White Center Now: The blog about White Center

With ballots arriving in King County homes starting today, voting begins, and everything’s going to get pretty intense for the next two-plus weeks till voting ends and vote-counting starts on August 18th. We are welcoming any “letter to the editor” format comments on the election – as long as it’s an issue or position that White Center voters will be considering in this election. We start with one received from Stephen Lamphear:

Attention North Highline Annexation Voters: your voters pamphlet contains
a steamy, smelly pile of bovine fecal matter about annexation to Burien.
Here are some of the dung piles dropped by opponent Mark Ufkes:

Pile #1 — Mr. Ufkes does not live in the voting area – he is not affected
by the annexation vote. [full disclosure: I, too, do not live in the voting
area, but as a Burien resident will be affected by the vote.]

Pile #2 — The Westwood Village and White Center areas are not included in
the voting area, but I’m sure you can find a particular home in N. Burien
that is valued lower than a particular home in Westwood. So? Truth is: the
homes in unincorporated North Shorewood, Salmon Creek and Boulevard Park
(neighborhoods within the voting area) and similar to their long-time N.
Burien neighbors’ homes

Pile #3 — Mr. Ufkes has been a vocal critic of the North Highline Fire
Department. That despite the huge satisfaction level of residents. The
city of Burien does not provide fire services. All of Burien and North
Highline are served by independent Fire Districts — voters elect
Commissioners who set policies and standards. You will continue to be
served by Fire Commissioners you elect.

Pile #4 — Burien has no plans to hire more police officers AT THIS
TIME because it’s not necessary. Burien and North Highline share police
services provided by King County. That will continue after annexation. The
size of Burien’s police force will always depend on need.

Pile #5 — Burien has no budget deficit — in the state of Washington, all
governments are required to have balanced budgets; Burien always has. What
Burien doesn’t have is debt – it has operated as a cash basis city.

Pile #6 — If Burien decides to build a new community center with a tax, the
law requires the voters to approve any new taxes. There is no new tax on
the horizon.

Pile #7 — There is no such thing as a Burien downtown fire department tax for
Town Square. Town Square is a private development. No taxes have been or
will be used for this private project. There is also no massive property
tax giveaway to potential Town Square residents.

Pile #8 — There is no evidence that property values have any relationship
to your address. Property values are simply the value of your property
compared to similar properties in a similar neighborhood. Fire services are
also not related to your property value — a mansion gets the same fire
truck, the same emergency medical team, as does a modest bungalow.

An 8-year Burien City Councilmember, I live 4 blocks from the proposed
annexation area. I’m anxious to re-unite with my neighbors under one
government that promotes strong single family neighborhoods rather than the
rampant multifamily projects favored by King County and Seattle. Vote ‘YES’
on annexation.

Stephen Lamphear
North Shorewood

Again, other “letters to the editor” are welcome – whitecenternow@gmail.com is our address.

This story is not unique but it is entirely true.  A friend of mine recommended his barber and offered to pay for my haircut if I would get a buzzcut.  I took him up on his offer.  The barber found out that I had a legal background and started querying me about some financial difficulties he was having.

The barber had a small business that had always provided him with a decent living.  He had a large number of customers and therefore had few expenses beyond the rent, the lights and such incidentals.  He ran a lean operation. He owns a home, a  modest car and an otherwise unremarkable life.  He pays his bills on time and has excellent credit.  He appears to be in good health, not overweight, eats right and works hard.  To all appearances, he is an upstanding member of our community.

After finishing a haircut about a year ago, he felt a crushing pain in his chest.  He fell to the floor and a concerned customer immediately called 911. Mr. Barber was having an acute myocardial infarction, commonly referred to as a heart attack.  After being rushed to Harborview Medical Center, doctors performed a quadruple bypass surgery and nursed him back to health.

This episode of medical need cost the Barber over $50,000.00; money which he did not have and which his business could not generate.   Being uninsured, as are most business people in his position, the barber was liable for the full cost of this care.   Adding to his stress level, was the fact that the hospital kept calling him, demanding payment.  They implored him to put the payment on credit cards, as they well knew that he had credit.  What they failed to tell him, and of which I informed him, was that credit card debt was virtually nondischargeable in a bankruptcy filing.   The medical costs, all $50,000, however could easily be discharged in bankruptcy.  As with so many elements of our health care system this meant that the cost of his care would be socialized, that is , passed on to consumers, taxpayers and others in higher medical costs.

