Sammamish Forum
June 24, 2008
By Staff
Not the city’s money
In the Sammamish City Newsletter, Issue 72, Mayor Lee Fellinge talked about the city’s 2009-2010 budget saying ”This is not the city’s money; it is your money… I invite you to keep track of these discussions and let us know what you think.”
You want to know what we think? Really, Lee?
Since you are listening, here is my number one recommendation. Scrap the East Lake Sammamish Parkway project.
But then, taxpayers have been saying this for years so why do I think you will listen this time? In spite of months of the public input and design reviews ad nauseam you are planning to adopt the same design that you initially proposed! You changed nothing based upon all of the ‘public input.’
You adopted the most expensive alternative to boot!
But, since you are really listening this time, here is some information for you to consider. First, your staff has stated that the proposed design does nothing to relieve congestion, the number one problem for the parkway.
It is very likely that the Redmond construction and reclassification of the car-pool lane on the new flyover will eliminate or dramatically ease the problem – with no help from Sammamish.
Second, you will be spending an estimated $46 million (of our money), or 35 percent of the total five-year Concurrency Projects expenditures, on this single project (of the seven total projects).
Yet, the essential benefit is a ‘more beautiful’ road. Give me a break, Lee. Third, you are planning to spend over $15 million on the Inglewood Hill Road segment alone.
How in the world do you justify this when the state Department of Transportation was able to build an entire exit and flyover for $12 million?
Note that the flyover actually delivers real benefits. Why don’t you spend the $200,000 suggested by your staff to improve the Inglewood Hill Road intersection instead and either save the taxpayers the money or build the recreation and social center that our community so desperately needs.
I’m glad you’re listening.
Michael J. O’Connell
Sammamish
Cut city spending
Well, well, well, we finally find out what the binge spending by the Sammamish City Council is going to yield us … higher taxes.
In today’s (June 18) Sammamish Review, the City Council is planning to hit us with taxation without the ability to vote once again.
Let’s start with the best novel ideas our enlightened City Council can come up with. 1) a 6 percent tax on our utilities and 2) a tax on business. Good idea City Council, pile on.
Our utility bills are rising and make everything cost more. I think that we, the citizens, should recall the City Council if these initiatives are acted upon.
Since becoming a city, our city has spent money like a drunken sailor: park properties, medians with high maintenance landscaping and lights, $42 million on the East Lake Sammamish Parkway, roundabouts, an over budget City Hall (shrine) and shazam.
They want to now raise our taxes to maintain this infrastructure and more projects currently under planning (read Town Center).
It makes sense that when you hire people to develop a city they justify more and more expenditures or else they would not be able to justify why they are employed.
Here is the solution: stop spending money now. It is a recession, and when things get more expensive we should stop projects, stop the outflow, manage our city like a shrinking business and constrict. Smaller is better.
We only need road improvements to survive.
The world will not end if Sammamish does not have a library or if we pull up all the bushes (leave the trees) in the median on 228th so we don’t have to pay landscapers.
John Burg
Sammamish
Goodbye, neighbor
On June 30, Trinity Lutheran College will be closing the doors at its current location on the Sammamish/Issaquah border and moving to Everett.
This small college has been a quiet force for service and good in both Sammamish and Issaquah. While pursuing their studies, the students at Trinity have been involved in community service such as providing childcare to local families or groups like MOPS, swim lessons through work with the YMCA, working with seniors at Providence Point and Marionwood and internships and various projects with local churches.
Even though our family does not practice the Lutheran faith, we will miss the wonderful Advent and Easter concerts as well as the annual spring musical.
Everett is indeed fortunate to be gaining an institution that attracts such talented and committed young people. We will miss Trinity.
Sue Byron
Sammamish
Challenge Day in Sammamish
I would like to thank the Sammamish Review for being such great community partners and communicating all the exciting things happening here in Sammamish.
In a (much appreciated) community article, Sammamish Teens to get fist “Challenge Day” I’d like to clarify a couple of points.
Most importantly, Challenge Day program is not about fixing broken kids. Absolutely not!
It is not all gloom and doom with our youth. At their core they are all fantastic, bright and vibrant young community members.
