INITIATIVE 2020-10

San Juan County Land Bank Overreach

In 2011 continued funding for the Real Estate Excise Tax (which is distributed to the Land Bank) passed by just 2.8%. The votes were 4,168 yes to 3,726 no. On San Juan Island it failed 1,565 no to 1,440 yes. Using that tax, the Land Bank has purchased over SIXTY million dollars worth of real property and millions more in easements. The Land Bank has had a 30 year run that’s removed over SIXTY million dollars of property off the tax roles. We think that’s enough.

Land Bank administrative costs (misrepresented in budget) are far too high. They’re spending six figures annually on litigation because they failed to engage in proper research before making acquisitions. They choose to bully citizens rather than work with them. They side step acquisition process requirements, including pre purchase appraisals and management plans with little over site by our commissioners. They no longer represent the interests of citizens. As an example, they eliminate the protection of agricultural land to promote recreation and tourism instead. Transparency is minimal at best. Instead they’ve become a rogue government entity with their own agenda for free wheel spending.

The Land Bank mission statement has morphed from preservation of open space to creation of seed banks, cultivation of wild flowers, supposed protection of water resources, self adopted heritage keeper for the islands and the promotion of tourism. They appeal to any and all with whatever warm and fuzzy slogan that’ll recruit support. It illuminates what the Land Banks real mission has become……….Preservation of the Land Bank!

It’s time to turn it around. We have ‘til July 6^th to get 1635 signatures to get it on the November ballot. For all that believe ENOUGH ALREADY with the Land Bank now’s the time. We can do this. Get on the phone. Email this to others and ask them to forward to others. Email me with any questions you may have.

THE PETITION There’s two pages. The 2^nd page should be printed on the back side of the 1^st page. There’s space for 7 signers on the front page. Each signer must be a San Juan County registered voter. All signatures have to be original. They can’t be stamped, or copied or electronic. Email this to everyone you think could be a signer.

It should be mailed back to me;

Join me in celebrating our Nation and congratulating the Senate in making the right decision.

Now can we get back to governing and solving problems for our citizens. Reduce spending.  Remove Regulation. Let the People be.

Trump in 2020. The next step to the future.

–Rick Boucher – PCO Orcas Island

End of the day last Friday around 7PM, I almost got in the car to head home and noticed some debris on the Village Green.

I personally try to stop and pick up trash on the streets of Eastsound when I can. We are a generally pretty clean community and I like to do my part. Not virtue signaling.  Just what I do.

I walked on to the Village Green and found 7 or 8 signs and posters on various flattened cardboard boxes and other media. The signs were decrying the state of our planet and the measures we should take to reverse the trend and fix the problem.

I took a picture and picked up the signs spread from table to stage. I placed the cardboard into a dumpster and them noticed another that was propped up against the Orcas Museum building.  Took a picture and disposed of that also.

I must admit I am a science denier in their eyes. Yet in my eyes they are denying science. I believe that certainly the planet climate is changing, but not at the extreme claims of the leaders in the movement. The earth’s rotation, Sun flares, spots and other such events contribute far more to the climate situation than man’s impact. Are there local environmental issues causing pollution issues? Certainly. I believe science and technology will continue to help us solve problems, expose issues and provide answers. We all need to be active in the process, but I do not think we have to end the world as we know it.

I think we all need to work towards being consistent in our approach and methods. That means cleaning up our own mess before pointing fingers at others.

Rick Boucher
Eastsound.

From the Washington Policy Center

Today is the Global Climate Strike, and it the perfect day to tell those who believe we face a climate crisis that they need to take personal responsibility rather than hoping politicians will act. Working with other free-market advocates across the country, we created myclimatepledge.org to tell strikers how they could reduce their own CO2 footprint to zero before they demanded that others do the same.

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