Month: July 2014
Vancouver spent $20k confirming the obvious
As a local government reporter, I'm so numb to writing about ridiculous amounts of money, millions and millions of dollars, the money doesn't seem real. But $20,000? That's the same amount my husband […]
Commissioner’s Facebook post makes you go hmm
Commissioner David Madore is living by Mark Twain's old adage that one shouldn't let the truth get in the way of a good story. In a Facebook post Monday, Madore […]
Survey says: The Vine wins BRT name game
Two months after announcing four possible names for its proposed bus rapid transit line, C-Tran has picked a winner. Vancouver's BRT system will be known as "The Vine." The Vine beat […]
Vancouver union leader: Morale at all-time low
As reported, Vancouver city officials have been researching whether they pay their employees enough money. They did a study and (surprise!) found in many cases, they don't, at least according to compensation […]
Blast from the past: Stormwater fee edition
At their last hearing Tuesday, the Clark County Board of Commissioners approved increases to stormwater fees for the first time in more than a decade. What the commissioners didn't do […]
Facebook: A politician’s best friend
Back in the day, Facebook was a convenient way for college kids to post photos of themselves at parties drinking themselves sideways. It was like an ontological study of creative […]
C-Tran board meeting takes uncomfortable turn
For several months now, the projector at C-Tran board meetings has displayed the same message during public comment. It warns people against using loud, disruptive or threatening behavior. The regular warnings […]
A special, patriotic tribute to Clark County
When Francis Scott Key penned the poem that became "The Star-Spangled Banner," the story goes, he was watching the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British. So taken with the […]
Vancouver City Council says “yes” more than “no”
If you want to criticize the Vancouver City Council, please be specific. Or else you're just trolling Councilor Jack Burkman, and he's going to take the bait. (Which in turn provides […]
Too close for comfort — at least in fireworks season?
In today's paper, I have a story about updated population estimates from the state's Office of Financial Management. The OFM provided some interesting maps with its news release. Here's a map […]