One would think this town is controlled by one man, if an outsider looked at the local newspaper on-stands this week.

Yelm’s Mayor Ron Harding is pictured or mentioned in this week’s Nisqually Valley News 7 times:

1. Front page headline article on Appeals Court over-turning JZ Knight’s lawsuit against the city.

Ed. Note: Harding said in this story:
“‘Knight’s already caused the damage with some of these developers,’ Harding said. ‘Some of them have had to file bankruptcy.'”
This is an appalling comment by a city official – that the developers’ woes are tied to Knight – a statement that is totally out-of-line & demonstrates the caliber of person this mayor is.
The developers’ bankruptcy lies at their own hands. They found bankers, who through avarice & greed, disregarded wise banking practices while they ignorantly sided with City of Yelm officials who brushed-off state regulations designed to protect the public’s interests, thinking no one would notice.
Oh, and the developers’ bankers? They have been put on-notice by the Federal Reserve.

2. A picture on the front-page and page A-7 on the Yelm By-pass ribbon-cutting and this quote:
“Yelm Mayor Ron Harding said he’s happy to be the mayor who reaps all the benefits.”

Ed. Note: What was NOT mentioned in this story is while the entire Bypass when completed will be of great benefit, my issue all along has been the disingenuous nature of the city requesting WSDOT split the Bypass into 2 phases & taking remaining right-of-way & engineering funds from Phase 2 & moving them to Phase 1, so Ron Harding could have a ribbon-cutting on his watch for a 1 mile section that doesn’t even approach the city’s main cross street 1st Ave. and leaves the 3+ mile Wal-Mart, Phase 2 section of the road without funding.

3. “Yelm going digging for additional water”
Harding suggested he’ll condemn Tahoma Terra’s defaulted land to get water.
He already went after a citizen’s water rights last year with the McMonigles, entangling the city in a legal-billings quagmire.
Ed. Note: Scroll down to see yesterday’s blog entry.

4. The Mayor’s Column titled:
“Higher water rates a sign of shifted economy”

Ed. Note: Harding mentions nothing about the higher water rates are to fund an unapproved draft Water System Plan (WSP) to spend millions on infrastructure for multi-planned communities (that have defaulted).

5. Picture of Mayor Harding at Chamber After Hours
Mayor Harding is also the Yelm Chamber Treasurer.
Ed. Note: How about pictures of other Chamber Board members?
Or, what is this newspaper’s fascination with the mayor?

6. “Harding talks conservation”
Harding tells Yelm Chamber of Commerce members they will have 50% mandatory irrigation cuts this summer, yet omits telling them the city over pumped its allocation and continues to issue building permits without water.
Ed. Note: More on this coming soon in an investigative report.

7. Chamber swears in 2010 officers –
Harding is listed as Treasurer with a picture.
Ed. Note: Interesting that the Mayor directed Council to allocate funding for Chamber advertising and is the person responsible to see that the public’s money is deposited into the Chamber bank account and reconciled. Isn’t this a conflict of interest? HMMM!

IS THIS TOWN TOO CONTROLLED BY MAN?
OR IS MAYOR HARDING JUST A GOOD POLITICIAN?
WHAT DO YOU SAY?
HMMM