Now the barber could go on making incremental payments for the better part of his life.  This had the same effect as a bankruptcy filing or a mere refusal to pay, the costs of his care would be socialized.  In fact, outside of winning the lottery there is no conceivable way that a man in his position and age, given the skill-sets that he possessed, would be able to pay off the cost of his care following the heart attack.

There is absolutely nothing unique about this situation.  It is the story of millions of such small businesses.  Nearly one-third of the uninsured – 13 million people – are employees of firms with less than 100 workers.  That is to say, no health insurance of any kind.  Of those insured, the coverage is often reserved for catastrophic events with cavernous gaps in coverage.  And this is the plight of the small business person.  Never mind the unemployed, underemployed or just plain down on your luck types, such as the half-million who are being laid off every month and losing their employer-provided insurance.

The current delivery of health care in this country is nothing short of scandalous.  Take a look at some eye-popping statistics in this piece.   Health care reform is imperative.  As articulated by Dr. Howard Dean:

Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean said Thursday that without a public health insurance option – a federally-run program that would be offered in addition to private plans — the health care reform effort now being debated in Washington would not be worth supporting.

“There is no point in doing health care reform unless you have a public option people can choose from,” Dean said. “I think it is a waste of time and money to do it.”

The desired reduction in the cost of health care will not happen without such an option, he added.

“Cost containment is not going to be successful without a public option” he said.

Without a strong public option, all the tweaks to our health care system will be for naught.  We have operated under a system that divides health care costs between employers and those with government coverage such as Medicare.   The rest of us are screwed.  So, if you care about real health care reform contact your legislator in Congress and urge them to pass real health care reform, a bill with strong public option component.  Contact for Washington’s two Senators is as follows:

FIRST REPORT: We’ve been at the 34th District Democrats‘ meeting all night covering their long-running endorsement meeting (4 1/2 hours so far). Still to come – whether they will endorse the North Highline South Annexation vote. We’ll publish results here as soon as that vote’s done. 11:36 PM UPDATE: Speaking in favor of the annexation proposal, King County Council Chair Dow Constantine says he believes Burien will do a good job handling the extra area. Sharon Maeda is now speaking against it, saying she disagrees that Burien will be able to handle it. 11:42 PM UPDATE: A majority of those who are still here – 66 out of 70 voters – have voted to endorse the annexation proposal. However, there’s a challenge to whether there’s enough of a quorum here for that to count (it’s less than half the number of people who were here earlier in the evening). Update – They do have a quorum, so the 34th District Democrats officially endorse the annexation proposal.

10 am tomorrow in Burien, the King County Police Chiefs’ Association is sponsoring a King County Executive candidates’ forum focused on public safety issues. The 5 top KCE candidates have confirmed, according to organizers; here’s the latest. (P.S. If you are on the Seattle side of White Center, you may be interested in tonight’s 34th District Democrats candidates forum – KC Exec is *not* included, though, because of the forum a week ago in Fauntleroy.)

Reporter Kathy Mulady covered the Town Hall held by State Sen. Joe McDermott (photo left), Rep. Eileen Cody and Rep. Sharon Nelson for us – you can see her story and more photos at partner site West Seattle Blog.

Just announced tonight after the “blue ribbon panel” met to consider the four candidates. Here’s more at WSB.

We’re at the 34th District Democrats’ meeting tonight on behalf of White Center Now and partner site West Seattle Blog. Most WC-specific item so far – members have voted unanimously for a resolution opposing the county’s plan to shut down Evergreen Pool. (We’ll be checking with King County Council Chair Dow Constantine‘s office for the closure plan’s status.)

1. All three White Center (and beyond) state legislators will be there to update the results of the legislative session — a few days BEFORE their town hall in White Center.

