Does Larry Patella have a ghostwriter?

Larry Patella, a longtime critic of the Vancouver City Council and the Columbia River Crossing, sends out frequent complaints about city government. Patella, 83, always signs off, “And so it goes.”

In past months, people who receive his emails (including reporters) have noticed a difference. Let’s just say his grasp of grammar and capitalization rules don’t match his passion for his city.

(I know I just set myself up by writing that sentence, but anyone who has read a Patella-gram knows what I mean.)

Now, however, there aren’t as many spelling and grammatical errors in the emails. There’s still random capitalization, such as “Sewer System” and “Maintenance.” The Columbian is still called The Fish Wrapper, President Obama is still (no title) Barack Hussein Obama and the Columbia River Crossing is still a boondoggle with light rail being the Gravy/Crime Train.

Yet overall, the posts have more details about city government and fewer errors.

Has something changed?

Vancouver Mayor Tim Leavitt has gone into detective mode, and below you’ll see an email Leavitt sent today to City Manager Eric Holmes.

At the end of Leavitt’s email you’ll see one of Patella’s emails.

Or is it just an email sent from Patella’s email account and signed with Patella’s name?

(Cue mystery music: DUM DUM DUMMMMMMM)

Good Morning City Manager —

I perused the email from “Larry Patella” this morning.

This has been on my mind for quite some time….but this morning’s rant from the creator of this email has piqued my interest.

Given that we have been the beneficiaries of Patella’s mostly unpleasant emails for years (in my case, over a decade now), his style of writing has become well-known. Typically, over the years, his emails (besides including name-calling, misinformation, and baseless accusations) have contained poorly structured sentences and logic, and his grammar and spelling have been lacking.

However, I have noticed over the past year that most of the emails we’ve received from this email address no longer follow that historical trend (excepting for the name-calling, misinformation and baseless accusations). The logic is still questionable, however the grammar and spelling is mostly correct.

I’m suspicious that these emails are no longer being prepared by Mr. Patella, and I’m aware that others in the community that receive these, are in agreement with me. This recent email only further substantiates my suspicions, as I’ve not ever known Mr. Patella to be interested enough to point out so much detail in his emails.

All of that said, my direct question to you is this:

Has there been any recent public information requests for details of the city budget?

Thanks much.

PS — I’ve taken the liberty to copy Stephanie Rice on this email, effectively cutting out the “middle-man” councilmember that would otherwise forward this to Stephanie.

Timothy D. Leavitt| Mayor
CITY OF VANCOUVER
Mayor/City Manager’s Office
P.O. Box 1995 • Vancouver, WA 98668-1995
P: 360.487.8729 | F: 360.487.8625
www.cityofvancouver.us

From: Local Mailing List [lmpatella@comcast.net]
Sent: Monday, December 10, 2012 8:22 AM
To: Leavitt, Tim
Subject: Our Pocket PIckers at Work

(Mailing list information, including unsubscription instructions,
is located at the end of this message.)
__

Good Morning,

As you are well aware I have criticized the Vancouver City Council for RAISING TAXES ON JUST ABOUT EVERTHING. Why even the Council’s Cheerleading Fish Wrapper took council members to the Woodshed.

I have been told one of the main reasons for digging deeper and deeper into the taxpayer’s pockets is because the Sewer System is deteriorating. But then it has been deteriorating for the last 50 years while Members of the City Council wasted and are still wasting the hard earned tax dollars picked from our pockets on Boondoggles.

Recently I have had an opportunity to take a peek at some of the Capital Projects recommended by the Vancouver City Manager for the 2013-14 budgets on November 19, 2012. It is required by law that the city budget be balance and approved this month. How anyone can properly analyze the two inch thick budget in the a short time frame available to them is a mystery. But then maybe they don’t want anyone taking a close look. Something like the the Fiscal Cliff.

We will be spending a hell of a lot of money on parks that are available to the public about 3 months a year. The pocket pickers need to change the rules and use some of the Millions of dollars in REET taxes they already have to fix the sewers maintain the parks they already have. They should not be buying new ones just because they have to spend the money when they don’t have the money to maintain the ones we already have or fix the sewer system.

“IF THEY MAKE THE RULES THEY SURE AS HELL CAN CHANGE THEM.”

In a nut shell the budget recommended by the City Manager is:
a. Total: $742.4 million Picked from the taxpayer’s pockets Broken down as follows:

(1) Operating Budget 683.6 Million Picked from the taxpayer’s pockets
(a) General Street, Fire Funds (352.6 Million)
(b) Other Funds (what the hell that is) 332.0 Million Picked from the taxpayer’s pockets

(2) Capital Budget 68.8 Million
(a) Capital Projects 48.5 Million Picked from the taxpayer’s pockets
(b) Supporting Transfers 20.3 million Picked from the taxpayer’s pockets
c. To raise the funds budgeted the city is going to:
(1) Raise Water, Sewer and Surface water rates.
(2) Increase Property Taxes
(3) Increase utility rates

Let’s take a look at some of the 2013-2014 Capital Projects:
a. R2 Capital Repairs:
(1) Description: Provide upgrades to various parks features that are beyond standard maintenance to protect asset, ensure usability, etc.
(2) Total project cost $1,143,351 million. Picked from the taxpayer’s pockets.
(3) Justification: On-going efforts to protect assets.

