All Politics is Local
Motto resolution changed a third time
I know I sound like a broken record, but the posted “In God We Trust” resolution has changed once again. If you didn’t follow the drama last week, multiple versions of the council’s “In God We Trust” resolution have appeared on The Grid, the county’s website for all things Clark County council. Originally, the Feb. […]
March 2, 2015 6:36 pm
Sen. Ann Rivers could pull from Clark County chair race
Columbian editor Lou Brancaccio wrote in his Press Talk column today that Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, is out in her bid to run for the newly created Clark County council chair position. I reached out to Rivers and asked if she would be able to provide an official comment to me. She fell short […]
March 2, 2015 12:42 pm
Growing legal tab in Clark County v. C-Tran dispute
When Clark County received a $5,069 bill from Pacifica Law Group in January, we figured it wasn’t the last taxpayer expense related to the county’s legal dispute with C-Tran. This month, the county received another invoice from the Seattle-based firm, this one for $18,281.20, bringing the total tab to more than $23,000. Clark County paid […]
February 27, 2015 3:31 pm
UPDATE: APIL reader’s email leads to change in resolution language, but only temporarily
UPDATE, Feb. 27, 6:19 p.m.: It’s baaaaack. On Feb. 26 at 8:30 a.m., the “In God We Trust” resolution was reposted to The Grid. This time, a line about state atheism, which was removed after the original resolution was posted, was back. This time, however, it sports Council Chair David Madore’s signature, as well as […]
February 23, 2015 5:44 pm
Would you like some McCarthyism with your resolution?
This “In God We Trust” issue is my Groundhog Day. The Clark County council will revisit Councilor Tom Mielke’s proposal to post the national motto on Tuesday. I’ve written about this before, so I’ll spare you the details. Interestingly enough, there’s a different resolution posted on The Grid, Clark County’s website for all things council […]
February 20, 2015 5:41 pm
Out-of-towners influence Clark County motto
Councilor Tom Mielke, the champion for posting “In God We Trust” in the Clark County hearing room, has made it clear how upset he is that the council has heard so much public comment from out-of-towners. At Wednesday’s board time meeting, he complained about the “bus-load” of people from Tacoma and Portland who think they can […]
February 19, 2015 3:00 pm
Lessons on interior decorating
There were some strange moments during last Tuesday’s county council meeting and the board time that followed on Wednesday, to say the least. The proposal to post “In God We Trust” inside the public hearing chambers drew a massive crowd Tuesday, most of whom were critical of the proposal because it would be divisive and […]
February 13, 2015 4:50 pm
Battle Ground to C-Tran: Behave, or we’re going home
It’s safe to say Philip Johnson spoke for more than just the city of Battle Ground when he addressed the C-Tran Board of Directors this week. Johnson, Battle Ground’s deputy mayor, scolded the group for its dysfunction and the acrimonious tone that has characterized recent meetings. He then informed the board that the Battle Ground […]
February 12, 2015 1:57 pm
A new motto for Clark County?
Well, the Clark County councilors certainly haven’t left me wanting for stories in my first few days on the job. On Tuesday, the council will discuss displaying “In God We Trust” in the public hearing room. Councilor Tom Mielke pitched the idea last month, saying “a lot of times we drift away” from the United States’ official […]
February 9, 2015 6:14 pm
Light rail conspiracy theory
First, let’s get something out of the way: The Columbia River Crossing is still dead. Yet the ghost of the proposed Interstate 5 Bridge replacement continues to haunt government meetings in Clark County. Politicians and citizens still routinely evoke the CRC and light rail as if it were starting construction next week. (Remember the rumors […]
February 5, 2015 3:54 pm