City Club of Tacoma

After our well-received June lunch program with David Madeira, the LeMay Museum made us an offer for our annual August social outing that we couldn’t refuse: an opportunity to visit the LeMay Museum at Marymount.

The well-attended event began with a box supper in the breezeway. Trudy Cofchin, LeMay director of events, said a few words about the LeMay family and museum history, then turned us loose to stroll among the cars. Some of us were lucky to be guided by a 19-year-old docent whose passion was unmistakable as he introduced us to each of his favorite cars in the collection. (At right: City Club founding members Dick and Marcia Moe)

Cofchin also invited everyone to attend LeMay’s 32nd Annual Car Show and Auction on August 29. This is the one day of the year that the home grounds are open to the public. Besides still more cars, this showing includes collections of dolls, antiques, and nostalgic memorabilia housed in themed rooms.

In appreciation to Lemay for reducing fees for our outing, we are putting out an “all call” among our members to volunteer at the August 29 event. For more details: www.lemaymuseum.org/page.php?id=230

by Ann Gosch

To a packed house of City Club members and a record 30 guests, Jim Merritt and Marilyn Strickland, the two candidates for mayor of Tacoma, squared off in their first major forum of the election season. After their three-minute opening statements, the candidates each answered questions submitted in advance by the audience as Terri Baker, president of the League of Women Voters of Tacoma-Pierce County moderated the proceedings.

Several columnists from The News Tribune were present, and Kim Bradford and Peter Callaghan posted entries on the TNT blogs Inside the Editorial Page and Political Buzz, respectively. Bradford’s opinion piece later appeared in the Sunday edition of the newspaper. Check out the postings online at www.thenewstribune.com/blogs.

July 1, 2009 Dinner Meeting

By Catherine Carroll Oleson, program coordinator

For the June dinner program, Pierce County District Judge Jack Nevin, also a brigadier general in the U.S. Army Reserve, presented his thoughtful, penetrating, and riveting analysis of the 20-year history of efforts by the United States and its allies to build democratic institutions—particularly legal and governmental systems—in violent trouble spots as varied as Kosovo, South and Central America, eastern Europe, and Africa.

Nevin described how, in his view, the measure of success achieved in these efforts has been relatively low when compared with the commitment of money and people.

He discussed some of the causative factors for this failure, including:

·         the failure to appreciate the complexities of the situation at hand and to consider and prepare for what will occur after the war or other conflict has ended;

·         the failure to provide resources adequate to address the situation at hand and the application of a cookie-cutter, or one-size-fits-all, solution to issues and problems that are not the same, but in fact quite disparate;

·         the subordination of cultural commitment to the creation of structures, institutions, and legal codes, and the resulting failure to win the trust of the local non-elites; and thus,

·         the failure to win the willingness of these people to rely on and be bound by new and unfamiliar legal and institutional processes.

Nevin’s passion for the subject was obvious as the audience of some 60 people listened in rapt attention.

By Chris Keay, program coordinator

For one of the largest crowds among recent City Club luncheons, LeMay Museum President David Madeira provided an advance look at the dynamic new facility being planned for the heart of Pierce County, next to the Tacoma Dome. The new museum will showcase about half of the 2,000+ automobiles in the LeMay collection. It will also provide interactive exhibits and features to appeal to the entire family.

The audience learned that the LeMay Museum represents a greater investment of private capital than the Museum of Glass and Tacoma Art Museum combined, and it promises to attract much greater attendance and positive recognition for Tacoma. Plans for the new museum campus have caught the attention of a wide swath of auto enthusiasts, although State Farm Insurance is currently the only major donor (other than board members) from outside Western Washington, according to Madeira and Karl Anderson, another museum board member in attendance. But the “public” phase of the fundraising has yet to begin.

Besides explaining museum plans, Madeira shared engaging stories of working with Nancy LeMay, meeting museum donors, and seeking support from Jay Leno. Groundbreaking could occur as early as this September with completion of the first phase of the museum by late 2010 or early 2011. In answer to an audience member question, Madeira acknowledged that parking has yet to be worked out.

