Senator Sheldon's future for Washington

“My wife and I both like trees. It’s just that she likes seeing them vertical and I like seeing them horizontal.” –Tim Sheldon–

Virtually ALL of Senator Sheldon’s 2010 $124,000 campaign donations came from corporations.

PDC database shows Sheldon’s Corporate donors 4:1 over real people

Tim Sheldon eulogizes buzz-saw history of Mason County

Every 4th Tuesday, Mason County holds its Commissioners meeting in the evening (6:00 pm) to accommodate those who work for a living.  This most recent one (1-25-11) was lightly attended with only one local resident seeking to address the commissioners, on the record, during the open comment period.

Tom Davis requests Senator Sheldon's resignation

Tom Davis, a citizen at large firmly opposed to the BioMassacre schemes of Adage and Simpson, took the opportunity to clarify he was not a member of any organized group, nor did he intend any offense or personal slight, but he did ask State Senator Tim Sheldon to resign from his position as County Commissioner in light of his conflict of interest and ethics surrounding the heated BioMassacre debate in Mason County.

Tim Sheldon acidly rejects call for resignation

Of course, Senator Sheldon refused, chastised Mr. Davis for his ‘political’ agenda, took personal offense at the request as well as the suggestion Mason County was ill served by the BioMassacre scheme, eulogized the buzz-saw in Mason County’s official seal as representative of what was in its best interest, and boasted of his long tenure as a professional politician.

Tom Davis listens while Tim Sheldon accuses him of a 'tirade'

Yours truly was inspired to comment into the record at the sight of Mr. Davis pinned like a butterfly to the podium while enduring Commissioner Sheldon’s tart and long winded reply used to glorify the virtues of continued exploitation of our forests and environment regardless of the injury to the community, our health, children, future, and quality of life.

Tim rejects call to recuse himself from SB 5228 deliberation

Senator Sheldon was asked to recuse himself for ethical reasons and conflicts from voting on Senate Bill 5228 which would reduce/eliminate the authority of local officials from delaying/denying permits for such BioMassacre projects in favor of EFSEC, a State appointed body, effectively emasculating local self determination should a person or corporation opt to circumvent the same by applying to EFSEC for such a permit.

Few attend despite evening schedule; recent Ross Gallagher photo

Senator Sheldon opined on the ‘thousands’ of bills that are filed every legislative session. (It’s doubtful he’s read the language of SB 5228)  He went on to emphasize his wearing of 2 elective official hats has been investigated by Washington’s AG without a showing of any illegality.  But when reminded SB 5228 presented a specific conflict of interest between local jurisdictional authority and the State usurping said authority in promoting BioMassacre, Senator Sheldon reverted to the well worn argument that the simultaneous occupation of both postions (County Commissioner and State Senator) put him in a better position to serve both masters.

Charles Butros, Dir. Mason Co. Public Works, (360) 427-9670 x-463

This argument is a seductive one.  Ostensibly it would seem having power at the State as well as the local level could allow Senator Sheldon to do more FOR the community. Unfortunately, events have shown it also allows him to do more TO the community! Putting all our eggs in one political basket with Senator Sheldon had proven to be a grave mistake.

Paradise Lost

BioMassacre's Hoax

House Bill 1081 sponsored by State Representatives Jeff Morris (D), Jim Moeller (D), and David Frockt (D) seeks to cram BioMassacre siting/permitting down the throats of Washington Counties unwilling to abide by the unwarranted injury to their residents, health, children, environment, communities, economy, and quality of life by eliminating any/all authority of County Commissioners to delay or deny such permits in their local jurisdiction.  It’s well known that State Senator Tim Sheldon (D), Governor Gregoire (D), and Lt. Governor Brad Owen (D) are also ardent supporters of the BioMassacre industry. Many of these  have transparent conflicts of interest or have been owned by the industry for years.

I point this out for the benefit of some of my more liberal friends who seem to think all things Democrat must come scented with rose oil.  Nothing could be further from the truth. Breathing, health, and air quality are human rights issues, not political.  Failure to address such issues (torture, environmental sustainability, social justice, due process, equity) responsibly know no race or partisan boundaries.  And integrity, commitment, character, decency, resolve, and honesty know no age or party affiliation.

