LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Experience matters

Editor, the Journal,

I have seen the process of appointing a judge a few times, but most voters have no idea how a judge is chosen.

In the case of Judge Cadine Ferguson-Brown, she was chosen two years ago to replace retiring Judge Amber Finlay. Judge Ferguson-Brown was chosen by the Mason County Bar Association, an organization made up of lawyers who practice law in Mason County. MCBA members reviewed applications from four lawyers, including Judge Ferguson-Brown’s opponent. The MCBA membership then recommended Court Commissioner Cadine Ferguson-Brown to the governor to replace retiring Judge Amber Finlay and, based on the recommendation of the MCBA, the governor appointed Cadine Ferguson-Brown to replace outgoing Judge Finlay.

It is time for the voters to elect Judge Ferguson-Brown.

Judge Ferguson-Brown has already been working for the people of Mason County for several years: First as a court commissioner and now for two years as our superior court judge.

Experience does matter and this judge has that.

Vote Cadine Ferguson-Brown for superior court judge, Mason County.

Katherine A. Price, Shelton

‘Return to sender’

Editor, the Journal,

Wake up, Mason County. Send liberal temporary Judge Ferguson-Brown back to Olympia.

Lots has been written on these pages in support, and in condemnation of this liberal outsider. No need to look further as you contemplate your upcoming vote. All you need remember is that she is now amongst us not because she shares our values, rather she is here as a hand-picked disciple of extreme liberal Gov. Jay Inslee. When selecting Ferguson-Brown to fill the unexpired term, the governor did not seek the most scholarly, the most supportive of Mason County values, the person most likely to hold the line on Judo-Christian values. No, he picked Ferguson-Brown, a fellow liberal, because he had the confidence that she would faithfully turn the Mason County judicial system into a clone of the King/Pierce chaos. Don’t be fooled, vote her “return to sender” by voting with pride for her opponent, David Stevens.

Stuart W. Looney, Shelton

Taxing resources

Editor, the Journal,

Patrick Burke should be commended for his letter in the Sept. 21 Journal regarding natural resources industry taxation. I do differ with him on forest taxation. Mr. Burke suggests timber and timberland should be taxed annually. Timber is taxed at the time of harvest. Timber is a 40- to 80-year crop that he would tax for every year of the growing time. If you are trying to convince a landowner to sell his forestland to a developer, this is the way to go.  

The current timber harvest tax is reasonable and encourages landowners to keep growing trees on their land. Mason County is being discovered by the state’s large population centers. We don’t need to give them any encouragement.

I am not a tax expert and I hope other, more knowledgeable people, will comment on this enormously complex subject. Mr. Burke opens a topic worth a further look. One area would be gravel extraction. Gravel is a natural resource but is not a renewable resource. Yet, to the best of my knowledge, gravel is not taxed either in the ground or at removal. Why?

Bob Dick, Shelton

Another clear-cut

Editor, the Journal,

The Green Diamond Resource Co., based in North Carolina, is about to clear-cut 116.7 acres above the Kamilche Shores area.

When this land was last clear-cut, the runoff created several problems, including a major cliff dropping off, leaving a house within only a foot or two from the edge. There was property designated as “wetland” which had never been, and Kamilche Shores Road and Kamilche Point Roads became rivers of mud. Residents not even directly below the cut had to install bulkheads as the amount of water flowing into Totten Inlet changed the shorelines.

The plan to mitigate the runoff is to divert the water into Wild Cat Cove.

Currently, when there is heavy rain, the culverts for the streams are already at a maximum capacity. I believe that the area around the cove is all private property. In an area north of here, Mason County is currently working on re-designating the shorelines on Totten Inlet, where silt from a stream has changed the configuration of the shoreline. What will happen to Wild Cat Cove when it is overwhelmed with runoff of water and silt? Wild Cat Cove is not the only waterway to be considered, for the runoff will also affect Totten Inlet, which has oyster beds, and Little Skookum Inlet.

I was told at one time that Wild Cat Cove was a designated wildlife sanctuary. If that is true, then where is the environmental impact study and does it include wildlife? Will this area be replanted as the company states? A month or so ago, someone wrote about the negative effects of clear-cutting, and this is just another example.

