www.federalwaymirror.com [ LETTERS from page 8] in a parking lot. Your article infers that you don’t believe Officer Crispin saved my life. Well, he did. This punk slashed my arm down to the bone, severing the muscles completely and cutting an artery. Officer Crispin took one look on his arrival at the scene, got a tourniquet and applied it effectively to my arm. The orthopedic surgeon who treated me at Harborview credits Officer Crispin with saving my life. The punk who assaulted me with his “neck knife” and then fled the scene claimed that I was beating him up. He even had his brother give him a black eye to back up his story. How do we know Megan Graham didn’t acquire her black eye the same way? Yes, the man acted stupidly in pursuing relations with other women, but you conveniently ignored the fact that the woman responded in kind, then developed a conscience. Shades of Monica Lewinsky! You cite the number of phone calls from Officer Crispin to her, but ignore her calls to him. He did not “abuse his authority” by forcing himself on her and I know first-hand that he wears his wedding ring prominently, so she knew he was married when she responded to him. Now we’re to believe that she sent him nude pictures of herself in an attempt to get him to stop? Calling Officer Crispin a pervert and a bully is like calling Bill Clinton a terrorist. But you’re not interested in publishing the entire story because then you could not enthrall your readers with yet another story of the misuse of authority by those “evil, perverted” police officers. Well, that “evil, perverted” police officer saved my life and I thank him, as do my family, friends and co-workers. Shame, shame, shame on you for misusing your privilege as a journalist in order to discredit those who work hard every day to protect and save our lives.
Marjorie Neher, Kent
What’s the business plan for the PACC? Dear Federal Way City Council members, Here’s the information the public needs to know about the Performing Arts and Conference Center (PACC) before spending their hard-earned tax dollars. This is a basic business plan —
nothing more than any investor would ask before funding a startup business. I hope the Federal Way City Council has received this information from the PACC proposal before borrowing or directing tax dollars to the PACC project. This information should also be available to the public. • Evaluate initial startup costs. • Establish the fundamental viability of the project. • Define your services and customers and assess competitors. • Map out the business model, the goals and strategy used to achieve them. • Communicate clearly the business idea. • Explain your service. • Describe your target customer. Back up your evidence with reports and market research. • Explain how much your customers will pay for each of the services you will provide. • Explain how much service you can provide in a typical year. Back this up with supporting evidence. • Examine how much it costs to provide each service considering the overhead expenses, such as keeping the lights on or paying somebody to staff the front desk. • Detail how much startup investment will be required and what you need it for. • Explain why your business is viable and what evidence you have to support this claim. This will require market research to demonstrate that there is a viable market for your service. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Linda Pratt, Federal Way
The strength of our community On Saturday, Aug. 3, 130 volunteers of all ages came together to invest in two local elementary schools. Members of Grace Church Federal Way, South King Fire and Rescue, Communities in Schools, FWPS, Adelaide Elementary staff and families, Adelaide HOA, Roots Church and City Wide Christian Fellowship invested 520 man hours preparing the facilities and grounds for their students’ return next month. Some of the labor was backbreaking or tedious — picking weeds, pruning undergrowth, moving 24 yards of gravel, 12 yards of bark and painting buildings. These servant leaders made an investment in children they
[ ROEGNER from page 8] to replace retiring Mayor Pete Lewis. Backus had the support of Auburn’s political power structure and came in at 47 percent. Councilmember John Partridge had 37 percent and Scot Pondelick had 15 percent. However, with Backus under the magic 50 percent mark, this may turn into a race if Partridge can attract Pondelick’s voters. Over on the Eastside, King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn was thought by many to be vulnerable to an aggressive campaign by Shari Song
will never meet because they wanted to make a difference in the lives of students and encourage educators. They were willing to put the needs of another ahead of their own. The strength of our community is found in large hearts and generous spirits. Organizations like SKFR, CIS, FWPD, FWPS and others are led by serviceminded men and women who are committed to investing in the lives of others, and that commitment secures the future of our city. As elections draw near and much attention is given to what is “wrong with our leaders” or “wrong with our community,” I want to take this opportunity to thank those who faithfully and selflessly invest in our city. You make our city great.