This past year we’ve worked on several initiatives to increase our membership, and one of the ways we can do this is by living our mission: to provide a nonpartisan forum that brings people together to explore issues and ideas affecting the South Sound community.

Note that word nonpartisan. Pierce County may be generally more liberal than other areas in our state, so it may be that many of our members and guests are more liberal in their politics. But City Club is not and should not be a “clubhouse” for liberals. Our purpose is to provide a common meeting ground to exchange ideas and stimulate intelligent thinking. To that end, the programs committee strives to present not only a wide range of topics but also a diversity of ideas.

You as a member can do your part to help everyone, regardless of political persuasion, to feel welcome in our midst. When you sit down to dinner and a political discussion comes up, of course you may voice your opinions. But be mindful that if you do so in a way that assumes everyone shares your view, you may alienate those of a different mind-set. We sometimes hear from more conservative or even moderate members that they feel marginalized.
During the Q&A portion of a recent program, for example, an audience member compared Republicans to al-Qaida. This was certainly an extreme example and although we can’t control audience questions, the point remains that such conduct does not promote inclusion.

The board and our committees work hard to make City Club a welcoming place for all. We want to see the club grow in all directions. Please help us by encouraging people with a wide range of backgrounds, occupations, and interests to come and enjoy our programs. Our club will be much richer for it.
As always, thank you for your support of City Club!
—Sue Schaeffer, President
—Ann Gosch, President-Elect

In the days before his City Club Lunch program, Scott Fontaine wrote in his TNT blog that “in true military style” he’d be starting with a PowerPoint presentation. . . . And so, members and guest were guided through a showing of some of Scott’s photos from his time in Iraq and a quick recap of where he’d gone as an embedded reporter with team members of the Washington National Guard’s 81^st Brigade Combat Team.

The bulk of the program was then given over to questions from the audience, including News Tribune publisher DavidZeeck, who praised the reporter for his insatiable curiosity to get the story. We learned that Scott has always wanted to be a foreign correspondent, and spent a fair amount of his adult life traveling and living in the developing world. It was apparent that Scott, who started his career as a sports reporter, found the military beat exhilarating.

By Ann Gosch, City Club board member and program co-coordinator

True to their goal of having a “conversation” about fact and opinion, speakers Kathleen Merryman and C.R. Roberts of the News Tribune devoted at least half their program time to answering questions from the audience. That was after they explained the difference between fact and opinion in The News Tribune. In short, if the writer’s picture appears with the column, then what you’re reading is the writer’s opinion. This is what sets newspaper columnists apart from most bloggers, said Merryman. Columnists like her are held to account for what they say, while bloggers can remain anonymous. She must be able to defend her opinions, which builds trust with readers, even if they disagree. She can’t just be a “bloviator.” Said Roberts of TV or talk radio punditry: “I don’t think it does any good.”

Much of the program was devoted to discussion about the Internet influence on the news, pro and con. The speakers agreed that the exchange with readers is a positive trend. Roberts said he spends more time writing for TNT blog(s) than for the print edition, and that it’s “changing the way we react to the audience.” Breaking news is posted immediately, with updates to follow as more facts become available. Merryman commented that bloggers build community, a point made at City Club’s July 2008 lunch program featuring Derek Young of Exit133 and Kevin Freitas of FeedTacoma.

Roberts and Merryman concluded by emphasizing that newspaper reporters continue to provide a service that is not being performed by anyone else, such as covering every City Council meeting. “You need to have the daily stuff to keep the civic discourse going,” Merryman said.

Thanks to Victoria Olson for co-coordinating this program and to Lynn Di Nino for dinner photography.Blog here.

By Chris Keay, City Club board member and program coordinator

Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor gave an informative, entertaining, and even uplifting presentation on the effects of the financial downturn that our nation and our county are experiencing. Sheriff Pastor explained the correlation between financial downturns and increased crime rates.

