Right Mind : Smart Growth

Moscow council favors Green Acres proposal: Testimony on big box stores comes late in meeting

Right-Mind — Tue, 08 May 2007 12:34:17 GMT

The following article ran in today’s Lewiston Tribune . Members of the Moscow City Council Monday...(read more)

City Council approves preliminary plat for Greensides Hill subdivision

Right-Mind — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 00:58:54 GMT

As reported in today's edition of the Moscow-Pullman Daily News . The Moscow City Council on Monday conditionally...(read more)

Porter says to Developers: Get the Hell out of My Town

Right-Mind — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 16:11:37 GMT

The argument Proter makes is anti-liberty and statist. He doesn’t want others to have the liberty...(read more)

Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport growth is limited by lack of water

Right-Mind — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 15:54:50 GMT

As reported in today's edition of the Moscow-Pullman Daily News . The Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport...(read more)

The Irony of Smart Growth

Right-Mind — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 22:44:29 GMT

Here’s another proposed response to Kathy Porter’s letter to the editor. This is excerpted...(read more)

Energy firm buys land for nuclear plant

Right-Mind — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 12:07:13 GMT

From the Associated Press : An alternative energy company announced an agreement Thursday to buy 4,000...(read more)

Nuclear Plant in Grangeville

Right-Mind — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 16:30:34 GMT

The following editorial by Tom Henderson ran in today's Lewiston Tribune (subscription required). I wonder...(read more)

Residents squabble over the future of this quaint rural community: Part 3

Right-Mind — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 13:18:35 GMT

The following article ran in yesterday’s Lewiston Tribune (subscription required). This is a huge...(read more)

Think the Palouse is exploding? Think again

Right-Mind — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 12:46:40 GMT

I’ve cited these census statistics for years now. See: More Census Info for Idaho Latah Meeting...(read more)

Major Hypocrisy Alert

Right-Mind — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 23:04:15 GMT

Tom writes: The P&Z Commission's proposed 130,000 square foot big-box cap. It is no accident. The...(read more)

Moscow has smart growth?

Right-Mind — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 00:59:11 GMT

The following letter to the editor appeared in today’s Moscow-Pullman Daily News . Watch how Schmidt...(read more)

No Growth, anti-progressive Liberals Strike Again: Moscow opposes proposed dealership in corridor

Right-Mind — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 02:04:00 GMT

As reported in today's edition of the Moscow-Pullman Daily News . The city of Moscow filed formal...(read more)

Growth killers are alive and well in Moscow

Right-Mind — Sat, 06 Jan 2007 20:25:32 GMT

The following letter to the editor appeared in today’s Moscow-Pullman Daily News : Moscow’s...(read more)

Moscow comments on Hawkins Companies’ proposed development

Right-Mind — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 11:59:01 GMT

As you read this, ask yourself: are these reasonable observations/comments? Or are these the grasping...(read more)

City to receive smart growth award

Right-Mind — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 21:29:36 GMT

If “smart growth” equals “no growth”, then Moscow should be the hands-down winner...(read more)

Requiem for The Commons

Right-Mind — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 00:58:20 GMT

The following letter to the editor appeared in today’s Moscow-Pullman Daily News : Well, The Commons...(read more)

Time for Moscow to make up its mind

Right-Mind — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 22:15:47 GMT

An editorial by Murf Raquet (on behalf of the Editors) in today's edition of the Moscow-Pullman Daily...(read more)

Parking is an issue, not an excuse

Right-Mind — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 21:47:20 GMT

The following is from Murf Raquet, writing for the editors in today's edition of the Moscow-Pullman Daily...(read more)

Moscow residents create new pro-growth group

Right-Mind — Sun, 21 May 2006 05:36:17 GMT

In today's Lewiston Tribune : A new citizen's group called the Greater Moscow Alliance has been formed...(read more)

GMA: Moscow group plans to bring different perspective to issues

Right-Mind — Fri, 19 May 2006 20:42:32 GMT

For more about the Greater Moscow Alliance, see www.greatermoscow.org . As reported in today's edition...(read more)

Press Release: Moscow Chamber of Commerce Big Box Survey

Right-Mind — Sat, 08 Apr 2006 02:19:00 GMT

I heard this press release announced on KQQQ at lunch today. I contacted the Moscow Chamber to get a...(read more)

When Smart Growth = No Growth

Right-Mind — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 23:09:00 GMT

The following thoughful letter to the editor appeared in today's Moscow-Pullman Daily News : As owner...(read more)

Cities Question Effect Of Corridor Growth

Right-Mind — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 01:38:00 GMT

Tom Forbes over at Palousitics has some great observations about the economic tsunami that's about to hit Moscow -- all thanks to our local socialists.