b. 033065 City Park Capital Repairs:
(1) Description: With the decrease in Maintenance this fund will support efforts to provide safe features in our parks. This fund will provide replacement and upgrades to features that are beyond basic maintenance and require emergency repairs or updates.
(2) Total project Cost $239,958 Picked from the taxpayer’s pockets.
(3) Justification: On-going major repair needs throughout the park, trail and open space systems in the city.

c. 033068 Gramor Community Park Site (Waterfront boondoggle, My words)
(1) Description: Continue from Master Plan to preliminary design development and permit application to support the development of the Vancouver Waterfront Park at the Columbia Waterfront LLC property for future city Park .
(2) Total Project Cost $1,724,000 million Picked from the taxpayer’s pockets.
(3) Justification: Preliminary design development and permitting to support fundraising opportunities. (If you believe this I got a bridge I can sell you. Oops they are already trying to do just that.)

d. 033715 Acquisition –District 5:
(1) Description: Continue to pursue acquisitions to fill service gaps for neighborhood, Community Park and urban open space per approval Capital facilities Plan and Comp Plan.
(2) Justification: Pursue properties to fill service gaps per the approved VCPRD comprehensive Plan. POIF funds are required to be spent on this purpose and would need to be refunded if not spent within 6 years. (What a Joke, These guys and gals make the rules, why not change the rules so that these funds can be spent on maintenance)
(3) Total Project Cost: $726, 192 Picked from the taxpayer’s pockets.

e. 033724 Acquisition –District 4:
(1)Description: Continue to pursue acquisitions to fill service gaps for neighborhood, Community Park and urban open space per approval Capital facilities Plan and Comp Plan.
(2) Justification: Pursue properties to fill service gaps per the approved VCPRD comprehensive Plan. POIF funds are required to be spent on this purpose and would need to be refunded if not spent within 6 years. (What a Joke, These guys and gals make the rules, why not change the rules so that these funds can be spent on maintenance)
(3)Total Project Cost: $2,700,110 Picked from the taxpayer’s pockets.

f. 033725 Acquisition –District 5:
(1) Description: Continue to pursue acquisitions to fill service gaps for neighborhood, Community Park and urban open space per approval Capital facilities Plan and Comp Plan.
(2) Justification: Pursue properties to fill service gaps per the approved VCPRD comprehensive Plan. POIF funds are required to be spent on this purpose and would need to be refunded if not spent within 6 years. (What a Joke, These guys and gals make the rules, why not change the rules so that these funds can be spent on maintenance)
(3)Total Project Cost: $580,532 Picked from the taxpayer’s pockets.

g. 033729 Acquisition –District 9:
(1) Description: Continue to pursue acquisitions to fill service gaps for neighborhood, Community Park and urban open space per approval Capital facilities Plan and Comp Plan.
(2) Justification: Pursue properties to fill service gaps per the approved VCPRD comprehensive Plan. POIF funds are required to be spent on this purpose and would need to be refunded if not spent within 6 years. (What a Joke, These guys and gals make the rules, why not change the rules so that these funds can be spent on maintenance)
(3) Total Project Cost: $799,405 Picked from the taxpayer’s pockets.

h. 033730 Acquisition –District 10:
(1) Description: Continue to pursue acquisitions to fill service gaps for neighborhood, Community Park and urban open space per approval Capital facilities Plan and Comp Plan.
(2) Justification: Pursue properties to fill service gaps per the approved VCPRD comprehensive Plan. POIF funds are required to be spent on this purpose and would need to be refunded if not spent within 6 years. (What a Joke, These guys and gals make the rules, why not change the rules so that these funds can be spent on maintenance)
(3) Total Project Cost: $2,065 547 Picked from the taxpayer’s pockets.

i. 071233 Vancouver Waterfront access Project (Boondoggle, My words)
(1) Description: The Water Front access project includes rail Utility and street improvements designed to provide two additional access points through the berm at Ester Street and Grant Street. Additional access points provide connection for significant development of the former Boise Cascade Property along the waterfront.
(2) Justification: to allow development of the Vancouver Waterfront at the densities identified in the Vancouver City Center Vision (VCCV).
(3) Total Project Cost $44,991,595 to be picked from the Taxpayer’s Pockets.

Comment: Apparently Members of the City Council have learned nothing from YEARS AND YEARS OF the Failed Economic development investments they have made using the hard earned taxpayer dollars thave picked from our pockets. Millions and Millions of our hard earned dollars were picked from our pockets to build and own the
a. Financially Failing Hilton Hotel Boondoggle,
b. Eight heavily subsidized publicly owned Parking Garages,
c. Swimming Pools, the Amphitheater,
d. the Richfield Golf Course,
e. the River Front Boise Cascade Boondoggle, and
f. the Granddaddy of them all the proposed Columbia River Crossing/Light Rail the Gravy/Crime Train to mention a few.

Folks as I went through the proposed Budget there are literally hundreds of area where spending can be eliminated or cut including

a. upgrading of signal lights that was offered for free several years ago by newly elected County Commissioner David Madore.
b. One would think that if or Pocket Pickers only had the ability to prioritize the spending of our hard earned tax dollars, they would require those developers of the Waterfront Vision to invest their dollars on a project they plan to rake in millions and millions of dollars from.

Investing the hard earned dollars picked from the tax payer’s pockets has not only never worked, it has caused cities to become financially Broke. And the investment of million and millions of our hard earned tax dollars will not work by investing tax dollars on the AGENDA 21 Waterfront Boondoggle.

Time Permitting I will dig a little deeper into the Pocket Picker’s Plans to take whatever dollars Barack Hussein Obama fails to pick from our pockets.

And so it goes

Larry Patella
CDR USN (ret)