Are Seattle area drug addicts having any problem finding their cartel product of choice due to any federal drug war effort?
Has any US community announced that first responders are finding less need for Narcan, buprenorphine, Naloxone, fentanyl test strips, or any similar product used in overdose response situations?
Is there any possibility that any DEA office or DEA budget will be downsized due to the success of all US Dept. of Homeland Security/Dept. of War efforts in recent months?
The US Dept. of Homeland Security was established in 2002. This giant federal agency now has more than two decades of experience and lessons learned in working to prevent cartel product from entering the US. More overdose deaths now, or before DHS?
Has any community anywhere in the US downsized or shut down any local drug task force, or narcotics enforcement team due to the success of Dept. of War strikes on narcoterrorist drug boats, ICE crackdowns and designating cartels as terrorist organizations?
Why It Matters
Americans were told that they faced a life and death situation after 911. If certain actions were not taken, terrorists could come to America to disrupt our way of life and attempt another 911.
If all this was a life and death situation that required sending the troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, wouldn’t it be important to ask a few public policy questions about what was going on?
Newspeople have a long history of not asking questions in this area.
The US Dept. of Defense was nowhere to be found on 911.
We haven’t won a war since.
Decades after the lessons of Vietnam, it feels like the people who run the Pentagon specialize in undeclared/unwon wars. Is it understandable that young people and their parents and grandparents would take a dim view on all this?
Department of War & Armistice Day
In the 60s & 70s I never attended a Veterans Day assembly at school.
There were none.
Probably enough veterans around to remove most of the mystique, or maybe those veterans thought it was all just an average thing and did not want to be seen as a separate part of American society, or get head of the line parking spots over at the grocery store. Maybe the concept of Armistice Day had not gone completely extinct.
Growing up in the 60s & 70s- veterans were all around- church, school, Boy Scout leaders, family, the neighborhood, etc. It was all just an average thing. These folks weren’t seen as a separate part of American society.
People weren’t stepping over to say “Thanks for your service” to my Dad- who did time in the Navy in the 50s- but looked just like anyone else out in public.
These guys weren’t lining up for free dinner promotions marketed by major restaurant chains.
One of the very most meaningful federal holidays for some. Stolen from Armistice Day in the 1950s. At that time, the US Dept. of Defense had started a decades long tradition of not being able to stay out of or win undeclared wars in distant lands.
Wonderwhat was happening at border crossing/port of entry inspections during the 2 years Michael Warren was under investigation. Do the good guys who made the local bust notify the good guys at the border about the weak links in their process?
How much fentanyl moved through local communities and correctional facilities during this 2 year investigation?
Love to see newspeople ask:
Were federal authorities at the border notified of this ongoing investigation?
Did the drug traffickers get fast track screening at the border so as not to disrupt this ongoing investigation?
If the drug traffickers were given a pass at the border- would that have tipped them off as to the investigation- or would that have been seen as standard protocol?
Imagine LE authorities observe a shoplifter or bank robber in action. Instead of going in to make an arrest they back off and conduct an investigation that goes on for 2 years. What if they applied the same tactic Re: crimes involving arson, terrorism, child abuse, DUI, etc.
Has any city, county or state jurisdiction been able to cleanup their drug problem using these methods?
Also from 2023
Correctional facility security screening protocols fail to keep meth use from happening inside Clallam County facility:
Were US drug overdose death numbers higher before the US Dept. of Homeland Security was established (2002) or are the numbers higher with a $51.6 billion (every 12 months) US Dept. of Homeland Security in place?
Were US drug overdose death numbers higher before passports/enhanced/Real IDs were required at border crossings and ports of entry, beginning in 2009, or are they higher now?
“President Donald Trump’s plan to impose tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada and China is partly aimed at combating the illicit flow of fentanyl into the U.S., where the opioid is blamed for some 70,000 overdose deaths annually.”
Welcome Home Troops
Thanks for doing time/risking your ass in Iraq and Afghanistan, working to keep a post 911 USA safe & secure.
School children are taught about a free enterprise system. They grow up to find out that the federal government will tell them what kind of shower head they must install in the bathroom, and what type of gas can they must buy for their generator.
Probably designed by some bureaucrat that never mowed a yard:
The US Dept. of Defense was established after WWII, in the late 1940s.
Much concern in recent years about social media and internet misinformation. When elected officials and high level DOD civilians tell us The Troops are sent to distant lands to defend American rights and freedoms, does any mainstream newspaper or TV newsperson ask:
American rights and freedoms are different today because of what military operation conducted by the US Dept. of Defense?
US troops were sent to do time/risk their ass in Iraq and Afghanistan, working to keep a post 911 USA safe & secure?
Both major US political parties may be forced to downsize their ambitions for various overseas military operations. Things are slow over at the recruiting office.
Newspeople refuse to ask:
What happens when American families no longer send the young ones to enlist and will not support a draft?
Rules are in place. Coaches are fired for poor play. The press looks in on all games. A highly successful team will win the Super Bowl each year.
The federal government is a different animal. Both major parties have taken turns in power as the decades go by. When failures take place, lessons learned, solid news reporting and public information can be hard to come by.
The US Dept. of Homeland Security was established on November 25, 2002. Plenty of time for lessons learned, and more cartel drugs entering Hometown, USA than ever before?
When is the last time these patrol boats were involved in any arrest or seizure related in any way to the US/Canada border?
Lessons Learned?
Anytime there is a plane crash, a loss at sea, or an industrial accident, a thorough investigation takes place. Lessons learned are used to prevent future accidents. A major aircraft manufacturer grounds certain airplanes after mishaps. Time is required to investigate and find out what went wrong.
Any similar effort after a big cartel drug bust inside the US?
Snohomish 2015
Local law enforcement agencies may benefit when the US Dept. of Homeland Security fails to keep heroin out of the US:
“Funding for the boat was issued through the Homeland Security Grant Program under Operation Stonegarden.”
Would any newsperson ever ask:
Has the Island County Homeland Security-funded patrol boat been involved in any arrest or seizure related in any way to the US/Canada border?
What is the history of “cross border activity” related to Whidbey Island?
Newspeople remain silent.
Airport Security Screening
Show up early to wait in line and squeeze the toothpaste out of the tube at the airport?
