The Shoreline City Council’s appointment of former School Director Paul Grace to the vacant seat on the Council ends a contentious process for the city.
Grace’s consensus-building skills will be tested on a Council sharply divided over the Aurora Corridor project and over the selection process.
Grace’s joining the Council was aided when minority members of the current Council changed their votes to make his appointment unanimous. But, he may have a more difficult time dealing with Council member John Chang, who skipped the final selection meeting, and Council member-elect Maggie Fimia. She had hoped for the selection to be delayed until January, when she’ll replace Kevin Grossman, whom she defeated in a close November election.
Grace said his first order of business will be to meet individually with all of his future colleagues before the Council convenes on the first Monday in January. He said he doesn’t expect Council members to reach unanimity on every issue but that he hopes that they can operate with respect for each other’s views.
It’s time for the city’s elected representatives to begin the coming year operating in an atmosphere of mutual respect.
Using a phony excuse
Opponents of the Shoreline Council selection process pointed to the hardship of forcing a Jewish applicant for the Council seat to interview during Hanukkah.
That’s a phony argument.
An observant Jew would not work during Passover or on Yom Kippur, but Hanukkah is not at that level.
Referendum wouldn’t work
An insert in the Dec. 5 paper asked for signatures on a “referendum” to repeal the Shoreline Council’s action to set a December deadline for applying for the open seat on the Council, filled last week by Paul Grace.
If the “referendum” supporters got enough verified signatures the issue would appear on the next general election ballot in November of ‘04.
That’s awfully late to do anything about the recently completed selection process.
Minority turnout: so what?
Every news release from opponents of the selection process, pointed out that 60 percent of the city’s voters “sat out” the election. How did that affect the process? Even more people “sat out” the election in other parts of King and Snohomish counties. Does that make the rest of our elections less valid?
Political parties lost
The City Council selection process came to a successful conclusion despite calls by local Democratic and Republican organizations to delay the process.
The party organizations again showed little regard for anything but their own influence.
Scale back sports
Last week the University of Washington fired its softball coach, following a scandal over a team doctor who gave medicine illegally to players. A few months earlier, University officials fired the head football coaches because he had lied about betting on the NCAA basketball tournament. A year ago, the University suspended an assistant basketball coach for recruiting violations. It’s time not just to clean up the system, but to change it.
Sports at the university should be activities for students not sources of entertainment for the community.
First, that means holding potential student-athletes to the same standards as other students. If the average University freshman comes to college with a composite SAT score of 1200, no athlete should get in without a 1000 score, Now, they can play as long as they meet the NCAA minimum of 700. A few years ago, the state eliminated preferential treatment for minorities; it’s time to eliminate them for athletes.
Let’s also create more opportunities for students to participate. That means more junior varsity teams and teams in more sports.
Next, the University should evaluate and pay coaches on scales comparable to other University employees. A head coach should get pay, benefits and protections like faculty members and other professionals. Before Rick Neuheisel was fired as football coach, he was the state’s highest paid employee. Should a coach earn more than the dean of the medical school? A head coach could be paid on the scale of a senior professor, their assistants like associate or assistant professors.
Would all of this hurt the level of play? Probably. If so, so be it. Harvard, Yale and the University of Chicago no longer play at the level they once did, but they provide good sporting experiences for their students. That should happen at state universities.
Make the train worthwhile
The beginning of Sounder commuter-rail service between Everett and Seattle is good news, but it will be meaningful only if it leads to more complete service.
Trains from Everett and Edmonds run only for people who want to get to to Seattle at a little before 8 a.m., and they run north only for people who need to leave Seattle at a little after 5 p.m..
But, we know that many people need to ride at other tomes. For those people, Sound Transit promises more trains. We need more, But Sound Transit needs to provide service for people who will travel north.
We’d like to know what you think. If you have a comment send it to
The Enterprise
P.O. Box 977
Lynnwood, Wash. 98036
E-mail: entopinion@.com
Fax: 425-774-8622
Evan Smith is the Enterprise Forum editor.
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