David Madore

06/28/2017

What happens when leftists (big government tax and spend liberals) control state government?

When tax revenue increases by billions, is it ever enough?

Businesses cannot renew their business licenses. When trying to do so today, the Department of Revenue disabled their website with this message. (Click to enlarge for a clearer picture.)

Such dysfunction reveals dysfunctional individuals holding public offices reserved for competent citizen representatives.

06/07/2017

ClarkCountyToday.com is ramping up for our community.

One of today’s stories covers the county once again charging citizens a fee each time they use their already-paid-for county parks that they already pay taxes to use.

The story does not cover the cost to taxpayers to pay fee collectors, accounting staff, management staff, and auditing staff to collect, process, account, manage, and audit $3 fees. The average county employee costs taxpayers more than $200,000 per year with wages and benefits.

Hint: It's a net loss for taxpayers and park users.

04/22/2017

www.Fastnav.com is launched!

Clark County Citizen News – Stories and videos at a glance.

Let’s share this new voice to see and hear firsthand what’s happening in our community and beyond.

The site is being populated daily and continues to be enhanced. I welcome your feedback to make our community resource better. Got a story to share? Want to publish your own stories? I invite you to email me: [email protected].

Let’s turn on the light and spread the word. Thanks

02/22/2017

Why I stepped up – to get Clark County working again.

Mission accomplished. Here’s the result. Our county's job growth went from the slowest to fastest of the 39 counties in our state from 2013 – 2016. The flywheel momentum will carry us for a while as new construction continues on projects started before the county reinstated huge fees for job creators in January.

Compare our performance in the economic race against Portland Metro, Oregon, Washington, and the US as we chose to unleashed free enterprise here at home during my tenure.

Clark County: 4.5%
Washington: 2.6%
Oregon: 2.6%
Portland Metro: 2.0%
Nationally: 1.5%

Clark County added 6,900 jobs in the last 12 months.
Construction & Resources: +1,100, 10.0%
Professional & Business services: +1,300 jobs, 7.0%
Financial services: +500 jobs, 6.3%
Manufacturing: +400 jobs, 3.1%
Trade, Transportation & Utilities: +1,000 jobs, 3.5%
Education & Health services: +1,100 jobs, 4.5%
Leisure & Hospitality: +500 jobs, 3.4%
Other Services: +300 jobs, 5.4%
Government: +700 jobs, 2.8%

Our unemployment rate was 6.0% (a historic low) as more people enter the workforce.

Economist Scott Bailey's November jobs report is here:http://davidmadore.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/PR-2016-12.pdf

His detailed Excel file is here: http://davidmadore.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Employment-Tables-1612.xlsx

If your brain works like mine, you subscribe to reality that connect the dots of cause and effect. The evidence confirms or refutes our beliefs. For me, that’s the real world we live in.

Others explain such results as mysterious luck because it conflicts with their political ideology. Such views govern an alternate universe.

How do you connect the dots?

01/26/2017

See the concise contrast between bogged down bureaucracy wasting other people's money compared to practical solutions working the way that fast efficient smart competive best in the world business would get 're done.

There are occasionally presidents who transcend the norm. Obviously, Washington, Jefferson, Jackson, Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, FDR, Reagan.

01/26/2017

Because the truth matters - learn the straight scoop. Competent leaders choose competent leaders to get the job done.

I always get a kick out of situations where a popular narrative doesn’t match what actually took place. You know, it’s the old “don’t let the facts get in the way of a good story’’ dynamic. Earlier th

01/20/2017

This 19-minute incredible inaugural speech by President Trump launches America’s potential to prosper and thrive as a united nation.

Here are just a few excerpts from the many concise action commitments that started with two humble words: "Thank you."

We will rebuild our country. We will get the job done.

Today we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another or from one party to another. But we are transferring the power from Washington DC and giving it back to you, the people.

We will build new roads, highways, bridges, airports, tunnels, and railways all across our wonderful nation.

We must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity.

We are protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement. And most importantly, we will be protected by God.

We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action, constantly complaining, but never doing anything about it. Our country will thrive and prosper again.

--- end of excerpts ---

Please pray daily for President Trump and his administration. His success is our success as a united nation.

Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th President of the United States and delivers his inaugural address. Full video here: http://cs.pn/2jwffjy

01/11/2017

How to turn transparency and open government into meaningless nonsense. The intent of the law is trashed by foolishness.

01/03/2017

Other countries are doing amazing things. It’s time America takes the lead!

Clark County can easily build a 3rd and 4th toll-free bridge. All it takes is vision and leadership.

We can get ready for the trillion dollars in federal funds to build new highways and bridges for our future. Clark County citizens voted multiple times against foolishly expensive and corrupt Light Rail funded by tolls.

Citizens county-wide said yes to build new toll-free bridges. Say no again to the CRC Light Rail Tolling train boondoggle falsely rebranded as a "Bridge Replacement". Our future is not a 20th century train funded by tolls while we sit in gridlocked trafftic congestion.

Our future is freely moving our economy forward with freight highways and transportation freedom with a new 3rd and 4th toll-free bridge.

We can do it!

12/30/2016

Eileen Quiring pledged to faithfully represent the citizens of Clark County today.

A humble heart is a good sign as she said “with God’s help, and with your help” she will strive to do her best to faithfully serve the citizens of our community as a Clark County Councilor.

“Those who honor Me, I will honor...” – 1 Samuel 2:30

Please pray that God will give wisdom to each of our leaders at every level to do what’s good and right, from the heart.

12/28/2016

Skamania County, once one of the richest counties in the state, now ruined by intrusive mismanagement by state and federal government.

Big government advocates are now proposing that Clark County absorb Skamania County so the ruinous policies of urban centers can control the lives of even more rural citizens.

The solution is not more centralized bigger government. That is the problem. The solution is to keep big intrusive government from stripping citizens of their rights and mismanaging our natural resources.

https://www.clark.wa.gov/sites/all/files/c-grid/SkamaniaCountyResolution107.pdf

12/22/2016

Clark County’s $200 million loss – jumping to $300 million:

Our own example here in Clark County to resurrect the disastrous $8.7 billion CRC Light Rail Tolling project rebranded as the ”Bridge Replacement Project” is doing exactly what this lesson from history warns us not to do.

The Clark County Council majority (Marc Boldt, Jeanne Stewart, and Julie Olson) after repealing the citizens’ vote against the disastrous CRC project in January, voted to support the same rebranded special interest boondoggle on November 30.

We can do so much better by inviting the private sector to do what the bureaucrats and special interests cannot and should not do.
http://eastcountybridge.com/

From transportation to energy, and everything in between, should the government invest money in as many promising projects as possible? Or would that actually doom many of those ventures to failure? Burt Folsom, historian and professor at Hillsdale College, answers those questions by drawing on the ...