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Octopus Hunting In Seattle

I’m not a big fan of hunting animals.  I never could kill my dog or a neighbors dog.  I just don’t see the purpose in it.  We were all created to have the opportunity to live peacefully.  With that being said, I do understand the killing of animals for the purpose of human consumption.  Cows created just to be used for this purpose.  Raised with a purpose and feel well.  My complaint with hunters is “just for the fun of it” type killing.  There is no need or room for that in our society in my opinion.

This gets me to Dylan Mayer who recently hunted a Octopus out of Cove 2 in West Seattle.  While diving off Alki to grab this super octopus (for the fun of it), Mr. Mayer, would soon discover the public was not happy with him at all.  Seattle residents would soon discover this has been happening for quite some time and a popular sport with many participants coming to Seattle for just this purpose.  There is now a large community of Seattle residents really ticked off over the situation.  A diver instructor, Bob Bailey, notice and watched the killing happen.  He confronted Mr. Mayer and reported it properly.  Unfortunated, these killings are not protected and was done legally so Mr. Dylan Mayer is going to be safe from law officials.  His reputation, however, will be forever tarnished.

I hope the Seattle Council Members will take notice of this event and stop it now in it’s tracks.  We don’t need people killing animals for no purpose except that he/she thought it was fun.  This isn’t the wild wild west and some rules are required for stupid people.  I typically am not for regulation or extra laws, however, this is one that I would openly support.

City Council OKs Inspection of Rentals

We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office.
~Aesop, Greek slave & fable author

Did anyone in their right mind think the City Council would not pass it? It appears they copied the one that pumped in 1.6 million to Los Angeles coffers. I really cant come up with a perfect word to describe what the Seattle Council is doing to property owners. A few descriptions, are legalized shakedowns, threats or fines if we don’t do exactly what they say. They will list all sorts of RCW’s and obscure laws and reasons for doing this and they know from the Housing Code mess in the 80’s that the judges will rubber stamp anything anyone tries to get clarified in court. Its actually taking over private property when they can tell a person who worked and bought a rental how we need to fix it. The law of supply and demand takes care of that. If a tenant is dumb enough to rent a place full of mold, a sink propped up with a 2 x 4, electrical sockets hanging out of a wall like one described then that’s between them and the landlord. We do not need government to tell us what/how to remodel a house we own, and bought with our own money.

Anyone who follows politics can see spending is totally out of control. They have to find somebody new to screw over. What better way than pass a law that requires every person who owns a rental (even to your Mother in law in your own home) must pay a fee and register your property with the city. Now if that is not hi-way robbery, blackmail or something I cant imagine what is. First of all the city already knows exactly who owns what. The tax rolls tells them that. If I pay property taxes and utility bills the odds are  I live in my house, but if I pay property taxes and someone else is paying the utility bills the odds are that it is a rental. But greed, corruption. what the heck ever kicks in and what a wonderful way to get $150.00  or whatever they decide on, from each everyone who owns property without actually having to put a gun in their back. Works for them. They say this is just to cover their expense of running the program. WOW they will have no budget, no limit to how many inspectors or how big of a boondoggle they can create, because they can set the fee at whatever they want to. They can raise it, they can add penalties and fines anytime you resist. Legalized plunder might describe it. They can spend whatever they want to run the program.

