 4. Blaming the national bers and fellow citizens. Laura Koerber proposed Solomon incinera- tor is an entirely different story and is what motivated me to write my previous letter to the editor. With a proposed maximum of 3 jobs, Solomon's own admis- sion, this second incinera- tor would be built only to produce electricity to be sold to the highest bidder in order to generate profits for Solomon, not, as Mr. Hager suggests to offset local util- ity costs. To produce this electric- ity, the proposed Solomon incinerator would produce many tons of additional pollution, again the num- bers are all on the ORCAA website in Solomon's permit application. This additional pollution will most defi- nitely increase the health hazards for everyone in our community, but without any meaningful positive benefits of any kind for our community. That is why I referred to this relationship as a parasitic one. Solomon's new incinera- tor would trade our health for its profits. That's the real bottom line. John Cox Center here in Mason County - lucky us Editor, the Journal Have you heard the good news? Mason County is on the short list for a brand new 1,024-bed "Prison Re- ception Center"just a crime spree away from the exist- ing prison. If this goose de- cides to lay its golden egg, the old "Reception Center" will move to the new facility and the Corrections Center Shelton-Mason County She~ton-Mason County Journal is a member of Rick Kennedy, publisher Advertising: Composing room: usPs 492-800 Washington Newspaper Publishers' Association. Dave Pierik, advertising manager William Adams, graphics Newsroom: Harvey Morris, ad representative Gaylene Wiseman, paginator Mat Taylor, ad representative POSTMASTER: Sand address changes to Shelton-Mason SUBSCRIPTION RATES" C - -. Jesse Mullen, editor Koleen Wood, classifleds/legals ounty Joumal P.O Box 430 Shelton WA98584 ...... $37 per year for Mason County addresses, Kevan Moore, news editor ..... Becky Corr, typing Dean "i m - Prom omce: ~wwklybySlieltonHk4monCounWJoumal Inc$51 per year in state of Washington but outside ~e on, spons . . .... i .-o w, n¢¢~| v~tbr~n nmn~r T~mmlt, tvt~ t,/¢1¢ tel% IlIQllll, RJiml ~J~VI'~%#I Johnson, rte wraps Mmller press operator Tdtephone {360) 426-4412 www'masonc°urdy'c°m' Owned and published by Periodicals postage paid at Shelton, Washington She~ton-Mason County Journal, Inc Page A-4 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, May 12,2011 t