Three positions (including mine) were eliminated due to budget cuts, one was fired in an all-out back-stabbing political FARCE, one resigned in protest of the former, and one I understand was a retaliation that happened just yesterday. That last one has me just as shell-shocked as all the others, and I’m at such a point where I don’t know WHAT to say, except for a few choice instinctual words.

The ones I can repeat go a little like this:

CLAWS. STRANGLE. GARH! **Dagger eyes**

Or, wait. Hmm. I think this post by the Bloggess might be pretty applicable, too. (Although definitely not *appropriate*.) Wouldn’t it be hawesome if all the citizens of Newcastle stopped what they were doing for one minute today, realized that at this rate they won’t HAVE a city in 6 months, and screamed the great battle-cry, WOLVERINES!!!?

One can dream. At least, I will.

Here’s to us, chaps. I miss you and wish better days ahead for all of us.

Newcastle Public Works, 2009

We party just as hard as we work

U-N-I-O-N. *kisses!*

Since I regretfully missed the last goodbye party, I’m thankful to at least have made a toast at Maiya’s. Some folks asked me to post it in addition to pictures, so here goes:

To Maiya & John, who, in my humble opinion, found their greatest success in bringing all of us together.

Looking back on all we’ve accomplished, one could say we built a Camelot of sorts – a shining time of prosperity, light and hope that will never be seen in Newcastle again, but will live on in our hearts as inspiration for what can be.

Thanks for being our fearless leaders and champions – we wish you success and happiness in your next adventure!

Full Photo albums can be found here:

• Maiya on Facebook or Shutterfly
• Jules & Tamara on Facebook or Shutterfly

UPDATE: I’ve received a few questions on the specifics of this ongoing situation, but if I try to rehash it I know I’ll just end up going off on a rant. For details & updated news links, check out my initial post here.

The Breakfast Club Art Print by Michele Rosenthal
via Vectips Weekly

Saturday, March 24,1984. Shermer High School, Shermer, Illinois, 60062.

Dear Mr. Vernon, We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. What we did *was* wrong. But we think you’re crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. What do you care? You see us as you want to see us – in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But, what we found out is that each one of us is: a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal. Does that answer your question? Sincerely yours, the Breakfast Club

Full original video:

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These people will leave you wonderful comments. They will send you encouraging emails. They will mail you handwritten Christmas cards speaking hopefully of baby presents next year.

Which you will open the same day as the statement from the clinic that details the fact that you spent every last benefit dime on a procedure that did. not. work. And you will stand there looking at your Christmas card table envisioning setting the whole thing on fire, thinking, ‘what the hell do I say now?’.

Instead of figuring that out, anytime soon, you will go to a party the next day and get very, very drunk. You will be very, very hungover at your husband’s hockey game when one of the wives announces she’s pregnant. You will get up and move to the other fucking side of the arena in order not to murder anyone. You will go to your own going-away party and drink some more. You may start a kick-line in the middle of the city attorney’s living room and spill wine all over her wood floor. You will get up the next morning and start drinking as much damn coffee as you’ve ever wanted In. Your. Life. After which your neighbor will shoot the shit with your husband while he puts up lights, and casually mention that they are pregnant, too. Again. For the third time. OH, THE WOE.

You will be angry. You will be sad. Then you will be numb. Every time you try to write a post, you will be too tired, too worked up and entirely too unreasonable to make any sense at all. But if anything else, you will be 100% sure that saying any of this would only make those wonderful people feel bad. During Christmas.

So you will say nothing.

*Dear readers, just in case it’s not clear: I love you, love you, love you. I’m not calling YOU an idiot. I’m calling ME an idiot. Via the timeless wit of the Wedding Crashers.

But we only get so many obvious ‘moments of truth’ that present us with the option to live up to the person we want to be and the person that’s less scary to be.  More often, we just get ‘moments’ we make do with. Principles, like facts, are stubborn things. And sometimes, they won’t let you go.

Last week, I saw the most outrageous abuse of power I’ve ever witnessed personally unfold before my eyes. The only question was whether to say anything about it. According to my ex-coworkers & friends, the answer was no.

But as my eBay Peeps might tell you, I have a really hard time shutting up when The Powers That Be lose their sense of ethics/freedom/common decency and start fucking with people. (For instance: NOT shutting up, in fact, making a HELL of a lot of noise and getting a few others to do the same – when eBay Corporate mandated CSRs could no longer use their ‘ethnic sounding’ aliases. Discrimination, anyone? The matter died shortly thereafter.)

In this case, the Newcastle City Council was fucking with my friend AND a community I loved. So I wrote this. And now I’m a columnist.

Related Articles & Sources

1/13/10 BREAKING NEWS — City Council fires city manager, cuts more than $1 million from budget (Newcastle News)

1/13/10 Newcastle City Council fires city manager, cuts more than $1 million from budget (Issaquah Press, addl comments.)

1/15/10 City Council fires city manager, hires former community development director

1/15/10 Public Works director, parks commissioner resign

1/22/10 Talks began in December regarding finding a new city manager

03/04/10 Three Planning Commission members resign

Department of Licensing
Trade Name: RTW Associates
Robert Todd Wyman

Public Disclosure Commission Contributions Report – advanced search
(select candidate/commission: Dulcich, John D; election year 2009)

John D. Dulcich Campaign Contributors

• Donner Brian, $1000
• RTW Associates, $500
• Stephen McCarthy, $500
• Seattle Business Insurance, $500
• Rich Crispo, $25 (candidate, now on council)
• Lisa Jensen, $520/website services (council member)