But that is not even the worst part. Their reason for passing this is to quote Sally Bagshaw: “This is watershed legislation, everyone has a RIGHT to good housing”. Their were no NO votes so we have to assume that every council member believes this. I think you have it completely bass ackwards. People who own property that they worked and paid for should be able remodel/upgrade or leave it as is without any interference for the government. We have a RIGHT  to be left alone. We have a RIGHT to whatever we worked for and paid for if its legal. I know we cant start up a drug lab etc, or create an eye sore, but to say everyone has a RIGHT to good housing is like telling the Little Red Hen to keep working her little tail off and do all the work but then share her baked bread with the others who did nothing have a right to her bread. Well the little Hen quit planting her wheat. I will just close up my little house when the time comes to register because for sure I wont be re plumbing, re wiring, putting in new windows or whatever you dream up. You are giving rights to tenants that they have no right to have. If they don’t like a place they can move. If it is crappy don’t move in. If it is trashed when they leave and take pictures of it, then they did the trashing. This is spreading the wealth in a sense. You want to force single family dwellings completely out and you may very well succeed. I have a little house that supplements my social security check. The house was built in the 1900’s. Of course its not up to code. No old house is. The house I live in is the same age and I have lived in it for 66 years. It is not insulated, not sure the locks would meet your approval, doubt your inspector would let me rent it to anyone without a lot of upgrades which I have no money or desire to do at this point in my life. I am 89 and don’t think it would be easy to make payments if I even could get a long term loan.  My tenants have all been working people but I have taken many applications that just blew my mind. One young black girl with 3 little kids filled out an application. I showed her the little rental(really clean and cute, bath fitter had just did the bathroom). It was not nice enough(thank heavens) but she showed me she was entitled to spend $1400 a month on rent. My house rented for $850. Another young heavy set white lady came and had section 8 and had $1100 a month to spend on rent and mine was only $850. So I want to talk about people who you would call poor and you say thy have a RIGHT TO A HOUSE. They don’t have a right to anything. The government has created a whole new class of people with a sense of entitlement. They are not poor at all. They don’t work, never have had a job but  government has convinced them they are victims of some  this sort. They get a stay at home check, food stamps, and money for rent and free medical. Just because they prefer to have a bunch of babies by a lot of different men and not get married is not MY problem. If someone wants to spend their life drugged up or drunk, its not MY problem. Its their excuse for not going to work. They say they have issues. They blame the government or the old landlord or anyone but themselves. If they didn’t work for it, they don’t have a right to it. At least that is the way it used to work in America.When you take from me to give to someone else its robbery.  From the time I can remember on the old farm we were taught, “work or we wont eat”. If you had a good crop you might be able to get a new piece of linoleum  for the kitchen floor. We did not have to worry about faulty plumbing or wiring because we did not have any of that. We had a three hole out house. We had whatever Mom and Dad could afford not on the government furnishing everything we thought we needed.

The countries that turned to Socialism are facing terrible times. The people they have taught that Government will take care of them are rioting because their governments have ran out of money. Its getting closer in America. You cannot keep hammering away at people who have worked all their life to take care of themselves and give it to people with no work ethic, no ambition, alcoholics, dopers, and single mothers. The bubble will burst. My little rental is the supplement to my social security check. My social security check(not SSI) that I worked from age 13 to 69 for,  is less than the government gives these so called poor people to use for rent. Now you want to make sure we fix our little rental for people who do nothing because they have a right to good housing. Of course the Seattle City Council knows all of this. They had the meeting all geared with the Tenants Union. They want to suck more money away from property owners to upgrade their property in the guise of helping tenants. You are hurting them. When you teach someone they deserve something they did not work for and take it away from the guy who worked for it is corruption and buying votes. Does not help anyone. If everyone is entitled to good housing how come there are so many homeless people wandering the streets downtown?

It’s hard to believe the load of crap the council members are shoveling out. They know better. They are not dumb. They know how to start up another layer of rules and regulations to buy more votes. Sure the tenants will vote for you, but remember they are not the ones you are able to “suck” the money from. It’s the property owners and people who work. When it get too top heavy it will fail.  Its mighty close right now. You are promising the tenants you are helping them. The tenants union has convinced them it is helping them. Neither is true. You are hurting them almost as much or more than us property owners. It will hurt them when people just tear down their rentals rather than jump when you say jump. The government will run out of money eventually and the people will riot because they have not been taught how to do a thing for themselves. It pays off to be told you are poor in Seattle. You are entitled to a good house. You do not have to ever work a day in your life, if your child gets a free lunch he is entitled to go to college even with a C grade. That’s like telling you that a D and F means you are doing fine.

Fair is fair. I have lived in an old house all my life and worked all my life. If someone who has never earned a dime has the right to good housing then I figure I am entitled to live in a mansion. With your reasoning I will state my case. Bill Gates lived in a mansion. Sure he accumulated his wealth all on his own. But according to your logic “I am entitled to live in a mansion”. Shouldn’t he have to furnish me with a mansion? The City Council can give me a check each month in the amount he wants for rent. How come it doesn’t work that way? I don’t begrudge the rich people one thing, they worked for it. I do begrudge rewarding drunks, dopers, lazy people and single mothers who think their lifes work is “breeding”. Welfare will even pay for delivering the babies then up the monthly check. No one holds the Dad’s accountable. If I am still alive when the day comes to register my rental house. All rent applications will have an added cost.  $150.00 for registering, the inspection cost, the upgrade cost, all non refundable to the tenant. Right now I am happy, my tenant is happy, the little house is not dangerous in anyway but the city need the money to screw away for IMPORTANT THNGS. Thought Robin Hood days were over, but I was wrong again.

