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My sister is considering applying for a job at the city of washougal, but I don't have any clue about it. Can anyone give me the 411 on it? she's from california. Woudl she do good in washougal? can you compare it with anything like? portland? seattle? vancouver? if she worked in washougal could she live in vancouver? are winters worse there? how long of a commute from Portland?
Thanks!!!!!!!!
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,705 posts, read 58,042,598 times
Reputation: 46172
I will have to spare you the gory details, as my last CD comment on Washougal issues resulted in a rash of terrorizing phone messages, property vandalism, and threats to burn my house... Just suffered another crime a month ago related to that posting (2 yrs back) so... for "public eyes'...
Washougal City Gov is certainly the Peyton Place of SW WA. (I can say no more, BUT the Bigfoot Tavern has great Fish & Chips (All you can eat on Friday nights) and a really good Pendelton factory outlet. + some highly skilled / ranked MMA fighters are 'home town' boys. All you can eat Senior Breakfast last Friday of the month for $3.50 (same building as city office), I'm no senior and have been going for many yrs. She can swing by IKEA (PDX) on the other 19 days of work... $0.99 breakfast hot and good.))
Weather, a bit () windy and ~ 10 - 15 degrees colder in Washougal City Center than Vancouver. But not AT ALL like frigid spots near and ABOVE Washougal BURRRRRrrrrr / 80 mph w/ freezing rain)
Really no problem to commute from Vancouver / east Portland ~ 10 - 20 minutes since you are going OPPOSITE way of most folks who are commuting. It will help when the current SR 14 road construction (widening / interchange) is done.
Many in Washougal would die for an opportunity to work in town so we don't have to drive to Portland / Vancouver. BUT.... it is far more likely to LOSE a job in Washougal, than to get one. I would guess 85% of the Washougal workforce commutes. The CW Port is an 'anti-economic development agency' and has lost many good employers / tax paying companies. There is a BRAND new multi story office building in downtown (they tore down our grocery store and a great restaurant (Jo's) to build the place for 'economic growth, ~ 6 yrs ago.... It is still virtually empty, tho they are building another NEW business incubator building across the street from the closed down pawnshop (one of the only 3 public stores in Downtown Washougal (excluding several bars / post office, Library, and Pendleton, which largely draws ONLY tourists / not LOCALS
Washougal could use some quality help in the City planning dept 80% of the city / population / land area / needs for services is on the NORTH side of very busy main line RR, ALL city offices / FIRE / POLICE / library and PO are on the SOUTH side of RR. Guess how many 'bridges' over the tracks... ONE VERY OLD BRIDGE, and on a curvy main road. Apparently the city planners have never lived in a town that had a major RR derailment. Staged in an appropriate location, a derailment would functionality wipe out Washougal for yrs. At rush hour (when commuters are LEAVING Washougal or coming HOME, there is frequent vehicle back-ups trying to cross RR and Bridge (with a Stoplight ). It backs traffic clear up to SR14 (~ 4 blocks). (Makes me REALLY appreciate my 'direct shot' PAST Washougal )
Washougal Brilliantly just spent $10m to reduce the main E-W thoroughfare road from 4 lanes to two (added sidewalks in case someone ever wants to bike, or is brave enough to walk that crosstown street). Fortunately they ran out of money BEFORE they were able to add the 'round-a-bouts' (yes, they are superior at planning). Last yr they spent a bazillion $$ building a pedestrian tunnel under SR14 to the river. There are about 10 people who regularly use that. It was a 'grant + matching', so not 'Real' Money, of course!! in the eyes a Gov / city paid official .
There is MAJOR corruption / distrust in the city ranks / mayor / commissioners. Previous elected officials are still under investigation...(replacement had quite a 'record' of failures himself...), uninformed voter's, vote because they saw a sign, not because they studied the candidates / issues It is hard for me to imagine how any city functions with an ELECTED Mayor calling the shots on how a city will be managed... A BUSINESS manager might be a good idea... (and one that DOES NOT work under the authority of a goof-ball politician who is only worried about winning again. (who would want THAT grief... , thus the crux... only folks you DON"T want as leaders are gonna be seeking these very powerful elected roles. They all have an agenda, but successfully running a city is FAR from their longterm goals and agenda.
Check the demographics and voting history... You wouldn't want to considered Washougal voting block as 'informed'. Too bad, it could be a nice place. (and it IS a nice place for many).
Last edited by StealthRabbit; 12-04-2011 at 02:37 AM..
