Tip Johnson

Citizen Journalist and Editor • Member since Jan 11, 2008

Tip Johnson is a longtime citizen interest advocate with a record of public achievement projects for good government and the environment. A lifelong student of government, Tip served two terms on the Bellingham City Council and has worked on many community boards and committees. He travelled with the Federal Transit Administration and Department of Commerce on mass transit trade missions in SE Asia and Africa before settling down to focus on keeping public interests at the fore of local government and the course of growth and development.

Articles by Tip Johnson

Water Rights

By Tip JohnsonOn May 02, 2024

Everyone in Whatcom County is about to learn a lot more about water rights.  Washington State has filed an action for adjudication of these rights in Whatcom Superior Court. [...]

Three Wise Men?

By Tip JohnsonOn Jan 09, 2024

The holidays are behind us and it’s time to get on with the work of a New Year.  The Port of Bellingham has for over a century had [...]

No Third Jail Tax

By Tip JohnsonOn Oct 31, 2023

I will be voting NO on this third try to tax us for another jail. I do not believe it is designed to benefit the community at large. It [...]

See more by Tip Johnson

Recent comments

"I predict many will be happy with the website improvements as the city begins implementing the new state housing laws and abrogates four decades of planning promises to the neighborhoods… ...[...]

Oct 17, 2024 on
The Big Ask

"Karlberg, you’re full of scrap metal.  If you are going to start off by making fun of the author’s name, I suggest you reconsider swallowing [...]

Jun 13, 2024 on
The Scrap Heap - The Real Message

"While the law does not prohibit building a single family home, we can presume that the county will now tax such properties at a multi-family, highest-and-best-use rate, making it economically [...]

Jun 13, 2024 on
The Wealth Of Real Estate Corporations Is Not Our Purpose For Being

"  The first nhood based comp plan was adopted around 1980, estabishing the nhoods as planning units for the city. More than forty years of nhood driven revisions and updates have [...]

Jun 11, 2024 on
The Wealth Of Real Estate Corporations Is Not Our Purpose For Being

"Here’s the NTSB report https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/PAR0202.pdf

Jun 10, 2024 on
A Walking Tour at the Core of the Explosion