He observed that Pierce County has missed opportunities to prepare for a budgetary downturn such as we are now experiencing, and challenged local citizens and government to reset spending priorities to ensure adequate funding of law enforcement. “First things first,” he said, quoting his fifth-grade teacher. Finally, Sheriff Pastor emphasized the importance of citizen involvement in making our communities safe. He concluded his remarks by stating “Citizenship is not a spectator sport. We are all in this together.”

By Dawn Lucien, City Club past president and current program coordinator

In introducing the panel of public college and university presidents, University of Puget Sound president Ron Thomas said that private colleges are experiencing some of the same problems faced by publicly funded higher education institutions in this economic downturn. Scholarship funds invested in stocks are losing value, and demand is higher as people seek more education to prepare them for better jobs.

Each speaker presented views of how his or her institution will cope with the decrease in monies available to state-funded institutions by cutting back on expenses, freezing hiring, and letting people go. Pat Spakes, University of Washington Tacoma, said there will probably be a 20 percent cut in state funding, and tuition will probably increase, putting greater burdens on students and families. She explained that the budget includes two elements—capital funding and operating funds—and the two cannot be mixed. This means the university cannot take funds budgeted for capital expenditures (e.g., building projects) and use them for day-to-day operations (e.g., paying instructors).

Pamela Transue, Tacoma Community College, reported that student demand is up 16 percent over last year. She said that our public universities employ 6000+ individuals so they, too, are part of the economic engine of our state, where unemployment is now at 9.9 percent, and 60 percent of our jobs require training beyond high school. 

John Walstrum, Clover Park Technical College, pointed out that retirees from our two military bases want to remain in the region, and they pursue higher education to improve their job prospects putting further demand on our institutions. The panelists acknowledged that legislators are hard at work in Olympia trying to juggle competing demands in the state budget.  As if to emphasize the needs about which the panelists spoke, Laurie Jinkins, Deputy Director of the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department and a City Club member in the audience, cited this statistic from the Washington State Health Officer: the most predictive factor of a child’s health status is the educational level of the mother. Panelists took other questions and comments from the audience and then closed the program by asking audience members to urge their legislators to continue support for higher education. 

March 2009 Dinner

By LaTasha Wortham, City Club board member and program coordinator

In a recent speech marking Black History Month, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder famously said that we are “a nation of cowards” when it comes to discussing race. At City Club’s last luncheon, we moved closer to bravery around this uncomfortable topic.

Our speakers, Lyle Quasim, interim Executive Director of Public Health, and Marilyn Strickland, Tacoma City Councilmember, honestly and pointedly explained the progression of race relations in our city and country. Lyle and Marilyn clearly stated that discussing race is uncomfortable but necessary for education, awareness, and progress.

What was most impressive was the audience’s willingness to raise honest questions and comments, such as “What prejudices do black people have?” and “Rap music scares me.” Frank answers were given about how black people must function in a country and culture that scares them every day, and that no race or person has a monopoly on prejudice.

After the meeting, several City Club members and visitors commented on the value this program brought to their lives. It is my hope that the one lesson we gathered from the luncheon is that the conversation must continue. Race is a fact in our country, and for us to not be “cowards,” we must continue to confront the topic of race. It will make us better; it will remind us that we are the “Land of the Brave.”

By Chris Keay, City Club board member and program coordinator

In response to the worst terrorist attack in our nation’s history, our government passed laws and engaged in activities that have drawn the attention of concerned citizens and civil libertarians alike. Distinguished panelists Justice Richard Sanders and former Justice Phil Talmadge presented their views on the balance between national security and civil liberties in the February dinner program titled “The Constitution in the Crosshairs: The Erosion of Civil Liberties Post 9/11.”

Mr. Talmadge argued persuasively that laws in existence, but not implemented at the time of the 9/11 attacks, were adequate to prevent such terror attacks. He repeatedly argued that there is no inconsistency between national security and adherence to the rule of law.

Justice Sanders emphasized that the Constitution is designed for the “tough times, the bad times,” and times of national distress. Reasons can always be devised to carve out exceptions to the Constitution, but expedience is not a good reason to contort and dilute Constitutional protections.