I will have to spare you the gory details, as my last CD comment on Washougal issues resulted in a rash of terrorizing phone messages, property vandalism, and threats to burn my house... Just suffered another crime a month ago related to that posting (2 yrs back) so... for "public eyes'...
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,705 posts, read 58,042,598 times
Reputation: 46172
Quote:
Originally Posted by David Aguilar
Wait, what???
Oh yes, Volunteer Firemen (and chiefs) are very adamant that you don't challenge their 'hostage tactic / Levy Increases'...(we will cancel your medical and fire responses unless you vote additional $$). I had to change my CD user identity, get the threads orphaned ... Thanks to the quick diligent help of 'moderators'. I was overseas and CD poster was harassing a very frightened spouse / partner.
Then it is just living with the harassing phone calls and threats all hours of the day and night.
Quire scary when you live in the boonies and are aware of the high probability of firefighters being pyromaniacs. (They need to feed their adrenalin + job security)
Hint / Best practice... protect your identity and choose very carefully what you reveal online. (that said, I have never had a 'repeat' on C-D from my other 6m readers). This one continues, tho subsiding if I keep silent about the totally bogus fire dept that serves my home. (idiot voters just returned 3 commissioners to their seats of 30+ yrs... Crummy commissioners guarantee that crummy managers keep their jobs (same in Port of CW)... You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.... Politics
Oh yes, Volunteer Firemen (and chiefs) are very adamant that you don't challenge their 'hostage tactic / Levy Increases'...(we will cancel your medical and fire responses unless you vote additional $$). I had to change my CD user identity, get the threads orphaned ... Thanks to the quick diligent help of 'moderators'. I was overseas and CD poster was harassing a very frightened spouse / partner.
Then it is just living with the harassing phone calls and threats all hours of the day and night.
Quire scary when you live in the boonies and are aware of the high probability of firefighters being pyromaniacs. (They need to feed their adrenalin + job security)
Hint / Best practice... protect your identity and choose very carefully what you reveal online. (that said, I have never had a 'repeat' on C-D from my other 6m readers). This one continues, tho subsiding if I keep silent about the totally bogus fire dept that serves my home. (idiot voters just returned 3 commissioners to their seats of 30+ yrs... Crummy commissioners guarantee that crummy managers keep their jobs (same in Port of CW)... You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.... Politics
Ugly, not just in Washougal.
OK, I have to throw the BS flag on this one. Your "Join Date" is Dec 2006. Yet in your earlier post on this thread you mention "Just suffered another crime a month ago related to that posting (2 yrs back)". Yet in this post you said you had to change your CD user identity. Sorry, but you come across as just being clinically paranoid.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,705 posts, read 58,042,598 times
Reputation: 46172
Quote:
Originally Posted by CarawayDJ
OK, I have to throw the BS flag on this one. Your "Join Date" is Dec 2006. Yet in your earlier post on this thread you mention "Just suffered another crime a month ago related to that posting (2 yrs back)". Yet in this post you said you had to change your CD user identity. Sorry, but you come across as just being clinically paranoid.
When a moderator changes your identity you retain your original join date...(and original posting history). Thus very EZ for 2008 and 2009 issues to be within the time frame of a member who joined in 2006
No paranoia, just a huge hassle from over zealous politicians (and warring fire districts), and a lot of uncomfortable night's sleep. (obviously you haven't checked the 'structure loss' record of our pathetic dept... my insurance rates reflect it pretty clearly.) If rural, install sprinklers. VERY cheap insurance. This is a common problem in much of rural USA (fighting / disagreements between fire districts). The MA is for the fire depts to call off 'mutual aid' as soon as they are out the door. That way if a 'closer' Fire district COULD save your home and family, they are not allowed to unless invited by the Incident Commander (who is usually a very prideful Fire Chief.) Too bad, soo sad.
BTW: the City staff @ Washougal is trying to turn things around AND the 'general' city staff is diligently doing their job in-spite of the idiot knee jerk politicians that are their 'revolving door' managers (and setting the objectives). Even the Planners are doing their jobs, just the rules were not in place to allow controlled and responsible growth. They could have projected that when hosting several countywide 'Parade-of-homes' (all 'across the tracks'), that eventually there would be A LOT of folks and assets living and commuting across those some tracks (with a SINGLE (1) 2 lane bridge), + 2 other 'street level' crossings that get considerable traffic.
Washougal built houses like mad, probably even faster than the Port of CW was chasing away living wage jobs. Considering our community is Land Locked; (big river, CGNSA, and Camas ) It is pretty impressive the Port wrote a 25 yr; way below market rate deal to Waste Management (WC) for a large footprint 'transfer site' that employs (2) entry wage people and (2) PT. While a factory / business on the same site would employ 300+ at living wages. But hey, you got the nice smell and the upwind trash problems of placing a dump on the most exposed and scenic lot in the whole Industrial Park, sounds PERFECT!!
It is ironic that the city would need to hire someone from out of town with thousands of commuters driving by city hall everyday on their way to pit jobs in Vancouver and Portland. But I'm all for hiring the best candidate, more power to 'sis'.
When a moderator changes your identity you retain your original join date...(and original posting history). Thus very EZ for 2008 and 2009 issues to be within the time frame of a member who joined in 2006
No paranoia, just a huge hassle from over zealous politicians (and warring fire districts), and a lot of uncomfortable night's sleep. (obviously you haven't checked the 'structure loss' record of our pathetic dept... my insurance rates reflect it pretty clearly.) If rural, install sprinklers. VERY cheap insurance. This is a common problem in much of rural USA (fighting / disagreements between fire districts). The MA is for the fire depts to call off 'mutual aid' as soon as they are out the door. That way if a 'closer' Fire district COULD save your home and family, they are not allowed to unless invited by the Incident Commander (who is usually a very prideful Fire Chief.) Too bad, soo sad.
BTW: the City staff @ Washougal is trying to turn things around AND the 'general' city staff is diligently doing their job in-spite of the idiot knee jerk politicians that are their 'revolving door' managers (and setting the objectives). Even the Planners are doing their jobs, just the rules were not in place to allow controlled and responsible growth. They could have projected that when hosting several countywide 'Parade-of-homes' (all 'across the tracks'), that eventually there would be A LOT of folks and assets living and commuting across those some tracks (with a SINGLE (1) 2 lane bridge), + 2 other 'street level' crossings that get considerable traffic.
Washougal built houses like mad, probably even faster than the Port of CW was chasing away living wage jobs. Considering our community is Land Locked; (big river, CGNSA, and Camas ) It is pretty impressive the Port wrote a 25 yr; way below market rate deal to Waste Management (WC) for a large footprint 'transfer site' that employs (2) entry wage people and (2) PT. While a factory / business on the same site would employ 300+ at living wages. But hey, you got the nice smell and the upwind trash problems of placing a dump on the most exposed and scenic lot in the whole Industrial Park, sounds PERFECT!!
It is ironic that the city would need to hire someone from out of town with thousands of commuters driving by city hall everyday on their way to pit jobs in Vancouver and Portland. But I'm all for hiring the best candidate, more power to 'sis'.
It still sounds like a bunch of paranoid BS. Ya know, the mods should verify your story and delete this thread if it is a bunch of BS. They should delete my posts if it isn't. Everyone is certainly entitled to their opinion and perspective. Every now and then though, someone flames on an area and it doesn't look like a legitimate opinion or perspective. It looks like it's nothing more than someone taking a personal grudge against a place online. It creates a big reality distortion field around a place.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,705 posts, read 58,042,598 times
Reputation: 46172
Quote:
Originally Posted by CarawayDJ
... Every now and then though, someone flames on an area and it doesn't look like a legitimate opinion or perspective. It looks like it's nothing more than someone taking a personal grudge against a place online. It creates a big reality distortion field around a place.
You are welcome to your opinion, and to contact the moderators and check my record...
My comments are specific to the thread subject. I and several thousand local residents pay DAILY for the faults I mention. (by direct tax $$ (we have some of the highest fire levies in the county and worse response rates You can verify this through CRESSA), direct loss of personal property and lives (yes I have had to watch people die (usually an auto accident or elderly care need) and houses burn to the ground due to fire departments refusing to grant permission for a neighboring dept to respond). Even as an 8 yr old kid in a different state I encountered this with a neighbors fire. Life in rural America.
Small towns, big egos. Washougal has a particularly tense fire district challenge 3 rather than the usual 2 warring fire depts, all trying to power grab for tax base. One of which built and owns an abandoned fire station within the boundaries of another district. It is zoned only for a Fire Station and was built against the advice of taxpayers and officials. This same district did almost the identical thing by building another new station directly in the expansion boundary of the 3rd district. These are both urban based stations built by a rural based district. The intent is fairly obvious and not to the value of the district tax payers.