The overall goals of the program are to increase personal power and self-esteem, to shift dangerous peer pressure to positive peer pressure and to eliminate the acceptability of teasing, violence, social oppression.
Challenge Day programs are designed to unite members of the community and to empower then to carry the themes of the program back to their schools and to the community at large.
This is possibly a once in a lifetime opportunity for us here in Sammamish. An opportunity that could change all our lives within a single day.=
Sosie Sagherian, Sammamish
Silent Minority: Time to Speak Up!
How many of you can identify?
It’s been a long day: the kid’s laundry disaster made everyone late; the computer at work has a mind of its own; and meetings were too many and too long. Now it’s time for Parents’ Night at school, and groups of you are standing around waiting for it to start. Someone starts talking about the elections and how horrible it is that Dino Rossi was robbed and didn’t get voted into the Governor’s Office.
Do you shoot back with a pithy and insightful remark that displays at once humor and grace, conveying your deep-felt democratic ideals of inclusion and oneness with the universe?
Or do you stand silently by, smiling? Not in agreement, but that awkward smile of “Oh crap, what do I say?” That would be me. I’m tired, I’m frazzled, and the last thing I want is to pick a fight with a parent at my child’s school. Ya gotta pick your battles, right?
Fast forward to February 2008 Precinct Caucuses. So many people, so many enthusiastic Democratic neighbors. I never, ever would have thought she was a Democrat. I didn’t know she was in my precinct. He lives two houses down; why haven’t we ever talked politics? Oh my Gosh – I am not alone! I am not alone! I have found a home for my voice. Time to speak up for myself!
Speaking up takes courage, but it’s worth it!
Why do we fear dissent? Why do we expend so much energy avoiding conflict? What’s the worst that will happen? Someone might not like us? Our kids will be embarrassed? (“Oh, Mom….”) People decide whether they like you or not within minutes of meeting you, regardless of your politics. No point beating around the bush with people or being shy when the stakes are so high.
My message to Sammamish is that this year’s elections are too important to worry about being popular. If, like me, you support Obama, Gregoire, Burner, and other Washington State Democratic candidates for public office, now is the time to use our voices to speak up for change. We have to do everything in our power to effect the “change we believe in.”
I challenge us all to answer the call and do more than just speak up. Let’s go a step further. Sign up to be a Precinct Caption, contact your local Party representatives, volunteer, get the vote out, work tirelessly to recruit others to the cause. Do not rest, do not waver, stay the course. Be not afraid, you are not alone. We can do this. With our voices. Yes We Can!
Allison Rae Hannigan
Sammamish
Learn – Vote
Steven Christofferson, age 20, woke and dressed for his job, like most of us. Unlike most of us, Steven‘s body was ripped apart by an explosion that rocked his vehicle on April 21 of this year. Steven is one of over 4,000 U.S. deaths in Iraq. In addition there have been tens of thousands of disabled veterans and more than 200,000 civilian casualties since we invaded in March 2003. The war in Iraq was ill advised, absolutely unnecessary and a criminal misdirection of our military resources.
As a military veteran, I am sickened by the gross ineptitude of Pres. George Bush as Commander in Chief as well as Vice Pres. Dick Cheney and the deliberate abuse of the public trust granted to them.
I am appalled by the lies perpetrated to justify attacking Iraq. Bush and Cheney are being condemned in the court of public opinion, but should also be tried in the Hague for crimes against humanity.
I am proud to be an American and to have served in the military. However, I will not condone stupidity or endorse liars.
What of our own nation? We are in recession. We rank 37th in the list of developed nations in providing affordable health care. In major cities fewer than 50 percent of high school students graduate.
Candidate for president Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has promised to keep us in Iraq for 10 or more years.
He wants to be a ‘war president’ and knows little about economics or the problems with health care.
As November approaches I encourage you to do at least two things.
First, ignore the sound bites and spend time learning about the issues and candidates. People are elected, not political parties. Some of you may be staunch Republicans but I sincerely doubt that you would want (if it were possible) four more years of George Bush.
Second, if you haven’t already done so, register to vote.
Let me deliberately misquote Edmund Burke – “All that is necessary for incompetence to triumph is for good men to do nothing”. Learn – vote.
Michael J. O’Connell, Sammamish
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