After our well-received June lunch program with David Madeira, the LeMay Museum made us an offer for our annual August social outing that we couldn’t refuse: an opportunity to visit the LeMay Museum at Marymount.

The well-attended event began with a box supper in the breezeway. Trudy Cofchin, LeMay director of events, said a few words about the LeMay family and museum history, then turned us loose to stroll among the cars. Some of us were lucky to be guided by a 19-year-old docent whose passion was unmistakable as he introduced us to each of his favorite cars in the collection. (At right: City Club founding members Dick and Marcia Moe)

Cofchin also invited everyone to attend LeMay’s 32nd Annual Car Show and Auction on August 29. This is the one day of the year that the home grounds are open to the public. Besides still more cars, this showing includes collections of dolls, antiques, and nostalgic memorabilia housed in themed rooms.

In appreciation to Lemay for reducing fees for our outing, we are putting out an “all call” among our members to volunteer at the August 29 event. For more details: www.lemaymuseum.org/page.php?id=230

by Ann Gosch

To a packed house of City Club members and a record 30 guests, Jim Merritt and Marilyn Strickland, the two candidates for mayor of Tacoma, squared off in their first major forum of the election season. After their three-minute opening statements, the candidates each answered questions submitted in advance by the audience as Terri Baker, president of the League of Women Voters of Tacoma-Pierce County moderated the proceedings.

Several columnists from The News Tribune were present, and Kim Bradford and Peter Callaghan posted entries on the TNT blogs Inside the Editorial Page and Political Buzz, respectively. Bradford’s opinion piece later appeared in the Sunday edition of the newspaper. Check out the postings online at www.thenewstribune.com/blogs.

July 1, 2009 Dinner Meeting

By Catherine Carroll Oleson, program coordinator

For the June dinner program, Pierce County District Judge Jack Nevin, also a brigadier general in the U.S. Army Reserve, presented his thoughtful, penetrating, and riveting analysis of the 20-year history of efforts by the United States and its allies to build democratic institutions—particularly legal and governmental systems—in violent trouble spots as varied as Kosovo, South and Central America, eastern Europe, and Africa.

Nevin described how, in his view, the measure of success achieved in these efforts has been relatively low when compared with the commitment of money and people.

He discussed some of the causative factors for this failure, including:

·         the failure to appreciate the complexities of the situation at hand and to consider and prepare for what will occur after the war or other conflict has ended;

·         the failure to provide resources adequate to address the situation at hand and the application of a cookie-cutter, or one-size-fits-all, solution to issues and problems that are not the same, but in fact quite disparate;

·         the subordination of cultural commitment to the creation of structures, institutions, and legal codes, and the resulting failure to win the trust of the local non-elites; and thus,

·         the failure to win the willingness of these people to rely on and be bound by new and unfamiliar legal and institutional processes.

Nevin’s passion for the subject was obvious as the audience of some 60 people listened in rapt attention.

By Chris Keay, program coordinator

For one of the largest crowds among recent City Club luncheons, LeMay Museum President David Madeira provided an advance look at the dynamic new facility being planned for the heart of Pierce County, next to the Tacoma Dome. The new museum will showcase about half of the 2,000+ automobiles in the LeMay collection. It will also provide interactive exhibits and features to appeal to the entire family.

The audience learned that the LeMay Museum represents a greater investment of private capital than the Museum of Glass and Tacoma Art Museum combined, and it promises to attract much greater attendance and positive recognition for Tacoma. Plans for the new museum campus have caught the attention of a wide swath of auto enthusiasts, although State Farm Insurance is currently the only major donor (other than board members) from outside Western Washington, according to Madeira and Karl Anderson, another museum board member in attendance. But the “public” phase of the fundraising has yet to begin.

Besides explaining museum plans, Madeira shared engaging stories of working with Nancy LeMay, meeting museum donors, and seeking support from Jay Leno. Groundbreaking could occur as early as this September with completion of the first phase of the museum by late 2010 or early 2011. In answer to an audience member question, Madeira acknowledged that parking has yet to be worked out.

