The follow up to the Rolling Thunder/Traveling Wall post.

Harley H. Hall is the name on my POW Bracelet I've worn for the last several years... Harley is from Vancouver and was the last POW taken in the Vietnam War when he was shot down.

He was last seen gathering up his parachute.


Members of the Young Marine Corps (Of which I'm an Alum) do a
live version of 2 of the memorial statues found at The Wall in Washington, DC

A look at the displays from behind the facilities...

I was honored to present Cedric's parents with their Gold Star Banner from the American Legion at Salmon Creek Post 176.



Other local men who gave their country the Supreme Sacrifice...

And still more...

And more...

And the start of this honored exhibition.


There was much, much, more. It may be too late to go out there, but please keep your thoughts and your prayers on these men and women who have served us so nobly and well... and for all of those yet to come.

I was at La Center yesterday for the arrival of the Traveling Wall... and a Marine was there to greet them.

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Yesterday was another amazing day and I was honored to view the arrival of the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall.



As an "Era" vet, I was fortunate that when I enlisted, they weren't shipping 17 year olds. But we must never forget the sacrifices of the millions and their families who answered the call when it would have been much easier to simply turn the other way.

There are people devoted to keeping that sacrifice in our memory. In this video, we watch many of them arrive at the ongoing 4 day presentation of this amazing tribute to the courageous men and women who gave that last full measure in the belief that their country was worth it.

Thanks go to the city of La Center and those who worked so hard to make this a reality. I will be going out there later today, and I'll be taking some more pictures.

Please... if you can find the time... please go out there.

Take 5 minutes and watch. It's worth it.
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I am given to understand that Mike Nolan has left us.

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I have just now been informed that Mike Nolan lost his battle with cancer this morning.

My condolences to Erin and their children. Mike Nolan led a life of service to us all.

He will be missed.
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Another one of our own needs your prayers.

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We have been and are dealing with the loss of Luke. And now, another member of our community is facing this battle.

Clark County Sheriff's Deputy Mike Nolan, a senior law enforcement officer for our community and a member of the LaCenter City Council, is very sick.

I have not agreed with his position on issues important to me and this community. But all of that fades to insignificance in the face of this kind of news.

Mike has served our community for years, putting his life on the line for all of us. And that's important to me, as, I believe, it should be important to us all.

Please add Mike and his family to your prayer list. I have.

Thanks.
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The city government of LaCenter: a wholly-owned tribal subsidiary?

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Yesterday, there was a big brouhaha about LaCenter implementing a system of initiative and referendum.

On the surface, it's difficult to argue against this. It's only when one drills down into the morass of what's really going on in LaCenter where the hackles raise as a result of the Boss Hogg-style government, now entirely controlled by the Cowlitz casino effort, where one questions the judgement.

Read this article, put into the paper yesterday.

Of particular note is that, for the most part, the local mouth piece on this issue is Erin Noland... and not an official member of city government.

The article and the quotes are pure, grade A, bull. The reporter, Marissa Harshman, was as manipulated as the electorate of La Center.

Erin Nolan and her husband, high ranking deputies in the Clark County Sheriff's Office, both moved to LaCenter shortly after the now abortive MOU was adopted by the former Clark County commissioners some 6 or 7 years ago. Their sole reason and mission for moving there was to do everything they could to gain compliance with the megacasino agenda.

Why?

Because the megacasino developers successfully bought their support.

How?

Under the terms of the MOU, the construction of the megacasino would result, allegedly, in the megacasino paying for an additional 17 FTE's for, you guessed it, the Clark County Sheriff's office.

From the original MOU:




Is it sheer coincidence that the Nolans moved to LaCenter after the MOU was put into place?

I will be the first to admit that the Clark County Sheriff's office is badly understaffed, particularly in comparison to other counties. They need more deputies on the road.

But selling out your community; particularly when that sell out will result in the constructing of a massive, bottomless economic black hole, sucking millions out of our community; millions that will have no tangible benefit to anyone besides the casino developer (recovering in Seattle from a massive brain injury) a California tribe (The Paskenta) and a Connecticut tribe (The Mohegans) financing this nightmare... besides, of course, the unions building this thing; is not the way to go.

Critical elements left out of the article were these:

First, the petition wasn't presented before the election. Why?

Simple, really: The "petition" was primarily used to provide the Nolan - casino campaign with a list.

They presented it in terms of a way to allow the people to have a voice. The real purpose was somewhat more insidious: it was used exclusively as a campaign tool.