Tom writes:

Pullman and Moscow city governments are looking with envious eyes upon what will be by far and away the largest retail development in the history of the Palouse. They know whose ox is going to get gored.
Moscow, with its newly-installed ultra-leftist, anti-growth city government, stands to lose the most as new development and tax dollars will migrate just a few feet over the border into Washington. The elitist "smart growthers" over there are about to get a really hard dose of "Real World 101". This is a little Instant Karma for the retail dominance Moscow has enjoyed for the past few decades. But I don't see how they have a say in this process at all, even as a member of the "public".
...
Pullman and Moscow only have themselves to blame. For years, both cities have had reputations for being business-unfriendly and very NIMBYish. More recently, we have PARD and the No Super Wal-Mart group to blame for the bad juju. Does anyone question why the Hawkins Companies would take their chances with wells, septic tanks, and limited infrastructure versus the year-and-a-half long circus of deadbeat shoppers, dead kids and deer testicles that Wal-Mart has endured in Pullman and now starting in Moscow as well? Remember, this new complex will be THREE times larger than a Supercenter. Free speech is not free of consequences. Other businesses constantly watch what goes on here. PARD has acted incredibly irresponsibly and done untold harm to Pullman's economic future. That is why it is imperative that the people of Pullman rise up in anger and demand that PARD end their frivilous appeals. People in Moscow are going to have to take back their city as well.
...
I don't see Moscow in the picture at all with their current administration.

That's a view from Pullman looking eastward to Moscow: a very perceptive and incisive take on things. I couldn't have said it better myself.

Maybe having a sane voice from Pullman saying the same things I've been saying will cause the conservatives over here to wake up and see what the socialists are doing to the future of Moscow.

Moscow Civic Association Opposes Proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter

Right-Mind — Mon, 13 Feb 2006 20:58:00 GMT

Now here's a news flash that will catch everyone in Moscow by surprise.

The Voice of the People's Republic of Moscow (a.k.a., the Moscow Civic Association), has come out against Wal-Mart. Here's the public service announcement courtesy of Bill London:

The Moscow Civic Association (MCA) opposes the development of a Wal-Mart Supercenter in Moscow. The MCA Board of Directors made this decision at their February 8 meeting, and the MCA membership supported that decision, according to MCA president Brad King.
In addition to supporting the local No Super Wal-Mart group, http://www.nosuperwalmart.com, the MCA opposes the development of a Wal-Mart Supercenter in Moscow based on the principles of Smart Growth and the following specific reasons:

A Wal-Mart Supercenter will not contribute to the kind of long-term economic development that provides a net benefit to this community and region.

Wal-Mart is a leader in predatory business practices locally and globally. We believe development of a Supercenter will hurt local businesses and Moscow's thriving downtown area.

Moscow currently has a Wal-Mart and a Winco which offer low-price items to residents. A Wal-Mart Supercenter is beyond the scale of what makes sense for a town of 25,000.

Wal-Mart is well known for offering mostly low wages, limited health benefits, and imposing illegal labor practices on their workers.

The proposed 80 acre east side site is the least appropriate place for big box development. This development will exacerbate sprawl and congestion while causing further damage to the downtown core by diverting traffic elsewhere. An east side location will make the east/west traffic situation worse.

Moscow is, and should remain, a thriving rural community with the ability to continue directing its development towards locally-owned, technology-based, and homespun cottage industries and services.

Smart Growth, Wal-Mart Will Be Discussed At Forum

Right-Mind — Sat, 11 Feb 2006 22:01:00 GMT

As reported in the Moscow-Pullman Daily News:

Jon Barrett thinks cities need neighborhoods easy to walk through, protected green space, public transportation and recreational opportunities.
His ideas are part of the Smart Growth national planning movement against urban sprawl. Barrett, co-director of Idaho Smart Growth in Boise, will discuss the movement and how it relates to the proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter at 7 p.m. Monday at the 1912 Center, 412 E. Third St., Moscow.
This is the second Wal-Mart forum sponsored by the Moscow Civic Association.
“There’s a lot to (Smart Growth),” said MCA President Brad King. “I hope people gain an understanding of Smart Growth and how Wal-Mart may or may not fit into the picture.”
Barrett worked in community planning and growth management for more than 10 years as a city planner and a private-sector consultant. He joined Idaho Smart Growth in 1997.
“It should be an interesting forum,” King said. “I think people will be happy they came.”
The MCA is a nonprofit citizen’s organization whose mission is to inform community members about local issues and encourage civic participation.

The MCA is a lot more than that!

