Category: City Government

Why Keep Public Salaries Secret?

Well, I can’t think of any good reasons. As long as these entities and their employees want to pretend that they are public servants then they need to walk the talk: transparency! But , in today’s Eugene Register-Guard you will find this as the quoted key reason: “I could see people being upset ,” Barnhart said. “Some people don’t want their spouses to know how much they make. This is going to make it available for the world to see. I don’t know what kind of liability we have for their privacy.” Help me with this, please! Some people do...

Let’m Build the Landing

Yes, just as we support either rebuilding Key Arena or building a brand new basketball monument we also support the fine folks who want to develop The Landing in Renton. If this is a viable project, and the developers seem to think it worth a $390 million investment, then there is neither reason nor need to fleece the public to support these already wealthy folks. That is not what the Renton city government thinks: Harvest Partners expects its regional shopping center will create about 2,500 jobs and generate $1.5 million to $3 million a year in taxes for the city....

Private Potties for Servants?

Just why has public money been spent to provide a private bathroom for Renton’s mayor? Council President Randy Corman said a staffer invited him to use the mayor’s private bathroom , which he didn’t do. He can account for every second of his time, he said, and he was always surrounded by people. “In 10 years I have never used the mayor’s bathroom. On this night, they invited me to,” he said. “That was awfully suspicious to me.” Keolker said that since she took office as mayor, she has regularly told council members they can use her bathroom during meeting...

What the Public Should Say

Sequim politicians are planning to build a new city hall: A new building would allow city offices to be consolidated into one building and could also provide space for expansion as the city continues to grow. And City leaders have promised that the public will have a say in planning for a new City Hall. The public should just say no! What happens in Sequim that requires 40 employees for a population of 4585? Perhaps the city would be wiser to scale back regulation and services and let the residents spend the money on things that lead to productive jobs....