Bill Room: (360)786-7573

House Bill 1081

Companion Senate Bill 5228

HB 1081 Analysis

(Please note HB 1081 gives the EFSEC virtual carte blanche in delegating permitting authority while apparently requiring an EIS contrary to the DNS possibilities inherent in current local county ordinances.)

2011 State House & Senate Roster

Some of the Devil’s hand maidens:

HB 1081 Sponsor (D)

Rep. Jeff Morris (jeff.morris@leg.wa.gov)

As a fourth-generation native of Guemes Island, I am proud to represent San Juan County, part of Skagit County and part of Whatcom County in the State Legislature.

I focus on technology and economic issues in the State legislature as well as working on many other issues facing our State

If you would like more information on issues facing the legislature, or if you need help with a state agency, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Jeff Morris is a member of the Washington State legislature, representing Mt. Vernon, Washington, as a Democrat. As Speaker pro tem of the Washington House of Representatives, he is the second ranking officer of the body. He is a member of the Tsimshian Indian nation. He is chairman of the Council of State Governments, West.

Morris is a fourth generation native of the San Juan Islands. He was elected to the State House of Representatives in 1996 where he serves as Chair of the House Committee on Technology, Energy and Communications.

In what ways would you work to protect Lake Whatcom, the drinking water source for about half of Whatcom County, in the state Legislature?

I have fought with Harriet Spanel and Dave Quall for years be it timber cutting, phosphorus runoff, or mercury issues to allow a local dialogue to form the best way to protect Lake Whatcom. Balancing State versus Local authority is a constant issue, but my experience with Lake Whatcom indicates that locally derived solutions, with a high degree of stakeholder buy in, have always been the best path. I would continue to create opportunities for local solutions first and foremost.

JEFF MORRIS

Age: 46.

Family: four children.

Education: bachelor’s degree, Central Washington University.

Employment: CEO of Energy Horizon LLC, energy planning.

Government experience: incumbent 40th District State Representative since 1997; staffer to former U.S. Rep. Al Swift.

Rep David Frockt (D)

Rep. David Frockt (david.frockt@leg.wa.gov)

And everyone wants solutions for our region’s environmental and transportation challenges.

We’re also a community that cares about saving the social safety net for the elderly and others who need help just to get by. We believe that hard times are no excuse for throwing away our moral compass or ditching our long-term investments.

The more I listen to local citizens, the more I realize that no one has all the answers to our problems. That’s why we need to listen to one another—really listen. And you can count on me to listen to you.

You can help by joining me in a dialogue about what government can and needs to do better. E-mail is the fastest and least expensive way to keep in touch. But don’t hesitate to call or write or visit, if that works best for you. My Legislative Assistant, Samantha, and I are proud of our constituent outreach and service.

I look forward to hearing from you.

David

Elected Experience:
Elected Washington Delegate For Senator Bill Bradley, Democratic National Convention, 2000

Other Professional Experience:
Founding Attorney, Bergman, Draper & Frockt PLLC. Firm successfully represents asbestos cancer victims and their families;  Associate Attorney, Seattle Law Firm Riddell Williams P.S.;  Legislative Aide U.S. House of Representatives For Democratic Member On Judiciary and Small Business Committees;  Marketing and Public Affairs, WCT Communications; Research Assistant, University of California, San Francisco, School of Public Health.

Education:
University of Pennsylvania, BA, 1991; UCLA School of Law, JD, 1998.

Community Service:
Former Board Member Puget Soundkeeper Alliance; Speaker’s Bureau, No on I-1033 (campaign against Tim Eyman’s 2009 initiative)

Statement:
I am running to be a strong voice for Seattle in Olympia. We must fully fund education so that we do not rely on local levies and PTAs to fund basic educational needs. I support robust academic standards and new efforts to improve student performance. We must generate new job growth through improved financing options for small business and investment in a new clean energy economy in Washington, including greater infrastructure for electric vehicles and better transportation options.

Endorsed by 46^th District Democrats, League of Education Voters, Sierra Club, Washington Conservation Voters, NARAL, Numerous Labor Organizations, Community and Elected Leaders.

