Comments by lifesaver098

Written on FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK | A subscription plan for

It is fascinating to watch as we try to find a journalism business model that works. Providing a service costs money and without revenue it will die. I get it. At the same time, I sadly suspect that this particular strategy will not work for the Sun.

Papers with broader resources, more diverse and higher quality offerings (i.e.NY Times, Seattle Times) are challenged to achieve needed subscription levels. How does the Sun expect to succeed without the resources to create the rich quality content a reader wants?

The Sun's unique value proposition is that it covers Kitsap County. We can argue about quality - the willingness to re-post agency press releases without questioning the claims, the confusing grammar, etc. But nobody else is going to cover local stories unless they are particularly scandalous or shocking. The Sun is our only option for reporting that can give us insight into our community, can give us a head's up when politician's behavior conflicts with their rhetoric, and make us aware of the joy and suffering and criminals and heroes in our midst.

Typos or not, I hope we find a way to continue, heck even improve, this important service. Unfortunately, I dont think the subscription model as described has much chance of achieving it.

As a news consumer who appreciates quality journalism and cares about community, I think that subscription services will have to look beyond their own walls to succeed. No single provider offers a service that fulfills my complete needs. But they could if they partnered up. Imagine a partnership that packaged international, national, Pacific NW, and cultural news contributions from existing newsrooms, and offered it to me for one single price. They would beat the pants off of papers that demand separate subscriptions because the customers could satisfy all their news needs in one place.

Good luck Sun. And if subscription levels arent getting to the level you need, please consider developing a partnership that could deliver full service journalism to interested readers. Society needs good journalists and even simple reporting. Please find a way to continue.

Written on California businessman arrested in Central Kitsap home:

Stealing is not a victimless crime.

Written on Bremerton City Council charged up over electric charging stations:

Creating a system of chargers is a key leverage point toward growing the use of electric vehicles. There are advantages to the user (i.e. lower cost of fuel, locally produced fuel that doesnt rely on military funding and blood to source). There are advantages to the community at large (i.e. greatly reduced pollutant loads, reduced GHGs). Unfortunately, the current proposal seems flawed and could be improved.

1. It seems short-sighted to invest in trickle chargers for spots that are typically used in short bursts. There are fast chargers on the market.

2. Bremerton is large. Placing all of them downtown smacks of favoritism and ignores residents who live, work, and play away from the downtown core. Spread out the locations.

3. Add a bloody solar panel to power the things.


"Values under assault" Really Sun, really?

The old way of bigotry and discrimination is giving way to inclusiveness, tolerance for all of Gods children, and acceptance of more aspects of our diverse, wonderful world. It is a trend toward a better humanity, one in which privilege is earned by a person's contribution to community, not simply assumed based on skin color, sexual preference, race, religion, country of origin, or class.

Bigotry is not a value. It is an unacceptable behavior.

That is not an assault on values. It is an expression of higher and more Godly values.

Written on Kitsap commissioners approve higher garbage fees:

Just to be clear, this HUGE fee increase all goes to the County. It does not go to Waste Management. Not yet anyway. The next step is that that Waste Management will request a separate fee increase to cover the higher costs that the County is charging. That means that we the people get hit twice.

The details of the County's rate analysis were kept away from public scrutiny. It was done on the public's dime, but kept secret from those of us who paid for it.

The garbage system raises far more money that it costs to run it. Campbell maintains accounts where this money accumulates year after year. Nowhere did she or anyone else talk about a single thing they have done to reduce costs before coming to the people for more handouts. Its sickening.

Written on Kitsap auto shops offer free oil-leak inspections:

Im surprised by the tone of the comments here. In their zeal to save govt dollars or be sure that nobody gets nothing they dont "deserve", some of my fellow readers may be cutting their noses to spite their faces.

In other words, the cost of this program is far lower than the typical alternatives. It also has the advantage of making people aware of how their actions and inactions impact the greater good, and of stimulating local small businesses. That seems way better than suffering damages to our shared resources with no recourse, and way, way better than expensive government public works projects to try to reduce the pollution at the end-of-pipe. The cost of bringing water quality up to minimum regulatory standards is far greater than the cost of this tiny program. End of pipe solutions are also less effective than stopping lots of dispersed small problems at the source. Instead of whining that some Joe Six Pack might get $50 worth of something that you didnt get, why not smile and be happy that someone thought of a low-cost, economy stimulating way to solve the problem at the source?