Looks like this MCA "forum" will put MCA back in their normal light -- one-sided information trumpeting "progressive" causes. You have to wonder how "informing" means only telling one-side of the story.

Moscow Civic Association Endorses Chaney for Mayor; Stout for City Council

Right-Mind — Sun, 25 Sep 2005 19:49:00 GMT

From Bill London:

The Moscow Civic Association has endorsed two candidates in the November Moscow city election: Nancy Chaney for mayor and Bob Stout for City Council (four-year term).

The MCA Subcommittee on Elections and Debates (SED) met numerous times over the spring and summer and interviewed seven individuals before making this recommendation. The MCA Board of Directors then ratified the SED's recommendation and approved these endorsements.

The MCA makes no financial contributions to the candidates, but encourages MCA members and the voting public to support them.

Nancy Chaney and Bob Stout were chosen for endorsement because they are thoughtful and progressive candidates committed to Smart Growth, public involvement, and other MCA ideals, noted Brad King, MCA president.

From Vera White:

There’s a week remaining until the filing deadline for the Moscow City Council race, but the Moscow Civic Association already has made its endorsements, this according to a Monday e-mail release forwarded to the INKster by President Brad King.

MCA’s endorsements went to Councilwoman Nancy Chaney for mayor, and Bob Stout for a council seat.
“The MCA Subcommittee on Elections and Debates (SED) met numerous times over the spring and summer and interviewed seven individuals before making this recommendation,” King wrote to members. “The MCA Board of Directors then ratified SED’s recommendation and approved these endorsements.”
The MCA makes no financial contributions to candidates, but King noted that two years ago, MCA endorsed and helped elect Chaney and Councilman John Dickinson.
“This year we hope to be equally successful with these two excellent progressive candidates,” King continued.

"Progressive". What does that word mean?

According to the dictionary,

Progressives in the US were strong in the early parts of the 20th century. Today it is equated to movements on the left ranging from liberal to democratic socialist.

And this:

This is a cluster of political, activist, and media organizations ranging from left-liberal to democratic socialism. Significant media include The Progressive magazine, and the American Prospect. Modern Left Progressivism includes several political figures including Bernie Sanders, Barbara Boxer, Russ Feingold, Dennis Kucinich. Also in this category are many leaders in the women's movement, labor movement, anti-globalization movement, civil rights movement, environmental movement, immigrant rights movement, and gay and *** rights movement. Other well-known progressives include Barbara Ehrenreich, Cornell West, George Lakoff, Michael Lerner, Suzanne Pharr, and Urvashi Vaid.

I'm not sure how much more progress of this kind Moscow can take! If the MCA has its way, this will truly be the People's Republic of Moscow -- with all that "democratic socialism" brings with it.

The bottom line for me (Dale): if MCA endorses a candidate, that means that no right-minded person can vote for him/her.

Moscow: Taxing ourselves into prosperity.

Now Who Has the Political Agenda?

Right-Mind — Fri, 23 Sep 2005 15:37:00 GMT

Rose Huskey writes:

We should all be grateful that elections are approaching. Sadly, not all those lazy ninnies warming a seat - at tax payers expense - are up for re-election. However, it is my fervent wish that a new council will provide the leadership that is so badly needed in this community.

Bill London writes:

The Moscow Civic Association has endorsed two candidates in the November Moscow city election: Nancy Chaney for mayor and Bob Stout for City Council (four-year term).

The MCA Subcommittee on Elections and Debates (SED) met numerous times over the spring and summer and interviewed seven individuals before making this recommendation. The MCA Board of Directors then ratified the SED's recommendation and approved these endorsements.

The MCA makes no financial contributions to the candidates, but encourages MCA members and the voting public to support them.

Nancy Chaney and Bob Stout were chosen for endorsement because they are thoughtful and progressive candidates committed to Smart Growth, public involvement, and other MCA ideals, noted Brad King, MCA president.

My, my. Now who has the political agenda?

Are you looking to elect people who can carry out your harassing agendas? You know, that just might backfire on you.

Responsible Educational Spending

Right-Mind — Mon, 11 Apr 2005 13:34:00 GMT

Wow! Websites are popping up all over.

And to answer Tom Hansen's paranoid question up-front -- I have absolutely nothing to do with this one.

Here's the new site: Responsible Educational Spending

This is going to make a stink. They have pictures of flooded property.

You really need to read Janice Willard's discussion and her pictures: http://community.palouse.net/responsibleeduspending/flood.html

They also have discussions about the following issues:

Articles are written by:

Janice Willard
Roberta Radavich
David Christian
Eric Nilsson
Tim Daulton

Check out those pictures, though. Scary, really: http://community.palouse.net/responsibleeduspending/flood.html

Hat-tip: Doug F. and all the signs going up around town!

