I generally do not respond to Federal Way Mirror opinions but two recent editorials in the July 17 edition should have us all asking what is going on in our community. The Mirror’s lead opinionator Bob Roegner chose to write a 1,000 word matronly scold of Mayor Jim Ferrell’s reaction to a City Council candidate’s revelation that he was encouraged to run for council by the Federal Way mayor’s office.

While I was not at the candidates’ event, I ask everyone in Federal Way: “What would you do” if you were in the mayor’s shoes? Would you stand up and try and correct the record or let it slide? It is obvious, based on the Mirror’s reporting and the Mirror’s lead columnist’s opinionating that Ferrell took offense to the substance of a statement made by a council candidate and our mayor channeled his inner impression of Gov. Chris Christie.

If the mayor had said nothing, the story would have been about his silence and being too meek to publicly correct an inaccurate statement. Truth is, regardless of how either the Mirror reported the incident or opined and lectured the mayor on his actions, the part of the story that got lost is a potential lack of ethics or willingness of the candidate to overstate what he perceived to be an endorsement.

Personally, I’d rather have a fully engaged mayor who is willing to express himself on what he knows to be incorrect than someone who smiles at the odd predicament, walks away and waits for local news hawks to come to his defense. Would you let it go or try and correct misinformation knowing that any news media outlet may portray your efforts negatively regardless of your actions? The mayor may or may not have been eloquent in the moment but he must have felt he was being misrepresented. The real take-away is that we should all be on notice of how we present ourselves in the shared public space.

The Mirror’s go-to opinion Czar, when a little confusion is needed to spin a story, did his best to be negative about the Performing Arts and Events Center. The substance of his column paraphrases into: this is a bad investment, will not pay for itself and will cost the city millions of dollars.

Let’s look at Mr. Jarvis’ logic and try to understand his idea of governmental purpose. His sentiments, broadly expressed, are a desire for each cost center within our municipality to be self-funding. My two speeding tickets since I moved here are my contribution to the police department.

It is worth understanding that the business of government is to facilitate building a community. This includes a full range of opportunities and tools to enable growth and quality of life. I guess the concern is, and the request is, for the city to quantify its return on investment? It may not be able to do so at the moment but according to the nonprofit organization Americans for the Arts and their Arts and Economic Prosperity III Report the arts generate $7 in return for every dollar invested in the arts.

Also from the same report is this quote from Ken Fergeson, chairman and CEO of NBanC, and past president of the American Bankers Association: “As chairman of the Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce, I have visited businesses in almost every city and town in Oklahoma. There is a visible difference in places with a vibrant arts community. I see people looking for places to park, stores staying open late and restaurants packed with diners … the business day is extended and the cash registers are ringing.”

I choose a vibrant city and thank the members of City Council who voted unanimously for the Performing Arts and Events Center.

Keith Livingston, Federal Way