Putting the skids on change | Federal Way letters
Published 11:11 am Monday, November 23, 2009
The good news is that the majority of Federal Way voters won in their struggle to finally elect their mayor. The victors now want and expect the process to move along as prescribed by law.
But what’s this? The rules have now changed? At last Tuesday’s special city council meeting, council member Dini Duclos came to the rather bewildering conclusion that, because the margin of victory was not great, there was no hurry to proceed with the election. I guess she was home sick the day they defined democracy at school.
Then acting Mayor Jack Dovey hurriedly put forth a motion to put the election off until next November. Mind you, the people have been told for months that the election would occur within six months. Well, the motion was so absurd, it was voted down. But make no mistake, it will be made again.
The bottom line here is obvious. The “vote no” group — and that includes most of your city council — has figured out how to put the skids on change.
And they found yet another loophole that allows them to hang on to control over Federal Way city government. Rather than let the situation resolve itself the way it should, our leaders have discovered a loophole in the law whereby they get to decide what the new mayor’s salary shall be. An obvious move indeed. First, they overpaid a city manager, claiming he was worth his weight in gold. Then they fired him. Now, they say they know what a mayor is worth? Huh? These are the people who don’t want a mayor! They can manipulate the candidates with this move. And this can’t be overstated: It was one of the main arguments of the “vote no” group that “we could end up with an unqualified mayor.” Well, guess what? Offer nothing, and we’ll get that kind of mayor. If everyone truly wants “the best and brightest” running for this, the highest of city office, leave the salary issue alone.
Folks, this is not simply about that salary. This is about the group that lost saying, “Oh, yeah Well, just watch this!” They couldn’t win the election on merit, but they found a way to hijack the results anyway. Is anyone surprised? Oh, you’ll hear something totally different I’m sure. You’ll hear about how they are acting on your behalf. About how they are making sure this process proceeds in an “accountable” way. Right. And Dorothy shouldn’t have looked behind the curtain.
When it comes time to cast your vote for mayor, remember the names of those who have, in effect, proclaimed: “The voters may think they have won, but the only way there will be a real mayor in this town is under our terms.” Well, that won’t do. Those who lost this election should not be dictating the outcome. The voters spoke. They aren’t stupid, and they don’t need to be saved from their own actions. Let the process of change work.
David McKenzie, Federal Way