Would any newsperson ever ask:
What keeps the terrorists of the GWOT from creating a disruption at the back end of the screening line?
Has anyone ever seen any member of the press ask questions on this?
REAL ID
Would any newsperson ever ask:
If REAL ID is critical to the safety of America, have travelers out at the airport been less safe since 911?
The new REAL ID requirement for domestic air travel has been extended now to 2025.
Would any newsperson ever ask:
If the CIA (est 1947) serves as an advantage to the US, why does the Department of Defense have such a poor record of winning undeclared wars going back to 1949, the year DOD was established?
Would any newsperson ever ask:
Are passports/enhanced/REAL IDs effective in keeping cartel drugs out of the US?
Standard driver’s licenses have not been accepted at the border since 2009.
Would any newsperson ever ask:
Has General Milley’s Operation Macho Swagger reduced access to cartel product anywhere in the US?
Has there been enough time for newspeople to ask questions?
Newspeople remain silent.
April 1, 2020 C-SPAN
WWII costume reminds us of a time before decades of undeclared/unwon wars stacked up.
The Department of Defense track record goes back to 1949.
Thanks for doing time/risking your ass in Iraq and Afghanistan, working to keep a post 911 USA safe & secure.
Don’t worry-The Super Bowl and public affairs will be safe:
Super Bowl
Tune in to any Super Bowl in the post 911 era to see the press promote a big US Dept. of Homeland Security show of force to keep the big game safe. TV newspeople skip asking questions and play the role of federal public affairs staff instead:
The folks who can’t keep fentanyl trafficking cartels from moving product into various US communities are keeping the Super Bowl safe. Way To Go Team.
Would any newsperson ever ask:
If special games require special security-what keeps regular games safe? Crowd size/capacity is similar at several stadiums.
Are fans less safe at regular games?
What prevents terror strikes at hundreds of events & locations unsupervised by federal authorities?
What stops terrorists from going 2 states over and driving a truck across the playground at a daycare center?
Symbol of a culture that was once strong (Man On The Moon in ’69). A culture that is now weak. Symbol of an American press that will avoid asking questions.
JFK speaks about the role of the press in a free society:
Instead of waiting for school teachers to teach about individual rights and limited government authority, waiting on the press to ask questions, or courts to handle cases, these guys go out and update us with a quick reality check.
Zero questions from small or large newspapers. Zero questions from TV newspeople.
The small papers will say they need more support from subscribers and advertising dollars or cash from the federal government to stay alive. All this because COVID or the internet or lack of newspaper sales, or a free and independent press that needs taxpayer support.
People who take no public funds, private donations or advertising dollars are free to ask questions at any time. Why not the press? Call for unpaid volunteers and you’d get better news coverage than what we have now.
I’d be more interested in paying (again) for a local paper subscription if there was more in the way of newspeople asking questions.
They tried that during the Vietnam War. They found out they had to stop.
Last time there was a draft, children were raised by the WWII generation, in families where Mom and Dad were married to each other.
Both major US political parties may be forced to downsize their ambitions for various overseas military operations. Things are slow over at the recruiting office.
Prediction:
The breaking point will come at the US Armed Forces recruiting office.
There is no WWII generation to encourage new enlistments like there was back in the Cold War era of the 1980s.
A Fighting Spirit?
Sending The Troops to Iraq to keep the US safe – Now this:
A $51.6 billion (every 12 months) US Dept. of Homeland Security.
Twenty years of big US Dept. of Homeland Security spending and more cartel product in Hometown, USA than ever before? What a scam.
Welcome Home Troops
Thanks for doing time/risking your ass in Iraq and Afghanistan, working to keep a post 911 USA safe & secure.
Don’t worry-The Super Bowl and public affairs will be safe:
Newspeople avoid these questions:
Would the DEA be out of work if a $51.6 billion (every 12 months) US Dept. of Homeland Security was able to keep cartel product from showing up in all 50 states?
Have opioid lawsuits played any role in improving the situation?
How do cartels react to opioid lawsuits?
Has local CBP created any shortage of cartel product in the Puget Sound area?
Uncle Sam is having a hell of a time finding people to sign up for the US Armed Forces. Pretending that decades of undeclared/unwon wars are linked in any way with American freedoms is the kind of dishonesty that will snuff out the energy American families once had for encouraging young people to enlist.
Good luck with your US Armed Forces recruiting crisis.
As time goes on, American freedoms and the consumer choices we have are becoming more restricted by a combination of government and big business policies, not Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden or the next bad guy DOD will be going after in distant lands.
If The Troops defend American rights and freedoms, what becomes of those freedoms when the US leaves Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, etc., without a victory?
President Biden,
While the troops were deployed, federal law was signed prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to adults age 18-20.
Can you help us to understand the militarized version of freedom here?
Are newspeople forbidden to ask questions related to Homeland Security funding and performance?
Newspeople have a long history of not asking questions in this area.
New Port Angeles USBP Station opened more than a decade ago. Has the new station been able to prevent cartel drugs from entering the Olympic Peninsula?
Newspeople remain silent.
If you run a government operation-these are the reporters you want to see on interview day:
More Than A Decade Of Efforts To Take Control
Unlike many cities of its size, Port Angeles, WA maintains a significant Homeland Security/CBP/Border Patrol presence.
2011 – Operation Macho Swagger & Port Angeles Heroin
Newspeople play the role of federal public affairs personnel during Operation Macho Swagger– a ride-along to let us know what is being done to keep the southern edge of the Strait of Juan de Fuca safe from B.C. incursions.
“His division, located at the Port of Port Angeles’ industrial park near William R. Fairchild International Airport, has patrolled the North Olympic Peninsula for less than three years, beginning with him, another supervisor and three new agents, while the Border Patrol staff increased more than sixfold from 2006 to 2010.”
Information Suppression:
“Customs and Border Protection has refused to release arrest statistics for the North Olympic Peninsula that might be a factor in justifying the increase.”
“The Border Patrol celebrated the grand opening of its fenced, sprawling headquarters, an expanded facility for its 42 agents, to the plaintive strains of a bagpipe and an appreciative reaction from a crowd of invitation-only guests.”
“The federal government paid the Eagles Aerie $2.1 million for the land and spent $9.8 million renovating the building.”
