Mount Vernon, WA to award Glenn Beck key to city (stupid mayor)

[Mrs. Overall]

MOUNT VERNON, Wash. -- They mayor of Mount Vernon has made it official. Mayor Bud Norris says he will give the key to his city to conservative talk show host Glenn Beck on September 26. Norris says Beck will deliver a short talk that night and become the first person to receive a key to the city in the six years Norris has been mayor.

Protestors from the Skagit County Young Democrats walked outside city hall Tuesday with protest signs, one reading "Change the locks!" They called it "totally inappropriate" to give a man who labeled President Barack Obama a "racist" a key to the city.

Norris told KOMO News the key does not represent city approval of every comment that Beck may make, but recognizes a local boy who made it big.
Norris says he knew Beck when the talk show host was just 12 years old. He said he remembers the tike carrying a sandwich board saying "Vote for Norris for county commissioner" up and down Mount Vernon's First Street.

He said he and Beck's parents were friends, but said this is not a political payback for campaigning decades ago. He said this is merely a recognition of someone who is from Mount Vernon.

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/56662302.html

What a stupid move by the mayor. I hope there are lots of protestors on Sept. 26th.

On Edit:
Here's Mayor Bud Norris' contact info if you want to let him know what you think:
Mayor: Bud Norris
PO Box 809
Mount Vernon, WA 98273
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
FAX: [phone]

[BlooInBloo]

1. Sigh. WA is much like IL - outside of Seattle, it's almost all hickville....

Bellingham and a couple of other oases of rationality excluded, of course.

[Mrs. Overall]

3. Yep. I live on the Olympic Peninsula and just driving today I saw

a confederate flag on a pick-up and a van with a bumpersticker that said, "Global Warming in just more liberal bullshit"--it makes me sad that so much of the state is conservative. I would also add Port Townsend and Olympia (parts of Olympia) to your list of liberal communities in the state.

[maxsolomon]

14. i was up the Mtn, Loop past Granite Falls and i saw a sign that said

"hey libs! slow your subarus! gasoline = global warming!"

luckily i was in my saab so i could laugh. and laugh and laugh.

[maxsolomon]

15. dupe

sorry

[Cha]

2. Rec'd~ for letting people know to

protest on Sept 26th!

[The empressof all]

6. Where are we going to be....

Who's gonna coordinate? Is anything in place yet.

[Mrs. Overall]

10. Here's the mayor's contact info if you want to drop him a note about his decision:

Mayor: Bud Norris
PO Box 809
Mount Vernon, WA 98273
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
FAX: [phone]

[byebyegop]

4. I've spent time in Mt. Vernon and trust me, getting a key to that shithole is no compliment. n/t

[BlooInBloo]

9. :) To me it's just a gas station on the way to/from Vancouver....

That am/pm just off the freeway typically has astonishingly good gas prices!

EDIT: Although there is a honey farm out there I've been meaning to try out.

[byebyegop]

18. AM/PM between Bellingham and Blaine is cheaper

On the Ocean side of I5. Somewhere around Ferndale I think.

[BlooInBloo]

20. That's perfectly possible.

[The empressof all]

11. Oh Come on now....

Mt Vernon is far from a shit hole. As far as small free standing cities goes it's rather nice and has a great deal to offer. It's surrounded by rural communities but it's a relatively easy drive to Seattle, Vancouver BC and Bellingham. It's in a beautiful part of the country and really isn't as conservative as some have been indicating. They have a mayor who is looking for some attention and is making a stupid move. What I can't believe is that Glen Beck is from Mt Vernon...Yelm or Tenino or even Centralia...that I'd believe.

I'd live in Mt Vernon ...it would get me closer to Canada...And what about the tulips....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Vernon,_Washington

[BlooInBloo]

16. Nah. It's a shithole.

I agree the tulip festival is pretty, however.

[byebyegop]

19. Surrounding area is ok as is all of the Pacific NW and BC. Downtown Mt. Vernon is a shithole!

[emulatorloo]

5. "recognizes a local boy who made it big" -- Well, if by "big" you mean "INSANE" then this is a

wonderful idea.

[Cha]

12. A "local boy" who's getting his sponsors dropped because

he preaches lies and hate. Yeah, mayor, that's real smart.

[PassingFair]

7. Is he related to "Chuck"?

What a DOPE!

[SalmonChantedEvening]

8. And like the idiot he is, he'll try and start it. n/t

[spanone]

13. he doesn't deserve the key to the porto-potty

[Swamp Rat]

17. k&r

:D

[lifesbeautifulmagic]

21. it was laughable that the mayor made a point of stating that

he has NEVER declared his political affiliation, but then went on a few seconds later to say that he watches Beck all the time and agrees with his positions on most things. Mr. mayor, you just DID declare your political affiliation.

[Missy Vixen]

22. Wanna' hit them where it hurts?

Try this.

http://www.tulipfestival.org/

The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival hosts people from all over the world every April. It generates millions in tourism dollars for Mount Vernon and surrounding cities.

The mayor can blow off protesting letters all he wants. When people start telling him (and entities like the Chamber of Commerce,) that they will not patronize ANY festival held in Mount Vernon due to the mayor's "key to the city" stance, there will be some action. The flower growers, B&B owners, restaurant owners, etcetera, depend on that revenue to keep their doors open.

If this guy goes through with giving Glenn Beck the key to Mount Vernon, I have no problem at all with refusing to spend any time and money in Mount Vernon, up to and including the Tulip Festival.

[Horse with no Name]

23. And along the same lines

I wonder if Pendleton, NY will honor their famous resident...Mr. Timothy McVeigh.
Same song, different chorus.
Another local boy who made it BIG!

[edbermac]

24. Braunau am Inn mayor to present Adolph Hitler with key to city.

Another local boy who made it big. :sarcasm: