Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Harbor District debate.

If any of you watched the KEET debate tonight, you will have to agree with some of my observations: Patrick Higgins is the most polished, articulate of all the candidates. Charles is passionate, but does not deal in reality. Curless seemed to be informed but stoic. Carlos Quilez was nervous at the start but then picked up as subject matter became relevant. Steve Morris was impressive at the start until he decided to attack Quilez. Very well put together by the League of Women Voters.

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good show. Sadly Charles looked like... Charles.

Best of luck to the new guys.

Anonymous said...

Higgins and Quilez did a great job in the debate. Pat has a clear grasp of the issues and will be a great harbor commissioner.

Anonymous said...

Certainly a big gap in the grasp of reality.

Anonymous said...

Bias rules your opinion. Charles does not do well in this forum but over all did a very good job.Pat is at home in this forum and looked good. He hit some good points but was wrong on several answeres ,but, hey reality shouldn't get in the way of a political bid. Quilez was spot on with his baykeeper talking points and not very knowledgeable about district mandates. He did come off a bit surly. The shotgun question was unfortunate but I'm sure if Roy had the same baggage he would have got the question too. The real high point was the new guy. He was generally right on.

Joel Mielke said...

A friend of mine told me, "vote for Higgins, he's not as big a blowhard as he used to be."

Anonymous said...

Sorry. Bias aside, Charles doesn't do well anywhere. He might have in the past but my encounters with him leave me doubting. Time for new blood regardless.

Carol said...

If still lived in the 2nd district, I would vote for Roy Curless. He is a good person and doesn't seemed to be joined at the hip to NCRA. He served on the HCDCC in the 1960's. He is a good man.

Anonymous said...

I will vote for Curless and back Charles for one reason only I don't feel the other candidates have industry in mind they want to turn the bay into recreation only but we need to develope the bay and use it for what it is meant for.

Anonymous said...

"develope the bay and use it for what it is meant for"

When "discovered" by Europeans the bay was 17 feet deep. Without millions (of tax payer dollars) a year in dredging it is really more of a large lagoon. It was never meant to be a deep water port. It's geographical, geological and now political isolation don't help. Humboldt County needs political leaders that are willing to openly discuss these challenges rather than push them under the rug and leave us all with nothing other than false hopes.

Anonymous said...

"I don't feel the other candidates have industry in mind"

So which industry in mind when they saddled the District with millions in debt to deepen the Harbor. Certainly not the industries that pay for it now. All the wood and chip importers who pay a fee for the deepening now barge everything in. They are still really pissed about paying for this. And it actually causes less product to be imported and thus less jobs!

So you keep voting for the guys that have been their during a 2/3 decline in shipping over the last 16 years they've been in office. I'll put my money on some new perspective and ideas.

Anonymous said...

Carol,

Can you ask your friend Curless to have his "supporters" stop harassing Latino business owners who put up Quilez signs?

Anonymous said...

9:06 do think that all the businesses that have shut down might have something to do with the decline in shipping out of the port and pulp is exported by ship not barge. If the other candidates want to focus on conservation and recreation where do you think thats heading.

Anonymous said...

Pulp is exported by ship AND truck.

Anonymous said...

Plup could be shipped in container by barge. There have been several studies on the subject and there are rumors floating around that that will happen by the end of the year.

Anonymous said...

1:01 pm There is a proposal right now to ship containers by barge and it should be finished by the end of the year but a lot of work left to do it would be nice to get the trucks off the road.

Fred Mangels said...

2:20 wrote, "it would be nice to get the trucks off the road.".

Probably not for the guys and gals driving the trucks.

Anonymous said...

The trucking business is slowly dieing. Ask the truckers. Wages have been stagnant for quite awhile. Gas prices will go nowhere but up, and eventually train or boat shipments of heavy cargo will be the most cost effective method. Because the Humboldt County market is so small and remote, it will be one of the first and most dramatically effected.

Carol said...

Anonymous said...
Carol,

Can you ask your friend Curless to have his "supporters" stop harassing Latino business owners who put up Quilez signs?

9:11 AM



What happened, anon? I have seen a few Quillez signs in Fortuna.

Joel Mielke said...

The Fortuna Citizens Council is demanding that Mr. Quillez anglicize his name.

Anonymous said...

They should be demanding he be wormed,dehorned,and disarmed.

Anonymous said...

The bay was originally "meant" for wildlife, not industry.

Anonymous said...

Fred, why don't you get a job driving a truck?? That way you could take responsibility for yourself. Seems like a fit for you. Not a whole lot of interaction with people, long periods alone. Hopefully there is nothing on your record that would deter you from taking care of business.

Anonymous said...

The railroad is dead. Out with the old, in with the new.

Anonymous said...

No it ain't , 8:13. Someday we will stop being the only prosperous country on the planet that does not support its railroad infrastucture as a matter or course and with tax dollars. Need to get Bush and the oil/gas/auto turkeys out of power first.

Anonymous said...

And when that happens we will still be last in line.

Anonymous said...

Last in line is not a bad thing. I always eat after the elders are served,then the kids and then the cooks. It is respectful to see the whole picture then partake.

Anonymous said...

Railroad will never be cost effective running through the Eel River canyon. Mother Nature has won that battle, and the railroad has lost. Remember, Mother Nature bats last.

Anonymous said...

4:10,I'll wager you've never been down the canyon. Don't bet the home on you're last thought.

Anonymous said...

Wrong again, 9:07!.. I've lived here all of my 51 years and I have been down that canyon many, many times. And as far as your last statement goes, Mother Nature will eventually belch and shake and blow all of our houses down. . . and then the world will be a better place, because humankind is the biggest scourge ever seen on the face of this planet.

Anonymous said...

I meant Anon 9:10, I called you 9:07.