This past year we’ve worked on several initiatives to increase our membership, and one of the ways we can do this is by living our mission: to provide a nonpartisan forum that brings people together to explore issues and ideas affecting the South Sound community.

Note that word nonpartisan. Pierce County may be generally more liberal than other areas in our state, so it may be that many of our members and guests are more liberal in their politics. But City Club is not and should not be a “clubhouse” for liberals. Our purpose is to provide a common meeting ground to exchange ideas and stimulate intelligent thinking. To that end, the programs committee strives to present not only a wide range of topics but also a diversity of ideas.

You as a member can do your part to help everyone, regardless of political persuasion, to feel welcome in our midst. When you sit down to dinner and a political discussion comes up, of course you may voice your opinions. But be mindful that if you do so in a way that assumes everyone shares your view, you may alienate those of a different mind-set. We sometimes hear from more conservative or even moderate members that they feel marginalized.
During the Q&A portion of a recent program, for example, an audience member compared Republicans to al-Qaida. This was certainly an extreme example and although we can’t control audience questions, the point remains that such conduct does not promote inclusion.

The board and our committees work hard to make City Club a welcoming place for all. We want to see the club grow in all directions. Please help us by encouraging people with a wide range of backgrounds, occupations, and interests to come and enjoy our programs. Our club will be much richer for it.
As always, thank you for your support of City Club!
—Sue Schaeffer, President
—Ann Gosch, President-Elect

In the days before his City Club Lunch program, Scott Fontaine wrote in his TNT blog that “in true military style” he’d be starting with a PowerPoint presentation. . . . And so, members and guest were guided through a showing of some of Scott’s photos from his time in Iraq and a quick recap of where he’d gone as an embedded reporter with team members of the Washington National Guard’s 81^st Brigade Combat Team.

The bulk of the program was then given over to questions from the audience, including News Tribune publisher DavidZeeck, who praised the reporter for his insatiable curiosity to get the story. We learned that Scott has always wanted to be a foreign correspondent, and spent a fair amount of his adult life traveling and living in the developing world. It was apparent that Scott, who started his career as a sports reporter, found the military beat exhilarating.

By Ann Gosch, City Club board member and program co-coordinator

True to their goal of having a “conversation” about fact and opinion, speakers Kathleen Merryman and C.R. Roberts of the News Tribune devoted at least half their program time to answering questions from the audience. That was after they explained the difference between fact and opinion in The News Tribune. In short, if the writer’s picture appears with the column, then what you’re reading is the writer’s opinion. This is what sets newspaper columnists apart from most bloggers, said Merryman. Columnists like her are held to account for what they say, while bloggers can remain anonymous. She must be able to defend her opinions, which builds trust with readers, even if they disagree. She can’t just be a “bloviator.” Said Roberts of TV or talk radio punditry: “I don’t think it does any good.”

Much of the program was devoted to discussion about the Internet influence on the news, pro and con. The speakers agreed that the exchange with readers is a positive trend. Roberts said he spends more time writing for TNT blog(s) than for the print edition, and that it’s “changing the way we react to the audience.” Breaking news is posted immediately, with updates to follow as more facts become available. Merryman commented that bloggers build community, a point made at City Club’s July 2008 lunch program featuring Derek Young of Exit133 and Kevin Freitas of FeedTacoma.

Roberts and Merryman concluded by emphasizing that newspaper reporters continue to provide a service that is not being performed by anyone else, such as covering every City Council meeting. “You need to have the daily stuff to keep the civic discourse going,” Merryman said.

Thanks to Victoria Olson for co-coordinating this program and to Lynn Di Nino for dinner photography.Blog here.

By Chris Keay, City Club board member and program coordinator

Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor gave an informative, entertaining, and even uplifting presentation on the effects of the financial downturn that our nation and our county are experiencing. Sheriff Pastor explained the correlation between financial downturns and increased crime rates.

