• From Pizzeria LaGitana – Yelm:
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County‎ to Fundraiser for Great Futures

“Pizzeria La Gitana Of Yelm will donate 20% of ALL sales October 16th, 2019 to support the new Yelm Branch – Boys & Girls Club of Thurston County!

“Bring your friends and family and support the Great Futures for Yelm Youth campaign while enjoying delicious pizza & pasta, fantastic deserts and great service.” Read more

• Editor’s note: These important headlines below reflect the unease coming from multiple fronts as, “Trump could be ‘self-impeaching’ through his actions experts say.”

“Impeachment Facts”

By Joanne Freeman, History Prof, Yale. @BackStoryRadio cohost. Expert on early US politics. Read more

“More Than 300 National Security Professionals Commend Impeachment Inquiry, Express Alarm at the President’s Conduct”

Click here for their letter.

“Sen. Mitch McConnell on impeachment: 1998 vs. 2019”

“In a 1998 interview, now Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was “shocked” by how partisan the impeachment process was, saying that congress had a constitutional duty. In 2019, McConnell is calling the impeachment inquiry into Pres. Trump a Democratic “obsession,” by MSNBC. Read more

“‘Extremely Dangerous’: Trump Tweet Calling Impeachment Inquiry a ‘Coup’ Heightens Fears of Refusal to Leave Office”

“The orderly transfer of power in the United States has always depended on the active cooperation of the outgoing president. What happens if that cooperation is not forthcoming?” by Jake Johnson, Common Dreams. Read more

“Federal government has dramatically expanded exposure to risky mortgages”

By Damian Paletta, The Washington Post. Read more

“US manufacturing activity sank to lowest level since 2009”

By The Canadian Press. Read more

“‘Raw bribery’: Groups, foreign governments book rooms at Trump hotel, don’t use them”

“House investigators probing claims that Trump’s hotel gets ‘ghost bookings’ from friendly groups, governments”

By Igor Derysh, Salon Magazine. Read more

“‘Americans don’t look to Chinese commies for the truth’: Sasse decries Trump’s call for probe”

By Joseph Morton, Omaha World-Herald. Read more

“Republican Party needs to ‘get a grip on itself,’ says former Secretary of State Colin Powell”

“The retired Army general stressed the need for members of the Republican Party to “get a grip” and speak out with regards to President Trump’s impeachment inquiry,” by CNN. Read more

“Where Trump’s conspiracy theories come from”

” Where Trump’s conspiracy theories come from The New Yorker’s Jane Mayer tells Chris Hayes about the right-wing ecosystem that creates scandals — and might well inadvertently bring down a president,” quoting All In, MSNBC. Read more

“Paul Krugman: Here comes the Trump slump”

“Now it’s starting to look as if Trump really will achieve something unique: He may well be the first president of modern times to preside over a slump that can be directly attributed to his own policies, rather than bad luck,” By Paul Krugman, The New York Times. Read more

“Dominion buys pipeline support at Supreme Court through GOP Attorneys General”

“With a key Atlantic Coast Pipeline appeal before the Supreme Court, US Attorney General Barr and Republican state Attorneys General have intervened in Dominion’s favor – while sharing close financial ties to the utility,” by Energy and Policy Institute. Read more

“Fired EPA scientists to release air pollution report they say agency unqualified to issue”

“‘In the history of the agency this has never happened. The new panel is unqualified and the new panel has said they were unqualified,’ said a former EPA official,” by Phil McCausland, NBC News. Read more

“Trump’s Syria decision divides white evangelicals as impeachment pressure builds”

“After Trump announced he was unilaterally pulling U.S. troops out of northern Syria, a potential crack appeared in Trump’s evangelical foundation. Here’s why.”

“‘President Trump has committed an egregious act of betrayal,’ conservative Christian radio host Erick Erickson tweeted,” by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, Author, “Reconstructing the Gospel: Finding Freedom From Slaveholder Religion.” Read more

“We’re not the Saudis’ mercenaries”

“Robert Gates, the former defence secretary, once scoffed that Saudi Arabia ‘wants to fight the Iranians to the last American.’

“The danger is that we slip toward that nightmare. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says that Iran has committed an “act of war” by attacking Saudi oil processing centres. Influential hawks like Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., have suggested carrying out strikes on Iranian oil refineries,” by Nicholas Kristoff. Read more

“Law classmates tell Trump lawyer Cipollone he distorts Constitution by blocking impeachment witnesses”

“Law classmates of White House Counsel Pat Cipollone sent him a letter on Thursday [Oct. 10], claiming his decision to block material and witnesses from the House impeachment inquiry ‘distorts the law and the Constitution,’ according to a copy of the letter obtained by NBC News.