 

Seattle Landlords Got A New Boss

If you’re a homeowner and decide to rent your home down the road, you just got a new boss.  That new boss is the City Of Seattle.  City Council is expect to pass legislation that would require landlords to get their rentals inspected.  They will need to register with the city (pay their fees) and hire a private home inspector to go through their rentals for repairs.  The scarcity of the bill that pushing it through is the inspection of mold and safety issues.  However, we all know it’s a way for the city to build up more revenue.  Lots of money is changing hands with this bill.  You have the city fees (old and all future rentals all pay registration fees).  You have the repair fees and I assure you that private home inspectors will happen to find every little change that needs to happen (it’s in their best interest financially).  Then you have the sales tax revenue generated on those “must have” rental repairs they fill are necessary.  The City Council says it’s not about the money… it’s about the safety.  Sounds like legal corruption to me personally.

The bill is backed by the Tenants Union of Washington.  We all know anything to do with Unions is about the money so we know their agenda. On their website they claim this bill is “the closest we have ever come in over twenty years in the fight for healthy homes for all in Seattle.” I guess they think money grows on trees.  They say they fight for “healthy and safe homes”.  They forgot to add at the dime of everyone else or by any way possible.

As a rental owner, the way the program works is pretty shady. First you must register with the city.  If you don’t register you’ll pay a fine.  It’s going to be monitored through your utility bills.  You then need to pay an inspector to come out from a private company whose sole purpose is to find problems with your rental.  Maybe it’s code violations, maybe its water damage, maybe you didn’t mow the lawn, maybe your roof could leak over the winter. Who knows really.  It could be nothing but most likely thousands of dollars depending on how much the private inspector needs the money or if his car payment is late that month.  After that is done, you need to get the repairs fixed and if you’re late doing that it’s going to cost you a $150 PER DAY fine.

I have seen this game played in several businesses now and it always leads to the same conclusion.  The owner is at the mercy of the City.  They’re always holding a carrot in front of your nose just to make sure you are aware of who is the real boss here.  It’s a power trip when it comes to licenses and they are always looking over your shoulder.  Typically the people telling you how to do things are people who have no experience, never been in your field, and think they know better then you how to run your business (or rental).  That is the reality and how this game is played.  It will also be how this new program is going to work.

The sad thing about this bill, the Seattle City Council, and the government is that they think they need and must “help” everyone.  Business owners, landlords, drivers, etc just want to be left alone.  Nobody (read all the comments on the Seattle times or news tribune about this bill) likes being told what to do or how to do it better by someone who has never done it themselves.  I know the only thing I want from the Government is to be left alone.  Just quite trying to “help” me.  It’s easy to pass bills like this because most people will never be financially sound enough to have a rental, probably are broke or near it most months, feel bad, or just don’t care about about others because it doesn’t and never will effect them.  I compare it to the 1% paying for everyone else.  It’s great for elections also….Why would the majority 99% care about the rich paying a little extra to help everyone else.  Sad but true.

Regarding this new legislation. I understand there are many slumlords out there.  Compared to the masses of landlords that number is low, however (like %10).  I guess we need the 90% to be burdened and pay the city extra and support the inspectors businesses just to fix the bad 10%?  Do you think renters are stupid and won’t leave if they don’t have heat or see mold where their kids play?  Seriously! We have laws about rental and tenants already in place to handle bad landlords and these situations.  You got mold in your rental and you didn’t see it when you did the initial walk through the rental, MOVE OUT, it’s unsafe and you have that right by law already.  The heating doesn’t work? MOVE OUT you’re all ready protected by law.  Good landlords don’t need to pay all the fees and have all the worries by these new bosses who know it all.  Yet they should pay the price also?  Registration fees each year and private inspectors looking to make money for their own business are not going to come out and work for free you know.

