Opinion
8 — Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Letters:
Continued from page 6 the concept of local control and flies in the face of the basic concept of representation. The stated reason for Proposition 2 is that the administrator has been frustrated in exercising the authority outlined in the charter. The prior BOCC set a tone of interference that has never fully been overcome so that even though the current council members were not on the BOCC, the behavior has continued. Prop. 2 perpetuates that
interference and returns us to the failed past. If the goal is to limit the council to legislative matters and allow the administrator to do the job, perhaps a better amendment to the charter would be to make the administrator an elected position. This would give us the overall representation sought in Prop. 1 and free the administrator from the undue pressure the council can exert as the employer. Proposition 3 merely asserts our endorsement of the state Open Public Meetings Act already in force and adds nothing.
We urge you to reject Propositions 1, 2 and 3. Chris/Joyce Clarke San Juan Island
People power; ‘Yes’ on Prop. 1-3
I want my voice to be heard more adequately in county government and that is why I am supporting the Charter amendments, Propositions 1, 2 and 3. Currently, council members, because of district elections, are accountable to only one-sixth of the electorate. I want all coun-
cil members to come to my island to campaign for election so that my interests are truly represented. I need to see a county manager that is directly accountable to the council so that the council works together with a manager and not with am unelected administrator; a situation that encourages conflict. Also, by having all meetings of the county council public, I will feel informed and participatory in the council’s deliberations, which will give me a sense of democracy empowerment. George Lawson Lopez Island
CROSSWORD PUZZLE Across 1. Ziti, e.g. 6. Cut, as a log 10. Song and dance, e.g. 14. Nabisco cookies 15. Carbamide 16. Dermatologist's concern 17. Mails 18. Ram 19. Connive 20. Incapable of being taught 22. 1990 World Series champs 23. What "it" plays 24. Country whose capital is Kuala Lumpur 26. "You ___ kidding!" (contraction) 28. Rain clouds 32. Tree trunk 34. Deterioration 38. Long, long time 39. Club publication 40. "No ifs, ___ ..." 41. Convert to occidental customs 43. A deadly sin 44. Apprehensive 45. Accumulate 47. Air letter 51. Blackguard 54. Delhi dress 57. Unsure how to respond 59. "___ Brockovich" 60. Buttonhole, e.g. 61. Angers 62. Anger, with "up" 63. Emcee 64. Argus-eyed 65. Shiny on top? 66. "What's gotten ___ you?" 67. Destruction
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A better balance; ‘Yes’ on Prop. 1-3
As a member of the charter review committee, I’ve been fascinated to see some of the falsehoods that have been flung about concerning both the process and the proposed changes. When it comes to the process, others on the committee have ably dealt with the misinformation in previous letters. When it comes to the proposed changes, reasonable people can disagree. I think the proposed changes are necessary for a more efficient, fair, and representative government. One of the great pleasures of serving on the charter review committee was finding myself in full agreement with longtime political opponents, John Evans, Gordy Peterson and Tom Starr. We may often disagree on what government should do, but we can all agree on the best form of governance. One of the best reasons to return to three council members has to do with the supposed “half-time” nature of the current council, with six members. No matter the number, it is a full-time job. All of the current council have said that they work a minimum of full-time, but the county can only afford to pay them as “half-time”. Do we want to live in a county where only the “better off ” percentage of our population can govern our county? I don’t. If you’re happy being able
to vote for only 17 percent of your county government, then vote “No” on the charter amendments. If you’ve taken time to actually observe your current six-person council in deliberations and feel they are more efficient, decisive and representative than the previous three-person commission, then vote “No” on the charter amendments. When you have a problem with county government, if you’re happy with the ping-pong game of shuttling back and forth between county administrator and “your” council member, then vote “No” on the charter amendments. But if you want true equal representation, if you want to vote for all of your legislators and want to know that they will be the parties responsible for county government, then vote “Yes”. Feel free to call me, 3764656, to discuss this further. Bob Gamble Orcas Island
Watchdogs agree; ‘No’ on Props. 1-3
How do we decide about these charter propositions? Most of us are too busy with our daily lives to fully understand the consequences of the significant changes being proposed by the Charter Review Commission, on the November ballot. As a former freeholder See LETTERS, Page 11
Sudoku
of cells by antibodies Down 1. Place 2. "Gladiator" setting 3. Native of W. African country whose capital is Dakar 4. Mary in the White House 5. Appropriate 6. Lower in rank 7. Caribbean cruise stop 8. Eudora ___, Am. short-story writer 9. Buttocks 10. Assessments of worth 11. Lady Macbeth,
e.g. 12. Put one's foot down? 13. Adjusts, as a clock 21. Openness 25. Setting for TV's "Newhart" 27. Held back 29. Lower case letters 30. Torsos (slang) 31. Acad. 32. Reprimand, with "out" 33. Arch type 35. Computergenerated imagery (acronym) 36. Storage space between ship
decks 37. Bowel cleansings 42. Needle opening 46. Ethically indifferent 48. Devinely inspired poet in India 49. Acrylic fiber 50. Kind of mill 52. Wombs 53. Breaks 54. Balkan native 55. "Mi chiamano Mimi," e.g. 56. Brook 58. Easter flower Answers to today's puzzle on page 24
Fill in the blank cells using numbers 1 to 9. Each number can appear only once in each row, column, and 3x3 block. Use logic and process of elimination to solve the puzzle. The difficulty ranges from 1-10 (easy) 11-15 (moderate) and 1620 (hard). Today’s puzzle is level 15. Sudoku and Crossword answers on page 24