“The agency’s agents, who cover Clallam and Jefferson counties and whose territory ranges down to the Columbia River in Oregon, began moving into the 19,000-square-foot facility July 27.”
“A Border Patrol agent who was asked about the proceedings referred questions to the agency’s public affairs office.”
Today
After a Port Angeles CBP buildup that took place more than a decade ago, is there any follow up made by the press to inform the public on whatever results have been achieved? Any interviews with top level CBP personnel or elected officials?
Zero questions from small or large newspapers? Zero questions from TV newspeople?
JFK speaks about the role of the press in a free society:
Several Whidbey beaches remain closed all year long for recreational shellfish harvest because of sewage treatment outfall.
Sewage treatment outfall. Not stormwater. Not climate change.
Reporting on this topic appears to be completely off limits to the press.
View the Washington State Department of Health beach list here.
Penn Cove
Love to see newspeople visit Penn Cove and ask about the Award Winning Sewage Treatment Plant and why the beach adjacent to the Award Winning Sewage Treatment Plant is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvest.
When is the last time all of Penn Cove was safe for recreational shellfish harvest?
Zero questions from small or large newspapers. Zero questions from TV newspeople.
Americans do not live in a free and honest society.
In a free and honest society, newspeople would be asking questions related to public policy all of the time.
Voting is highly emphasized in American culture. Newspeople asking questions related to public policy takes a lower priority.
Has anyone ever seen the Puget Sound area press ask questions about Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls?
Has anyone ever seen any government agency, elected official or volunteer organization seeking answers related to one or more sewage treatment plants sending unsafe product into the waters near Whidbey Island?
Significant Victory as $51.6 billion (every 12 months) US Dept. of Homeland Security fails to keep cartel product from arriving in the Puget Sound area.
The press release style of news reporting means that a statement is prepared by whatever agency was involved in the latest policy update, drug bust/federal grant money award, etc.
Newspeople play along by asking zero questions. They pass along whatever press release local agencies come up with.
A 5th grade book report would require more in the way of asking questions.
“They also recovered a handgun loaded with armor-piercing bullets, which Tacoma Police said are commonly known as “cop-killer bullets,” and body armor worn by the suspect during the arrest.”
“During a search of the suspect’s home, police found four more guns, including two that were stolen, along with more armor-piercing bullets.”
Welcome Home Troops
Thanks for doing time/risking your ass in Iraq and Afghanistan, working to keep a post 911 USA safe & secure.
Don’t worry-The Super Bowl and public affairs will be safe:
Has General Milley’s Operation Macho Swagger reduced access to cartel product anywhere in the US?
Has there been enough time for newspeople to ask questions?
Newspeople remain silent.
April 1, 2020 C-SPAN
WWII costume reminds us of a time before decades of undeclared/unwon wars stacked up.
The Department of Defense track record goes back to 1949.
The uniparty and the press appear to be OK with undeclared/unwon wars.
Years ago, I began to think of the mainstream media as Information Suppression Specialists because newspeople had stopped asking questions related to public policy.
Voting is highly emphasized in American culture. Asking questions related to public policy takes a lower priority.
Washington State Ferries
Here at Oak Bay Starfish, we have been posting Re: WA State Ferries for years. A favorite story was the auto tollbooth upgrade at Mukilteo. Here is what we found on the web:
Unlike many cities of its size, Port Angeles maintains a significant Homeland Security/CBP/Border Patrol presence.
Newspeople have a long history of not asking questions in this area.
New Port Angeles USBP Station opened more than a decade ago. Would any newsperson ever ask: Has the new station played any role in keeping cartel drugs from arriving on the Olympic Peninsula?
Newspeople remain silent.
Massing US Border Patrol agents at the southern edge of the Strait of Juan de Fuca fails to keep drug overdoses down in Clallam County.
Does Port Angeles CBP provide any advantage in keeping cartel product from arriving in Port Angeles? Newspeople play along by not asking questions. News links and sources here:
US Troops sent to Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, etc., are somehow defending the constitution?
IfUS Troops were never sent to Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, etc., what would have become of American rights and freedoms and the US constitution?
Would any newsperson ever ask:
The US Dept. of Defense (established after WWII, in the late 1940s) has been associated with what wars won by the US?
Zero questions from small or large newspapers. Zero questions from TV newspeople.
The small papers will say they need more support from subscribers and advertising dollars or cash from the federal government to stay alive. All this because COVID or the internet or lack of newspaper sales, or a free and independent press that needs taxpayer support.
People who take no public funds, private donations or advertising dollars are free to ask questions at any time. Why not the press? Call for unpaid volunteers and you’d get better news coverage than what we have now.
I’d be more interested in paying (again) for a local paper subscription if there was more in the way of newspeople asking questions.
“Funding for the boat was issued through the Homeland Security Grant Program under Operation Stonegarden.”
Would any newsperson ever ask:
Has the Island County Homeland Security-funded patrol boat been involved in any arrest or seizure related in any way to the US/Canada border?
What is the history of “cross border activity” related to Whidbey Island?
Newspeople remain silent.
Airport Security Screening
Show up early to wait in line and squeeze the toothpaste out of the tube at the airport?
Would any newsperson ever ask:
What keeps the terrorists of the GWOT from creating a disruption at the back end of the screening line?
Has anyone ever seen any member of the press ask questions on this?
War on Terror
REAL ID
Would any newsperson ever ask:
If REAL ID is critical to the safety of America, have travelers out at the airport been less safe since 911?
The new REAL ID requirement for domestic air travel has been extended now to 2025.
Would any newsperson ever ask:
If the CIA (est 1947) serves as an advantage to the US, why does the Department of Defense have such a poor record of winning undeclared wars going back to 1949, the year DOD was established?
Would any newsperson ever ask:
Are passports/enhanced/REAL IDs effective in keeping cartel drugs out of the US?
Standard driver’s licenses have not been accepted at the border since 2009.
Would any newsperson ever ask:
If sending US troops to Afghanistan and creating a $49.8 billion US Dept. of Homeland Security was meant to keep bad people from coming here to do bad things, why are drug cartels able to move product into all 50 states?
Would any newsperson ever ask:
Has General Milley’s Operation Macho Swagger reduced access to cartel product anywhere in the US?