Robert Elias Ritchie Jr.
Ashton Charles Bailey
Dupree Julius Lee Stern

These names stand out (at least around this part of the country). If I wanted to avoid detection, I'd go with something a bit more subtle.

Glad the pawn shop called the police.

Written on Kitsap garbage rates designed to meet costs:

Waste reduction is the first priority of managing solid waste. What has the county done to reduce waste from within its own operation BEFORE coming to the people to demand more money?

How many county employees does it take to manage a privatized system?

Written on County parks under review for possible disposal:

Internal performance by Kitsap Parks has long been hampered by major management failures. It is dominated by short-term directors, petty bickering and backstabbing among staff, low morale, delayed maintenance, poor safety and environmental records, exodus of talent, and the worst of them who stick around waiting for pensions to kick in while doing little valuable work. These plagues infect other County Departments, yet are known to be even worse at Parks.

How much money would be available to maintain the already inadequate County Parks infrastructure if citizens and Commissioners demanded management, professional behavior and personal accountability?

Written on New pumps at Bremerton treatment plant will keep things moving:

In response to paradyne64:

A CIP is a Capital Improvement Program. A percentage of rates is placed in a fund to cover long-term capital improvements like replacing aging equipment. An adjustment generally means an increase in the percentage, though if they have built up more than the estimated needs, it could potentially decrease (though generally bureaucrats fear never being able to get money when they need it and tend to be very good at hiding the fact that they are holding too much cash).

Whether or not CIP adjustments impact rates depends on how the rest of the rate is allocated and whether those areas are increased or decreased.

IMHO, the pump investment sounds like a wise decision that will increase effectiveness, reduce costs, and lower energy use (which also costs us in the form of power bills, over-sized energy infrastructure that must be expanded sooner than it would be if that energy was not being wasted, and fish+flood control+air+climate problems). At the time the treatment system was enhanced, they probably years of useful life left in them and it would have been wasteful to replace them at that time.

Written on Port Orchard pizza manager stops robbery:

Glad it worked out. This time. And, does anybody else observe that risking your low-paid life to prevent a fast food franchise from losing maybe one night's take is perhaps a bit short-sighted, and certainly not balanced by what the company might ever do for the employee?


The marina was a bad idea to begin with. The Port's decision to blindside the public and avoid public process about the decision to build it was a bad idea. The economic failure was predictable. The ongoing management problems are not surprising.

Lucky the Port has you and me, most of us non-users, many who live miles and miles away from the dang thing, but who are required to foot the bill regardless of their performance. Has anyone evaluated the cost/benefit of mothballing the mess so we can move on?

Written on Homeless tenters told to exit East Bremerton woods :

Folks have been managing to eke out a survival there for years. Then comes a bunch who party and fight.They fit the stereotype. Mainstreamers feel reinforced that their beliefs are true when in fact they represent only a tiny piece of truth and a minority of the people. The force of judgement and law comes down on people who were minding their own business. The bad acts of a few affect so many others and people who are already just barely surviving will pay the price.

Written on Kitsap prosecutor's civil division tapped for its expertise :

Thank you for raising the issue of malpractice SouthKitsapVoter. What happens when another County experiences a problem related to the work that was done by a Kitsap attorney? Do the citizens of Kitsap County get to pay the damages? It is only a matter of time until this and a number of other problems come up.

If we dont have the workload to keep Kitsap prosecutors employed full-time, the the appropriate answer is to reduce the number of FTE's - not to seek outside work that may ultimately conflict with the needs of Kitsap.

Written on Washington voters approve gay marriage:

Ethical issues like ending discrimination should not ever have to be decided by a majority vote. That is just mob rule, and remains wrong. That said, I am so proud of the majority of voters in WA. Let's take a moment to reflect on how good it feels to do the right thing and to take part in a historically significant turning point against state-sanctioned discrimination.


There is a huge difference between asking people to be accepting of different views, and making laws to perpetrate one groups views onto other people.

Written on Port puts out feelers to privatize Bremerton Marina :

Building the marina was a bad business decision, supported by unbelievably weak economic analysis (outrageous assumptions touted as fact). Public process was bypassed by our elected Commissioners and the Mayor at the time, who later moved to the Port. Those of us footing the bill had no opportunity to educate these self-serving "servants" to the obvious. Now we are saddled with their bad decision.

