Politics from the Palouse to Puget Sound

Thursday, October 06, 2005

Flip-Flopping Seen and Heard Around Campus

Palousitics contributor Ray informed me of a PARD petition signature table set up at the CUB on the WSU campus this afternoon. Manning the booth was Ward 3 City Council candidate Judy Krueger. You remember Ms. Krueger. She is the PARD board member that claims she isn't really against Wal-Mart, only the location. Ray said Ms. Krueger's bumper sticker was in between two signs that read "Say No to Wal-Mart!," just like the PARD booth at the Lentil Festival.

As I listened on the phone, Ray asked the wannabe trolley conductor some questions about Wal-Mart, and Ms. Krueger dutifully handed out the cups of PARD Kool-Aid, including the laughable assertion that the only reason the hospital is not opposed to Wal-Mart is because Wal-Mart is going to to pay the hospital off with fill dirt! Even though Krueger is opposed to the Wal-Mart location, she did not have a better location for Wal-Mart.

I immediately notified Joel Mills of the Lewiston Tribune. Ms. Krueger had given him the runaround about Wal-Mart in a previous interview. He told me that candidates get softballs before the primary, but in interviews before the election, they will not get an opportunity to dodge the Wal-Mart issue again. If they do, he will say so. Mr. Mills now realizes from talking to me and others that the Ward 3 City Council race really IS a referendum on Wal-Mart. If Krueger tries to spin her stand on Wal-Mart again, he will remind her of this event at the CUB.

Ray, if you have anything else to add, please feel free.

23 comments:

Ray Lindquist said...

It was interesting she (Judy Krueger) was telling the students that Wal-Mart was going maybe cut trees down in the cemetery. I spoke up and said that they were going to commission a below ground looking radar study. Oh that would not be good something about that having to be done before any approval could happen. I said that they would not want to spend the money on that to be turned down on some other point. I asked about the Dead Kids line to see how they figured that could happen. I guess they think that some people will drive thru the neighborhood up by the schools to avoid the "traffic" down on Bishop. It just did not seem that she had any faith in the city planning to see that the street was ready for the traffic that was most likely going to be on it with the new store. I asked about the “Tax-Leakage” and they said that did not need to happen we could other stores to open. Now lets get this straight, it is OK for other stores but for some reason Wal-Mart is BAD??? Go figure that one will you; I need a new battery in my calculator. So between the hospital being “bought-off” with fill dirt some how there word as if Wal-Mart will have bad impact on them is not worth anything, and the city planning department that can’t do there job about the streets; we just continue to leak tax dollars to Moscow and Spokane. The petition that they had there was so the students could sign up that they would not shop or take a job at Wal-Mart. The overall experience was good to see the ‘lame’ excuses they had to say no to Wal-Mart. They don’t hold any water. Will there be a chance that Ann Heath be able to debate her, she would be an easy mark in a debate. Ann Heath would chew her up. Go Ann Go Ann Go Ann Heath

Ray Lindquist said...

Oh and by the way I wish I had my cmera and they did not server any 'Kool-Aid" that is one thing that would made it priceless.... LOL

April E. Coggins said...

Ray,
Did Judy Krueger actually claim that Wal-Mart might cut down trees WITHIN the cemetery? Well, since there are no other trees in the area, I guess she did.
There will be no tree cutting, only tree planting, due to the planned buffer. The dead people will continue to rest in peace.

Judy will only have faith in the city when their decisions support her radical cause. She will never compromise, she will consider any compromise by the city a victory. She is dangerous to the future of Pullman.

Ray Lindquist said...

YES, I heard her say that to one students as I first walked up to the table. I was shocked, if they are on Wal-marts land they can do what they want but I am sure that those trees are on cemetery land so thus they are off limits to Wal-Mart. PERIOD end of story.

April E. Coggins said...

Well, since there are no trees on Wal-Mart's land and Judy implied or claimed that Wal-Mart would cut down trees, I guess she lied again. Judy must consider students gullible and unimportant. She will say anything to get a signature. Not unlike Cynthia Hosick. Now that I think about it, isn't Cynthia Hosick the campaign manager for Judy Krueger?

April E. Coggins said...

The hospital/fill dirt angle is SO off base that I wonder if some members need serious intervention. Add the trolley, the roundabouts, the boutique downtown and what do we have? A candidate for the city council who is not living in reality. Real things, people and responsibilities do not seem within Judy's grasp. Add in one Cynthia Hosick and we have paranoid hysteria X 2.

Ray Lindquist said...

LOL X 2 LOL

Unknown said...

Well, the PARD website has some useful features, for example, copies of the site plan drawings. If you go here: http://www.pullman-ard.org/paws_campaign_docs/building_site_gallery/store.php , you can see how the Supercenter will "encroach" on the "cultural resources" of the cemetery. The loading dock/turnaround will be lower than the cemetery level, as evidenced by the retaining wall and pedestrian railings. The SEPA plan calls for a landscape screen as well. This will be in addition to the existing large oak trees surrounding the cemetery. I think that should cover the view and noise issues pretty nicely.

