DISQUS

loves_to_wine · 1 month ago

The reality is that times are hard. If people don't know that by now, they are living in another world.

First and formost, the government is NOT in the arts business. It should be paying for basic government needs...STREET REPAIR would be great. Second, the fact that the arts gets any $$ from the city should make them thankful, not whiney! GET over yourself here people. Police, streets, water...those are the basics of the city, not the arts.

I am not against the arts. My family and I support the arts and enjoy what there is on Bainbridge, but face it, the arts should be privately funded. If you want to support it, use your own money, NOT tax $$$.

And what does the arts board consider art?

Take a guess at how much the council paid for the "art" at the ferry. To paint the railings, put names on them (poorly I must add) and hang a few pics...it was in the price range of $50,000. That was even after the city faced a real financial crisis.

Art is important, but it is NOT a city government concern!

jefferson · 1 month ago

In our best year, our city does not have the money to pay for "arts" programs. There are only 9500 families on this island, including summer-only residents. We barely have enough for police, fire, public works and schools. Thankfully, we have a little for human services, but not much.

Of course your budget was disproportionally cut. It should have been zero in the first place. This nonsense about a contribution to the island economy is laughable. Tacoma's old pulp mill would have passed the smell test more easily.

robertdashiell · 1 month ago

Council should have leadership: SET THE PRIORITIES. Then staff and fund to the priorities.

Not going to happen with this Council. Too late and lacks leadership.

Maybe a new City Manager and a new Council will conclude the obvious: this city doesn't have the revenues and can't continue to please every advocacy group.

Hunter · 1 month ago

I am sorry, but funding the Arts is not an essential government function. I pay out of my own pocket to purchase locally crafted arts, but especially in the current economic environment it is hard to justify spending local tax dollars on non-essential government services or projects. It is clearly obvious by the state of the roads, infrastructure, etc., that the city council has redirected tax dollars into funding arts and non-essential social services instead of where the money should go first.

admirals · 1 month ago

Now this is a study, considering the special interest and COBI's hand, that is highly suspect. "The City of Bainbridge paid for a 2006 Arts and Economic Prosperity III study which found that Bainbridge Island nonprofit arts and humanities organizations provided 195 full-time equivalent jobs and generated $734,000 in local and state tax revenue."

BIAHC in the recent past was rolling in taxpayer money giving "grants" to friends and associates in a highly questionable and unaudited fashion.

I particularly love the statement that the arts are being singled out --- ha ha ha! It only the fact that the arts were a very well connected insider that has them claiming victim hood now. I think the roads and police department are also "victims" of a down economy and gigantic misguided spending priorities.

If the arts are so vital, earn your own way and stay off the public dole. The Council still has vestiges of public-arts public dole. There is no money Arts. No money.

Hunter · 1 month ago

Robert's comment on council leadership got me to thinking... I wonder who will emerge as a leader on the new council? Knobloch has been around the longest but I think Lester or even Hytopoulos will give him a run for the money. I don't believe Peters or Franz will step forward. Brackett seems like more of a pot stirrer and not the leader that inspires and moves things along. I noticed that the Review blew off the story on the Knobloch alleged ethics violations, that may affect his credibility to lead if there are any truths to the allegations. I think Bill K. may have some issues to sweat as the state court of appeals recently decided that city council members' personal email accounts are subject to the state public disclosure laws if used in any way to conduct city business. This is even if the council member discussed personal topics in the emails that are not subject to the public disclosure laws. I wonder if Sally Adams ever exchanged emails with Bill? I do find it somewhat concerning that Bill Knobloch is sitting on settlement talks with the RPA (at Adams & Allen's behest). Knobloch took money from Adams for his reelection campaign. So we have a council person supposedily representing the city in a law suit settlement talk with a Plaintiff that has given him money to help get him elected.

I do hope that a leader (not a manager or debater) emerges on the new council. We need someone that can clearly show priorities and decision making based on essential government services. If we are ever flush with money again, then that would be the time to discuss spending tax money on non-essential services or projects.

robertdashiell · 1 month ago

This is an arts funding article and thread, but Council's future actions are almost certainly going affect all programs and organizations that receive tax dollars. The new Council is a tough one to predict.

I think Bob Scales or Barry Peters are the two most likely Mayor possibilities, and Scales would be a logical choice, but it remains to be seen if he keeps his Seattle job. The mayor has meetings to attend in the normal working hours, so availability is a consideration. Peters is politically polarizing, although he has the best handle on finances of all current council members.

Bill Knobloch, currently the deputy mayor, likely will not advance to Mayor. IF he gets put under a public or ethics microscope, he is probably going to be be just a Councilman. And that would be based on more than the Ratepayers lawsuit if he is involved in that in any way. Interesting an e-mail today from him said he was recovering from a computer hard drive failure. That likely means all his e-mails are gone. Could be just a coincidence, of course. Things get erased and lost ... it even happened in the White House when Nixon was President.

Of course, whoever is Mayor is not necessarily going to emerge as the Council leader. I personally think that will be Scales because he is advocating change and resetting direction, and he has previous Council experience.

Kirsten Hytopoulos and Debbie Lester are probably going to take a year to get their Council legs and legislative confidence before they play a significant leadership role. There is an enormous amount to learn and understand for a new Council member, and I suspect they be using, then shedding their trailing wheels the first year. The are going into what will have to be some very difficult downsizing and funding reduction decisions, and they will get their legislative experience under fire.

Hunter · 1 month ago

If there are "missing" emails or a "hard drive failure", then that would speak volumes to the ethics allegations. Sorta like that 18 1/2 minute gap that was missing on a certain audio tape...

admirals · 1 month ago

Regarding RD's statement about Knobloch's computer problem: :" That likely means all his e-mails are gone. Could be just a coincidence, of course. Things get erased and lost ..." No it's not a coincidence, the Easter Bunny did it. Give me a break Hollywood Bill.

John · 1 month ago

Mr. admirals(???), Was that Easter Bunny a registered voter? Did he/she vote? I think NOT!!! In what county??? I could find NO!!! record of this SO CALLED EASTER BUNNY on the tax-registers, nor even ANY!!! record of him/her on OUR Island!!! No birth certificate, No Green Card, No SS#. That bunny ought to hop on back to NK with the rest of the ankle biters.

admirals · 1 month ago

Manchurian Rose -- so you think COBI is the victim of people who don't understand where the money went? Curious in the article that there was no mention of our dearly departed Mayor K and the mess she and the Council got us into.

And yes, it is true the Easter Bunny messed up Knobloch's computer. Really Manchurian. Really.