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Posts published in “Issue: August 2019

About this issue – August 2019

Who’s running the show? Let us give some thought to the idea of how a city gets built. And who has the power to shape how that city gets built. Sometimes it is possible to discover some of the steps that lead to something like the “Missing Middle”—where the idea…

How soldiers into farmers grow

A new trade enterprise is offering local vets a shot at agricultural entrepreneurship using an innovative business model that its creators say will eventually be self-sustaining, able to cede land and graduate a new generation of farmers every five to seven years. Veterans are invited to apply for membership in…

Then this happened…

Port of Vancouver thriving under new Commissioner leadership Last year, WIP reported that citizens of Vancouver WA had elected a second opponent of oil terminal development to a seat on their Port Commission. With a two out of three majority that was able to change the direction of the Port.…

Missing Middle: Will city officials miss this new chance to engage the community?

Over the objection of many residents, in November of last year the Olympia City Council adopted a zoning ordinance known as the Missing Middle (MM). The ordinance envisioned an era of new multifamily housing development in older, low density neighborhoods of Olympia. During the public comment period before adoption of…

Exempting the wealthy and raising the property tax burden while flooding, choking and closing

Council member Lisa Parshley made a motion at the November 27, 2018 City Council meeting. Council member Jessica Bateman seconded the motion. All the other Council members voted “aye” —Cooper, Gilman, Jones, Rollins and Selby. With this motion, the Council approved an eight-year property tax exemption for Pat Rants’ 28…

Men from the corporate sector running the show at NLRB

News sources The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) was established by Congress in 1935 as an independent federal agency to protect the right of private sector employees to join together, with or without a union, to improve their wages, benefits and working conditions. The NLRB oversees hundreds of union elections…