Another item to consider is that many rentals are supported income for the elderly.  They paid off and worked hard for an extra home/rental many years ago and the failed programs like social security don’t provide enough to live on. They are no bad landlords they are just getting by with the property taxes, insurance, and higher costs of home ownership. Again, if their rentals are not safe to live in, then by law the tenant can move out.  These laws are already in place to protect people. We don’t need to be hurting the elderly financially – they’re struggling enough and worked damn hard to have an extra rental.  In addition, these homes or rentals are 50 years old – you know how much it’s going to cost them to get repairs by their new inspector bosses. Some new doors with locks will cost more than what they’ll make the whole month in rent.  This program just causes more harm than good.  It’s way worse than anything a robber could do to them an alley somewhere.

It appears many of the Seattle news agencies have reported on this.  The comments from people are ALL negative and don’t support it.  Most describe it as I do above with Government getting bigger and continuing “helping” everyone to fill their pockets because they can’t manage a city financially.  Do they really have to try to “help” with everything and everyone all the time.  It’ seems like everything is “helped” someway by the Government now.  Everyone is expecting a helping hand, living rent free in luxury apartments, health care, cell phones etc the list goes on and on.

You have to understand there are many angles not discussed here such as pushing out the old who purchased 50 years ago for the new apartment luxury condos.  They bill causes more damage to the 90% of people who worked hard and paid the price to have that rental/s only to get a new boss to come in and bankrupt them (or force them to sell) because they simply don’t have the money for all the “must repair or fined” repairs that the inspector thinks the elderly in retirement really has.

This is a horrible bill and I don’t believe it’s really been examined fully to move forward into law. We already have laws in place we don’t need to have more bosses in our lives who think they know it all and dangling the carrot over our heads.  Just back off and let people live how they want too.  Perhaps they can experience the little bit of freedom that is left in this country.

Mayor Mike McGinn Our Double Talking Nanny

There has been a lot of talk recently about our Seattle Mayor Mike Mcginn and Seattle’s continued advertising with the Seattle Weekly newspaper. Seattle currently has a Contract with the Seattle Weekly newspaper and are spending $158,000 for this “great deal”. However, Mayor Mike Mcginn has put a pause on it due to a concern of “underage sex trafficking”. They are negotiating at this time and may continue or not depending on those talks. Here is the problem, however, first why are we spending tax money for this type of advertising? The paper is poor at best and has limited distribution. Everywhere you go in Seattle you see a stack of them and nobody even reads them. They just sit there collecting dust every month. Their distribution area and readers is completely shady and over-rated. The magazine has been filled with adult ads forever. This is not something new and you can pick one up anywhere and see for yourself. Just flip to the back pages and you noticed pages and pages of adult prostitution, massage parlors, and other garbage. Did anyone actually pick up the magazine and flip through it before signing this $158,000 advertising deal for the city?

Here is the other problem – The Stranger newspaper. It’s very similar to the Seattle Weekly they both are filled with the same type of the adult advertising in the back pages, however, he has no problems with them. He obviously knows about this paper since he got a $1,000 dollar contribution from the paper for the anti tunnel initiative. Yes, he received contributions for the anti tunnel initiatives. Perhaps that is why he is turning the other check when it comes to the The Stranger.

In the end, I am not sure what we do with this mess except we shouldn’t be spending tax money in this shady newspapers in the first place and perhaps an investigation is in order. It’s all just a little shady and has a lot of double talk.

Seattle Council Members Not Listening

Yesterday, May 17 2011, your Seattle Council Members cancelled a meeting to discuss the possibility of voting on the Alaskan Way Viaduct.  The meeting was scheduled after a judge’s ruling that stated the public could vote on the much debated tunnel. 

There is no doubt in anyones mind the viaduct needs construction.  However, how much we spend on this project is the question.  In such bad financial times should we really be spending billions and billions on all these extra and elaborate things for the tunnel like a community park looking over the water?  Do we really need to bore a tunnel underneath Seattle or should we just flatten the viaduct and connect the roads (saving billions)?  There are so many options available that could save billions yet we have to go the most expensive and elaborate route.

The Seattle Council Members have made up their minds obviously and are pushing forward with all the bells and whistles for the viaduct project.  They don’t want to discuss it and they certainly don’t want the public to vote on it.  The May 17th cancelled meeting demonstrates that they are moving 100% forward no matter what.