Has there been enough time for newspeople to ask questions?
Newspeople remain silent.
April 1, 2020 C-SPAN
WWII costume reminds us of a time before decades of undeclared/unwon wars stacked up.
The Department of Defense track record goes back to 1949.
Respect for The National Guard
These are the people who need to maintain a place to live and a regular job in their hometown area when they are not doing time in foreign lands helping DOD with undeclared/unwon wars and missions completely unrelated to their home state.
A few decades back, people might think of the National Guard as one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer plus a way to support your home state by being ready to get called out for floods, fires, natural disasters, civil unrest, etc. Maybe a way to help the next state over if they needed it.
Thousands of men and women who signed up for the National Guard in the past 25 years did tours in places like Syria, Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo.
Would any newsperson ever ask:
Why do the people of Home State, USA need services in distant lands, absent any military emergency, national emergency, draft, or declaration of war?
Recruiting crisis for Uncle Sam? Elected officials, top Pentagon Generals and the press earned it.
Several news sources published this quote. View them here.
The idea that sending hometown troops to Africa would be linked in any way with keeping the people of Salisbury Maryland safe and free calls for more discussion.
Mayor Day,
While the troops were deployed, federal law was signed prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to adults age 18-20.
The US should maintain strong and ready military forces.
In some cases, the US Armed Forces provide for our physical security. That’s as good as it gets.
In terms of American rights and freedoms-The Dept. of Defense has no more say than the Dept. of Agriculture.
Super Bowl
Tune in to any Super Bowl in the post 911 era to see the press promote a big US Dept. of Homeland Security show of force to keep the big game safe. TV newspeople skip asking questions and play the role of federal public affairs staff instead:
The folks who can’t keep fentanyl trafficking cartels from moving product into various US communities are keeping the Super Bowl safe. Way To Go Team.
Would any newsperson ever ask:
If special games require special security-what keeps regular games safe? Crowd size/capacity is similar at several stadiums.
Are fans less safe at regular games?
What prevents terror strikes at hundreds of events & locations unsupervised by federal authorities?
What stops terrorists from going 2 states over and driving a truck across the playground at a daycare center?
“…WSP Vessel and Terminal Security Troopers responded to the MV Kaleetan upon its arrival at Colman Dock. By that time, WSF crews had already secured the suspect, who had boarded the vessel by vehicle.”
Not my idea to promote the concept that riding safely on the ferry requires gun boat escorts, SWAT teams and K-9s on the job to detect explosives.
If a guy decides to fire a gun during a 60 minute ferry crossing and WSP waits to respond until the ferry arrives at Colman Dock, how is this security?
Will newspeople follow up and let us know if the guy who purposefully fired his handgun from the ferry had a concealed carry permit?
Did he pass any sort of background check?
Whatever happened to this guy?
A 5th grade book report would require more in the way of asking questions.
Instead of waiting for school teachers to teach about individual rights and limited government authority, waiting on the press to ask questions, or courts to handle cases, these guys go out and update us with a quick reality check.
Today, sports culture is where the free and independent press is alive and well.
Think of an NFL game. Coaches and quarterbacks face the press after every game and answer questions, win or lose.
No press secretary. No public relations spokesperson. No freedom of information act requests. No classified documents.
Instant replays, commentary in the broadcast booth, analysis from network studios, sports talk radio, etc. Fans get tons of info all of the time. No chance for conspiracy theories to develop. Missed calls by NFL officials may be discussed for weeks on end. No such thing as: “We can’t comment on an ongoing investigation.” Instant replay is for all to see. Sports writers are OK with being critical of coaches, teams, players, the rule book, the league, referees, team owners, when the season starts and ends, etc. This is what a free and independent press looks like. Go ahead and have sports writers cover public policy, Homeland Security and US Dept. of Defense news and I’m good with that.
In recent years, the press tends to support government agencies, departments and policies rather than question them.
Zero questions from small or large newspapers. Zero questions from TV newspeople.
The small papers will say they need more support from subscribers and advertising dollars or cash from the federal government to stay alive. All this because COVID or the internet or lack of newspaper sales, or a free and independent press that needs taxpayer support.
People who take no public funds, private donations or advertising dollars are free to ask questions at any time. Why not the press? Call for unpaid volunteers and you’d get better news coverage than what we have now.
I’d be more interested in paying (again) for a local paper subscription if there was more in the way of newspeople asking questions.
JFK speaks about the role of the press in a free society:
USA – 2023/2024
A society where honest and meaningful ideas stand up to questioning and discussion, but the questioning and discussion rarely takes place. Well done newspeople.
January 6th
Seems like a post 911 Washington DC would be one of the very most prepared cities in the world to host gatherings and events of a friendly or unfriendly nature. Sort of like the Super Bowl, but every day, not just one day each year. Sort of like SWAT teams ready to show up on Puget Sound ferry boats an hour after a bad person attempts to do a bad thing by surprise.
Don’t worry-The Super Bowl and public affairs will be safe:
Today, beach walkers moving toward the water from the parking area at Damon Point are channeled to a choice between an eroded/unsafe former road drop-off and private property that is posted, telling walkers that they are not welcome.
In the article below, we see that the marina at Ocean Shores was very much up and running at one time and offered a local alternative to the Westport marina. The facility provided a restaurant with a view, a grocery store, a boat lift and room to tie up 200 small boats.
“J.K. “Bun” Lewis, the first
mayor of Ocean Shores,
watched the community sprout
from the sand under the push of
developers. He recalls when the
marina at Ocean Shores was as
lively as the one in Westport.
“When it was working, it was
a nice marina,” said Lewis,
recalling when he took visitors
to the restaurant and they
would watch many boats come
to the marina.”
“In 1973, the facilities were
expanded and by then included
a lounge, grocery store and a
boat lift to handle more than
6,000 pounds. The boat basin
enclosed seven acres of water
and had moorings for 200 small
boats.”
“It used to be good,” Rasmus-
sen recalled, noting that she had
especially enjoyed the restaurant. “It used to be very good.
While you were eating, you
could watch the boats out on the
water.”
“Thevik believes that saving the marina, which once had space for 200 small boats, could require a public-private partnership. He’d like to see the Port of Grays Harbor, which owns the Westport marina, operate this one as well.”
