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Walter Haugen David Hunter PDS_Planning_Commission; Becky Boxx; Ben Elenbaas; David Onkels; Gary Honcoop; Gerald Vekved; Ken Bell; Mark Personius; Mary Beth Teigrob; Natalie McClendon Re: Planning Commission Member Concerns Saturday, April 12, 2014 10:55:51 AM

As Commissioner Hunter stated, this is not Planning Commission business. However, on a personal note I am impressed by Mr. Uppiano's creativity. I especially like this sentence, "Is this the kind of adhominem attack, and fact-challenged, boilerplate left-wing agitprop that we can now expect from our Whatcom County government?" Turning to real Planning Commission business, I was accosted out in the parking lot after the last Planning Commission meeting Thursday night (4/11/2014) by someone who doesn't like my views. It was the usual intimidation script; looming over me, getting in my face at less than 6 inches, raising his voice, making disparaging comments about "lefties" and "environmentalists," pointed questions about my background, not letting me speak, and good 'ole boy homilies about living in Whatcom all his life. I find this nonsense ridiculous and disrespectful. I should not be subject to this kind of behavior after a meeting in the parking lot, of all places. I don't walk up to someone to harass them in a parking lot and I will not allow this kind of behavior in the future. I am therefore stating publicly that I am not available to the public after the close of a meeting. This includes the meeting room and the parking lot. If the public or other commissioners and staff want to talk to me, they can email me to set up an appointment.

On Thu, Apr 10, 2014 at 1:13 PM, David Hunter wrote: By the way, something has come up and I may have to miss this evenings meeting.  I guess if I have to miss a meeting, this would be the one to miss, although it does look really interesting. David From: [email protected] To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] CC: [email protected] Subject: FW: Planning Commission Member Concerns Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2014 18:46:25 +0000     From: Karl Uppiano [mailto:[email protected]]

Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2014 10:19 AM To: Council

Cc: PDS_Planning_Commission Subject: Planning Commission Member Concerns   Karl Uppiano 5988 Malloy Ave Ferndale, WA 98248

  Dear Council Members,

  I would like to call your attention to an article that appeared recently in the Bellingham Herald.

  http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2014/04/08/3575536/water-districts-want-planning.html? sp=/99/122/291/

  In the comments section, district 3 Whatcom County Planning Commission member Walter Haugen attacked the author on the grounds that she was somehow lying when she did not explicitly say she had some past affiliation with the Whatcom Tea Party. She wasn't writing in that capacity; it wasn't relevant to the article, which was simply a reading of historical facts. My wife came to her defense:

  "Walter Haugen – Ellen retired from the Tea Party board some time ago. I know her to be conscientious civil servant in her role as Glacier water commissioner. I only wish all elected representatives had her integrity. Enjoy your hate fest."

  Mr. Haugen replied:

  "Peggy Uppiano – A lie of omission is still a lie. Ellen wants to have it both ways. She wants to be a member/supporter of the Tea Party and advance their agenda, while simultaneously distancing herself from the Tea Party when it suits her purposes.

  The Tea Party, as a political party, wants to take money, support, and organizational expertise from the Koch brothers and Rupert Murdoch while simultaneously distancing themselves from the same billionaires who are stealing from the poor to fatten their own bank accounts. Some of the more politically savvy thinkers in the Tea Party have realized this duplicity is disadvantageous. Their response is to say the Koch brothers have manipulated the Tea Party, as if the Tea Party bears no blame. This will not wash.

  What makes the Tea Party dangerous is the money of the Koch brothers and Murdoch. If they didn't have this money, support and organizational expertise, they would just be a silly footnote in history, like the John Birch Society. If Ellen Baker would just come out and say, "Yes, I am promoting the Tea Party agenda," I would have more respect for her."

  Council members, I find this very concerning. If Mr. Haugen is going to post under his real name, he should at least take the responsibility to familiarize himself with the facts. Is this the kind of adhominem attack, and fact-challenged, boilerplate left-wing agitprop that we can now expect from our Whatcom County government? So many memes; so little truth. But if Mr. Haugen takes issue with the article's content, why doesn’t he attack that? Challenge the truth-claims! Ad-hominem attacks are cheap and vacuous, employed to discredit the message without exerting the intellectual effort to discuss the facts of the issue.

  I have first-hand knowledge of Whatcom Tea Party operations, and I can tell you that every dime they have ever taken in comes from the generous contributions from local businesses and individuals. Most Whatcom Tea Party participants would not even be aware of the Koch brothers if it weren't for the unhinged caterwauling about them from the left:  that’s how I first heard of them. And secondly, as Mr. Haugen should well know, no tea party is an actual political party!

  (Full disclosure: I am president of Whatcom County Citizens for Freedom, d/b/a The Whatcom Tea Party, but I am writing to you as an individual. I was not asked by the tea party to contact you, nor did I ask their permission, either. I’m just telling you what I think, personally.)

  Sincerely,

  Karl Uppiano, citizen, constituent