If you’re for or against the Seattle viaduct project, one thing must be represented and that is the people.  Seattle Council Members or elected officials with their own egos and agendas must be pushed out the door if they are being shady.  Trying to make deals behind the general public backs (or thinking they know best) is not acceptable.  These officials represent you (the public) and they really need to accept the publics vote.  Shutting out the people out on voting and proposals is clearly a communist move.  A move that is based on what they feel is best (and egos) without getting any feedback from the people who they should be representing. 

Alaskan Way Viaduct
Alaskan Way Viaduct

Seattle’s 6-Figure Salary Club

This is a totally different take on 6 figure salaries that this website has written about because this story in the Times appeared to be highlighting Fire Chief salaries. They stated the Fire Chief was paid slightly more than Mayor Mike McGinn. I am the first to say that public employees salaries are so bloated, out of line, greedy (rest of descriptions are not fit for family reading). BUT, that being said, I want to just stick to the Fireman. I have to defend them completely. If people were paid for the good they do for the community and citizens Fireman would be right at the top. No matter what disaster, whether a little kitchen grease fire or an earthquake they are there. They are also basically on call 24/7 thus a lot of overtime gets racked up. Their job is dangerous but lets not view their salaries on that alone. They are there because they want to be there, they can quit anytime they want. If they cant stand the “heat get out of the kitchen”. That being said they are doing a job that our lives depend on. If ANYONE deserves a high salary it is them and the Policeman. Without them our lives would be in jeopardy.

This was a perfect time for the Times to print their salaries and the perfect time to ask if you would rather pay $160,000 to a Fire Chief, or $600,000 to the Port of Seattle CEO, or $224,000 to the new Superintendant of Schools, $700.000 to the new President of UW. $1.7 million to the UW Football coach etc. Would any of these people be able to help you in any way if you needed help? Would you miss them if everyone quit today because they thought they were working to hard?  They are simply milking the system big time.

I think its time to start thinking what services we can do without and cut the pay of the useless bunch of CEO’s. Managers and Presidents of company’s that are taxpayer supported. It would be fun to see a debate of a Fire Chief and the CEO of the Port of Seattle to see which one performs the most necessary service and rate their pay on that basis.

Richard Conlin Seattle City Councilman Won’t Answer Taxpayer Questions

Richard Conlin Seattle City Councilman Won’t Answer Taxpayer Questions.

I recently wrote each member of the city council. Only two bothered responding. I want to just print what I wrote them, and what they answered back and think it pretty well shows they are not the slightest interested in what we have to say, or what we ask them.  You be the judge.  Try asking them something.  Anything.

 This is what I wrote to Councilman Richard Conlin after the Japan tsunami. They had their mind made up from day one they wanted a tunnel(must have got some big donations for their elections and have some big favors to pay).  Us guys paying the bills are just not important to them at all.  They have bought up land and have been wheeling and dealing in such a way they can get the tunnel whether it is on the fall ballot again or not.  Or if it proves the voters does not want it.  They can say the referendum does not apply to administrative actions, only to legislative actions.  See my letter to him and his answer below.

Good Morning Mr. Conlin:

Please re think your position on building the deep bore tunnel to replace the viaduct since the Japan earthquake.I was always against the tunnel as were 70% of the voters. Where do you get the idea you can ignore our vote?
Forget how you hate the Mayor, and want to make a liar out of him but thankfully you are giving him a lot of publicity and maybe he can be our next governor. He got elected because he promised us to stop the tunnel. His loyalty is to the voters and citizens not to a handful of council members. Just think about this.
How can digging right thru an earthquake fault, below sea level to build a tunnel be a good idea?  It would be a death trap far greater than the viaduct the minute you built it.  You cannot outguess Mother Nature and she will win.  If/when we have the big one with a tsunami there would be no warning to even get what cars were in it out the other end. It would be a big culvert. Also, it is the most expensive plan, we have no money.  It will take the longest to build so the viaduct would be up longer.  It will not help the traffic problem and will handle less cars than the viaduct. It has no exits. It wont get you downtown. What on earth are you guys thinking?  You are listening to some builders and union promises somewhere and not thinking about the tunnel at all.  For shame.
Lilly

HERE IS HIS ANSWER   (jibber jabber from his website, cut and pasted)

Thanks for your message.  I do not agree with your assertions, and have commented on them below.

