Don’t expect

to pay less for

city natural gas

In response to a letter sent to the Enumclaw City Council from Linda Atkins:

If you are waiting for the city to prove it is saving you money on your natural gas bill you will have a long wait. It takes only one phone call to Puget Sound Energy to see if you are getting a good rate from the city of Enumclaw. After a current rate hike last month, PSE customers pay .89776 per therm for natural gas. If you are a customer of Enumclaw, your current rate is 1.1847 per therm. That’s 24 percent more than PSE.

Yes, 24 percent. Gives you a warm feeling doesn’t it? This is public information available to all.

And with all the risk involved why would a town want to own a gas utility? Easy, revenue in 2009 is projected to be $5.4 million with a cost of $3.8 million, a tidy $1.6 million profit (page 46 of 2009 city budget). Not bad for a lot of hot air. And with that you can do many things. Like give the city administrator and city attorney a 7 percent raise. Yes, that’s in the budget also. Recession? Not in Enumclaw, this is boom town. If you perform well at the police station you will also be awarded a beautiful new Chevy SUV just to commute one mile to work. I think we should award our chief with a new black and white Smart Car, complete with sunroof and gun rack.

If you watch the Feb. 11 special council meeting on the Internet you will learn we have 84 unprotected service units left that should have been replaced years ago which are now part of the $11 million dollar lawsuit. Nice job guys, better work on your resumes. If you live close to our public works director, you will be glad to know they have replaced two unprotected services next to his house, so no worry in his neighborhood. I feel so much better knowing our public works director and his family are safe.

If we have an accident like Bellingham had a few years ago, the current lawsuit would look like chicken feed.

In response to Leon Muhlick’s comments, yes accidents do happen. Just a few weeks ago, Auburn had a gas line blow up during construction. Luckily no one was hurt.

Paying 24 percent more for natural gas is just plain stupid. I don’t think anyone would pay 24 percent more just because the gas station is locally owned or refined. And don’t forget the city mission statement. The city of Enumclaw will provide municipal services to our citizens in an effective and responsible manner, preserving the community’s well being, respecting the dignity of our citizens and promoting excellence in public service.

Stay tuned next week for my comments on the new city branding idea called “Buck a Flush” and why you won’t be able to water your lawn or wash your car this summer.

M. Qualls

Enumclaw

Not happy with crude tone of letter

Re: John Buss letter of Feb. 25.

I thought for once I would get through an entire diatribe by Mr. Buss without my gag reflex being elicited, but no such luck.

I came to the paragraph in which Republican Sens. Collins, Snowe and Specter were accused of “going to the free clinic to get taxpayer-funded condoms in anticipation of being treated like cheap whores” by President Obama.

Mr. Buss, crude, coarse and vulgar will never be a substitute for intelligent argument. I suggest that you get a dictionary and look up the apparently out-of-favor expression, infra dig.

Robert DuChaine

Buckley

President inherited a ‘terrible mess’

Editor’s note: The following is in reply to a letter that appeared in a previous edition of The Courier-Herald.

So President Hussein Obama is now the voice of gloom and doom. What did you think of his speech Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009 ? I know, you couldn’t understand it as he gave it in Arabic of course.

Here’s my (loose ) translation: He correctly stated he had inherited a terrible mess from the previous misadministration, then stated no longer would the American people be kept in the dark about costs of running our government and gave us full disclosure of the costs of the previous misadministration’s Iraq War for Gee Dub’s oil grab. The previous misadministration never told us what the war was costing – including lives of our GI’s – as the previous misadministration did not include those things in the budget. (The previous misadministration, as a matter of fact, made mothers, wives and husbands of fallen warriors pick up their remains in the dark and by themselves!) That is doom and gloom!

Re. your fear of helping your fellow man – i.e., socialism ( add terrified, drooling snarl here) you got a better idea? The previous misadministration had six years of unfettered rule and look what it got us – they socialized the banks. That was the Repugnicans game plan? Your rhetorical question about borrowing from communist China should have the added phrase “like the previous misadministration?” And, your attempt at humor in a family values newspaper was, ah, disgusting. Way to uphold those values!

And last, you accuse us Americans of being stupid. Seems to me there’s a lot of stupid Americans. More than you know…

Dan Scribner

Enumclaw

Restaurant appreciates the support

This is a letter of thanks to all the people who came out to the Krain the last couple of weekends. Your coming has let us hold on just a little bit longer.

As some of you may know, the closing of the bridge between here and Black Diamond has almost destroyed our business. Most of you know the Krain Corner as an institution in the community for almost 100 years. We are trying very hard to make it to our 100th birthday.

In addition to opening an antique corner, we are trying to think of other fundraisers that can help us, like a raffle for quilts or whatever. To all those who tell us how much they love the Krain, about it being where they met, where they held dances, etc., etc., feel free to donate anything.

Like other businesses in the area, we have had offers for the property. Most of these have come from foreign buyers. We would like to keep the tradition of a family owned restaurant with local employees who truly love the place. So we are not too proud to beg.

Please keep coming out to the Krain with family and friends to enjoy our reasonably-priced food. Even in tough economic times, everyone needs a break once in a while. So if possible, we hope you will take your breaks here.

As history afficionados, we would hate to see this old building torn down. There are to few buildings like it left on the Plateau. We would also hate to see our tradition of hospitality destroyed.

Karen Hatch, owner

Lori Morin, manager

The whole staff