They had a list of almost everyone who supported their position. To get their people, also owned by the megacasino types elected, all they had to do was work their list in this low turn out, off-year election.

It was a brilliant plan, brilliantly conceived and executed. But it remains the "dirty little secret" the Nolans, Irish and the rest of the tribal lackeys don't want you to know.

Until those manipulated into signing this petition find out the truth, they will continue to think these people are actually doing their will, when in fact, the reverse is the truth... and it explains perfectly why the "petition" wasn't presented until AFTER the election.

In this case, the people are doing the will of the megacasino supporters, of which each and every member of their city government, without exception, can be counted.

They've been scammed. They've been duped. They've been manipulated by a smooth operator who is jerking their strings like puppets.

The "presentation" of the petition is a joke as well. The petition didn't NEED to be "presented." The megacasino city council will now vote in lock step for whatever the megacasino wants, whenever and however they want it. But appearances, no matter the deception, must be served.
One indicator is that this story was emailed out and around yesterday by a fellow named Rod VanMechelen.

Who is Rod?

Rod is a member of the Cowlitz Tribal Council and has been one of the main cheerleaders of the megacasino. Of course, hating competition, he was also one of the most hypocritical voices in opposition to I-892, the "level-the-playing-field-with-the-tribes" initiative, where he whined and moaned like a cut cat against gambling expansion... but has no trouble expanding it when he stands to benefit directly... like, by supporting the construction of one of the largest casinos on the face of the planet right here in Clark County.

Like the vast majority of tribal members, Rod does not and never has lived here. But he has no difficulty damaging our community by ramming this steaming crap pile down our throats with bogus claims that this area has a tribal tie... when they are obviously from the Vader area, some 50 miles or more north of where they're claiming.

Why is any of this about VanMechelen relevant?

Because he's the guy that sent the story around yesterday.

And why would he do that? I mean, if this is all about the people of LaCenter getting this done...

...why would VanMechelen care? Unless, of course, this had been the plan all along.

The Whole World wonders.
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Barbara Vining... poop candidate.

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I've been observing the local political scene for 20 odd years, now... and I've never seen a "poop" candidate before.

This candidate is not only full of poop, she obviously knows it.

Poop, that is.

Clearly, Barbara Vining wants the megacasino to be built, her fake claims of opposition notwithstanding. Caving into megacasino Seattle developer David Barnett will destroy LaCenter as we know it. But megacasino supporters Erin and Mike Nolan, Jim Irish, Bill Birdwell, Al Luiz, and the poop lady all know that.

They just don't care.

The Nolans moved there to get the 17 FTE's promised to the Sheriff's Office in the now defunct MOU. Irish and Birdwell? Well, who knows why they've sold out their community. Luiz and Vining? Well, based on what I've seen of Luiz, I would have thought he'd know better. Vining, on the other hand, is adrift in her poop world, so who knows?

But that she would embarrass her own child in an abortive effort to make a point just means that she's full of the product she uses to make a point:

To sum it all up in the words of my 15-year-old daughter: “Mom, it’s like on the one hand you are handed a bag with dog poop in it. On the other hand, you are handed the dog poop alone. At least, in the first case you have something to protect you from all the crap.”

Secondary to the fact that 15 year olds don't talk this way is that obviously, Vining hasn't got the hot poop... or the straight poop either... even though it appears to be coming out of her ears.

For Vining to claim that "no persuasive arguments of detriment to La Center have been tendered to the " Fed is a bunch of what she's holding in her hand: the crap she wants to bring down on us all.

So, her complete ignorance of the reality of this situation (To negotiate is, with equal clarity, to accept) her reliance on five dollar words when fifty cent words will do... all of these things speak to a cluelessness that would make it really, really a bad idea for this person to get elected.

When it comes to poop, I defer to Vining's expertise. I'm just sorry she's dragging her kids through it.
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The future of the Barnett Megacasino and La Center?

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Strangely similar to the La Center debacle and the city council members/mayor in Barnett's pocket:

Mill Casino refuses to pay North Bend

The tribe wants a new agreement on what it pays the city for sewer services and police and fire protection

By Winston Ross

The Register-Guard

Appeared in print: Friday, Jul 3, 2009

Winston Ross/The Register-Guard
The Coquille Tribe is withholding $88,000 in payments to the city of North Bend that the tribe agreed to pay in lieu of property taxes.