But Cliff Muller, port executive director, said that would be difficult to justify, since the 800-slip Westport harbor is only about half full. “How can the port make the case for acquiring another marina when we can’t fill up the one we have?”
This article explains how the tribe had an agreement with the US Army Corps of Engineers to dredge the marina. Huricane Katrina diverted funds and manpower away from the local project.
It looks like concerns Re: tsunami zone, global warming, sea level rise, climate crisis, king tides, coastal erosion, El Niño/La Niña and winter storms do not get in the way of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers keeping things maintained. We appreciate the work you do.
Would the DEA be out of work if a $51.6 billion (every 12 months) US Dept. of Homeland Security was able to keep cartel product from showing up in all 50 states? Look for newspeople to avoid similar questions.
Today, the mainstream media will function like paid actors reading a script:
Private citizens are stepping in and going out with a camera to see and document what is going on.
Instead of waiting for school teachers to teach about individual rights and limited government authority, waiting on the press to ask questions, or courts to handle cases, these guys go out and update us with a quick reality check.
Today, sports culture is where the free and independent press is alive and well.
Think of an NFL game. Coaches and quarterbacks face the press after every game and answer questions, win or lose.
No press secretary. No public relations spokesperson. No freedom of information act requests. No classified documents.
Instant replays, commentary in the broadcast booth, analysis from network studios, sports talk radio, etc. Fans get tons of info all of the time. No chance for conspiracy theories to develop. Missed calls by NFL officials may be discussed for weeks on end. No such thing as: “We can’t comment on an ongoing investigation.” Instant replay is for all to see. Sports writers are OK with being critical of coaches, teams, players, the rule book, the league, referees, team owners, when the season starts and ends, etc. This is what a free and independent press looks like. Go ahead and have sports writers cover public policy, Homeland Security and US Dept. of Defense news and I’m good with that.
In 2023, the press tends to support government agencies, departments and policies rather than question them.
Zero questions from small or large newspapers. Zero questions from TV newspeople.
The small papers will say they need more support from subscribers and advertising dollars or cash from the federal government to stay alive. All this because COVID or the internet or lack of newspaper sales, or a free and independent press that needs taxpayer support.
People who take no public funds, private donations or advertising dollars are free to ask questions at any time. Why not the press? Call for unpaid volunteers and you’d get better news coverage than what we have now.
I’d be more interested in paying (again) for a local paper subscription if there was more in the way of newspeople asking questions.
JFK speaks about the role of the press and voices of dissent in a free society:
Talk of calling out the mistakes of government and encouraging voices of dissent is the sort of stuff that might get social media accounts suppressed or restricted today. The wrong thoughts could be branded as misinformation.
Let’s go ahead and post that same speech from a different source, maybe both will stay up.
Same speech from another source:
Back in 2020, I posted a blog and included the same JFK speech. That video is no longer available.
JFK speaks about the role of the press in a free society:
My Take
What did JFK’s free and independent press turn into?
Newspeople play the role of federal public affairs staff as authorities prepare for the Super Bowl.
We are the very best at militarized pageantry for pro sports events.
Sorry, no time for newspeople to ask:
Did the advantage of US air power allow the undeclared wars in Iraq or Afghanistan to be prevented, won or shut down?
Today, the best example of a free and independent American press is what you will find in sports culture.
Think of an NFL game. Coaches and quarterbacks face the press after every game and answer questions, win or lose.
No press secretary. No public relations spokesperson. No freedom of information act requests. No classified documents.
Instant replays, commentary in the broadcast booth, analysis from network studios, sports talk radio, etc. Fans get tons of info all of the time. No chance for conspiracy theories to develop. Missed calls by NFL officials may be discussed for weeks on end. No such thing as: “We can’t comment on an ongoing investigation.” Instant replay is for all to see. Sports writers are OK with being critical of coaches, teams, players, the rule book, the league, referees, team owners, when the season starts and ends, etc. This is what a free and independent press looks like. Go ahead and have sports writers cover public policy, Homeland Security and US Dept. of Defense news and I’m good with that.
In 2023, the press tends to support government agencies, departments and policies rather than question them.
Zero questions from small or large newspapers. Zero questions from TV newspeople.
The small papers will say they need more support from subscribers and advertising dollars or cash from the federal government to stay alive. All this because COVID or the internet or lack of newspaper sales, or a free and independent press that needs taxpayer support.
People who take no public funds, private donations or advertising dollars are free to ask questions at any time. Why not the press? Call for unpaid volunteers and you’d get better news coverage than what we have now.
I’d be more interested in paying (again) for a local paper subscription if there was more in the way of newspeople asking questions.
No sense in subscribing to newspapers that do not ask public policy-related questions.
Instead of waiting for school teachers to teach about individual rights and limited government authority, waiting on the overthrow of Saddam Hussein or the take down of the next bad guy in distant lands, waiting on the press to ask questions, or courts to handle cases, these guys go out and update us with a quick reality check.
Where were you? along with a photo of a peaceful/standing twin towers.
My response:
With my GF in Kingston. Had already done some time in uniform. Took me several years to become skeptical and see that the federal government and the press had lost credibility.
Today:
My feeling is that a man on the moon in 1969 was a proud American moment. That was maybe the best of America in my lifetime.
“What I remember most about 9/11 is the way America was unified the day after. During uncontrollable times we controlled our response. Race, Gender and Political Party were equally irrelevant.”
“We focused on loving each other, how did we get so segregated? We never would have made it this far if we embraced division on September the 12th. We are where we are because we got here TOGETHER let’s embrace love yet again.”
“God Bless The USA.”
My response:
Good Stuff
Let’s keep that and add a free and independent press that will ask questions/rock the boat, no matter who is in office.
The mainstream press provides news coverage that favors government agencies, departments and policies.
We got our ass kicked on 911.The federal government has been squandering credibility ever since. If the US Armed Forces were keeping us safe– first responders would have had a routine day at work on 911. The giant government and “Dept of Defense” were nowhere to be found on 911. For federal government convenience, take the day, follow along, pledge your allegiance and behave as that government sees fit. Do as you are told. Fly your flag as you are told. Think and behave as that government tells you. Divert your attention away from federal government failure and stay busy with federal suggestions for the day.