Instead of throwing more good money after bad, lets just close it and sell off the parts. It will cost us less in the long run.

Written on County employees blast 2013 benefits proposal :

The County has no problem retaining people. They do have a problem retaining quality people.

The problem is poor management, a culture of mediocrity, backstabbing, and not-my-table attitude. The current crew of managers gets high salaries, generous pensions and benefits, regardless (even in spite of) their leadership ability. Until that changes, the County's problems are likely to continue.

It is sad that the cost of health care will hurt some deserving employees. It is too bad that the real problems within County govt are deeply embedded in a system that seems to transcend the power of our elected officials to really solve.


The daycare operator must not have enough of her own business to mind.

Written on Brinnon man convicted of rape of Filipino immigrant:

Wake up. Sexual violence is not an urge. It is a crime.


Rambos_ride, if you are going to tar and feather people with crass generalizations, at least get the labels right.

"More progressive intellectual psycho-babble.


Rambos-ride's comment doesn't make any sense. When did Americans start this sad business of equating uninformed opinions with actual information? How can America remain great if it turns away from thinking and welcomes the kind of shallow, rant of the week mentality that is typified by Rambos_ride and many of Tea Party candidates he asks us to support?

Right or wrong, the author's call to action is to follow the anything but Progressive, Peggy Noonan. Ms. Noonan, if you've paid attention at any time over the past couple decades, is a former speech-writer for Reagan, well-known for conservative Republican ideology and crusades.

Written on Naked rummager arrested for meth :

Dear Editor,





Written on Bainbridge police chief says police shooting trial ruined his career :

The real issue is that Ostling lost his life. That is far more relevant than a sob story by someone who was partially responsible for the tragedy.

Written on Assault charge in doubt in Armin Jahr shooting :

It would be a shame if that man escapes punishment for leaving unattended guns all around his vehicle and home just because of the County's reckless decision to over-reach. I prefer a County prosecutor who charges to fit the situation and not to grab headlines or seek vengeance.

Written on Health care law survives _ with Roberts' help:

The people who argue against the so-called individual mandate sometimes fudge the fact that there is a balance between pay-me-now and pay-me-later. When govt and hospitals step in to help people without coverage, we all pay the cost. It just shows up in a different looking spot than the requirement that we all maintain minimum coverage and spread the risk over the full pool of people.

Like any sort of national policy this health insurance reform is less than perfect. Regardless of which party originated the idea and got it passed, it strikes me as better than the broken system it tries to fix and I'm glad it is upheld.

The new balance is more pro-person and working family than the previous pro-insurance company profit at the expense of patients, providers, and society than we had previously. I feel safer being protected against some of the worst abuses of the private insurance companies. My values and fears are more in alignment knowing that fewer of my fellow citizens stand to lose every cent over an illness, accident, or layoff.

Here is a brief, easy to follow, and refreshingly non-political explanation of the health care policy challenge and possible solutions, or Google "Healthcare on a Napkin" at Slideshare.

Written on County corrections officers should get raise, panel rules :

It is inaccurate to say that non-union County employees do not get raises. Their raises come in categories - one for making it another year and earning a good enough performance evaluation, and another for cost-of-living (COLA). The COLA has been on hold, but regular raises continue. Certain individuals also find ways to earn promotions by making it sound like the work they do is more complicated than it actually is and getting themselves re-categorized or creating a new position that only they can fill.

The County has a strategy to give union-like benefits to non-union employees because of a belief that it will keep them from unionizing. The individuals in charge of determining benefits are themselves non-union so there is likely some self-interest as well. In any case, the non-union workers gain the benefit associated with union contracts without negotiating with a hostile employer or paying dues (Kitsap County takes a legalistic and relatively anti-worker stance on most issues involving people below the Director level).