Jim Moeller (D)

Rep. Jim Moeller (jim.moeller@leg.wa.gov)

A big part of my job – by far the most important part – is listening to that Vancouver and other Clark County folks have to say regarding the issues before us. Representing the people of our region calls to mind something the great jurist Oliver Wendell Holmes once said:

“It is the province of knowledge to speak, and
the province of wisdom to listen.”

I certainly don’t profess to have the market cornered on knowledge, but I’d like to think I’ve acquired a fair amount of wisdom.

Please don’t ever hesitate to write, e-mail, or call whenever you have questions about these and any other legislative matters. My legislative assistant, Maureen Gallegos, and I are always open to hearing and reading what you have to say.

Moeller grew up in Vancouver, attending George C. Marshall Elementary School and McLoughlin Junior High School. He went on to Clark College and Washington State University, before doing graduate work at Portland State University. He has worked in mental health since 1979, serving with Kaiser Permanente since 1985.

Elected in 1995 to Vancouver City Council, he was re-elected to a second term in 1999. In 2002, when veteran legislator Val Ogden retired, Moeller ran to succeed her in the state House of Representatives. In a hotly contested Democratic primary, Moeller prevailed by less than 1,000 votes – winning 6,564 votes to his opponent’s 5,615.^[1] He won the subsequent general election handily and took office in January 2003. He has since been re-elected three times.

Moeller is openly gay and is currently one of six LGBT members of the Washington State Legislature.

Commissioner Sheldon admires Carbon-Neutrality by Adage & Simpson

Like many of you, I grew up perplexed by the tale of The Emperor’s New Clothes.  For those not familiar with the story, let me bring you up to speed: An emperor who cares more about clothes than his kingdom commissions two tailors who promise him the finest suit of clothes from the most beautiful cloth. This cloth, they tell him, is invisible to anyone too stupid/misled to see it (when in reality the cloth is an artifice — it doesn’t exist.) The emperor is gulled by his own arrogance and greed; the con-artist tailors go on a spending spree.

Commissioner Sheldon buys Carbon-Neutrality regalia

But even as a youth, I imagined nobody could be THAT stupid, yet here I am, as an adult, witnessing it!  Adage and Simpson have harnessed the arrogance and greed found in Tim Sheldon (as well as Jay Hupp) for their own profit at the expense of the community.

The Carbon-Neutrality Boondoggle Scam

The Community Forum held 1-19-11 evening at Shelton City Civic Center sponsored by CCMC was well attended as the main hall reached seating capacity early in anticipation of key speakers such as Meg Sheehan (a nationally acclaimed environmental lawyer), Duff Badgley (recent Green Party gubernatorial candidate, organizer, and outspoken critic of BioMassacre), Fran Prescott (local environmental advocate & analyst), Beth McBain (Concerned Citizens of Mason County spokesperson), Michelle Morris (Concerned Citizens of Thurston County spokesperson), and Marty Best (Mason Co. Emergency Management Mgr.).

Jack Miles stands in solidarity with residents

Local activists and spokespersons from Port Townsend engaged in a similar struggle against BioMassacre were in attendance as were many Mason County luminaries working in the movement to save our community from the destructive agendas of companies such as Adage and Simpson.  Unfortunately, chief architects of Mason County’s BioMassacre (e.g. Tim Sheldon, Jay Hupp) weren’t there.  Representatives from ORCAA, however, were.

Terri Thompson w/Adage smokestack demo

A number of tables were set up to showcase different government/community organizations along with their literature bearing on the impact the proposed BioMassacre project(s) are likely to have on the community.  Beth McBain announced, to deafening applause,  her group’s decision to engage in the appellate process after suffering a recent defeat before local judge Amber Finlay.

Michelle Morris of CCTC (concerned citizens of Thurston County)

Yours truly believes Judge Finlay’s adverse ruling came about as a result of the sophistication of the surrounding merits and argument.  Our local judge(s) have proven to be out of their depth on this issue.  Regarding this legal paradox, Ms. Sheehan was asked, in her professional capacity, given the permit process was entirely driven by sweetheart laws passed by our elected officials beholden to wealthy corporations such as Adage and Simpson, and given the administrative agencies along with any courts of review were narrowly limited to checking whether all the T’s had been crossed and I’s dotted in complying with said laws/regulations, just WHEN would citizens have an opportunity to seek equity/fairness from the judicial branch of our government?  As expected, her response was sobering.