Here at Oak Bay Starfish, we will observe the day by avoiding network TV. At the bottom of this page, we will offer up some readings featuring voices of dissent and alternative media.
Aftermath
Let’s say the federal government did everything right before and on the day of Sept. 11th, 2001. The uniparty press avoids questions on how things have come together since.
Big Homeland Security spending
The US Dept of Homeland Security was established on November 25, 2002. Plenty of time for lessons learned, and more cartel drugs entering Hometown, USA than ever before?
Lessons Learned?
Anytime there is a plane crash, a loss at sea, or an industrial accident, a thorough investigation takes place. Lessons learned are used to prevent future accidents. A major aircraft manufacturer grounds certain airplanes after mishaps. Time is required to investigate and find out what went wrong.
Any similar effort after a big cartel drug bust inside the US?
The folks who show up and investigate the plane crash don’t spend time congratulating each other. Their work is designed to try and prevent similar future incidents, not promote themselves.
Preventing drugs from entering local communities would kill the chance for various agencies to get publicity for the occasional big drug bust happening in those communities.
Wonder what was happening at border crossing/port of entry inspections during the 12 months Operation P-22 (to take down just one branch of the cartel activity) took place. Do the good guys who made the local bust notify the good guys at the border about the weak links in their process?
Were federal authorities at the border notified of this ongoing investigation?
Did the cartel traffickers get fast track screening at the border so as not to disrupt this ongoing investigation?
If the drug traffickers were given a pass at the border- would that have tipped them off as to the investigation- or would that have been seen as standard protocol?
Imagine that LE authorities observe a shoplifter or bank robber in action. Instead of going in to make an arrest they back off and conduct an investigation that goes on for months. What if they applied the same tactic Re: crimes involving arson, terrorism, child abuse, DUI, etc.
This time next year- will there be any shortage of cartel product in the Puget Sound area? Has any city, county or state jurisdiction been able to cleanup their drug problem using these methods?
Snohomish 2015
Local law enforcement agencies may benefit when the US Dept. of Homeland Security fails to keep heroin out of the US:
Newspeople are good about posting a drug bust press release. Newspeople remain silent when it comes to asking questions about Homeland Security funding and performance.
Big DOD spending on undeclared/unwon wars for our freedoms.
School children are taught about a free enterprise system. They grow up to find out that the federal government will tell them what kind of shower head they must install in the bathroom, and what type of gas can they must buy for their lawn mower.
Did hostile forces in distant lands attempt to replace US consumer demand with government demand and end the free enterprise system?
Several news sources published this quote. View them here.
The idea that sending hometown troops to Africa would be linked in any way with keeping the people of Salisbury Maryland safe and free calls for more discussion.
Mayor Day,
While the troops were deployed, federal law was signed prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to adults age 18-20.
Can you help us to understand the militarized version of freedom here?
Freedoms come and go. None of the above are linked in any way with The Joint Chiefs of Staff, The Troops, The Dept. of Defense or the outcome of military operations overseas.
Maybe a few more decades of undeclared/unwon wars and the freedoms will get better.
Why do we speak of the US Armed Forces as if they function as some sort of giant civil rights organization?
Both major parties are OK with treating 18-20 year old adults as second-class citizens.
Both major parties are good with a land of the free holding pattern where alcohol, marijuana, tobacco and firearms restrictions are in place for 18-20 year old adults. Is there any state where recreational marijuana laws remove prohibition for adults at age 18? Are The Joint Chiefs of Staff working to change any of this?
Doesn’t seem to fit with a society that can’t stop bragging about freedom, thanking the troops for freedoms, fighting wars for freedoms, staging military jet flyovers at sporting events for freedom, etc.
Has it become harder to find blogs, videos and alternative media that ask questions or point to the failures of 911 and its aftermath? How about COVID? How about a giant US Dept. of Homeland Security?
“Nearly 1,800 victims’ relatives, first responders and survivors are calling on Biden to refrain from attending any memorials over his refusal to release Sept. 11 documents.”
“The administrations of George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump also declined to declassify supporting documents, citing national security concerns.”
22 Years Later
Part of the reaction was to send The Troops into undeclared wars.
If DOD was an NFL team, sports talk radio would feature comments like:
The Dept. of Defense was nowhere to be found on 911. We haven’t won a war since.
Any college or pro football coach would have been fired a dozen times over for what DOD has done with the US Armed Forces during the fake GWOT era.
Fake GWOT?
The US Dept. of Homeland Security was invented after the catastrophic military failure of 911. The idea was to keep bad people from coming to the US to do bad things/attempt another 911, etc.
Wouldn’t the giant War on Terror be a cartel drug trafficker’s worst nightmare?
If REAL ID is critical to the safety of America, have travelers out at the airport been less safe since 911?
The new REAL ID requirement for domestic air travel has now been extended out more than 20 years past 911 – May 7, 2025
If sending US troops to Afghanistan and creating a $51.6 billion (every 12 months) US Dept. of Homeland Security was meant to keep bad people from coming here to do bad things, why are drug cartels able to move product into all 50 states?
If the CIA (est 1947) serves as an advantage to the US, why does the Department of Defense have such a poor record of winning undeclared wars going back to 1949, the year DOD was established?
Show up early to wait in line and squeeze the toothpaste out of the tube at the airport?
What keeps the terrorists of the GWOT from creating a disruption at the back end of the screening line?
Has anyone ever seen any member of the press ask questions on this?
“What goes on at airports is not security. It is Security Theater. When the government’s own agents try to smuggle “weapons” aboard airliners to test the system, they succeed ninety-five percent of the time.”
“Further, a terrorist doesn’t need to get aboard an airliner to blow up spectacularly. At many airports, hundreds of people line up at ticket counters during peak hours. A carry-on bag of explosive would easily create enough slaughter to shut down air travel and to make international headlines for weeks.”
Will sending the National Guard, active, reserve and IRR forces to support NATO/Ukraine stimulate new enlistments over at the recruiting office?
National Guard
The people of Minnesota need more applicants to maintain a place to live and a regular job in their hometown area when they are not doing time in foreign lands helping DOD with undeclared/unwon wars and missions completely unrelated to their home state.
A few decades back, people might think of the National Guard as one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer plus a way to support your home state by being ready to get called out for floods, fires, natural disasters, civil unrest, etc. Maybe a way to help the next state over if they needed it.
Any members of the press available to show up and ask why the people of Home State, USA needed services in distant lands, absent any military emergency, national emergency, draft, or declaration of war?
Recruiting crisis for Uncle Sam? Elected officials, top Pentagon Generals and the press earned it.
Thousands of men and women who signed up for the National Guard in the past 25 years did tours in places like Syria, Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo.
These families have stories to tell and they’re not all positive. Will their stories support a draft?
Americans do not live in a free and honest society.
In a free and honest society, newspeople would be asking questions related to public policy all of the time.
Voting is highly emphasized in American culture. Asking questions related to public policy takes a lower priority.
Has anyone ever seen the Puget Sound area press ask questions about Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls?
Has anyone ever seen any government agency, elected official or volunteer organization seeking answers related to one or more sewage treatment plants sending unsafe product into the waters near Whidbey Island?
This urban legend has run its course. People have seen enough now to know this is no more than another giant marketing strategy.
American freedoms come and go. The Joint Chiefs of Staff, The Troops, The Dept. of Defense, and a truly poor track record with undeclared/unwon wars play no role here:
Time for an update. Here are several more recent examples where the press seems to avoid asking questions. In some cases, these may be topics we mentioned in our 2020 post.
GWOT Rolls On
Any members of the press available to show up and ask why the people of Home State, USA need National Guard services in Africa, absent any military emergency, national emergency, draft, or declaration of war?
“Island County secured a $225,000 grant to purchase a new all-weather patrol vessel. Funding for the boat was issued through the Homeland Security Grant Program under Operation Stonegarden.”
“Funding for the boat was issued through the Homeland Security Grant Program under Operation Stonegarden.”
Took a look on the web to see if there is a post 911 history of maritime “cross-border activity” on Whidbey & could not find anything. If anyone has info, please post in comments.
Questions for newspeople:
Has the Island County Homeland Security-funded patrol boat been able to intercept any inbound fentanyl?
Has the Island County Homeland Security-funded patrol boat been involved in any arrest or seizure related in any way to the US/Canada border?
Much of what we get today is sort of a press release style of news reporting where a statement is prepared by whatever agency was involved in the latest policy update, drug bust/federal grant money award, etc.
Much of what we get today is sort of a press release style of news reporting where a statement is prepared by whatever agency was involved in the latest policy update, drug bust/federal grant money award, etc.
American freedoms come and go. None of the above are linked in any way with The Joint Chiefs of Staff, The Troops, The Dept. of Defense or the outcome of military operations overseas.
The US should maintain strong and ready military forces.
In some cases, the US Armed Forces provide for our security. That’s as good as it gets.
In terms of American rights and freedoms- The Dept. of Defense has no more say than the Dept. of Agriculture.
The Dept. of Defense was nowhere to be found on 911. We haven’t won a war since.
It feels like the people who run the Pentagon specialize in undeclared/unwon wars.
Any college or pro football coach would have been fired a dozen times over for what DOD has done with the US Armed Forces during the fake GWOT era.
Homeland Security Is A Scam
Huge US Dept. of Homeland Security budgets after 911 and more cartel drugs than ever arriving in Hometown, USA?
18-20 Year Old Adults Are Seen As Second Class Citizens
A society where, in addition to freedoms possibly enjoyed by all adults, those who are 18-20 years old are placed in a land of the free holding pattern.
Alcohol, marijuana, tobacco and firearms restrictions are in place for 18-20 year old adults. Is there any state where recreational marijuana laws remove prohibition for adults at age 18?
Doesn’t seem to fit with a society that can’t stop bragging about freedom, thanking the troops for freedoms, fighting wars for freedoms, staging military jet flyovers at sporting events for freedom, etc.
While the troops were deployed, federal law was signed prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to adults age 18-20.
Symbol of a society that phased out Armistice day in the 1950s. A society where decades after the lessons of Vietnam, it feels like the people who run the Pentagon specialize in undeclared/unwon wars. A society in 2023, that can’t stay out of or win undeclared wars, but has come to offer up a big Memorial Day freebies for veterans marketing campaign. Way to go guys.
This may be some sort of post-Vietnam guilt at work. The guilt doesn’t seem to work towards ending decades of undeclared/unwon wars in distant lands.
Do the companies that offer free Memorial Day chow advocate for phasing out undeclared wars?
A society where a giant flag ritual at the next ball game will make it all good.
A man on the moon in 1969 was a proud American moment.
Back in 1969, your lawn mower was probably manufactured in some location like Indiana, Ohio, or Michigan. It ran on plain old gas. You kept the gas in a plain old gas can. You did so safely. The mower lasted a long time. It was made to be serviced and maintained.
At 9:50 in the video below, Taryl, explains the amount of labor required to get a modern mower running again.
Welcome Home Troops
Many interesting comments posted with the video above.
We went shopping today in the Aberdeen/Hoquiam area. Outside one of the stores on our route, I was surprised to see the front page of the local paper in a newspaper vending machine outside the business:
Click image once or twice to show detail.
Front page news has been replaced by a weekly grocery store ad. The business location where we were is not in the ad above.
Love to see newspeople ask: Is there any shortage of lodging facilities in this community?
Months later, has anyone seen any informative news articles on this?
Love to see newspeople show some initiative and curiosity in asking questions.
What we get today is sort of a press release style of news reporting where a statement is prepared by whatever agency was involved in the latest policy update, drug bust/federal grant money award, etc.
Newspeople post this statement as is.
A 5th grade book report would require more in the way of asking questions.
People who take no public funds, advertising dollars, or private donations are free to ask questions at any time. Why not the press?
I’d be more interested in paying (again) for a local paper subscription if there was more in the way of newspeople asking questions.
Various Puget Sound area newspapers have stripped away all comments from past articles, and removed the opportunity to post comments to new articles.
Elimination of reader comments works against the idea of paying for an online subscription.
Newspeople play the role of federal public affairs personnel during Operation Macho Swagger-a ride-along to let us know what is being done to keep the southern edge of the Strait of Juan de Fuca safe from B.C. incursions.
Cartel traffickers are frequently successful at what they do. If terrorists were just as interested in entering the US- it appears that federal departments and agencies would have no way to stop them.
