Sammamish Forum
July 30, 2008
By Administrator
Check priorities
I think the people of Sammamish better take notice right now of the plans being made for Sammamish Landing, which I see mentioned in the July 23 issue of the Sammamish Review.
Do we need a waterfront development where people build fires and have other recreational opportunities when the city of Sammamish is considering cutting funds for existing programs and not allowing EFR to add needed new employees or a transition program for young firefighters when retirement comes for others?
We need to use our funds for safety issues as this area gets more populated as it seems to be getting … like it or not.
It seems our local government, like our federal government, is getting loaded with many special interests and pet projects.
Deferring costs for necessities to have luxuries is not only dangerous but foolish.
Let’s save for luxuries as sensible families do and keep a quality Sammamish community.
Zandra Walker
Sammamish
Library is
already bought
I find it astonishing that the City Council rolls over to King County for $5 million to buy the existing library. Does anyone do the research down at City Council?
We, the taxpayers of King County were charged property taxes for eight years to build that dump of a library.
Now, our enlightened City Council wants us to pay for a new one in our property taxes, and then pay for the old one for a community center as part of the boondoggle bond issue (read: the city of Sammamish Credit Card).
Can I be more clear: property owners in Sammamish already paid for the library building.
As General Patton used to say “I don’t like paying for the same real estate twice.”
Wake up City Council. Do your homework and read a book on negotiations.
Has anyone at City Council even looked up the book value of the library?
Then subtracted what the taxpayers in Sammamish cumulatively contributed to the library system through the original bond debt, which should be our ownership value?
John Burg
Sammamish
Michael Lee is
heading to Boston
Growing up near Boston I am an avid (though some would say rabid) fan of the Boston Red Sox.
From me, all of my family and the rest of the Sox fans living in Seattle, congratulations Michael Lee from Sammamish for signing with the best team in the league.
Thanks to the Review for publishing this bit of news.
Michael J. O’Connell
Sammamish
Abuse must stop
Recently, I attended a conference in Seattle of more than 90 Catholic Church leaders from across the United States, those charged with implementing programs to ensure safe environments for children and youth in our parishes and schools.
The theme of the conference was From Compliance to Conversion, highlighting the need to offer such programs not because we have to, but because we recognize the pressing need to do so.
One statistic continues to startle me: By age 18, one in four girls, and one in seven boys, will experience some form of sexual abuse, a reminder that this is a societal problem, not one limited to the Catholic Church.
What if the whole community – public and private – set as its goal the total elimination of childhood sexual abuse?
What if our first step to do so was to lobby our Legislature to ensure that all schools – public and private – have the resources needed to offer research-based prevention programs, and then hold our schools – public and private – accountable for offering the needed training to our children and youth? Wouldn’t that be a great way to start?
If not us, who? If not now, when?
Rev. Robert Siler
Diocese of Yakima
Renewable energy needed
We’re all feeling the crunch of higher gas prices, but when are we going to learn that we can’t drill our way to oil independence or lower prices at the pump? Oil is a finite resource and the continued burning of fossil fuels exacerbates global warming.
We stand at a pivotal time in world history.
The decisions we make now will determine whether our children inherit an ever-increasing hostile world of wars over oil, or a world where clean, renewable energy ensures a healthy and secure future.
The choice is ours.
Amy Gulick
North Bend
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