Dr. Gregg Helms opposes BioMassacre

Although legal challenges may delay the permit process, the core to equity/fairness toward the community lies in our elected officials.  Therein lies the problem.  These same officials are married to the wealthy corporations intent on destroying our community and quality of life for profit because that’s who donates the lion’s share of their campaign funding.  Tim Sheldon in his most recent run for 35th District State Senator is a classic example of this perfidy.

Local Activist John Cox opposes BioMassacre

The merits of the community’s pleas for equity/fairness go unheard because the PROCESS itself is broken.  The only remedy to this crisis is through revolution or the ballot box.  But this requires perseverance and attentiveness by voters…something that has been lacking until now.  Hence, we find ourselves in the predicament of having slept while the corporate foxes and their political allies have robbed our hen house.  In this instance, an ounce of prevention would have been worth 604,000 tons/yr. of biomass destruction.  Despite some reeducation shortly before our most recent election cycle, one of the chief architects of destruction for our environment and arch-enemy of this community’s quality of life was re-elected as 35th District State Senator, i.e. Tim Sheldon.  The community MUST begin to concentrate its efforts more effectively where it will make the most difference: educating our families and neighbors BEFORE they cast their ballots!

Local Business Owner Carol Hepburn opposes BioMassacre

Once again, the meeting reflected it is the women in our community…especially mothers and grandmothers, who are doing almost all of the heavy lifting in this struggle.  The tin ear our elected officials turn toward them reflects a kind of gender based bigotry wherein our women’s voices are not taken seriously…their constructive petitions and protestations are ignored…their intellect is insulted and characterized as ‘misled’ or worse.  But there was a feeling of good will (solidarity) shared among attendees in recognition of a common purpose and a common cause…the preservation of our children, families, health, environment, and quality of life.  It was heartening to see the turnout and hard work that went into organizing this event.  Few had occasion to be anything but proud of their neighbors’ resolve to make a difference and positive contribution toward the common good.  Those elected officials who failed to attend were damned by their absence.  But it remains for us to hold them accountable at the polls.

Resident volunteers security services

Activist Theresa Jacobson opposes BioMassacre

Beth McBain, Fran Prescott, Greg Helms oppose BioMassacre

Mr. Watson, local resident, opposes BioMassacre

Official Chief 'Kook' Duff Badgley rallies local community

Rogue's Gallery challenges BioMassacre

Meg Sheehan, keynote speaker & environmental attorney

Theresa Jacobson, activist & BioMassacre opponent

Resident tapes presentations

Roslynn Reed opposes BioMassacre

Residents establish common cause and solidarity

ORCAA Rep dissembles to Dr. Helms

The Estrellas’ Cheese Creamery located near Montesano, WA. in the Wynoochee River valley has been shut down by federal agents.  The full story as reported by KIRO can be found below.

Amicus Curia, local goatherd & cheese meister

Unlike the Estrellas, my own strategy has been to avoid using raw milk.  I rely on heat treatment (more efficient than pasteurization) to keep my goat milk and cheeses safe.  But the Estrellas have an immaculate professional cheese production facility that’s internationally acclaimed for good reason.  I’ve never tasted better cheeses anywhere.

Pia gathers fresh goat milk

Now, the Estrellas need the community’s support to survive.  It’s ironic how iron handed our government can be in administering regulations (food safety) involving small local farms while giving greedy corporations such as Adage and Simpson virtual carte blanche when it comes to the health and safety of the community the companies are intent on destroying for profit.

Skokomish Nubian winter-land

KIROTV video of interview with the Estrellas can be seen at the following link:

http://www.kirotv.com/video/26179312/index.html

On Oct. 21, 2010, the United States Marshals Service seized all cheeses, including in-process and finished products (labeled and unlabeled), held on the premises of the Estrella Family Creamery, pursuant to a warrant issued by Judge Benjamin H. Settle on Oct. 21, 2010. Judge Settle issued this warrant at the request of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, which filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington alleging that cheese and other articles of food held at Estrella Family Creamery are adulterated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act because they have been held under insanitary conditions whereby they may have become contaminated with filth or whereby they may have been rendered injurious to health.

FDA Inspection Report of Deficiencies

Affidavit of Lisa Elrand supporting federal seizure warrant petition

Alternative view of Raw Milk/Cheese shutdown controversy

2nd Alternative view of Estrella Farm controversy

How the Estrella Family Creamery Raid Came Down

Last week’s seizure of all the cheeses and other food products from the Estrella Family Creamery was more by the book than “Gestapo-like.”

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U.S. District Attorney for Western Washington Jenny A. Durkan’s office Monday released court documents leading up to the seizures, which were apparently carried out at around 5:30 p.m. Oct. 21 by U.S. Marshals and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) agents.

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The seizure warrant was signed under seal by a U.S. District Court judge on Oct. 20.

Lisa Elrand, FDA compliance officer, filed an affidavit that became the basis for the action.

Samples taken at the Estrella Family Creamery by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WADA) on Feb. 1 and 9; and March 1 all “revealed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes (“L mono”) in the finished cheese, in the salt brine, and throughout the production and storage areas,” the FDA officer said.

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“L mono is an opportunistic pathogen capable of causing the illness listeriosis, which can result in death, especially in aged, infirm, very young, or immunocompromised individuals,” she added.  “As a result of WADA’s discovery of L. mono, Estrella initiated recalls of several cheese products on Feb. 10, Feb. 15, and March 5, 2010.”

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Elrand said FDA inspected the Estrella Family Creamery, the small family dairy that manufactures and sells specialty aged cheeses from raw cow and goat milk, last Aug. 2. Inspectors collected various environmental samples, as well as finished cheese products.

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FDA laboratory analysis found Listeria monocytogenes bacteria were present in processing areas and the aging room, especially an area known as “Cave 3.”  Investigators said cheese was being cut and wrapped in the cheese room where bacteria were detected.

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Estrella tested its products from March to May 2010, and a March 2010 sample tested positive for Listeria, the company told FDA.

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During another visit on Aug. 16, FDA took a sample of “Caldwell Crik Chevrette” made on April 27.  Estrella said that cheese was ready to be distributed, and it tested positive for Listeria.

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FDA found a common Pulsed Field Gel Electrophopresis (PFGE) pattern, or “genetic fingerprint” for the Listeria bacteria that were collected in tests from February through August in both product and environmental samples.

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“The presence of a persistent strain of L. mono in the facility over time is significant in that it demonstrates that sanitation efforts were inadequate to remove this pathogenic organism,” Elrand said in the affidavit.

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The most recent inspection at Estrella came on Sept. 1.  The company shared laboratory reports for products that were contaminated with L. mono from May 28, June 15 and 29, July 8 and Aug. 30.

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On Sept. 3, FDA asked Estrella to recall all its cheese products.  Estrella refused.

FDA issued a public warning about the risk of eating Estrella’s cheeses because of possible Listeria contamination on Sept. 4.

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The FDA compliance officer said its investigators had observed numerous insanitary conditions at Estrella, including tape and peeling paint on the cheese press handles, flying insects and spiders on the walls and ceiling of the milk room vestibule and in the cheese processing room.

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Because the warrant was sealed until served, owner Kelli Estrella was first to get the word out on the creamery’s blog on Friday.  “Last night, ” she wrote, “at about 5:30 three cars pulled into the yard with the FDA and Federal Marshals, alarming our kids. They posted a seizure order that name all cheeses on the property.  This is serious, it could put us out of business.”

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Early Monday, she wrote a longer post, accusing the federal agents of being “gestapo like people” who were polluting Estrella’s cheese caves with their camera, testing tools and “just their presence.”

“This year has been flat out brutal,” she added.

Skokomish unnamed creek and Nubian buck enclosure

The federal government’s “basis for forfeiture” was the fact that the cheeses being held for interstate commerce were adulterated.

Power Plant Thugs Murder Protester

Adage and Simpson may not have resorted to murder just yet, but the similarities in all other respects to the following story are striking:

ZHAIQIAO, China — Qian Yunhui would not be silenced. A local leader in a community of farmers, Qian devoted much of his time to protesting a power plant being built on his village’s ancestral land…In a country where public dissent against the government is rare — and quickly silenced when it appears — Qian continued to lead demonstrations and submit petitions despite having been sent to prison twice in three years. He wrote letters to provincial and national leaders naming the government officials and companies he accused of stealing land — something most Chinese would consider extremely dangerous.