Barbara Denton, Shelton

Make it fair

Editor, the Journal,

When did property taxes stop being about taxing your land? I like many others was shocked to see an assessed value up 70% this year, and when I asked for comparables utilized in the assessment, was even more dumbfounded. Not only was a home in my stack of three comparables from the county sold in 2023 of this year, which is against our assessor’s posted statutes, “New values are based on sales of similar properties prior to Jan. 1, 2023. All sales occurring in 2023 will not be used to set assessed values until next year,” but the home is a 6-acre home compared to my less than a half-acre home. Are we not supposed to be taxed on our actual land as part of the calculation? This home also has a view of Mount Rainier and 200 feet of waterfront, not at all close to my home attributes. Everyone in the county should appeal and obtain their three comparables from the county and then contact their representatives that true home value is not being utilized in Mason County. 

As others have pointed out, our taxes are not building more businesses here. Most commute to other counties. Let’s pay our fair share of taxes, but make it fair.

Nichole Brown, Belfair

What is the Bible?

Editor, the Journal,

Some readers make references to the Bible, mostly negatively and often incorrectly, in reference to their issue. What is the Bible?

The Bible is an intricate tapestry of many books written by men inspired by God, some prophets, some apostles, translated from Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic to old English, to modern English and hundreds of languages. The colorful threads that weave through this tapestry are histories of peoples, genealogies, wars, laws and epistles of counsel. There are stories of miracles, love, hate, lust, travel and murder, true or illustrative.

The writings contain analogy, simile, metaphor and hyperbole, not every word meant to be taken literally. Inside this rich tapestry of every human condition known to man, however, is an intricately woven thread of divinely inspired message from God to mankind. Only through seeking the spirit of God through prayer and study will you find this thread of truth. If you search the Bible with intent to find evil, discord, confusion and contradiction, you will find it, but you will miss the message. Christ taught in parables as he told his followers, so that only those in tune with the spirit of God would understand what he said.

One Journal reader stated the Bible was more foul than the porn books on school shelves, and quoted Ezekiel 23:20. Does he truly believe Ezekiel more obscene than two graphically drawn boys performing fellatio on each other with the most obscene language? Yes, I’ve seen these books and heard parents read from them in multiple school board meetings throughout the country.

One thing the Bible is very clear about, and that is the horrible fate of anyone complicit in destroying the innocence of children, teaching them to sin, or harming them in any way, for according to Christ, “of such is the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Katie Groves, Shelton

Spending money

Editor, the Journal,

In response to Joe Schmit’s opinion article concerning “Ignite Mason” on Sept. 21, I agree with his basic intent to improve economic conditions in Mason County. But, throwing $55 million at the issue will likely be of little benefit. While the money could get a few projects done, as well as line the pockets of some governmental entities and nonprofit organizations, the basic problem can only be addressed by dealing with the rural economic strangulation imposed by the 30-year-old Growth Management Act and its land-use regulations. 

The first attempt at discarding that yoke came in 1999 when the EDC of Mason County issued its “Business Demographics Study.” That work clearly demonstrated what GMA had done to the county’s rural character and economic health during the previous 10 years. The EDC’s attempt to get changes enacted died when local political leadership decided against bucking Seattle-based support for GMA. More statewide protest over the regulatory burden came when the Washington State Rural Development Council issued its “Washington State Rural Counties Speak Out” report in 2000. While that protest got a little more political traction, overall, it failed to generate any significant regulatory relief for rural counties. The last serious effort came in 2002 when the Evergreen Freedom Foundation analyzed the problem from the legal perspective through its report: “Growth Management Act: A rift between intent and reality.” So, while I wish the “Ignite Mason” project all the luck in the world, I would suggest that money is not the issue. Solving the problem will take political courage and leadership that thoroughly understands the differences between what makes rural economics work and the driving elements of urban economics. They are very different. Local leadership must also be willing to engage in court battles to remove development regulations that have throttled rural economic efforts for a long time.