Written on Bremerton-Seattle foot ferry launch delayed :

I am curious why some seem to believe that this portion of the state highway system must pencil out on user fees alone, while the rest of the system is funded with state and federal taxes. User fees like toll roads and ferry fares represent a much smaller portion of overall highway funding, and regular ferry users get hit twice - once for paved highway taxes and again for ferry fares.
Around the world it is exceedingly rare for public highway systems to pencil out as profit making ventures. The reason is that most communities and countries know the benefit of public infrastructure flows beyond immediate and obvious costs and beneficiaries. If penciling out on a mile per mile basis was a requirement of our highway system, we couldn't drive to much of WA, let lone the country, and our economy would be shrink by several orders of magnitude. The term "pencil-out" has not been defined in terms of time horizon, cost of money, or what counts as a cost and what counts as a benefit. But to step back from the all-important details,what is the motivation behind this idea of making a transportation system "pencil-out" as a primary basis for go or no-go?

I get the desire for short-term tax/user-fee savings. And am honestly confused about prescriptions where negative outcomes far outweigh the positive. The foot ferry isn't the best example - it is redundant with a slower, more costly car ferry running the same route (then again, we don't object to several different roads that take us to the same place). But the ferries are a part of the highway system and the argument that no investment should go forward unless it "pencils-out" is often voiced about public investments of all types. As I see it, a pencil-out requirement in the highway system would cost far more than it saves if it became the way we allocate or withhold infrastructure spending. If we only fix roads that pencil-out then other roads would degrade and the communities they serve would die. Those roads that flooded out in 2007 would simply be closed and tough cookies for those who used to rely on them. People no longer benefiting from investment would refuse to pay in to the shared system, causing the transportation system to fragment and decline even further. The resulting decline in the overall economy as goods and services could not reach market would cost far more than was ever saved by insisting that pieces of the highway system pencil-out. I intend this as an honest inquiry - this idea that pieces of a transportation system must pencil-out strikes me as cutting off a nose to spite a face. And, I would love to hear logical reasoning that shows otherwise to help me understand the benefit that other people are seeing when they raise similar ideas as a prescription for society. It would be interesting to evaluate the ideologies that compete for our support and make informed choices about what to support.

Written on Puget Sound Energy electricity rates to go up next week :

Using less energy saves me money, plus it is easy and I feel good about doing my part to avoid building new dams and power plants (which add hundreds of millions in dollar cost that gets spread among ratepayers, not to mention the externalized costs that show up in other ways).

There are lots of free and low-cost ways to save. I'm down 20% and that is without replacing appliances or investing more than a hundred bucks.

PSE has a good website to help get started. RePower will come out to your house and do a FREE walk-thru where you get personalized "best bang-for-the-buck" recommendations (Hint: it is not windows. Maybe the poster above could take advantage of these services and figure out why their power use is so high when it seems like it shouldn't be.

Written on Role playing packs some harsh realities:

I do not share the cynicism of other posters. The exercise was a good way to help people who do not share the experience, get a taste of it so that they can understand the stresses and challenges. And folks in the helping professions, who naturally become hardened to what they see and observe day-in and day-out, this was a powerful chance to re-awaken compassion and understanding. Thanks to those who put it on and those who attended.

Written on MY TURN | Libraries are more relevant than ever :

I rarely hang out at the library, but am glad to see that it is always quite busy whenever I go to pick up the books I ordered online. I probably check out 50 items per year, and am very glad to contribute my share so that others can share this excellent community resource.

Written on Senator on disability seeks cuts to Wash. benefits:

Let's see...Zarelli can collect disability even though he is clearly able to work and golf. Yet the people incapacitated by mental illness (60% of recipients, per the article), and physical disability (40%), and who may be pregnant, homeless, or suffer from cancer should not be able to get some toiletries or temporary emergency help?

You really have to hate the downtrodden to agree with that sort of approach.

Written on Business spotlight: Liquor superstore planning Silverdale location :

I am glad to see a new retailer entering the local market, and I am glad to see the state out of direct liquor sales. My hope is that consumers get better choices, price and service. And that the artisan startups are not put out of business by the distributor- large retailer model that we got stuck with as a compromise.

PS Sure is odd to see all the negative judgement about a store selling a legal product. Given that existing liquor stores and stores that sell beer and wine are not scenes of drunken depravity any more than any other location is, what is the basis for all the nasty negativity and judgement? Just more haters hating and wanting to impose their values on others I suppose.