Pastor Jon McIntosh, Grace Church Federal Way
Roegner’s column makes something out of nothing There he goes again. Political columnist Bob Roegner works hard to make something out of nothing, while also trying to incite dissension. It starts with the heading on the front page of The Mirror (which is clearly anti-mayor): “Roegner: Mayor refuses to challenge council.” Oh really? Just how did he “refuse?” What should he challenge them about? Should he make up something just for the sake of it? Roegner seems to have a “control issue.” He suggests some current council members are reluctant to implement things that would “reduce their power.” Has anyone heard them gloat about their “power?” He refers longingly to the “bully pulpit” of the mayor’s office to get things done. The need for “power” and “bully pulpits” is all in Roegner’s mind. Maybe that’s how Mr. Roegner “ruled” when he was mayor of Auburn. How did that work out? Federal Way doesn’t need “bullies.” What Mr. Roegner really wants is a dictator-mayor. Someone who will rule with an iron fist. He wants someone who will come in and fire all department heads, whether they needed it or not. Roegner laments that since Mayor Skip Priest started, “only one department head has left.” Could it be that the rest are doing [ more LETTERS page 10 ]
after his loss in last year’s Attorney General race. Maybe not. Dunn finished at 56 percent. Appointed Councilmember Rod Dembowski in District 1 took 70 percent and looks safe. Lastly, King County Executive Dow Constantine, as expected, rolled to victory with 76 percent. Try and see as many candidates in person as you can. The Mirror will host debates on Oct. 9 and Oct. 23.
Federal Way resident Bob Roegner, a former mayor of Auburn: bjroegner@comcast.net.
August 16, 2013 [9]
Mr. Federal Way’s Q&A: Kids, salaries, sexting Q: Hey Mr. Federal Way, why is it like pulling teeth to get my kids to go outside and play during the summer? A: Mr. Federal Way has the same problem, and it’s truly an amazing phenomenon. Mr. Federal Way remembers being a kid a “few” decades ago and never wanting to come inside, especially during the summer months when there was no school. What has changed? Mr. Federal Way knows the answer: video games and the endless television channels now available. Instead of meeting up with your buddies and heading down to the neighborhood park to actually play a “real” game of basketball, baseball, football, tennis, kick-the-can or hide-andgo-seek, kids can do all that stuff on their XBox or watch it on high-definition TV. And that’s not a good thing, at all. It’s easy to see why there is a big-time problem with child obesity nowadays. Heck, there’s actual campaigns all over TV designed to get kids out of the house to play. Really? It’s unbelievable that you need to coax kids to get off the couch to go have fun outside. But that’s exactly what Mr. Federal Way has to do these days. There have been numerous times where Mr. Federal Way has been forced to physically turn off the TV and tell the kids to “GET OUTSIDE.” The end result in Mr. Federal Way’s mandate usually ends with the kids standing around in the backyard counting down the minutes until they are allowed back in the house. It’s beyond frustrating. But, Mr. Federal Way and the rest of the parents have to take some of the blame. Mr. Federal Way has been known to sit in front of the TV watching re-runs of “Duck Dynasty” or “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” Q: Mr. Federal Way, what do you think of the Federal Way school superintendent’s pay raise and global trips? A: Obviously, Mr. Federal Way should have gotten into the superintendent business. Because penning a weekly question-andanswer column for the Federal Way Mirror is not putting Mr. Federal Way in the same tax bracket as the head of the schools in town. Federal Way Public Schools Superintendent Rob Neu’s base salary will be $240,000 for the 2013-14 school year, an approximate increase of $42,000 from the
base salary of $198,000 he made for the past two school years. According to The Mirror, Neu’s salary is the third highest for any superintendent in the state, behind only Seattle and Kent. Neu also got a chance to take three separate trips to China, Indonesia and South Korea this summer, mostly on the district’s dime. But, in America, you are worth the amount of money that somebody will pay you. It’s kind of similar to the sports world. People are always complaining about how much money professional athletes are making, but a lot of those people are the ones who overpay for tickets and pay $100 for a jersey. Obviously, the owners of those teams that pay millions for players are making enough money to sign these players. The Federal Way School Board, whom Mr. Federal Way and the rest of the voters in the city elect, feel the $240,000 salary is justified. But, the pay raise does raise the eyebrows of Mr. Federal Way. The people in the trenches get left out in the dark. Classified employees, which includes teachers, are the ones doing the hard work day in and day out. It’s just the American way, however. The people who tell the people how to do their job — they are the ones who make the money. That’s just the way the cookie crumbles. Q: Mr. Federal Way, have you ever been caught sexting (aka, sending lewd photos of yourself via text message)? A: No. Mr. Federal Way doesn’t understand the whole sexting craze. And it’s not just “dumb, immature” high school kids who are getting caught up in the sext world. Adults in power positions — like congressmen, firefighters and police officers — are sending lewd photos of themselves. Shouldn’t they know better? There is no way in the world that anybody in the world would find a Mr. Federal Way sext attractive. Mrs. Federal Way would still puke a little bit in her mouth if she saw a naked photo of Mr. Federal Way in her inbox. And Mr. Federal Way is fine with that. There’s really nothing attractive about a naked, hairy man’s body. Nothing. As Elaine Benes from “Seinfeld” said, “The male body is strictly utilitarian. It’s for gettin’ around, like a Jeep.”
Got a question for Mr. Federal Way? Email mrfederalway@federalwaymirror.com