Jay Hupp, Shelton

Giving Christians

Editor, the Journal,

Did you know that church-going Christians give (on average) 20% to 30% of their annual income away? Or that they volunteer many hours per week to feed, clothe, counsel and help poor and/or homeless individuals and families around them? An informal survey of 17 churches in the area was very enlightening. In Mason County alone thousands of dollars and supplies each month are freely given to support Love INC, CareNet, Cornerstone, Gethsemane ministries, Community Lifeline, Turning Pointe, Crazy Love Ministries, Crossroads applicants, prison ministry, Saints’ Pantry and more. Because of people in our community who love Jesus and follow his word, the hungry are fed, the poor are clothed and housed. There is a “Celebrate Recovery” dinner Friday nights with fellowship for those in drug or alcohol recovery. There is a weekly dinner for moms just out of prison where they learn parenting skills and hear about a better way to live through God’s grace. Individual Christians volunteer at the local AA chapter and food banks. Several area churches cooperate to provide a free dinner almost every night of the week for the marginal and homeless. And so much more. Every day, every week, in a thousand small ways Christians motivated by their obedience to God and His love for humanity perpetrate random acts of kindness. Our community is better because of them. Are you or a group you belong to also doing things that benefit the homeless or other underserved populations in Mason County? Let us all know. The broken people we see on our streets aren’t going to go away. They need your help. This is a community problem that is not going to be solved by a panel of experts. It can only be solved one person at a time, with time and effort on your part.

Brenda Windom, Shelton

Of bond and bail

Editor, the Journal,

I concur with last week’s writer concerning a political appointment for superior court judge. Judge Amber Finlay retired, conveniently leaving an open judgeship for Gov. Inslee to appoint for the coming election. Now Ferguson-Brown can run as an incumbent. Her family law practice experience doesn’t seem to provide the “tickets” to handle criminal law cases. For example, two recent cases I read about in the paper, first the lady who shot her boyfriend seven times in the chest. The prosecutor requested $500,000 bail bond, Judge Brown released her on to society with a reduction to $5,000. Second is the guy who torched three locations in downtown Shelton resulting in $30,000 damage at the thrift store. She released him with little or no bond. Make sure your fire insurance is paid up.

This is a pretty sharp contrast to her opponent, Dave Stevens, who has prosecuted over 200 jury trials and served as public defender in over 50 cases. I would think he knows both sides of the equation. He also serves as judge for the Intertribal Court System.

Whoever wins, let’s not be soft on crime.

Bernie Walton, Shelton

Unbelievable stuff

Editor, the Journal,

Whether it’s gun violence or grand theft doughnuts, you cannot make this stuff up: After Chantelle Peterson shot her boyfriend seven times, Judge Ferguson-Brown let her bond out the next day for $5,000. The rest is history. The judge responded to the public outrage, asserting that she extends fairness and equal justice, and that her decisions are well-reasoned and based on current laws. What on earth would allow a rational person to release a shooter for $5,000? Why did she ignore the bail recommendations of the prosecutor, disregard some state guidelines and not order a competency evaluation? Subsequently, Nicholas McClure was arrested after burglarizing a local doughnut shop. Correction officers’ recommendations are routinely ignored, even when felons with long criminal histories exhibit no interest in reforming. Judge Ferguson-Brown freed him, provided he agreed not to commit more crimes or use drugs. She ordered him to turn himself in if he violated the agreement. Within 48 hours of release, he was accused of setting three fires. Gov. Jay Inslee injected an inexperienced lawyer into a county festering with big-city problems and where nobody believes the current system holds criminals accountable. He set up Ferguson-Brown to fail. Her sentiments about “equity” and compassion have not extended to victims and our community, which will continue suffering increasing crime so long as current policy tips the scales in favor of criminals.

I met Judge Cadine Ferguson-Brown. She was kind and engaging, and I feel badly for her, but I know many decent people who cannot grasp that some people are irredeemable. I also want our community to have “peace that surpasses all understanding,” but until justice stops taking a back seat to emotional wishfulness, “without justice, there can be no peace.”

Elizabeth Hill, Shelton