Pasayten's Methow Valley Bulletin Board

I’m thinking some of us should go to the next council meetings and bring the topic of the pool up in person. You know we’re going to be the ones who are blamed if the pool isn’t up and running this year.

Don Nelson (I’m guessing, there is no by-line) wrote a very unflattering portrait of those that opposed the Aquatic District in his 12-20-23 editorial “Barely a Ripple”: “Much of the opposition to the aquatics district was more shrill and mean-spirited than needed to be, attacking without suggesting ...

Really dumb management. Hunters in the woods shooting at night. What could go wrong? And it’s difficult to tell the difference between spotted owls and barred owls. How many spotted owls will be shot by mistake? More stupid management, like closing off state land to public use and re-introducing ...

While both sales taxes and property taxes are regressive, you have a bit of a choice in how much sales tax you want to pay by reducing your shopping expenses. If you don’t pay your property tax, you lose your property. The sales tax option is far less expensive than the property tax option, as ...

Whatever option FOP decides to pursue, it should not include “future facilities.” A pool is the only facility we should be voting on.

Ray, FOP’s most modest pool option was for a competition pool with attached recreational pool that could be covered in the future. The cost of $6.8 to $11.8 (without the cost of land) and annual expenses of $75,000 to $125,000 would seem to make it perfect for the sales tax option. The $10 million ...

I kind of like the sign with a black smiley face painted on it just north of Twisp on the river side of the road.

Thanks for all your time and $ spent spearheading the effort to defeat such a selfish and poorly thought out proposal, Ray.

Ray, The hospital levy needs 60% of the vote to pass, which it doesn’t look like it will get.

Ray, The biggest loser if FOP’s proposition passes could be the other 42 nonprofits in the valley. How many will pay for the pool tax by cutting their donations to other nonprofits. FOP is a greedy money-sucking organization that values luxury recreation over more needed services.

Mr. Coffee, More affordable homes for sale is a big part of the solution to affordable housing, but keeping rents affordable may be just as crucial. I am a landlord who is trying hard to keep rent on our rental homes affordable with below market rate rents. Our real estate taxes will go up $1300 if ...

Sarah Shrock and friends have insisted we need more and more recreational facilities to attract tourists to “compete” with Bend. E careful what you wish for. There are already mile long parking lots on Hwy 20 to access popular hiking trails, and the trip up to Hart’s Pass is now downright scary with ...

FOP used a very limited survey of like-minded folks to rationalize their plans for a mega pool complex governed by a metropolitan park district. They had enough money to mail propaganda asking for our vote, but they couldn’t mail scoping letters to find out what pool option the valley wanted? IMO ...

I think we have reached a level of over-tourism already, and it’s only going to get worse. Parked cars over a mile long rat trailheads on the North Cascades Highway, totally full parking areas and campgrounds at Harts Pass (even during the week), and huge crowds at once little used areas like the ...

Mr. Coffee, I fear you are right. It is sad to see what has happened here in recent years. We were able to fight off the ski hill and golf resort, but not a virus from China. Covid opened the development door by allowing a large number of remote workers from the city to move here. While this has ...

Wow. The arguments for and against a metropolitan park district in 2023 are very similar to 2014. Sarah Shrock’s letter reflects just how far apart the divide is between the pro and anti rec district groups . In Sarah’s mind we should strive to become Bend or Sun Valley, which is the last thing many ...

Hi Ray, There are no articles in paper about proposition 1, but there are 5 letters to the editor: 3 against, 1 for, and 1 all over the place. The No to proposition 1 ad was in the middle of the B section of the paper, not a great location but the ad stood out very well because the opposite page had ...

Most people would agree that tax fairness would be for each household to have the same ratio of tax to household income. Taxes in Washington State are generated from property taxes, sales taxes, business taxes, and a few smaller taxes. Per Washington State Dept of Revenue, the tax structure in ...

Mr. Coffee. Every article I’ve read on property taxes considers them regressive taxes. Property taxes are fundamentally regressive because “if two individuals in the same tax jurisdiction live in properties with the same values, they pay the same amount of property tax, regardless of their incomes ...

Mr. Coffee. A person making $150,000 pays the same payroll tax rate as a person making $30,000. Payroll taxes were established to help pay for your retirement. The uppermost taxable payroll amount is capped at $160,000 because the uppermost social security benefit amount is capped. At least that’s ...

Mr. Coffee, Payroll taxes are 7.5% for everyone, so they are not considered regressive. I’ll give you an example of how property taxes are regressive, and it especially applies to people in this valley: Twenty years ago two houses of the same quality and size are built next to each other. The owners ...

A PFD sales tax seems like a reasonable solution. I’m guessing only the residents of Twisp and Winthrop would be able to vote on the proposal? And can Winthrop collect taxes for a facility that is built in Twisp?

This sales tax plan sounds like the way to go. For every $100 purchase you would only have to pay an extra 20 cents. Travelers to Seattle and other cities in the state are hit with additional sales taxes, we should return the favor. The burden for paying the expenses of this mega pool complex ...

The points we want to make are all in the ad, but the wording of the second sentence needs some work. But I like it.

Dave Hopkins

I’m committed for $100 towards an ad.


Dave Hopkins