As you can see it's not Wal-Mart that will be adjacent to the cemetery, it's Fairmount Drive. That's the city's issue.

But why let the facts stand in the way of scaring people about their departed loved ones (or their kids, or their favorite "mom and pop grocery store", or the children in China, etc.)?

April E. Coggins said...

It really doesn't matter what private individuals would prefer on Wal-Marts lot. I would prefer a five star Ritz. Since the Ritz hasn't made an attempt to open on that site, I guess I will settle for the company who bought the land.

The land that Wal-Mart was willing to buy and develop has sat empty for over 20 years. If the so-called prefered businesses wanted to open in Pullman, they would have already. And the idiotic idea that small businesses can afford to develop a large site, is so out of touch with reality that it's laughable or pitiable.

Wal-Mart develops areas where other companies won't. The business world is bad about not taking chances, Wal-Mart is a company that will take chances. And look for yourself to see the difference a Wal-Mart makes. We are seeing a speculative boom on Bishop Blvd.

April E. Coggins said...

Tom,
We all know that and so do the key PARD members. But how many signatures would they get if they told the truth? I hate the idea that they are zeroing in on old people, making them afraid of where they will be buried. It's a sick reality that the Daily News opinion page is suddenly full of letters from people who are afraid to be buried in the Pullman Cemetery. These letters are either made up or the old people are being targeted. It's pretty sick either way.

Unknown said...

Despite the letters, the cemetery is PARD's weakest argument in the appeal. The hearing examiner can only address issues of law and fact, not emotion. There is no law against building next to a cemetery. The only potential legal issue would be the exhumation of unmarked graves, and as I understand it, the ground-penetrating radar survey should alleviate that possibility.

Victoria Dehlbom said...

To be honest I'm surprised some people haven't complained the hospital is too close to the cemetary. It must stress out patients who think they are being brought to the hospital to die.

Unknown said...

I have called PARD on the ghoulishness of the cemetery issue in the Daily News. It's really the only issue that resonates with some adults in the community. Stormwater runoff and light pollution are not very scintillating subjects.

It won't surprise me if they use it as long as they can, regardless of the morality. Almost everyone I talk to these days about Wal-Mart mentions the Daily News cover story story about Dave Flaherty and the cemetery. You couldn't buy good coverage like that.

Ray Lindquist said...

Tom, I don't get the paper, so is there somwhere I can see that piece?

April E. Coggins said...

Since PARD is speaking for dead people, I think I should speak for the dead people who agree with me. As a 45 year Pullman resident, the dead people that I know would love to be near a busy Wal-Mart. They are sick and tired of all the quiet and darkness. They want a little life.

Seriously, won't the added tax base help improve the cemetery? A cemetery is a park and is created for the living to remember and reflect.

Unknown said...

Ray, the Dave Flaherty piece? I don't have it, but I described it here: http://palousitics.blogspot.com/2005/07/riding-dead-horse-to-cemetery.html

April E. Coggins said...

Ray, I think I still have it. Let me sort through the mounds of saved newspapers and I'll let you know here.

Unknown said...

The cemetery is run by the city and it is affected by the tax base like everything else. That's why the city council recently authorized a cemetery committee, as well as an arts and various other committees, to solicit private donations for upkeep and renovations.

The irony in all this of course is that the tax money Wal-Mart generates will help preserve and improve the cemetery. Plus one of the condiitons in the site plan approval is that Wal-Mart pays to fix the bad pavement on Fairmount Drive leading up to the cemetery. If you have been there, you know how bad the cemetery roads are. More facts you'll never hear from PARD.

April E. Coggins said...

Ummm, Tom. That's not bad pavement, that's gravel. We have a little bit of gravel over a bad dirt road.

Unknown said...

Right, up in the cemetery itself, but the city is talking about the section leading up to the cemetery behind the old Safeway. Condition 15 of the site plan approval states: "Reconstruct the distressed asphalt surfacing of Fairmount Drive at Grand Avenue. The approximate length is 150 feet."

April E. Coggins said...

Okay, I stand corrected. The dirt road is within the cemetery. It's a bad road leading up to the cemetery and gets worse within the cemetery. It must be a comfort to the grieving family when they feel the "clunk" of a dirt road vs. pavement. I am sure their first thought is, at least we don't have a Wal-Mart.

Unknown said...

Yes, funny how no one in PARD had been complaining previously about the condition of this "valuable cultural resource" before Wal-Mart announced it's plans. I'd be willing to bet that T.V. Reed, Judy Krueger and all the rest never even knew there was a cemetery there.

April E. Coggins said...

Yes, you are exactly right. PARD doesn't give a crap about the cemetery. It is a sudden weapon against Wal-Mart. We have two other cemeteries that are both surounded by so called "urban sprawl" and yet, PARD is not trying to save those cultural resources. I guess dead and silent people are only important if they can serve a political purpose.