“We are sorry to see how your letter to the congressional leadership flouts the traditions of rigor and intellectual honesty that we learned together,” said the letter from members of the class of 1991 at the University of Chicago Law School, by Julia Ainsley, NBC News. Read more

Click here for the copy of the letter obtained by NBC News.

• From the Yelm Farmers Market:

Yelm Farmers Market is open through Oct. 26th 2019!

Saturdays, 10 am – 3 pm. Yelm Community Center

Your seasonal resource for local produce and products. Read more

“2019 Market Financials”

“Commitment To Transparency”

“Bounty For Families [non-profit organization under which the Yelm Farmers Market operates] is committed to our donors, sponsors and the community to streamline our operations to provide instant access to our financial data.  Here you will find the data from our 2019 Master Spreadsheet published in real time.” Read more

“Social media possible factor in rise of sexually transmitted diseases”

“Mirroring a national trend, the rate of sexually transmitted diseases [STDs] is increasing in Washington state, and social media might be one of the factors by enabling more anonymous sex.

“The rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis have risen over the last few years in Washington. Chlamydia is the most commonly reported STD, with the rates highest among 20- to 24-year-old women.

“In 2018, Washington ranked 14th in the nation in the number of syphilis cases at 11 per 100,000 in population — equal to the national rate. The total number of cases was 802.

“The many possible causes for increases in STDs include improved testing and reporting of cases, changes in the organisms and in behavior, including connecting with partners via social media, said Edie Jeffers, spokeswoman for the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department,” by James Drew, The Olympian. Read more

• From Ed Kinney, Preserve the Commons organizer:

“Victory!

“Your generous donations have stopped the Department of Ecology-supported dumping of contaminated sewage sludge just off Bald Hills Road outside of Yelm. Yesterday [Oct. 8] they withdrew their Determination of Non-Significance for this dangerous proposal. My assessment of this citizen victory is that it was due to the unrelenting public pressure organized by PreserveTheCommons. The final nail in the coffin was hammered in by our legal firm, Ziontz Chestnut and their remarkable lawyer, Wyatt Golding.” Read more

Click here for the letter from the Dept. of Ecology.

“Fox News Poll: Record support for Trump impeachment”

• Editor’s note: This poll is not from “Fake News,” rather from the President’s mouthpiece.
  As was the case of President Nixon in 1974, regardless of Republican support for the President in Congress, Nixon’s demise was from American citizens who elected those Republicans and the voters’ voices that could no longer be ignored. The same occurrence is building now!

“Just over half of voters want President Trump impeached and removed from office, according to a Fox News Poll released Wednesday [Oct. 9].

“A new high of 51 percent wants Trump impeached and removed from office, another 4 percent want him impeached but not removed, and 40 percent oppose impeachment altogether. In July, 42 percent favored impeachment and removal, while 5 percent said impeach but don’t remove him, and 45 percent opposed impeachment,” by Dana Blanton, Fox News. Read more 

• Editor’s note: To-date and two months later, there has been no motion on the council’s agenda for the Splash Park and equipment cost overruns. ONLY the city council can authorize budget expenditures and the mayor’s ignoring a counselor’s request for a cost overrun motion is a very serious issue, perhaps requiring the State Auditor’s attention.

Councilor Carmody requested at the August 13th council session an answer “regarding the over-budgeted Splash Park and playground equipment.”

“I wonder when we’re going to be seeing a request for a budget amendment for council to vote on?” Carmody requested of Mayor Foster. Mayor Foster’s uncommitted response was, “We’ll get the answer to you as soon as we know.”

Councilor Carmody brought this issue forward again at the September 3, 2019, Study Session. “Quoting the Minutes, “When [will] the Budget Amendment will be presented to reflect the Splash Pad/Playground overruns?”