Written on Soldier's lawyer seeks to humanize clients:

I understand that is it John Henry Browne's job to humanize his client. But where in our American press is anybody taking on the job of humanizing the 16 people that he decided to murder? What about the man who lost 10 family members in one night? What about the two villages and what is left of them? What about the lives of people, already shattered by endless war, left to deal with this senseless tragedy? I'd like to see the Sun or anybody in the mainstream press tell us about these people - They dont have expensive press savvy lawyers, to make their problems go away.

Written on LETTER TO THE EDITOR | Doonesbury went over the line :

It is not an image designed to draw attention to an issue by poking fun at it that is disgusting. Hot-air politicians abusing government power to command invasive and medically unnecessary procedures - that is truly disgusting.

Written on Mom of boy involved in Armin Jahr shooting jailed; boyfriend released :

It would be a shame if Hauge's attempt to make case law or headlines or whatever it is he is doing results in a miscarriage of justice. The couple apparently had several unlocked loaded guns around their home and their vehicles. One of the couple was forbidden by law to have the weapons. Extreme negligence - Yes. Reckless endangerment - Yes. Lousy parenting - Yes. Subject to civil justice as well as criminal justice - Probably. But assault? That sounds like quite a reach.

Written on Finally, Winslow's 'friendlier' future street is ready :

in response to csob:

The new Winslow Way may be the ugliest main street on the planet. von Schrader's vision is a nightmare. One hopes that he will find appropriate therapy.

csob: Too bad they didn't just copy the incredible beauty, functionality, and people-friendly features of Wheaton Way instead.

Written on Corrections guild, county present arguments in labor arbitration hearing :

tedtbear is correct. The County's budget woes are due to mismanagement. Over time, the County has shown itself to be a terrible employer. The ineffective, unaccountable, and deeply negative work environment maintained by County HR, legal, and department heads is at least somewhat balanced by decent pay and benefits. Overall, as taxpayers, this equation provides us with decent services in spite of crappy management. It could be so much better and cost so much less. Taking out frustrations on the workers is not the answer. They are not the root cause of the problem and 95% of them are very good at what they do.

Written on Drag strip stripped from new race-park plans :

Centriputal is on to something. If noise is the issue, then the answer is going to lie in working on noise issues, not in pitting drag racers against neighbors and other motorsports enthusiasts.

Banning beer in Kirkland----Wow. That one is full of so many generalizations and assumptions about people from all sides. Great example to show how pitting people against each other is a recipe for nothing good to happen for anybody.

Written on Will Kitsap industries funded by "Green Jobs" grant stay green financially? :

New windows for a wreck of a Courthouse building, that is slated for replacement??? Even beginners know that windows are a lousy energy investment, compared to almost any other option. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in solar garbage cans (over credible objections at the time from both Parks and Solid Waste staff??? A home and business energy audit program that was so poorly conceived that almost nobody used it. That is right...almost all the projects happened after the County recognized the problems, then hired folks who know what they are doing to completely re-design the program. Years and dollars were wasted till that happened.

The problem is not some failure of green jobs. The problem is that, like so many before her, Salamack has been cleaning up messes left by the incompetent person she replaced. The combination of the worst recession in history and a global economic meltdown did not help, but in this case the high cost for benefit received has more to do with a lack of talent, accountability, and oversight within Kitsap County than with any debate about green or not green.

Written on Starbucks building on Kitsap Way in front of Walgreens:

in response to LindaG:

There is a newer movie out with the same title, but not the same subject. I am going to look for the DVD for this 2006 movie. Thanks!

I buy Starbucks sometimes, because they are everywhere. But, I feel less guilty if, instead, I look for a coffee stand that purchases only fair trade coffee.

I like the coffee shop at Central Market in Poulsbo best of local places.

Good for you for making a point of finding and buying Fair Trade certified coffee. Coffee tastes better when the people who grow it are treated with dignity and respect. None of that stench of despair, servitude,and rampant financial chicanery.

Keep on keeping on. Support Fair Trade and ethical sourcing, whether at a small shop or a Starbucks (the largest purchaser of Fair Trade coffee in the world)

Written on Angel proposes drug tests for welfare recipients :

What we could really use is drug and alcohol tests for all elected and appointed officials!!!!

Written on LETTER TO THE EDITOR | Debunking objections to marriage equality :

I appreciate hearing from a religious leader willing to stand up for equal rights for all God's people.