Then in the same message he copy and pasted the exact text on Seattle City Councilman website here (the whole thing!):

http://conlin.seattle.gov/2011/03/03/council-overrides-mayoral-veto-on-tunnel-agreements/

The email concluded with him providing information links in the email:

For more details on the project, please go to the following:

http://conlin.seattle.gov/2010/05/18/time-to-tell-the-truth-about-costs-about-costs-and-the-viaduct-tunnel-project/

http://conlin.seattle.gov/2010/08/20/tunnel-agreements-endorsed-by-council/

http://conlin.seattle.gov/2010/12/21/tunnel-bid-on-target-for-budget/

Council President Richard Conlin

Seattle City Hall

He never answered or commented on a thing I wrote but its very interesting for him to admit they had 700 meetings, 76 replacement options, 15,000 public comments, 20 public meetings. Maybe he should update it to 15,001, since he got MY comment.

I felt the need to reply. To let him know that I know I got a snow job. See my reply below.

Thank you for answering.  You missed the whole point.  Even if everyone was for the tunnel before the Japan quake and tsunami they sure SHOULD BE AGAINST IT NOW.  No I never liked the tunnel(70% of the voters said the same thing) and you’re right I don’t trust WSDOT(think $377 million gone to studies and plans) without a thing being done.  This is no worse than Potter screwing away those millions on studying how to run minority businesses.  Maybe some heads will roll over that mess.  But for now wanted to get you Council Members to think how dangerous a tunnel would be.  If the tooth fairy or Santa offered to build it free, I would still think it was a bad idea.  Thank you again for at least sending a form letter.
Lilly

Seattle Councilman Richard Conlin
Seattle Councilman Richard Conlin

Seattle City Councilman Tim Burgess Can’t Be Trusted To Listen To Seattle Voters About The Tunnel.

My correspondence with the councilman Tim Burgess and his answer clearly shows he is out of touch with what Taxpayers want.

Good Morning Mr. Burgess:

I am asking you to re think the tunnel. It would be a far worse death trap than the viaduct if/when the big one and tsunami hits. Mother Nature will win. It might be minutes, it might be years, no one knows.  So seeing what you see in Japan can you in good conscience think digging right where the earthquake fault is, and below sea level could even be an option. It would be a giant culvert. You would not have enough warning to get any cars out of it if the ground starts to shake.  A tsunami would flood it immediately.  If you fell off the viaduct and got sandwiched there is a thousand to one chance someone might find you(maybe dead). The tunnel would just be a dark nightmare.

  • It is the most expensive option, and we are broke.
  • It will take the longest to build.
  • It will not hold as many cars as the viaduct.
  • It has no exits.
  • It will not go downtown.

Do you have more loyalty to some builder/union friends than you do to 70% of the people who voted against the tunnel?  KILL THE TUNNEL before it kills thousands of Seattleites. You are giving the Mayor a lot of good publicity because we agree with him 100%.  He got elected because he said the tunnel was a bad idea.

Thank You,
Lilly

My answer was an email with his website which covers everything including the Sonics. You cannot get in touch or tell your views to the Seattle City Council. He must be banking on some judge blocking t0 Stop the Tunnel Referendum if it gets on the ballot and passes. They do an end run(sleazy) and wheel and deal making agreements hoping that the referendum won’t apply to their administrative agreements, and only to legislative ones . That’s the method they used to screw us Taxpayers and get the King Dome blown up and two new Sports Palaces built. Who needs to worry about crooks on the streets? You will get the same answer from gov/council/Burgess no matter what you ask him or try to tell him. To him we are just an irritant by asking questions that he can’t or won’t answer.

Hello, I wanted to let you know that since you have recently communicated with Councilmember Burgess from this e-mail address, you will receive periodic updates from Tim’s free e-newsletter City View. This is one of the best ways to stay in touch with what’s going on at Seattle City Hall. If you would like to view past City View newsletters, please follow this link: http://www.seattle.gov/council/Burgess/news_past.htm
Please let me know if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Nate Van Duzer Legislative Aide
Councilmember Tim Burgess

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