YELM ISSUES IN RECENT DAYS

1. BYPASS
None other than
Don Shields
Claims examiner, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate
Joint Base Lewis-McChord
echoed my views about the Bypass in his Letter to the Editor in the Nisqually Valley News Nov. 12th:

Low speed limit a safety issue or just a cash cow?

By Don Shields
Claims examiner, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate
Joint Base Lewis-McChord

Cindy Teixeria said on the NVN Facebook page:
“If you don’t like the limit, don’t blame the City of Yelm. It is a state highway and the limit is set by DOT. Just so you know.”

Ed. Note:
That’s correct, as I wrote her, however why is Teixeira so defensive for Yelm? No one is blaming the city, though the state sets the speed limit in conjunction with city guidance. I already wrote Rep. Campbell about raising the speed limit on a road designed by the state for 50 mph speed limits.

2. CREATING JOBS
Mayor Ron Harding’s statement in the Friday, November 12, 2010 edition of the Nisqually Valley News seems to underscore our community’s lack of leadership when he says,
“Another bonus [about the Les Schwab Tire Store opening], Harding said, is chain businesses such as Les Schwab, Walmart and Safeway draw other businesses into the community,” quoting Megan Hansen’s report.

Yes, Harding is correct; more “chain businesses” are drawing-in more “chain businesses”. Yelm’s main street has been likened to becoming Spanaway’s Pacific Ave, what with all of the worldwide names of chain stores here.
With the Les Schwab opening, Yelm has finally arrived at that description.
“Chain busineses” as Harding calls them, are mulit-national corporations that pay the highest price for road-frontage land, as local property owners cash-out along Yelm Ave. before the values drop further.

Dave Johnson wrote for Institute for America’s Future:
“Businesses do not create jobs. In fact, the way our economy is structured the incentive is for businesses to get rid of as many jobs as they can.”

3. YELM’S BUDGET
Megan Hanson reported in last Friday’s Nisqually Valley News:

Yelm 11 budget down 30 percent

“With revenue and expenditures down about 30 percent from two years prior, Yelm Mayor Ron Harding said, the city is maintaining and proceeding conservatively….

[Ed. Note:
That’s an average decrease of 15% a year and may not be enough!]

“The sewer fund is losing a little bit, partly because rates havent increased in a couple years, Harding said. One thing the city will be looking at is increasing sewer rates in the next year.

Though, it shouldnt be more than a few dollars on a bill, he said.”

[Ed. Note:
The NVN Building Guide insert states the Yelm Sewer Connection fee is already $6,050, water connection fee is $5,035. How much more annual additions to the water bill can city folks handle?]

“Also maintained within the budget is the citys contracts with the Yelm Area Chamber of Commerce, Yelm Adult Community Center and USBO.”

[Ed. Note:
Ahhhh, yes, the Yelm Chamber of Commerce, where the Mayor is President and yet presides over a city council providing public funds for the Chamber.
Appearance of conflict of interest? HMMM!]

“The library budget was also increased to $53,000.

The city budgets money every year to help cover facility costs for the Yelm Timberland Library. This year the library budget increased about $6,000.”

[Ed. note:
Of course, as covered here, current library locale & Prairie Park building owner Margaret Clapp will probably offer the city a sweetheart deal to remain a few years, collecting a low rent from the city rather than having her building mostly empty. You watch!
So, the city is preparing to pay her rent request.
This is a slam dunk…
City Hall just cannot be up-front & truthful with area tax-payers on this subject.
Notice the continued silence on the issue of the future of the Yelm Library.]

4. STATE BUDGET IN CRISIS
And last, the NVN reports:
Gov. Gregoires statement on latest revenue forecast

Published: Friday, November 19, 2010 3:16 PM PST
“Gov. Chris Gregoire today issued the following statement on todays revenue forecast, which projects a loss of $385 million for the current biennium:

For the past two years we have been squarely focused on navigating the effects of the great recession. Our revenues have been closely tracking to the September forecast which is why today’s news comes as such a great surprise. Further across the board cuts, which would add 4.6 percent to the 6.3 percent reductions I ordered last month, are not feasible.”

BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES – MORE BUDGET CUTS WILL TRICKLE DOWN TO YELM!