Since I live outside the city limits, I hope that everyone will understand that my comments are nothing more than an observation of what I'm watching develop on the Olympia Mayor race between Meta Hogan and Doug Mah.

I happen to know Mah, but not intimately. I have not had the pleasure of meeting Hogan, but have paid attention to her posts on olyblog. I have no personal favorites and, as I said, I don't vote for this race anyway.

To my point. I'm monitoring the posts on The Olympian comments threads and it seems some of Mah's "supporters" are already throwing dirt. Right from the start, I want to make mention that what is being said doesn't sound like Mah would endorse it, but at the same time, these folks are trying to represent him in media.

Because of Hogan's honest stand on the issue of homelessness, the commenters are trying to play the "fear" card by saying her election to office would make Olympia "overun" with homeless, as if the homeless have an ear to the ground on such political matters such as a mayor's race in a certain city. Rational minds know that "Olympia's homeless" are not so much transient, as they are locals that have fallen on bad times. A recent report demonstrated that many people have been able to find permanent housing, thus something must be working. Additionally, it's been proven over and over that the majority of homeless are suffering from medical challenges, thus they probably aren't as worried about who is mayor as they are about their next meal, a place to sleep and help with their medical issues.

Although I don't live in the city limits, I do live in the community and don't want to see this race turn into a divisive issue, as opposed to a chance for both candidates to tell the voters their plan for Olympia and let the votes be cast.

Hopefully, Olympia can rise above petty accusational politics.

TACOMA, Wash. -- Charges against 13 people who were arrested during protests against military shipments to Iraq have been dismissed because police cited a traffic law while exercising crowd control.

The charges were based on a law to regulate traffic, "not crowds, not people," Haugh said. "I cannot see the applicability of that statute to these cases."

One defendant, Dennis Dutton, said police accomplished their apparent purpose despite the ruling because he and other protesters were removed from the port.

"It did stifle the expression of free speech," Dutton said, "which may have been what they wanted. They'll get the opportunity again because the war goes on and we'll be back."

Read More..

(The Tacoma Police Dept. & City Attorneys apparently do not know how to read the RCW's)

One guy from Texas and another from Virginia (Army reservists in training at Ft. Lewis) walked into Old School last night as a buddy of mine was waiting for his dinner.

"Hey, are you from around here?" one of the out-of-towners asked my buddy. He said, yup and asked if they were enjoying themselves, assuming they were in town for Lakefair.

"This town is great! We were just down by the water and we saw people dancing, a guy in a pink tie."

"It's like Seattle without all the cars honking at you or people yelling, its great here."

"We're going to tell our buddies up at training that they should come down."

There's been some stress leading up to Lakefair this year, probably more than I'd ever remembered.

Lakefair may not be for you, but it is for many.

from email. please spread the word.

be careful out there, friends, watch out for provacateurs, the ten Tacoma "special intelligence officers" Larry Hildis wants to know about (read the story about the good news regarding the port folks for more about that... which, by the way, is false arrest not actually something cops get in trouble for anymore?), and other homesec goons, undercover or not.