Nerditorial: Anderson vs Stalheim (Compare and Contrast)

I'm voting for David Stalheim because he is a friend of mine.

And while that is fine for me, that really doesn't help you decide at all.

So here are some comparisons of the candidates so you can made something of an informed decision based on your criteria.

Experience (Public Sector - General)
Anderson
16 years experience in Public Utility District
[Update: Also worked for Water District #7]
[Update: Also served on Planning Unit for WRIA 1]


Stalheim
24 years planning experience in municipal government


Experience (Public Sector - Whatcom County Government)
Anderson
None

Stalheim
Whatcom County Planning Department

This is a big deal to me because when you work in any organization of any size, there is always a learning curve facing anyone who is new to an organization. Stalheim's direct experience within the County Government, and with the Executive Branch itself means he will have the easiest time of all four candidates adapting to the position.

[Update: I perhaps wasn't as precise in this description as I could have been. I am referring in this sub category to experience within the Whatcom County Municipal Corporation, not referring to all government experience within the limits of Whatcom County.]

Gateway Pacific Tofurminal
Both candidates strongly advocate a gainful industrial use at Cherry Point. Both candidates demonstrate a healthy level of skepticism and concern about the prospect of shipping coal from Cherry Point.

The GPT EIS
Anderson
I can find no public record of Mr. Anderson taking a position on the scope of a GPT EIS.

Stalheim
On record as supporting an EIS on GPT that is scoped well beyond the Cherry Point build site itself.

This is important because it is a position that can be taken which has no foreseeable impact on appearance of fairness and doesn't speak directly to the GPT project itself. It speaks to the understanding of the county wide impact of the project well beyond the boundaries of the port property line.

Lake Whatcom (General)
From their websites...
Anderson

We have a widspread natural water system including the Nooksack River, rain runoff, wetlands, and miles of shorline. Over 90,000 people depend on the drinking water from Lake Whatcom. Our fishing and shelfish depend on healthy water. Yet water quality is decreasing, fish and shellfish are being harmed and Lake Whatcom is seeing increased treatment costs.


These challenges must dovetail with commerce and property rights. We're all in this together. Businesses will not move here if we haven't even got a reliable source of tap water. We need to complete the transfer of State land adjacent to some parts of the lake. This will reduce the cost and health hazards of chemical treatment and other bandaid fixes. Smart moves now will save a ton of tax dollars later.

Stalheim

Lake Whatcom is a valuable source of clean, affordable drinking water for half of Whatcom County and a major draw for recreation. The management of one of Whatcom County’s prime ecological gems must reflect the value it gives to our quality of life.


Lake Whatcom is facing tough issues that require leadership, sound management and a good working relationship between the county and the city. We will need to join forces and funds to fix the many problems and keep our water source clean into the future.


There are solutions to these issues and we need experienced leadership and knowledge of how county and cities can collaborate to implement them. For example:


Stormwater. To fund our stormwater fixes we need to get the city, county and state Department of Ecology to sit down at the same table, build trust and figure out workable solutions. Both the city’s and the county’s plans for funding stormwater fixes have some good parts – we need to bridge those parts into a plan that happens.
Forest Preserve. We have the rare opportunity to protect our drinking water, keep neighborhoods safe from landslides and add low-impact trails for year-round recreation by setting aside nearly 9,000 acres as a forested reserve. This will be a county park similar to Pine and Cedar Lakes where it’s a natural forest with a trail. The proposed Lookout Mountain trail will connect to Gailbraith Mountain providing a world class recreational experience with incredible views. This is the kind of experience that attracts people and business to Whatcom County. I’ll see that we put that low-impact park plan in place.
Restoring our streams. Some of our streams need trees and native brush along them so that they filter out pollution before it reaches the lake. We know how to do this: we need to join with the city and make it happen.

Lake Whatcom (The Reconveyance)
Anderson
Supportive of the principle behind the Reconveyance, yet has reservations about taking the land out of commercial forestry based largely on economic concerns. Candidly admits he isn't familiar with details of the issue.

Stalheim
Unambiguously supportive of the Reconveyance. By far, the most knowledgable candidate on this issue.

This is huge. The Reconveyance is the largest and ripest piece of increasingly rare "low hanging fruit" remaining in terms of restoring Lake Whatcom. It needs to be plucked, and Stalheim is the only County Executive candidate at all willing to pluck it.

Jailzilla
Anderson
He had taken a public position that he favors a single story option for a new County Jail.

Stalheim
Respectfully disagrees with the single story option for a new County jail.

This is significant because a single story jail forbids the construction of the Jail in downtown Bellingham. Such a jail would have to be sited out in the County. Keeping the jail site downtown is significant for a host of reasons.

Car dependency
Jail employees, jail "guests" and family members of jail guests, as well as officers of the law and the courts will all have to commute to such a jail. A downtown jail would require significantly less commuting.

Downtown development
There are offices located downtown explicitly because of the location of the County Jail. Law firms, bail bonds, and the like. There will be pressure on this entire element of the commercial sector in Downtown Bellingham to move out of Downtown Bellingham with the County Jail. We don't need any more business leaving downtown Bellingham right now. Stalheim knows this.

Sprawl
A one story jail facility is sprawl incarnate. Sustainability requires a commitment to reducing sprawl. This commitment must made firmly by the public sector if we soberly expect the private sector to make the same commitment.

Ultimately, it's your vote.
Vote for who you like, but do vote.
The only vote wasted is the one not cast.

And you are a County voter, even if you live in Bellingham.