Editorials

<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   HAVE YOUR SAY Feel strongly about something? Share it with the community by writing a letter to the editor. You’ll need to include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) We reserve the right to edit letters, but if you keep yours to 250 words or less, we won’t ask you to shorten it. If your letter is published, please wait 30 days before submitting another. Send it to: E-mail: letters@heraldnet.com Mail: Letters section The Herald P.O. Box 930 Everett, WA 98206 Fax: 425-339-3458 Have a question about letters? Contact Carol MacPherson (cmacpherson@heraldnet.com or 425-339-3472).   Published: Friday, October 16, 2009 ENDORSEMENTS / MUKILTEO CITY COUNCIL 2 races, 4 good candidates Richard Emery stepped onto a steep learning curve when he was appointed to fill a vacant seat on the Mukilteo City Council 20 months ago. He's proven himself a quick study, and an effective council member. Although he faces an impressive challenger in Ed Kunigonis, we recommend voters elect Emery to a full term in Position 2. Emery's credentials suggested he was a good choice to fill the seat formerly held by Marko Liias, who left to join the state Legislature. He was an active organizer of the Japanese Gulch Group, a grassroots organization working to preserve the gulch as open space. A home remodeler, he served on the boards of Habitat for Humanity in Seattle and Everett, leading the Everett board for three years. He's intelligent, even-tempered and works well with others. He's also practical. On one of the key issues facing the city, the potential annexation of 11,000 residents and commercial space to the south, he says he's open but skeptical — an appropriate stance. When the annexation was being pushed this year, he argued for waiting until the impact of the recession on city finances was better known. Now, Emery says, Fire District 1's legal challenge has bought the city time that it should use to study the pros and cons thoroughly and explain them to citizens. Kunigonis, a Boeing security manager, says he has knocked on thousands of doors during the campaign, listening carefully to citizens. He pledges to let their views guide him on the council, rather than operating from a personal agenda. We admire that approach, even though we question how well anyone can really know what most of the community thinks about an issue at any given time. We'd like to see Kunigonis have a chance to serve; just not at Emery's expense. In the only other contested race, and in a close call, we favor challenger Patty Cooper over one-term incumbent Kevin Stoltz, who ran unopposed in 2005. Like Kunigonis, Cooper has doorbelled extensively, and says she'll regularly and actively solicit citizens' views if elected. A supporter of the proposed annexation, she makes a compelling case that without it, citizens will soon face higher taxes, reduced services or both. Cooper is recently retired after a career as a 911 operator. Stoltz has been a leading voice for increasing public access to the waterfront, a point in his favor. He is criticized by some as a naysayer on many issues rather than a force for cooperation but that's not necessarily a weakness — the positions he has taken no doubt represent those of certain blocs of citizens. Stoltz opposes the current annexation plan because it contains “dicey” parts of Highway 99, a view many residents no doubt share. We think Cooper has a realistic view of why that commercial space is needed — sources of new revenue are limited — and of the wisdom of having more influence over how it's developed. READER COMMENTS Log in or register to post new comment | Log out VOTE STOLTZ AND APPEARANCE OF FAIRNESS Thank you for shedding light on this very important issue: APPEARANCE OF FAIRNESS DOCTRINE, relating to state action. The appearance of fairness doctrine applies to all local decision-making bodies including City Officials (i.e., the Mayor and City Council). This doctrine relates more directly to quasijudicial proceedings but it also applies to how state actors, like City Officials, appear to the public. The Test for Fairness is: Would a fair minded person in attendance at a proceeding like such as a city council meeting, say (1) that everyone was heard who should have been heard, and (2) that the decision-maker was impartial and free from outside influences? First, can Mukilteo locals honestly say (1) everyone is going to be heard when Mayor Joe Marine is actively seeking to oust Kevin Stoltz, one of few voices of dissent? Second, can Mukilteo locals honestly say the decision-maker is impartial and free from outside influences when it appears that some sitting council members were recruited from his church, just like Candidate Patty Cooper? Minal Kode | Oct 16, 2009 3:45 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal VOTE STOLTZ!!! Apparently the Herald did not attend the October 14th Candidates Debate sponsored by our hometown paper, The Mukilteo Beacon. We witnessed "Patty Palin" (oops-I mean Cooper!) answer a "yes" or "no" question with the words "I ABSTAIN". Since when does "I ABSTAIN" mean either "yes" or "no"? Who or what is she hiding from? We witnessed Patty reading her canned answers from her notes. I am wondering why she needed canned notes for a debate - is she not able to retain critical information - is she unable to think on her feet - or does she just need to parrot the party line? Is this the type of representation we want? We witnessed Patty looking like a deer in the headlights as she struggled to engage in critical thinking. When asked to describe what experience she had that qualified her for the council position her response was to snipe at Stoltz instead of logically outlining a thoughtful answer. When asked to provide a rebuttal (remember this was a debate) she replied with a twinge of annoyance that she already had when she clearly had not. Her confusion was not confidence-inspiring. And we witnessed an untruth...when asked why she chose to run she did not tell the audience what she had told the Beacon - that the reason she was running was because Joe Marine asked her to run for council when she really just wanted to be on a city commission. Can you say "Patty want a cracker?" Do we really want someone who appears to be another hand-picked parrot on the council? ("Hand Picked Parrot" may seem a bit harsh. But consider this: Mayor Joe Marine and several council members as well as the city administrator all attend the same church AND these same people appear to be in lock-step. This is a little frightening to me, even though I like each of them as individuals and have nothing against churches. I am curious though, about their overall agenda.) The antidote? We need critical INDEPENDENT thinkers like KEVIN STOLTZ on our council! Kevin is a team player who is not afraid to ask hard questions and provide balance to a council that sorely needs this. VOTE FOR A VOICE! VOTE FOR A CHOICE! VOTE STOLTZ! Terry Preshaw | Oct 16, 2009 12:49 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal Candidates endorsements for Mukilteo City Council I agree with the Herald's endorsements of Richard Emory and Patty Cooper for the two contested Mukilteo City Council seats. It should also be noted that all four candidates - and all candidates seeking election in Mukilteo, including the mayoral race - recognize that a vast majority of local residents are against commercial flights at Paine Field. And all candidates indicated they would support that position if elected, and agreed it would be extremely detrimental to the quality of life for residents of Mukilteo and surrounding communities. Chris Salditt | Oct 16, 2009 10:03 am | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal Candidates endorsements for Mukilteo City Council I agree with the Herald's endorsements of Richard Emory and Patty Cooper for the two contested Mukilteo City Council seats. It should also be noted that all four candidates - and all candidates seeking election in Mukilteo, including the mayoral race - recognize that a vast majority of local residents are against commercial flights at Paine Field. And all candidates indicated they would support that position if elected, and agreed it would be extremely detrimental to the quality of life for residents of Mukilteo and surrounding communities. Chris Salditt | Oct 16, 2009 10:03 am | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal

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