In his rant, Ken Oplinger brings up the instance of a Bellingham mayor 6-1/2 years ago who "basically told the business community to keep their mouths shut" on the topic of making Bham more business-friendly.
That is a distortion of something that never happened, although it was that ridiculous sumbyotch Oplinger who waddled into town about that time and tried to politicize the Chamber of Commerce HARD RIGHT so it more resembled the utterly repugnant, hard-right national CoC.
So while huffing and puffing about the merits of tackling issues rather than making character attacks, Oplinger--who as far as I can tell has never worked an honest day in his life in the private sector-- distorts and does a hatchet job on COB.
It's funny. Whenever you ask a business person in Bellingham what, specifically, the city could be doing to improve the business environment, they can name nothing specific (other than change B&O tax, the character of which is pretty much outside the city's control). But there is a lingering sense that B'ham is unfriendly to the business community, mostly because of the general stench emitted on this topic by a blowhard like Oplinger.
I enjoyed the immediate personal attack Mr. Op aimed at a long gone mayor. Really set a nice tone to start off by doing the exact same thing he was complaining about. Some of us also remember Bitter Community Solutions (yes, I typed Bitter) and Mr. Op's role, the PDC violation, and the mean spirited personal attacks on two County Council members and one City Council member.
I was not the first to morph Better Community Solutions into Bitter. I think it was a spontaneous brain wave that swept across Bellingham when they sent their mail hit piece out 5 years ago. Mr. Op strikes me as still holding some bitterness from the event. But that could be wishful thinking on my part. Of course that all predates the arrival of the Apex animal.
I, too, remember the Great Op. He and his ilk practically ran City Hall, backing every land use exploitation as though it were holy writ and spending mega bucks to fight any restraints. Their favorite projects were then as now, unfettered development, property rights, the watershed and the spewing of gasoline therein being among them.
They first brought in the phrase "taking" and tried to float the idea that the reservoir was "navigable waters" which were not subject to any restrictions.
Mr. O always had a way with words; his all-time masterpiece was the four page full-color tabloid they inserted into the Herald that righteously misinformed the public about the joys of drinking benzene from what was. supposedly, the cleanest drinking water source west of the Mississippi.
In his rant, Ken Oplinger brings up the instance of a Bellingham mayor 6-1/2 years ago who "basically told the business community to keep their mouths shut" on the topic of making Bham more business-friendly.
ReplyDeleteThat is a distortion of something that never happened, although it was that ridiculous sumbyotch Oplinger who waddled into town about that time and tried to politicize the Chamber of Commerce HARD RIGHT so it more resembled the utterly repugnant, hard-right national CoC.
So while huffing and puffing about the merits of tackling issues rather than making character attacks, Oplinger--who as far as I can tell has never worked an honest day in his life in the private sector-- distorts and does a hatchet job on COB.
It's funny. Whenever you ask a business person in Bellingham what, specifically, the city could be doing to improve the business environment, they can name nothing specific (other than change B&O tax, the character of which is pretty much outside the city's control). But there is a lingering sense that B'ham is unfriendly to the business community, mostly because of the general stench emitted on this topic by a blowhard like Oplinger.
I enjoyed the immediate personal attack Mr. Op aimed at a long gone mayor. Really set a nice tone to start off by doing the exact same thing he was complaining about. Some of us also remember Bitter Community Solutions (yes, I typed Bitter) and Mr. Op's role, the PDC violation, and the mean spirited personal attacks on two County Council members and one City Council member.
ReplyDeleteAlright, Mr McShane...
ReplyDeleteI know you feel strongly about this but employing the use of words like...(cover the childrens' ears)... bitter... is some pretty strong stuff.
(must keep straight face... must keep straight face...)
This is a family show, folks.
Let us not speak as if we were rakish scoundrels gathered around a piano in some tawdry saloon.
I shall retire now to the Latte Republic's designated fainting couch until my heart is no longer aflutter from such talk.
(must keep straight face... must keep straight face...)
And futhermore, I am totally not using sarcasm. And I protest in the strongest possible terms that I employ such devices.
How do such rumors get started?
*faints*
I was not the first to morph Better Community Solutions into Bitter. I think it was a spontaneous brain wave that swept across Bellingham when they sent their mail hit piece out 5 years ago. Mr. Op strikes me as still holding some bitterness from the event. But that could be wishful thinking on my part. Of course that all predates the arrival of the Apex animal.
ReplyDeleteI, too, remember the Great Op.
ReplyDeleteHe and his ilk practically ran City Hall, backing every land use exploitation as though it were holy writ and spending mega bucks to fight any restraints. Their favorite projects were then as now, unfettered development, property rights, the watershed and the spewing of gasoline therein being among them.
They first brought in the phrase "taking" and tried to float the idea that the reservoir was "navigable waters" which were not subject to any restrictions.
Mr. O always had a way with words; his all-time masterpiece was the four page full-color tabloid they inserted into the Herald that righteously misinformed the public about the joys of drinking benzene from what was. supposedly, the cleanest drinking water source west of the Mississippi.
Go figure.