Lila Smith

Politics has nothing to do with concern

Lila Smith is clueless to claim the outrage her neighbors have regarding her garage is political. It is personal. Those of us who have to see her eyesore on a daily basis and know she continues to break zoning codes are frustrated with her disrespect for her neighbors. She obviously built and continues to misuse this space to irritate her neighbors.

A political concern developed, for some of us Democrats, when we realized Lila Smith also represents the party. We see no way that a person who so disregards her neighborhood, should be our spokesperson on Democratic issues. But this is a tangential issue. The citizens, who signed the petition, represent a cross section of political beliefs.

Lila, you may want to write this off as political but get honest with yourself. Start respecting the concerns of your neighbors.

PEGGY MCLEOD

Shoreline

Zoning tiff gives naysayers a cause

A neighborhood tiff about a zoning enforcement issue is being used to generate discord. The facts are that someone built a garage, fully permitted by the city, that is too big for her immediate neighbors’ liking.

I’m not sure, but, knowing Shoreline, I would bet that views are involved. So some neighbors are trying to get the city to investigate whether there might be a zoning code violation.

The same usual gang who oppose the current Shoreline City Council majority have jumped on this issue and blown it full of hot air. They have circulated a petition in an attempt to attack their political opponents – including, naturally, the owner of the garage. According to an e-mail sent to the City Council containing an unsubstantiated smear and accusation of Council favoritism, some of these people seem to enjoy the spectacle as political theater.

What makes it really ugly is the cowardly and vicious campaign against the tenants in the house. There has been a campaign of harassment and bullying, including calling police to investigate nonexistent complaints.

It is really sad that respected people, including past officeholders, are choosing to lend their support, by signing the petition, to this campaign of harassment.

There is an aboveboard and fair way to engage in political fights. Personal attacks, attacks on proxies, phony recall campaigns and groundless lawsuits just don’t cut it. And to all people who like to make trouble and sit back and enjoy the show, get a life.

PETER HENRY

Shoreline

Coverage

Columnist misused Ryu’s comments

In the Friday, Sept. 22 “Yes for something needing funding” by Evan Smith, it seems either Mr. Smith did not watch the City Council meeting closely, or chose to pull my comments out of context and inaccurately quoted for controversy’s sake. That is unfortunate, because what I hear from the public is they would like their council meetings to be open, civil, and respectful.

During public testimony, a citizen started making allegations about another citizen as having lied. Even after audience members had been previously given an opportunity to speak (asked three times), Beth O’Neill did not speak up. Instead, she chose to yell down from the audience. This was inappropriate and out of order. It is our job to keep the discourse civil and I was doing my job on the City Council.

I do not want to encourage uncivil behavior. Shoreline City Council meetings provide ample opportunities for the public to speak. To be respectful of the public, certain proprieties must be observed which did not happen at this Sept. 11 meeting.

CINDY RYU

Shoreline City Councilmember

Public health

No funding could close local clinics

When Initiative 695 was passed in 1999, public health suffered a major funding hit. Add to that Initiative 747 and we now have a crisis in public health funding.

Public Health–Seattle &King County is currently proposing to close all its north King County clinics, Northshore in Bothell and North near Northgate Mall.

The health cost of these closures would be staggering. North Public Health is the only source of primary care to low-income individuals and families who have no health insurance north of the university district, with the exception of the Bothell-Kenmore Community Health Center, which is already overloaded. Both North and Northshore provide immunizations, low-cost family planning services, and are sites for the federal Women, Infant &Children’s (WIC) nutrition education and supplemental feeding program for low-income pregnant women and young children. Between the two clinics 80,000 people were seen in 2005 alone.

Do we really want hundreds of our north county citizens showing up in emergency rooms with heart attacks, strokes, and life-threatening diabetic crises because they can’t be seen by a primary care physician for cost-effective blood pressure and diabetes medication monitoring? Do we want low-income children in our schools (or kept from going to school) because they can’t afford to pay for immunizations? What about the costs of unplanned pregnancies due to lack of access to low-cost family planning services? (Many of which would end up on state Medicaid to pay for prenatal care and delivery.)

By reducing the number of available public health staff, it would also weaken the infrastructure available to respond in times of disease outbreak and disaster.

We need to secure sustainable funding for basic public health services. Contact your King County Council member and say you care about public health access in north King County.

NANCY GLADOW

Shoreline

National

Price reductions for gas are deceiving

I think it’s important to thank, and acknowledge the efforts of those responsible for lowering gas prices at the pump. We have seen a marked decrease in the cost per gallon we pay to fill our cars, trucks, motorcycles and boats.

Whom do I thank? There are lots of choices based on lots of theories on why this sudden decrease at the pump. Nobody that has been asked in the media has provided a straight answer. I don’t believe these experts really know but some of the guesses have been pretty amusing and some have been frightening. None of them satisfy me.

I subscribe to the theory that all prices fluctuate on the solid economic theory of supply and demand. Call me naïve, but I adjusted my driving habits, car pooled a little and tried to prioritize my gas burning. Not because I couldn’t afford the gas, but because I was aware of the ludicrous situation we, as a nation, have gotten ourselves into. I believe many like minded individuals chose to become aware and as a result the prices have dropped. That’s the good news.

The bad news is in the look of pure joy I see on the faces of some people lined up at the pumps. I’ve heard friends say they are sure relieved that gas is “reasonable” again. I have to keep from snapping at their short sightedness. Reasonable?

Fellow motorists, remain vigilant, remain aware and watch prices continue to drop as the oil barons tempt us with lower and lower prices. Don’t be fooled and don’t be manipulated by these heartless tycoons.

DAVID SMITH

Mountlake Terrace

Election

McGavick is just another Bush clone

Senatorial candidate Mike McGavick is a Republican known deservingly as a George W. Bush copy cat. From his stay-the-course war stance to his support for drilling in Alaska, Mike McGavick has demonstrated that he’s a true conservative Republican.

Like the president, McGavick thinks calling the “privatization” of Social Security “personal accounts” instead will fool the American people into supporting it. It still means guaranteed cuts for us, while giving Bush/McGavick allies on Wall Street and in the insurance industry big pay raises.

Sen. Maria Cantwell, on the other hand, has vowed to help protect our financial futures. You want money when you’re old? Vote to reelect Senator Cantwell.

NANCY THOMPSON

Edmonds