Think terrorists are smart enough to pose as drug traffickers- then cross into the US free of screening, scanning, pat downs, special IDs, inspection of personal items, etc.
“Federal authorities have taken over the investigation into the early April discovery of 400 pounds of methamphetamine and cocaine worth $7 million on a Joyce-area beach after no local-area connection with the drugs was established, according to the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office.”
Think about American culture and sports. Americans know and care about the rules in sports. The rules are critical. Missed calls by NFL officials may be discussed for weeks on end. No such thing as: “We can’t comment on an ongoing investigation.” Instant replay is for all to see. Sports writers are OK with being critical of coaches, teams, players, the rule book, the league, referees, team owners, when the season starts and ends, etc.
Away from sports, certain stories appear to be off limits to people who work for newspapers and TV news networks. Are these people given permission to go out and to do interviews related to public policy? If elected officials and people who run government agencies are not available to be interviewed, that should become the story.
Newspeople avoid reporting/asking questions on:
Wasteful and ineffective US Dept. of Homeland Security spending.
Wasteful and ineffective US Dept. of Defense Spending.
$51.6 billion (every 12 months) Homeland Security Vote of confidence:
Ever see a pro football coach or quarterback refer reporters to his press secretary for answers? Presidents do so on a daily basis. Professionals are hired to provide only the desired version of answers to questions.
Ever see a pro football coach or quarterback refer reporters to a public information officer for answers to questions?
Homeland Security is a scam
Love to see sports writers report on Homeland Security funding and performance.
Regular newspeople appear to be forbidden to ask questions in this area.
Questions newspeople will not ask:
Have opioid lawsuits or a $51.6 billion (every 12 months) US Dept. of Homeland Security created any shortage of cartel product anywhere in the US?
It’s all reported as a big success by TV newspeople.
Question for newspeople:
Has General Milley’s Operation Macho Swagger reduced access to cartel product anywhere in the US?
Has there been enough time for newspeople to ask questions?
Newspeople remain silent.
April 1, 2020 C-SPAN
Looks like cartels responded to the JCS Chairman by moving more product into Hometown, USA.
WWII costume reminds us of a time before decades of undeclared/unwon wars stacked up.
The Department of Defense track record goes back to 1949.
Both major parties and the press seem to be OK with undeclared/unwon wars.
Zero Questions from Newspeople
Federal DEA agents swing into action after federal US Dept. of Homeland Security agents fail to keep 3,552 pounds of methamphetamine and 66 kilograms of cocaine from moving past strict post 911/GWOT security protocols at border crossings and ports of entry, then showing up in Norco, California:
If sending US troops to Afghanistan and creating a $51.6 billion (every 12 months) US Dept. of Homeland Security was meant to keep bad people from coming here to do bad things, why are drug cartels able to move product into all 50 states?
When is the last time all of Penn Cove was safe for recreational shellfish harvest?
Went to a favorite Asian restaurant yesterday. To go box/containers are made of 1970s style styrofoam. Take out bags are made of plastic.
Feels great. I do not have any fetish about using or going without plastic and styrofoam. That ends when big brother says you can’t/here is a deadline, etc.
In recent months-
Visiting/shopping at more than one Puget Sound area military installation:
Plastic bags are still readily available and in use. No extra fees/questions, etc.
Having/wanting a choice on plastic bags does not indicate a disregard for the planet.
Governor Inslee,
Please take a look at several Whidbey beaches that remain closed all year long for recreational shellfish harvest because of sewage treatment outfall.
Sewage treatment outfall. Not stormwater. Not climate change.
Reporting on this topic appears to be completely off limits to the press.
View the Washington State Department of Health beach list here.
Coupeville
“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”
“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”
“…WSP Vessel and Terminal Security Troopers responded to the MV Kaleetan upon its arrival at Colman Dock. By that time, WSF crews had already secured the suspect, who had boarded the vessel by vehicle.”
Not my idea to promote the concept that riding safely on the ferry requires gun boat escorts, SWAT teams and K-9s on the job to detect explosives.
If a guy decides to fire a gun during a 60 minute ferry crossing and WSP waits to respond until the ferry arrives at Colman Dock, how is this security?
Will newspeople follow up and let us know if the guy who purposefully fired his handgun from the ferry had a concealed carry permit?
Did he pass any sort of background check?
A 5th grade book report would require more in the way of asking questions.
Has any state, ever in history, required proof of membership in a militia to purchase, transport, or carry, guns and ammo/participate in shooting sports, etc.
Remember grandpa? Yeah, he was the only one we ever knew growing up who had guns. He was the one that was in a militia.
SECTION 24 RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS. “The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired, but nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing individuals or corporations to organize, maintain or employ an armed body of men.”
What powers are granted to the federal government here?
The Washington State more than 10 round magazine ban is another of many examples where freedoms may come & go-completely unrelated to military operations/US Troops in distant lands, or the Sound of Freedom.
The US should maintain strong and ready military forces.
In some cases, the US Armed Forces provide for our security. That’s as good as it gets.
In terms of American rights and freedoms- The Dept. of Defense has no more say than the Dept. of Agriculture.
“Federal authorities have taken over the investigation into the early April discovery of 400 pounds of methamphetamine and cocaine worth $7 million on a Joyce-area beach after no local-area connection with the drugs was established, according to the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office.”
Newspeople play the role of federal public affairs staff as authorities prepare for the Super Bowl.
Love to see newspeople schedule an interview with the US Dept. of Homeland Security & ask:
Are passports/enhanced/Real IDs effective in keeping cartel-sourced meth out of the US?
Standard driver’s licenses have not been accepted at the border since 2009.
Strict, Post 911/Global War on Terror Security Protocols Are No Match For Cartels
If sending US troops to Afghanistan and creating a $49.8 billion (every 12 months) US Dept. of Homeland Security was meant to keep bad people from coming here to do bad things, why are drug cartels able to move product into all 50 states?
Strict Post 911/Global War on Terror Security Protocols No Match For Cartels
If sending US troops to Afghanistan and creating a $49.8 billion (every 12 months) US Dept. of Homeland Security was meant to keep bad people from coming here to do bad things, why are drug cartels able to move product into all 50 states?
Above: A meetup with newspeople who ask questions.
Possibly of interest:
