Will Pete Kremen's endorsement of Michelle Luke enable the insurgents to defeat Carl Weimer?

The “insurgents” in our Whatcom County lexicon are the folks protesting the restructuring to meet the requirements of the Washington state Growth Management Act, particularly the LAMIRD rural zoning. In a July letter to the county planning commission and the planning department, Bill Henshaw, a Republican activist wrote,”This is the most flagrant land grab perpetrated on the citizens of Whatcom County that I have witnessed in 35 years following land use regulations.”

          “The changes in permissible uses of commercial properties,” he went on, “in effect a down zone making literally hundreds of properties non-confirming is not good public policy and certainly will have a significant impact on the economic viability of Whatcom County. Additionally, it would cause a significant re-distribution of the real estate tax burden to others in the county.”

          On Grandview Road coming west from I-5, the insurgents are represented by the signs proclaiming “We the People” (from the preamble to the Constitution). Some others in yellow and black say, ”Property Rights ATTACKED! By County Government,” and most are accompanied by signs for County Council candidates Kershner, Knutzen, Luke and Teigrob. In some quarters, these insurgents are called the, “Gang of Four.”

          At the annual dinner meeting of the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce last Tuesday, Oct. 20, one-on-one, I asked County Executive Kremen why he let his picture be on a mailer for Michelle Luke's campaign. He said he has known her for some time and  he thinks she is a thoughtful person who can represent ordinary people. He added that she is only one of two people he has endorsed in 25 years in public office – and he couldn't remember the name of the other.

          But this is not about Michelle Luke. It is about Carl Weimer, her opponent. Weimer, who is probably the most popular council member among Birch Bay progressives, is a political science teacher's example of the kind of person who should be in public office. He has a long list of accomplishments in public life, always standing tall on right side of environmental issues.

          Kremen thinks Weimer is preparing to run for County Executive in two years. While claiming that he does not want to run for a fourth term, Kremen resents that Weimer is not collaborating with him on important issues. “I am a Democrat, a moderate Democrat,” said Kremen suggesting that there is no reason for Weimer to go his own way. Laurie Caskey-Schreiber, another of the four endorsed by Whatcom Democrats, is one member of the Council he mentioned by name as collaborative.

          That led to a discussion of the reductions to the size of the Birch Bay UGA that some folks view as too radical. Earlier that day, Lisa Guthrie, knowing that the County Council would be receiving recommendations on UGA revisions from the Planning Commission, had sent a memo to Council members and the planning department with a copy to Kremen. Guthrie, president of the chamber,  who heads development planning for Homestead Northwest, Birch Bay's most significant builder, is lobbying to keep the Double R Ranch in the UGA as well as Homestead property at the east end of the golf course. 
 
         Five minutes after clicking “send” her phone rang and it was Kremen. (Photo of Pete Kremen talking with Lisa Guthrie at the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting and Dinner. Photo by Tiffani Stauffer)

          In our discussion, Kremen said that he thinks the planning department and the County Council went too far in reducing some UGAs, suggesting he wants to cut back.

                                                                                   

          On another front, an analysis of “record breaking dollars” raised by County Council candidates published by the Herald last Wednesday found that all of the “insurgents” backed by Republicans have more dollars to spend than their opponents. Michelle Luke raised over $47 thousand versus Weimer's $28 thousand.

          Generally, the dollars that have gone to the “Gang” are attributed to real estate interests who want to see more building in the county, on land the insurgents don't want to see “grabbed.” In a detailed scrutiny of the campaign literature of Luke and Weimer, Sam Taylor in his current Herald blog, finds Luke is criticizing Weimer's policies as detrimental to the county economy.

         Mr. Taylor concludes that, if three of the four win, the county's politics could change dramatically.

                                                                  

         Let us hope not.

                                                         

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