• Story highlights
• Final Splash Park cost of upgrades and the splash pad was $1,005,359, yet the 2019-2020 budget for the project had been $641,984, or $363,375 over budget.
• Splash Park overruns were underwritten by re-allocating $363,375 in city street, water and sewer capital project funds.
• Councilors Carmody and DePinto noted the council was not consulted on the overruns nor the re-allocating of capital projects to cover the overruns, lacking transparency.
• Council has sole responsibility for funding the budget and capital expenditures.
• Where is Mayor Foster’s oversight to ensure the council IS the singular funding authority for city of Yelm capital projects? Sorely lacking at best!
• Did Public Works Dir. Bedlington’s superiors direct him to enact the cost overruns?
• The Yelm Municipal Code clearly states oversight of city regulations being followed falls first with the mayor and then his city administrator.
• Even the NVN did not give the city a “bye” on this one. Read more

Read more

“After Trump decision, Turkey launches military offensive in Syria”

“Turkey launched airstrikes in northeastern Syria on Wednesday, prompting panic among civilians in the region and despair among fighters who have been crucial U.S. allies in the campaign against ISIS. President Donald Trump’s sudden decision to pull troops has drawn rebukes from both parties in Congress. The decision has renewed focus on Trump and his family’s long business ties in and with Turkey,” by NBC News. Read more

“Turkey is top patron of Trump properties globally”

“Trump Towers in Istanbul is a major part of Trump’s business portfolio. ‘The Turks are also the top patrons of any country at Trump properties worldwide. So there are a lot of business connections there,’ Heidi Przybyla reports, MSNBC. Read more

“Public hearing will refocus attention on Thurston County courthouse levy”

“The Board of County Commissioners agrees that something needs to be done to improve the situation [with the 41-year-old courthouse complex on Lakeridge Drive Southwest] , but isn’t unanimous about the current plan to build a new courthouse at the old City Hall site on Plum Street in downtown Olympia.

“Voters will decide in April whether to approve a property tax levy-lid lift to pay for the plan, which now is estimated to cost $250 million. But, at least according to one survey, most residents don’t see the need.

“A public hearing later this month will give voters another chance to engage in the process and speak their minds ahead of the vote.”

“The public hearing ahead of another vote will be held at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 22 in Room 152 of Building 1 at the courthouse complex. According to a press release from the county, written and emailed comments will be accepted until 4 p.m. that day,” by Sara Gentzler, The Olympian. Read more

• Editor’s note: After seeing the voter registration and address records, I published a blog entry last week about city council Position 6 challenger Matthew McLellan not meeting eligibility requirements by not residing within the Yelm city limits for at least one year prior to the 2019 election. On March 28, 2019, McLellan updated his voter registration records to within Yelm city limits and a mailing address outside of the Yelm city limits. He was not a registered voter in the city of Yelm at least one year prior to this November’s council election.
• Subsequently, I viewed the voter registration and address records of city council Position 2 challenger Cameron Jayne. Her voting registration and mailing address were changed from rural Thurston County to within Yelm city limits on May 14, 2019, indicating Cameron also has not met eligibility requirements.
• I reached-out to both candidates for a response and have received none at time of publication.
• The Yelm Chamber Forum luncheon is today where the councilors for re-election and their challengers will have an opportunity to state their platforms. These two candidates should inform the public of the facts and seek office another year after meeting eligibility requirements.

• The Laws of the State of Washington and the City of Yelm –
• Revised Code of Washington 35A.12.030 (RCW) as adopted by Yelm Municipal Code: 1.02.040 (YMC) requires, “No person shall be eligible to hold elective office under the mayor-council plan (of government) unless the person is a registered voter of the city at the time of filing his declaration of candidacy and has been a resident of the city for a period of at least one year next preceding his election.” Read more

• Bottom line:
• While I support anyone seeking public office and participating in the process, running for election to a city council seat requires an elevated attention to detail to earn the public’s trust and properly execute their duties of office if elected, not reflective in either of their candidacies. After all, should they have won elective office, they would have taken an Oath of Office to uphold the laws of the United States, State of Washington State and the City of Yelm.
• If a candidate is uniformed about or sides-steps the laws in running for elective office, then what value would their Oath of Office have been?
• The voters of Yelm have a right to know about this information.

• The Nisqually Valley News (NVN) has had the information about council candidate McLellan for a week and obviously chosen not to run this story. Omission has also been used as a powerful tool to sway an election by not informing the electorate in “fair and balanced” reporting, the quoted phrase this newspaper’s publisher has often touted.
• However, the newspaper’s omissions will not matter in these stories. Candidates for public office must be legally qualified to assume office at the time of filing. McLellan and Jayne were not, so even if they should win, their election will be challenged since they would not be legally qualified to assume office.