We find ourselves in a moment where a loud and intolerant wing of Christian and Muslim religions dominate public discourse. That wing lost the battle when they tried (wrongly) to use "god" as an excuse to maintain legal discrimination against people of color. They will lose this battle as well. Eventually the pendulum will shift and religions will go back to standing for fairness, human rights, ethics and morality (Might take a while though).

Written on Republican Dunn shunned for gay marriage support:

A thinking person's Republican candidate. What a breathe of fresh air after the embarrassment-fest that is the nomination rounds.

Written on EPA fines Navy for problem in monitoring underground fuel tanks :

Inexcusable. The Navy knows better. Prevention is always way cheaper than remediation. Safer too. I'd thought the Navy's history of ignoring the kind of national security that comes from protecting the environment was long over. Their tanks and pipes should be just as safe, if not safer, than the ones at the corner gas station. We deserve better. Thanks to EPA for enforcing where enforcement was needed. Down with state Dept of Ecology for whatever caused them to miss or ignore the problem for so long.


in response to Island_Watcher:

This is a very smart proposal that will do much to enhance protection of critical habitat and improve the buffer around the Park while having minimal impact on recreational and commercial users.

All of the road sections that the proposal impacts are already slated for closure, so the long-term impact for hikers, hunters and fishermen is nil. The total reduction in timber lands will total just 3% to 5% of the land currently available; that's a minimal amount that can easily be offset through improved timber management.

This plan will reduce the long term maintenance costs for the budget-strapped ONF. To put it simply, you can't have an ever-shrinking budget and still maintain a full-service forest.

Also, note that no private land will be impacted unless the owner choses to participate in a sale to the National Park.

It would be useful for the reporters to include basic facts. That way people could have an informed conversation instead of reacting to far-fetched fears and biases.

Written on LETTER TO THE EDITOR | Don't believe untruths about Gingrich :

Unlike many of the contenders, he has a brain. But Gingrich's history of pathetic and selfish personal behavior, willingness to destroy in pursuit of victory (i.e. "win-at-all-costs"), and skirting of ethics laws is longstanding. There is ample documentation beginning before he announced this years run. He has a penchant for temper tantrums and vicious payback schemes. Such character flaws are deeply undesirable in a President.

This letter should be re-titled "Don't Believe Untruths About Untruths About Gingrich".

Written on County wants permission to regionalize services :

in response to csob:

I like the idea, but it was "politicized" when it came out of Josh Brown's mouth. The problem with government efficiency is that it means cutting union jobs and/or shutting down programs created to curry favor with one group of voters or another. The idea will quietly die when the state's budget crisis takes over the news.


Thank you for making it clear that you interpret the value of an idea by how you feel about the person who said it, rather than assessing it on its own merits. Understanding how you make decisions makes it easier to evaluate your contributions.

Sadly automatically opposing something only because it comes from someone you don't care for limits the scope and breadth of your creativity. In the public sphere, it is a recipe for gridlock (Note the number of politicians screaming against proposals that they used to tout, simply because they are more afraid of being associated with the other side, than they are of being useless and dysfunctional).

Please do not assume that the rest of us are limited by your rules, and your particular world view. You can rightfully claim that you interpret an idea as politicized because of who said it. But your interpretation is just that. It does not make it true.

Written on Bainbridge officer resigns after secretly taping city-police union meeting :

People often resort to taping when they've witnessed unethical behavior, and feel they need proof to put a stop to it. Most unethical behavior takes place in secret. It won't stop till brought out into the light of day. Unfortunately when reported to those who have the duty and ability to stop it, what often happens is that the organization turns against the whistleblower. It harasses them for having caught the perpetrators.

Kitsap County's public works, personnel and attorney's office are on record protecting perpetrators whose guilt is clearly shown on tape. That tapes might have been obtained improperly does not excuse the illegal and unethical behavior. Nor does it excuse harassing whistleblowers. Recent articles make it sound like BI is taking lessons from Kitsap County.

WA state's poorly publicized anti-taping law may be in place for some good reasons. But using it to victimize and harass whistleblowers is not one of them.

Written on State has penalized four local assisted-living facilities in two years :

I find it frightening that the regs that protect the health, welfare, and financial security of our elders dont seem to carry much weight. Fines that are a couple hundred bucks, closed records, and mild sanctions.