Fire is just one of many issues, lets not get started on the internal legal struggles of Washougal and the tarnished history of past officials (charges pending) or even the record of the existing Mayor (impersonating a Police Officer, via WSP charges...) this stuff is not fairy tales, You can easily find adequate content by searching CW Watch of the local rag (Camas Post Record)
(just in case someone reads this who is interested in
Quote:
whats washougal really like?
Not much different than other small towns, but Washougal certainly has an identity of its own, ask the Clark County and Skamania County Sheriffs, they each have to deal with us.
You are welcome to your opinion, and to contact the moderators and check my record...
My comments are specific to the thread subject. I and several thousand local residents pay DAILY for the faults I mention. (by direct tax $$ (we have some of the highest fire levies in the county and worse response rates You can verify this through CRESSA), direct loss of personal property and lives (yes I have had to watch people die (usually an auto accident or elderly care need) and houses burn to the ground due to fire departments refusing to grant permission for a neighboring dept to respond). Even as an 8 yr old kid in a different state I encountered this with a neighbors fire. Life in rural America.
Small towns, big egos. Washougal has a particularly tense fire district challenge 3 rather than the usual 2 warring fire depts, all trying to power grab for tax base. One of which built and owns an abandoned fire station within the boundaries of another district. It is zoned only for a Fire Station and was built against the advice of taxpayers and officials. This same district did almost the identical thing by building another new station directly in the expansion boundary of the 3rd district. These are both urban based stations built by a rural based district. The intent is fairly obvious and not to the value of the district tax payers.
Fire is just one of many issues, lets not get started on the internal legal struggles of Washougal and the tarnished history of past officials (charges pending) or even the record of the existing Mayor (impersonating a Police Officer, via WSP charges...) this stuff is not fairy tales, You can easily find adequate content by searching CW Watch of the local rag (Camas Post Record)
(just in case someone reads this who is interested in Not much different than other small towns, but Washougal certainly has an identity of its own, ask the Clark County and Skamania County Sheriffs, they each have to deal with us.
This is getting a little off topic, but the Internet has become a lawless land where slander and other untrue statements can be made without recourse. You have basically insinuated that the firefighters engage in arson and willingly let places burn to the ground. Those are bold accusations. Such accusations belong in the criminal justice system. You know, if I believed that was going on where I live, I would be a loud voice.....but not merely on CD forums. I would be calling state and federal law enforcement agencies, getting petitions calling for investigations, etc.
So I basically have a problem with anyone making such bold claims on the Internet without bold supporting evidence. You are marking a lot of people in that town with criminal behavior. Every firefighter in that department is basically being publicly tainted and discredited by you. That should not be allowed without supporting evidence.
At some point the Internet will no longer be a lawless frontier of expression and slander. At some point the same standards will be applied to the Internet that are applied to printed media. For example, what would happen if you took out an ad in a local paper and made these same claims without anything to back them up?
Alright, let's get back to Washougal. Below is the original post:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jen54
My sister is considering applying for a job at the city of washougal, but I don't have any clue about it. Can anyone give me the 411 on it? she's from california. Woudl she do good in washougal? can you compare it with anything like? portland? seattle? vancouver? if she worked in washougal could she live in vancouver? are winters worse there? how long of a commute from Portland?
Thanks!!!!!!!!
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) windy and ~ 10 - 15 degrees colder in Washougal City Center than Vancouver. But not AT ALL like frigid spots near and ABOVE Washougal BURRRRRrrrrr / 80 mph w/ freezing rain)
80% of the city / population / land area / needs for services is on the NORTH side of very busy main line RR, ALL city offices / FIRE / POLICE / library and PO are on the SOUTH side of RR. Guess how many 'bridges' over the tracks... ONE VERY OLD BRIDGE
, and on a curvy main road. Apparently the city planners have never lived in a town that had a major RR derailment. Staged in an appropriate location, a derailment would functionality wipe out Washougal for yrs.
). It backs traffic clear up to SR14 (~ 4 blocks). (Makes me REALLY appreciate my 'direct shot' PAST Washougal 
). Last yr they spent a bazillion $$ building a pedestrian tunnel under SR14 to the river. There are about 10 people who regularly use that. It was a 'grant + matching', so not 'Real' Money, of course!! in the eyes a Gov / city paid official 
, thus the crux... only folks you DON"T want as leaders are gonna be seeking these very powerful elected roles. They all have an agenda, but successfully running a city is FAR from their longterm goals and agenda.
This same district did almost the identical thing by building another new station directly in the expansion boundary of the 3rd district. These are both urban based stations built by a rural based district. The intent is fairly obvious and not to the value of the district tax payers.