When Smart Growth isn't

Right-Mind — Sat, 18 Sep 2004 23:39:00 GMT

The Moscow Civic Association (MCA) had a meeting to disucss “Smart Growth“.

Art Carden said it well:

From what I gather, "enlightened, progressive urban development" means cramming tons of people into small spaces and protecting pristine wilderness from human encroachment. Magically, this will somehow produce upper-middle class jobs for everyone who wants one and oodles of "affordable housing." I say "magically" because increasing the cost of entrepreneurial activity and sharply restricting the amount of land that can be put underfoot cannot create new jobs or new housing. At the very best, these interventions will retard job and housing growth or lead to Bay-area style gentrification.

Here's what Richard M. Ebeling had to say about Friedrich Hayek's insight into central planning:

"Hayek's particular and profound contribution to the debate over the feasibility of socialism was the following argument: that the more complex a society, the more difficult it becomes for a central planner to possess the required knowledge to coordinate all the economic activity of that society. In a system of division of labor, human knowledge is also divided. Each member of society possesses a small fraction of all the world's knowledge. And a successful coordination of all of these bits of knowledge, upon which the prosperity of the social order depends, is only possible through the use of market competition that transmits essential information about changing supply and demand conditions to every comer of the market through the price mechanism."

The Moscow liberals have raised a local stink. You cannot succeed when you attempt heavy-handed, controlling techniques...

Forum focuses on Moscow decisions, growth

Alexis Bacharach

Moscow City Supervisor Gary Riedner said there shouldn't be any question about who runs the city.

He tried Monday night at a Moscow Civic Association meeting to dispel any myths that he and other city administrators make decisions before the issues come before the City Council.
"I'm sure it would be a big surprise to the elected officials that there's any question as to who runs the city," he said. "People have asked why I'm not more visible - why I'm not more in the limelight. I'm not an elected official ...the council sets the budget, sets the course of city government. The mayor is the head of city government. I work for the mayor."
Moscow Civic Association board member Brenda Von Wandruszka said the perception exists, nevertheless, that Riedner is the man behind the curtain. She thought it was important to engage the city staff in a panel discussion to educate community members about the government process.
"There is this notion that once one gets to council the decisions have already been made," she said. "It appears that Mr. Riedner is the one making those decisions. I think he is a really good city supervisor and he does run the city."
She said the civic association is concerned about growth in Moscow. There have been a number of residential subdivisions approved by the council in recent years.
"The civic association came together in large part to promote smart growth. Ultimately, it's the city staff that creates the vision for Moscow, and if they aren't going to think in terms of smart growth we're going to help them," she said. "If we do not participate in the process as citizens it's our own fault. We want to educate people about how our city government operates and encourage citizens to become involved."
Council President Peg Hamlett said city officials have tried to encourage public involvement.
"The public has a perception that the decisions are made before we see the issues. They think when something comes before us, it's the first time we've had an opportunity to look at it," she said. "I wish we could get more people to come to our committee meetings and take part in the process before things come to council. People, often times, don't have an opinion on something until the decision has already been made and they don't like it."
Hamlett said the council spends months looking at and discussing various land-use proposals. It's always at the final meeting that residents come out in opposition.
"They ask, 'well why didn't you do this?' or, 'why didn't you look at that?' " Hamlett said. "You just want to ask, 'Where were you two months ago when we started talking about this?' If there is an issue people are concerned about, they should call their council member. If they want more information on something they can look at our Web site or call the city clerk. If people don't voice their opinion we can't take that into consideration. By the time people get around to telling us they're unhappy with something, it's usually too late."
Riedner agreed. He said there is nothing worse than being faced with a room full of people screaming they were given no opportunity to participate in the decision-making process.
"Identifying stakeholders is always difficult. I want to dispel any idea that somehow the management team (administrators) is making or leading the decisions," Riedner said. "Who runs the city depends on the question being asked. The staff's vision of the city comes from the elected officials. If I want something to happen, I don't have the ability to change city code."
Moscow Mayor Marshall Comstock said it's sometimes frustrating to hear that people don't get enough opportunities to participate in the process, or enough opportunities to interact with elected officials.
"We hold more public hearings than are necessary. When there is a decision that affects people, we try not to limit public testimony," Comstock said. "We want people to talk to us. There is a perception out there that we don't listen to people - that we don't respond to people's concerns. Decisions take time. It's hard to hear that people don't have access to the public officials. I have a listed phone number, and I freely hand out my cell phone number. We are not difficult to get a hold of."