Yes, the city/county governments were broke. Bremerton initiates a car tab for street projects and will have to wait a year to build up the fund. But they do have money to prosecute a Blind saxophone player.

The county government is far too busy going after an illegal tree house and prosecuting a Gun Club over “land use”. And that’s after it diverts money from the Veteran’s Fund.

Yes, it makes total sense that Goldberg was foreclosed upon, and months later after being shamed, the city starts to act. How about the county? They’ve moved on to the regulation coffee stands. (facepalm)

Now that I understand the other part you’re referencing I see what you’re saying on the editorializing part. I didn’t attribute where I got that info about his responsibility going away. That was from the city.

I’ll get a second opinion on that, because you may be right on all this.

Steven Gardner
Kitsap Sun

However, I stand by my comment that Goldberg polluted the site and should be responsible for the cleanup, period.

The environmental nuisance laws have been utilized up to this point to cleanup after manufacturing, auto part strip yards, among other types of hazardous waste business. I seem to remember them being used in a local case with a guy that had several properties and acres of junk cars. I think Goldberg does have the responsibility, and the government assumes that responsibility of forcing him to do it.

For Bremerton to be fully realized and “redeveloped”, it has to have an identity. It does, it’s a blue collar city with a surrounding shipyard. The endless coats of lipstick make it look like a pig.

Anyhow, point taken.

The truth is that when Goldberg demolished the structure, there WAS an obligation to clean it up. He made the mess.

The reality is that private non government organizations have been using the nuisance laws to go after polluters. And that’s exactly what Goldberg did, he left it a polluted mess. For you to say he had no legal responsibility, that’s your opinion. The reality is that the government dropped the ball. It should have compelled the bank and Goldberg to clean it up. And since nobody audited the books, it’s an unanswered issue. Nobody is saying where the money went.

In your opinion, when Goldberg was foreclosed upon, he had no legal responsibility to clean up the property. What law are you citing? What are you referencing? It’s your opinion, based upon your conversation with him. Why didn’t Bremerton roll the dice by filing a suit, and asking a Judge to decide the issue? That’s the question and the issue of responsibility for cleanup.

Steven Gardner
Kitsap Sun

Mr. Goldberg ran from his responsibilities last time and should be put in check this time. The city claim they can do anything is BS. It’s our city, not Mr. Goldbergs.

Speaking of laws and ordinances:

Mr. Goldberg, I would personally like to bring our city ordinance regarding nuisance properties and graffiti to your attention. The 510 Washington property you admit you own. Why have you not cleaned the graffiti from the stairway and front parking sign that is showing to public view? You have been notified by the city already. You chose a partial compliance rather than cleaning up all the mess you are responsible for. You are in violation of our city nuisance ordinance as I write this.

Is this partial compliance what the citizens can expect from you in the futute Mr. Goldberg?

Where was our mayor, Patty Lent when this slumlord was dumping and leaving his abandoned trash around Bremerton? Oh ya, secretly attempting to dump a methadone needle clinic on the folks down in the Callow area. Welcome to Bremerton and please stop by our Gateway to the City and newest tourist attraction. Almost successful in collecting 350 junkies from all over the region into one neighborhood. Basically trying to stab those folks right in the back with drug needles.

Where was our Community Development Director, Ms. Andrea Spensor? Oh yea, off having a baby and not managing or protecting the citizens interest. Who was running DCD while she was absent while being paid?

And where the heck were those 9 (or is it 7 now) council members when it was time to protect the city from Mr. Goldberg’s mess? What the heck were they thinking?

Basically, the citizens have paid handsomely for a mayor, department managers, assistants to those managers, planners, engineers, inspectors, consultants, studies and every other thing they could dream up. Where were all of them? Asleep at the wheel while on large salaries, generous vacation packages, free healthcare and focused more on personal agendas.

I don’t buy the “it was appoved in 2009″ excuse. That tells me THEY ALL FAILED IN 2009 TO PROTECT THE CITIZENS and 3 years later still can’t or won’t correct that failure. The misdeeds of 1 slumlord that continues to claim financial hardships shouldn’t be that hard to stop when the citizens have already paid millions in salaries to be properly protected. That is what we have a City Attorney for!

Time to find a new mayor!

REELECTING PATTY LENT means:
More slumlords
More rubble
More mismanagement
More backroom deals
More cost with less services provided

Basically, more of the same failed management, failed leadership and failed attempts at moving Bremerton forward!

With a failure this large at so many levels, I keep wondering when Gary Sexton is gonna reveal his nose from under the municipal tent.

That’s a completely bogus generalization. The city attorney, DCD, or the bank could have pushed Goldberg into/petitioned for an involuntary bankruptcy filing under Chapter 11. A creditor’s committee could have been formed and the books examined. The accountant could possibly determine if assets were diverted from the entity, prior to the foreclosure. Most banks prefer to get a “clean” title via bankruptcy/sheriff’s sale.

This has played out in college towns across the US, when a group of college rental landowners (teachers, lawyers, dentists, doctors) demolish a row, or set of houses, and plan to rezone the area for completely furnished apartments.

Goldberg was doing this through private financing. My guess is that the bank wished to foreclose and Goldberg et al, and the bank had an NDA about the disclosure.

Second, your aren’t a forensic accountant (neither am I), so there’s now way you could report Goldberg DIDN’T have the money. That’s so half assed. That’s your opinion, and it should be labeled as such.