After writing daily blogs and monthly Observer columns for a decade and more, I am still amazed at the readers who don’t quite “get” me.  Although I often write about fairly serious topics, I try to do so with a light hand and with my sense of whimsy fully visible.  Often the titles and headlines are a good indicator.  I mean how could anyone think that someone who writes articles called “I’d really rather be Captain Jack Sparrow” or “Buck Rogers, are you listening?” or even “Waiting for the third shoe to drop” could be altogether bound-and-determined about their subject?

So, it was with a bit of amazement that I noticed in Wednesday’s paper that our County Assessor, Bruce Walker, wrote an article in answer to my column of the previous week.  For those of you who missed my words of wisdom (ahem!) in “And the magic number is three! Or is it?” —  the column was primarily a lament that perhaps Pacific County has grown too fast and furiously since its formation in 1851 to continue under the leadership of only three county commissioners.

The column dealt with our county history, our population growth, the number of municipalities in the county, and a bit of information about how other counties — both larger and smaller — deal with their governance.  I suggested that perhaps a third municipality on the Peninsula, particularly if it were at the North End, might take some of the pressure off the county and suggested (apparently wrongly) that such a move might play havoc with the county budget. If anything besides entertainment value, the column was meant to elicit a bit of discussion among readers.

Well… no “discussion” so far, but a very serious (and to me, not quite understandable) response in this week’s paper from the aforementioned Mr. Walker.  Titled “Clarifying how proposed new city would affect taxes,” the article begins:  I just finished reading Sydney Steven Chinook Observer and would like to clarify a few things. 

Wow!  Mr. Walker goes on to explain (I think) how we are assessed whether we are in a municipality or not and refers twice more to “the proposed new city.”  Wow! again.  Just to be sure, I went back and re-read my column ever-so-carefully and nowhere do I see the word “proposed” or “proposal” or any of its many synonyms such as scheme, plan, project, program, manifesto, motion, bid, proposition. presentation, submission, approach, suggestion, overture, or draft!  Nor did I really understand Mr. Walker’s explanation — and, at this point, don’t really care.  My words were about an additional municipality were more a flight of fancy than anything more serious.

Although… it is interesting to wonder if perhaps my speculating hit a county nerve.  And just when this week’s front page headline read “County officials vote to bump up payscale.”  Hmmm.