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Question of the Week Should the United States spy on its allies? To vote in this week’s poll, see www.courierherald.com
The Enumclaw Courier-Herald • Page 6
Letters
What did you think about the answers to three questions in last week’s Courier-Herald from the City Council candidates? Dennis Box, the managing editor, and I felt it was important to show our readers whether the candidates possessed the skill of critical thinking by answering difficult political questions. They were asked to comment about the direction the city of Enumclaw should take in regard to fixing our streets and utilizing the Expo Center. The candidates had to work hard to formulate solutions. City officials and school district staff were contacted for answers. I’ve answered the questions myself because, since I don’t face the voters in the polls, I have no agenRich Elfers da. My hope is that Columnist my perspectives will help you, the voters, to make the best choices for the city council. Question 1: Are you willing to raise taxes to fix our streets? (This can be done using councilmatic bonds and not going to the public for a vote.) This question was probably the hardest one for the council candidates to answer. Publicly advocating a tax increase is currently tantamount to committing political suicide. Almost all the responses stated they would go to the public for a vote to raise taxes. That was the politically correct answer and accurately reflects the mood of voters in the nation, but it is not the type of government we have. We have representative government. What do we need a council for if every decision was subject to a citywide election? The reason we elect representatives in the first place is because the issues are often very complex and require more time and study to find the best solutions. A street study ordered by the city and done six to seven years ago strongly warned that the longer streets were allowed to run down, the costlier it would be for the taxpayers to fix them. The council has avoided investing in streets for most of the last five years because they were afraid of the public’s wrath over increased taxes. The council also resisted going into debt to fix them because they feared they could not pay it back due to slumping city income during the recession. These were valid concerns, but in my opinion, short-sighted. The best and honest answer is for the council to think in the long term. What approach towards streets costs the least money? The least costly approach is constant maintenance. Wellmaintained streets also raise property values. 2. Should the city give the Expo Center to the school district, or should the city stay the course with the current plan of renting the venue to different groups and events? Giving the Expo Center to the school district was hypothetical. It was meant to cause candidates to think out of the box. Some got stuck on the question. One council candidate said it was probably illegal to give
The ceremonial lighting of the community tree and lamp poles in purple, the handling of violence by pop culture, and the willingness of community members to reach out for others was displayed for all on Oct. 1 at the Domestic Violence Awareness Month presentation. For the last three years LINCCK has highlighted how we can better interact with others in our community and have healthier relationships with intimate partners. This year’s program had the EHS Drama Club present four skits with scenes from sitcoms to musicals. Folks were tapping their toes to popular music, not realizing lyrics told of wanting a partner dead rather than being with another. Kim and Dave Sweeney, retired officer Dave Voss and Bernie McKinney helped make this presentation a success. The students, organized by Katee Wilson, did an amazing portrayal of what happens in these terrible situations. Often pop culture at best offers no solution to domestic violence, and at worst even glorifies DV. The initial skit, performed before folks knew that actors were present, was so real that a bystander actually intervened to help the victim. That was the essence of our message – bystanders taking action. Thanks goes to the city of Enumclaw for bringing awareness to this issue, and to community members that support LINCCK’s efforts of making our community healthier. LINCCK Civility-Compassion-Kindness
See ELFERS, Page 32
Volume 114 • Wednesday, October 30, 2013 • No. 7
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Yes: 3.8% No: 96.2%
Wednesday, October 30, 2013 • www.courierherald.com
Columnist reviews candidate answers
In Focus
LAST WEEK: When recreational marijuana becomes legally available, will you be a buyer?
Thanks to all for making a healthier community
Support firefighters’ mission to serve public I love working in this community and have seen some very posi-
Due to an abundance of letters, some will appear online only. Visit www.courierherald.com. tive changes over the past two years effecting myself, my family, my team members and my community. I have great concern about the ramifications if Proposition No. 1 (fire levy increase for District 28) does not pass. Since Fire District 28 annexation in 2011, moving the governing body of the fire department from the city to the district and also through a Federal SAFER Grant, the minimum number of firefighters, on shift, has positively increased from two to four. This has allowed for the transport of medical patients to our hospital and has given the firefighters the immediate ability to search a structure fire for viable victims, rather than having to wait for another engine company to arrive. There must be two crews available (at least four firefighters) to cover concurrent medical aid calls or for immediate entry to a structure fire. Having them transport has greatly increased community satisfaction (not waiting 15 to 45 minutes for an AMR crew to arrive, as well as having members of the community provide the care); ER (emergency room) staff satisfaction greatly increased (getting the story from the first responders on the scene and providing continuity of care); and increased revenue to the community. As a medical team member and a mother in this community, I truly believe that asking to pay $0.31 more per $1,000 assessed value of your home (cost of approximately $7 per month for a house costing $300,000) is not too much to ask. That will bring Enumclaw’s fire and EMS rate to $1.80. Comparably, Buckley is assessed at $2.07 per $1,000 and District 44 is at $2.15 per $1,000, and more if their excess levy passes. It is unacceptable for my family or other families in the community to
not be able to rely on the success and safety of our 911 system and have it continue to grow with our needs. Our firefighters work their bunker gear off to offer their best efforts to a community that they adore and provide outstanding service to every day. They, in my opinion, are second to none. Please vote “yes” to Proposition No 1. Meesa Taylor Enumclaw
Supports firefighters, not the ballot proposal Note: the following is addressed to King County Fire District 28. As a taxpayer. I have been interested in the debate going on. I have been reading the information regarding the spending. I have been paying attention to both sides. I attended the (Oct. 16) meeting and I would like to see that meeting done over. How about a larger venue where more non KCFD citizens could sit down and participate? I would like a mediator to keep things civil. I would like Elbert Reed to be in attendance. I will rally our local League of Women Voters to attend. I oppose the levy lid lift but that does not mean I am against our local firefighters. That does not mean I am against future levies. Right now KCFD 28 is asking for a significant increase over the previous levy. You are asking for this increase over six years. You are telling us it is for maintenance and equipment. I, along with many others, are concerned with how a significant reserve fund has been managed. I do not say that to criticize, merely to point out there have been choices
See LETTERS, Page 7
Don a costume, enjoy the night As you may realize, the roots of Halloween are planted in pagan society, apparently in the Celtic festival of Samhain. For three days, from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2, the ancient Celts celebrated the final harvest, death and the onset of winter. During this period, they believed the curtain dividing the living and the dead was lifted and the souls of the departed walked among us, accompanied by all kinds of other goblins, ghosts, witches and demons. The Druids even called upon Satan himself – the only time of year when such a summons wasn’t the most gross of sins – to aid in placating these dark,
Wally’s World Wally DuChateau Columnist
supernatural powers that supposedly controlled part of nature’s whimsical fancies. Through the centuries, certain practices stemming from such ancient times evolved and morphed into costumes, trick-ortreating, jack-o-lanterns and today’s
Halloween parties. These modern, playful customs were brought to America by Irish immigrants, but most other fundamentalist Christian immigrants, like the Pilgrims, condemned such mirthful celebrations because they seemed to worship evil beings. Today, some religious sects and denominations, Christian and otherwise, still reject Halloween traditions because of their pagan beginnings. This seems a bit strange and irrational. I mean, we have all kinds of traditions, like honeymoons, wed-
See WALLY, Page 30