Power Plant dissenter crushed

His provocative campaign ended Christmas morning. That’s when after receiving a phone call, Qian’s family said, he walked out of his modest concrete home to meet someone, though it’s not known whom.

Villagers found his body a short while later, mangled under the front wheel of a construction truck. The fat tire had crushed Qian’s chest and neck, coming to a rest at the back of his head — the pressure sent blood and flesh spurting from his mouth. Qian’s face lay in the cold mud, eyes shut.

Every villager interviewed by McClatchy in Zhaiqiao said they thought Qian, 53, was murdered as a warning to locals that it was time to stop talking about the power plant. Witnesses, they said, had seen men holding Qian down as the truck pulverized his body.

Government officials maintain that Qian died in a simple traffic accident, an unfortunate bit of bad luck on a wet patch of road.

The difficulty of drawing a conclusion about what happened that morning says a lot about the system in which China’s authoritarian government operates.

As the world focuses on Chinese President Hu Jintao’s visit to Washington next week, and his country’s growing economic clout and military ambitions, at home the Chinese Communist Party is often far more preoccupied with maintaining domestic order — “harmonious” is the adjective preferred by leaders like Hu.

The death of Qian Yunhui is in many ways a startling reminder of how high the cost can be for those who won’t fall in line, a reality that the government tries hard to suppress.

China’s Zhejiang Province, where Zhaiqiao sits, is an epicenter of factories that make clothes, shoes, lighters and other cheap goods for export to the West. The billions of dollars that flow each year from that manufacturing boom have filled the roads south of Shanghai with Mercedes sedans and sprinkled towering homes in the middle of impoverished villages.

The flood of cash, however, hasn’t brought a corresponding rise in civil liberties. While the state allows the election of local village heads, like Qian Yunhui, it does not tolerate challenges to its political or financial decisions.

In Qian’s case, his efforts only got him arrested, imprisoned twice and, locals say, murdered.

“He went to Beijing (to lodge formal complaints) only after he petitioned at every local level,” said his 31-year-old son, Qian Chengxu. “It was all useless.”

Whatever the cause of Qian Yunhui’s demise, this much is clear — he was not afraid to stir up trouble. He said publicly that village leaders had signed over their mountain plot for a power plant in 2004 only after police detained them at a hotel for a week until they agreed.

That same year, Qian helped lead hundreds of villagers to protest the property deal in the nearby town of Yueqing, which oversees Zhaiqiao. That earned him an 18-month prison term after a Yueqing court convicted him of intent to “make disturbances and provoke incidents.”

The sentence was suspended, apparently on the condition that he keep quiet. Instead, Qian ran for and was elected village leader in 2005 and kept complaining about what he described as an illegal land grab. The local security bureau appealed for help to the court, which dusted off the 2004 conviction and sent Qian to prison for eight months in 2006, according to a case summary provided by Yueqing officials.

By 2008, his role as village leader was no longer officially recognized, but Qian was re-elected anyway. Court records show he was sent back to prison in 2008 on a new charge of land fraud, though government documents given to McClatchy didn’t fully explain the charges.

Qian was released in July, the same month that the provincial government announced the power plant officially had been put into operation. Qian was not deterred — he continued writing letters to officials alleging corruption and organizing locals.

The leadership in Yueqing maintains that villagers in Zhaiqiao were simply trying to renege on their agreement to sell the mountain plot and other pieces of land. The villagers, according to a release from Yueqing’s government, were given about $5.7 million but kept demanding more and more cash.

While residents of Zhaiqiao say they never received the $5.7 million, the Yueqing government contends the money was put in a special account and that village leaders decided not to disburse it.

In the days after Qian’s death, grisly photographs and videos showing his bloody remains spread across the Internet. His name became a national symbol for frustration with the country’s widespread corruption.

On Jan. 1, hundreds of demonstrators clashed with police down the road from Zhaiqiao. Video footage from the standoff shows protesters lobbing rocks and the police charging into the crowd behind riot shields.

A few days before, police commanders from the nearby metropolis of Wenzhou had attended a news conference to confirm that Qian’s death was an accident. Their explanation: The truck was 35 tons overweight with broken rock, its driver was unlicensed and “Pedestrian Qian Yunhui crossed the road before confirming that it was safe to cross.”

