Letters

Election

Destroying campaign signs is a crime

I have noticed that many campaign signs for local, state, and federal races throughout the Edmonds and Mountlake Terrace area have been “taken down.” It is happening to both Democrats and Republicans and frankly, it makes me sick. RCW 29A.84.040 states, “A person who removes or defaces lawfully placed political advertising including yard signs or billboards without authorization is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable to the same extent as a misdemeanor that is punishable under RCW 9A.20.021. The defacement or removal of each item constitutes a separate violation.”

As you can see, it is a crime to do this. This is an insult to the candidates, it is immature, and it shows disrespect for our country’s political process. It accomplishes nothing other than showing you have lack of patriotism. I support the Mike McGavick campaign, but that doesn’t mean I go around removing Maria Cantwell signs, because I understand and respect the political process. Adults do it. Kids do it. It’s not right.

ANDREW FUNK

Mountlake Terrace

Community

Food banks need donations, volunteers

Food banks not only run low on food during the summer months, but also cash and volunteers.

Please consider sending a check to your local food bank to help purchase needed food for hungry neighbors.

Food banks operate year around and need our attention and support at the end of a busy summer.

If you have time to volunteer, drive a truck, sort food, hand food to neighbors, please contact your neighborhood food bank and let them know you are willing to help.

Send checks to: Edmonds Food Bank, 828 Caspers St., Edmonds 980926. To volunteer, call 425-778-5833; Lynnwood Food Bank, 5326 176th St SW, Lynnwood, 98037. To volunteer call 425-745-1635; or Mountlake Terrace Food Bank, 4700 228th St. SW, Mountlake Terrace 98043. To volunteer call 425-778-7227.

REV. RICHARD GIBSON

Lynnwood

National

Do not typecast all Muslims as violent

I am responding to Craig Spicer’s letter to the Editor. (The Enterprise, Sept. 6) I am sorry to say that sometimes ignorance does cross cultural boundaries. I believe that there is no formal form of processes of assimilation here in the United States where one can make a factual conclusion about its successes or failures with relationship to all immigrants.

It is wrong to pass judgment and more so to lump all Muslims with the perpetrator of the violent act at the Jewish Center in Seattle.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the city of Lynnwood and neighboring cities are good neighbors. They are caring with strong family values, like yours and mine, and very much connecting with our community. I am suggesting that let us all carry out certain responsibilities and help our political leaders to understand that continued violence cannot solve the fear and tension many are experiencing in our country.

MARIA AMBALADA

President, Filipino American Community of Lynnwood

Edmonds

Forests are dying so homes can be built

By using the Planned Residential Development process, with help from the city planning department, our neighborhood hills and ravines are being cut down and filled in all around Edmonds; all without environmental impact statements.

Our elected city council members are responsible. They are required to plan for growth by the Growth Management Act. They have chosen to allow developers to cut down wooded hills and fill in watersheds to build new homes. Wouldn’t it be better for Edmonds for the city council to stimulate more multi family housing along busy arterials rather than impact neighborhoods?

When developers build three houses where two used to be, or strip hills and ravines of natural vegetation to build more houses, the neighborhood suffers. There are more cars, more traffic, and more people packed tighter together. Without natural buffers, neighborhoods merge into giant housing tracts.

Highways 99 and 104 are busy arterials that already have bus service. Multi family housing placed along these routes would not increase traffic or people in the neighborhoods. If the city council would vote to allow five or more stories along busy arterials, then developers would redevelop the old and worn out along the highways instead of cutting down woods on hills and ravines in the neighborhoods.

DON KREIMAN

Edmonds