He observed that Pierce County has missed opportunities to prepare for a budgetary downturn such as we are now experiencing, and challenged local citizens and government to reset spending priorities to ensure adequate funding of law enforcement. “First things first,” he said, quoting his fifth-grade teacher. Finally, Sheriff Pastor emphasized the importance of citizen involvement in making our communities safe. He concluded his remarks by stating “Citizenship is not a spectator sport. We are all in this together.”

By Dawn Lucien, City Club past president and current program coordinator

In introducing the panel of public college and university presidents, University of Puget Sound president Ron Thomas said that private colleges are experiencing some of the same problems faced by publicly funded higher education institutions in this economic downturn. Scholarship funds invested in stocks are losing value, and demand is higher as people seek more education to prepare them for better jobs.

Each speaker presented views of how his or her institution will cope with the decrease in monies available to state-funded institutions by cutting back on expenses, freezing hiring, and letting people go. Pat Spakes, University of Washington Tacoma, said there will probably be a 20 percent cut in state funding, and tuition will probably increase, putting greater burdens on students and families. She explained that the budget includes two elements—capital funding and operating funds—and the two cannot be mixed. This means the university cannot take funds budgeted for capital expenditures (e.g., building projects) and use them for day-to-day operations (e.g., paying instructors).

Pamela Transue, Tacoma Community College, reported that student demand is up 16 percent over last year. She said that our public universities employ 6000+ individuals so they, too, are part of the economic engine of our state, where unemployment is now at 9.9 percent, and 60 percent of our jobs require training beyond high school. 

John Walstrum, Clover Park Technical College, pointed out that retirees from our two military bases want to remain in the region, and they pursue higher education to improve their job prospects putting further demand on our institutions. The panelists acknowledged that legislators are hard at work in Olympia trying to juggle competing demands in the state budget.  As if to emphasize the needs about which the panelists spoke, Laurie Jinkins, Deputy Director of the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department and a City Club member in the audience, cited this statistic from the Washington State Health Officer: the most predictive factor of a child’s health status is the educational level of the mother. Panelists took other questions and comments from the audience and then closed the program by asking audience members to urge their legislators to continue support for higher education. 

March 2009 Dinner

By LaTasha Wortham, City Club board member and program coordinator

In a recent speech marking Black History Month, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder famously said that we are “a nation of cowards” when it comes to discussing race. At City Club’s last luncheon, we moved closer to bravery around this uncomfortable topic.

Our speakers, Lyle Quasim, interim Executive Director of Public Health, and Marilyn Strickland, Tacoma City Councilmember, honestly and pointedly explained the progression of race relations in our city and country. Lyle and Marilyn clearly stated that discussing race is uncomfortable but necessary for education, awareness, and progress.

What was most impressive was the audience’s willingness to raise honest questions and comments, such as “What prejudices do black people have?” and “Rap music scares me.” Frank answers were given about how black people must function in a country and culture that scares them every day, and that no race or person has a monopoly on prejudice.

After the meeting, several City Club members and visitors commented on the value this program brought to their lives. It is my hope that the one lesson we gathered from the luncheon is that the conversation must continue. Race is a fact in our country, and for us to not be “cowards,” we must continue to confront the topic of race. It will make us better; it will remind us that we are the “Land of the Brave.”

By Chris Keay, City Club board member and program coordinator

In response to the worst terrorist attack in our nation’s history, our government passed laws and engaged in activities that have drawn the attention of concerned citizens and civil libertarians alike. Distinguished panelists Justice Richard Sanders and former Justice Phil Talmadge presented their views on the balance between national security and civil liberties in the February dinner program titled “The Constitution in the Crosshairs: The Erosion of Civil Liberties Post 9/11.”

Mr. Talmadge argued persuasively that laws in existence, but not implemented at the time of the 9/11 attacks, were adequate to prevent such terror attacks. He repeatedly argued that there is no inconsistency between national security and adherence to the rule of law.

Justice Sanders emphasized that the Constitution is designed for the “tough times, the bad times,” and times of national distress. Reasons can always be devised to carve out exceptions to the Constitution, but expedience is not a good reason to contort and dilute Constitutional protections.