Video shot not long after Qian’s death showed the truck in a nearly straight line on the shoulder of the wrong side of the street, with Qian’s body lying under the front tire with scant evidence that he’d been thrown by any impact. There was little sign of skid marks on the road that one might expect from such a large truck slamming to a halt.

The police acknowledged that four other men were at the scene shortly after the incident — raising suspicions locally that it was they who killed Qian — but officials said the group consisted of a passenger from the truck and three guards from a nearby construction site who’d run over to see what happened.

The government said it would allow a combination of lawyers, Internet activists and rural experts to investigate the matter. By the time those gestures were made, the state had snipped away any loose ends that might contradict the official narrative.

Qian’s body was taken away before an autopsy could be performed. Officials reported that a security camera at the spot where Qian died wasn’t working.

The two people who villagers say saw men press Qian down as the truck ground his life away disappeared briefly. When they surfaced on state television in separate interviews four days later, they denied seeing anything suspicious.

One of them, Qian Chengyu, was in handcuffs and behind bars during the television interview.

The other, Huang Diyan, said she’d been coached by unnamed collaborators to say she’d witnessed a killing. Careful viewers could see a man dressed in what looked like a police uniform reflected in the window behind her.

A friend, who asked for anonymity for fear of being arrested, told McClatchy that police had taken Huang’s husband to a hotel for a night and told him that it would be best for her family if she recanted her tale of murder.

Even Qian’s family is reluctant to talk. His 81-year-old father, Qian Shunnan, was recently standing near his dead son’s house as relatives sat in front of a small shrine and burned paper meant to serve as money in the afterlife.

“I can’t tell you anything except what the government wants me to say,” he said, wearing dusty cotton pants. Then he looked toward the altar with a picture of his son and blurted out, “He was murdered!”

Qian Yunhui’s younger brother was listening nearby and offered an explanation for why his father seemed torn about what to say.

“None of the villagers want to talk about it. If the government finds out they spoke with you, they’ll be arrested,” said Qian Yunyong, 45, a rice farmer with rough hands.

Like everyone else in town, he’d seen the men in a black Volkswagen with no license plates on a nearby road filming passersby and taking photographs.

A visiting Western journalist was approached several times by more than a dozen villagers who hurriedly whispered that Qian Yunhui had been killed because he’d openly challenged area powerbrokers and officials.

The accounts were followed by pleas not to report the speakers’ identities.

“Don’t take our pictures; don’t write down our names,” said one middle-aged woman in jeans and a dark coat. “They will beat us.”

A younger man in a brown jacket with the hood pulled down said that some in the area had made the unfortunate decision to talk candidly with Chinese state media; they were later arrested.

“I’m very scared,” he said.

The young man, like many others, said he was speaking up only because Qian Yunhui had sacrificed his life for them.

That, said the villagers, should count for something.

The Comment period available to citizens concerned about the destruction of our community, environment, health, and quality of life is ending soon for ORCAA, SEPA, and Washington’s EPA overseeing the official tongue clucking (but no action/remedy) regarding Shelton Harbor Dioxin contamination ranking among the highest in the entire Puget Sound. (175 – 902 ppt)

Sheldon-Hupp BioMassacre rationale

The merits weighing against rolling out the red carpet for Adage and Simpson while the County ignores failing bridges providing the only access for emergency services is galling. Yes, the facts are irrefutably grim, but the process itself is broken. Corporate money has perverted the process and our elected officials.  Our local judge can’t distinguish the difference between a meaningfully FUTURE/option consideration and an irrevocable contract due to the fact the contingencies within are virtual certainties, else why would the County already be widening access roads to the Johns Prairie Rd. portion of the Port of Shelton?

The FIX was sealed when our State Legislature (especially State Senator Tim Sheldon) passed laws not only making all this possible, but encouraging it.  This irresponsibility goes beyond our County and Washington State itself all the way to the very uppermost reaches of government in Washington, D.C.  ORCAA need/may only follow the guidelines set down in law by our State legislature.  Any appeal will be based strictly on the record and whether they’ve followed those laws, NOT on whether doing so was smart, a good idea, or in the best interest of the community and our children.  Even after the appeals winds its way to the judiciary, the review will be based on the record and whether the LAW (as written) was followed.  i.e.  Garbage in:Garbage out! When the deck is stacked at the outset, the odds of being dealt a fair hand vanish!

Because citizens failed to keep an eye on the legislative hen house and vote the foxes out of office before they destroyed all our nest eggs, we won’t be eating omelets anytime soon. An ounce of prevention is always worth more than a pound of cure.

Now we’re stuck on the track watching the big shots, the big money, and the locomotive hurtling downhill toward this small rural community.  No pleas to logic or the common good will distract these greedy corporations or their political enablers from irrevocably damaging what so many residents have worked so hard to preserve.

You Don't Know What You've Got 'til It's Gone

While Mason County residents pause in anticipation of the next downward spiral toward becoming an industrial slum, consider…these signs used to be everywhere: Hoquiam and Forks, Port Angeles and Montesano. The plywood placards were hand made and haphazardly stenciled. Sometimes the wording would be slightly different, but most were roughly the same. Little yellow rectangles hung in windows or on the sides of homes and businesses…an in-your-face gesture aimed at environmentalist punks and big-city know-nothings seen as trying to change the rules of the game.

Paradise Lost

Spotted owl? Marbled murrelet? These were convenient critters for the environmeddlers, stupid fowl nobody even knew about until the ‘Sahara Club’ and the other ‘greenies’ started to rave about them…got the city folk all riled up. If you ask some people, all that nature noise was a calculated plan to shut down the timber business.

A look back in Time

Today, with the economy in the dumps, our forestland heritage squandered, and the housing bubble showing no signs of being pumped up again, the Pacific NorthWest region is beset with parasitic corporations like Adage and Simpson intent on destruction for profit of what environment remains…even to the extent of privatizing/polluting the very air we breath, along with our health, our children, our community, and our quality of life.  It would seem 3rd world status is now our lot with a new kind of Jim Crow slated for local residents.  The failure of our elected officials to acknowledge the critical need for social justice has seldom been more apparent.

Through the Looking Glass of Time

The people with those little, yellow signs on their houses, what was going through their heads as they took those signs down? Were the scraps of wood burned for fuel or simply discarded? Like the spotted owl, they are rarely seen anymore, and the timber dollars they speak of are long spent and gone. -Ken Campbell-

Moving Backward Looking In

Given Mason County’s Oakland Bay has become Puget Sound’s worst hotbed of Dioxin contamination (175 – 902 ppt) in Shelton Harbor sediments, the lack of local food chain testing for Dioxin in light of the current German contamination news is chilling.

Most toxic chemical known with NO 'safe' level

The government has required

4,700 GERMAN FARMS TO STOP SALES OVER DIOXIN CONTAMINATION.

Jan 07, 2011 (SmarTrend News Watch via COMTEX) — German authorities have called on more than 4,700 farms to stop selling meat and eggs as a precautionary measure after animal feed was discovered to have been contaminated with carcinogenic chemicals, namely dioxins.

A mother cares for her Dioxin afflicted baby

South Korea and Slovakia have stopped the sale of German imported animal products Friday, while Britain and the Netherlands are investigating the extent of the contamination. (What action would these governments take regarding Mason County shellfish, et al, if they were alerted to the Dioxin contamination levels in Oakland Bay?)

Health effects in animals exposed to Dioxin

Germany’s Agriculture Ministry said there have been no immediate reports of health issues related to the contaminated products, but it was halting the sale of these products until tests can be carried out later today.

“If it is confirmed that the company knew since March that its fat was tainted but it did not inform authorities, then that is highly criminal activity,” Agriculture Minister Ilse Aigner told n-tv television.

Officials believe around 150,000 tons of feed for poultry and swine containing industrial fat with dioxins were fed to livestock across Germany.

Dioxins are contaminants that often result from industrial combustion and other chemical processes. Exposure to Dioxins at high levels is linked to an increased incidence of cancer, birth defects, immune system suppression, and child development/learning retardation. Dioxin levels tend to be highest in eggs because of the high fat content in eggs.

Prosecutors have launched an investigation into the company Harles & Jentzsch GmbH on suspicion that the company knew of possible dioxin traces in the feed, but failed to alert authorities.