As sovereign nations, Oregon Indian tribes aren’t subject to the local and state laws that would require them to pay property taxes or collect occupancy taxes from guests at their hotels.

The flip side is that municipalities aren’t required to handle sewage, dispatch police or put out fires on tribal-owned land that’s exempt from such laws.

That’s why some tribes, including the owners of the Three Rivers Casino in Florence and The Mill Casino in North Bend, have inked deals with their corresponding city governments in which they agree to make such payments anyway — in exchange for sewer services and police and fire protection.

Critics of casinos in Oregon have long questioned whether those contracts would hold up in a court of law, given that tribes remain sovereign governments immune from being sued in a U.S. court, in the same sense that the city of Florence couldn’t sue France. Now comes a potential test of that question.

Since January, the Coquille Tribe hasn’t been paying its agreed-upon amount for occupancy taxes for the Mill, which by the end of last month represented about an $88,000 hit to North Bend’s general fund. Tribal attorney Brett Kenney says that’s because the Coquilles have tried and failed over the past year to renegotiate the agreement with the city, and that the money is being “set aside” until a new deal can be worked out. North Bend Mayor Rick Wetherell said he’s frustrated about the turn of events, which affects not just the city’s budget but also funding for regional tourism efforts, as some of the occupancy tax is funneled toward that purpose.

“We are extremely disappointed,” Wetherell said. “In the past, we’ve had a cooperative working relationship with the Coquille Indian Tribe.”

Wetherell is mum, on the advice of city attorneys, about what legal recourse North Bend may have in response to the standoff, whether the city will try to sue the tribe or withhold the services it provides to the casino because the Coquilles aren’t paying their bills. Kenney said he’s confident a new agreement can be reached.

“A lot of things have changed in the past 14 years for the tribe,” Kenney said. “This is an effort to make sure the tribe pays its fair share.”

Because Kenney said he doesn’t want to negotiate the contract in the press, he won’t say how the deal with the city could become any more fair. Kenney said the tribe is paying more than other property owners and hotel and motel owners in the city, but the agreement specifically refutes that claim:

“(The Coquille Economic Development Corporation) and the Tribe agree that the City will be paid at the same rate for occupied rooms at any motel or hotel operated at The Mill as are charged to other motels and hotels within the City under present and future ordinance provisions,” the agreement reads. The property tax rate is also equal to the city’s rate, according to the contract.

Kenney said it’s unfair that the city receives more in payments from the tribe than it would from another taxpayer. However, that’s because the money from the Coquilles doesn’t get split up among various taxing districts, as it does with property taxes. The total amount the tribe pays isn’t more than others would pay, he acknowledged, though he added that the agreement has no sunset clause.

“The agreement was entered into at a time when the tribe had few resources at its disposal,” Kenney said.

This bargaining tactic follows an apparently rough period for the tribe’s finances. After a $40 million expansion of its hotel last year, the casino laid off 7 percent of its work force — 37 employees — in October, saying the global economic downturn had taken its toll on people’s willingness to spend money on leisure-related activities.

Last year, the tribe paid $440,000 in lieu of taxes to the city, so the $88,000 it is holding back for the first half of this year is only a fraction of that. But if the city decides it’s a perfectly reasonable amount — because it’s based on what anyone else would pay — it could raise some interesting questions about tribal sovereignty.

In dozens of court cases across the United States in recent years, municipal governments and private citizens have found themselves unable to force Indian tribes to even show up in court. There is a waiver of sovereign immunity in the tribe’s contract with North Bend, but the city has never tried to sue the Coquilles in the past, so that language has never been tested in court.

Kenney said he would let the waiver “speak for itself,” adding that the tribe is committed to ensuring that the casino and its hotel continue to receive the city services it has in the past. He said he expects to meet with city leaders in the next few weeks to work out a new agreement.

“A lot of things have changed in the past 14 years for the tribe.”

— Brett Kenney, tribal attorney

Gee.... where are we hearing this now? The similarities are striking, are they not? All the Barnett/Cowlitz promises... not unlike the promises made by the Coquille Tribe to suck North Bend into THEIR sewer agreement.

Of course, if I was running the show in North Bend, I would immediately shut off the sewer line AND end police or fire presence on tribal land... but that's just me.

And any of the morons supporting the massive pimple on Clark County's butt known as the Barnett/Paskenta/Mohegan/Cowlitz Megacasino who don't, for one second, believe that the people running that casino wouldn't do the precise same thing if they felt like it have a screw loose.
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