2. The group will consider a resolution opposing the potential closure of White Center’s Evergreen Pool.

The 34th District Democrats meet at 7 pm Wednesday, The Hall at Fauntleroy in West Seattle.

When we published news yesterday of White Center’s state legislators holding a town hall meeting here Saturday morning, May 16, commenters asked why they had scheduled it concurrent with the big cleanup. They’ve now added participation to their plan, according to this revised news release we just received:

May 5, 2009

34th District lawmakers invite citizens to town hall meeting and White Center Clean up

McDermott, Cody and Nelson will take questions and talk about issues of the day before going to the White Center Spring Clean up

SEATTLE — All three lawmakers from the 34th Legislative District will host a
town hall meeting to talk about the 2009 session and what future steps our state should
take.

“It certainly has been a difficult session where we were forced to make some
very tough decisions. I think people have questions that they want answered, and this
will be a great opportunity for that to happen,” Sen. Joe McDermott, D-West Seattle,
said. “Knowing how our district feels will help us as we plan the future.”

The meeting is set for 10 a.m. May 16 at the Jim Wiley Community Center, 9800
Eighth Avenue SW in White Center.

“After 105 days away, it’s always good to come home and hear what our
neighbors are thinking,” Rep. Eileen Cody, D-West Seattle, said. “We know our district
well, but it’s always a good thing to learn more.”

The legislators plan to volunteer at the White Center Spring Clean Up following
the town hall. The Clean Up is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 16. More
information can be found by calling (206) 694-1082 or emailing info@wccda.org.

“We hope that people come to the event after they spend some time volunteering
at the Spring Clean Up, or come with us after we’ve completed the town hall,” Rep.
Sharon Nelson, D-Vashon Island, said. “This is combination of events of a terrific
example of an engaged citizenry.”

Sen. Joe McDermott and Reps. Eileen Cody and Sharon Nelson have just announced a Town Hall meeting at Wiley Center in White Center – we’ve got details at partner site West Seattle Blog.

Supreme Court Justice David Souter, who has generally been on the “left side” of the bench has stated that he will retire at the end of this term.  Among the names kicked around, as a possible replacement, is Seattle’s own Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Margaret McKeown.  As a lapsed lawyer with some insight into the process, and strong opinions on the matter, I will venture my thoughts on the possible nominees.  Feel free to contribute.

So says this news release just in from the King County Sheriff’s Office:

Sheriff Rahr Applauds Seattle Mayor

Sheriff Sue Rahr has applauded Seattle’s mayor Greg Nickels pledge that there will be no cuts to police or social services as he trims $13 million from the city’s budget for 2010.

In an e-mail to Nickels from Rahr on Friday, the Sheriff wrote, “I applaud you for making public safety a top priority in the face of difficult budget decisions. It’s refreshing to see an elected public official take action that demonstrates a real commitment to the safety and well-being of the people we serve.”

The Seattle Police Department plans on adding 154 officers between mid-2005 and 2012, a 25% increase in their patrol force. Those additions are on track as planned, despite the budget cut for next year.

The Sheriff’s Office has faced stiff reductions in their budget in 2009, and was forced to cut about $7.5 million for 2009, resulting in the loss of 47 deputies and 18 civilians assigned to unincorporated King County.

The Executive’s Office notified Sheriff Rahr to plan for another budget reduction in excess of $7 million for 2010. That could mean an additional 70 job cuts for next year.

Of course, as you know, somebody different will be in the executive’s office next year — since current Exec Ron Sims finally gets the confirmation hearing for his federal job this Thursday; an interim exec has not yet been chosen, but the list of candidates does not include those who are in the running for the “permanent” post this fall.

Lots of news this afternoon, and this is the latest development. We’ve posted the full announcement on our partner site West Seattle Blog; read it here.

First of two reports from tonight’s North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting — this one, focusing on the intensifying controversy over the county proposal to sell Puget Sound Park (as reported here yesterday, it’s already accepted “submittals” from firms interested in buying up to five county park sites to build “affordable housing”).

Toward the start of tonight’s meeting, council member Barb Peters read a letter the NHUAC sent to outgoing County Executive Ron Sims expressing opposition to any sale of Puget Sound Park.

James Bush, from the office of County Council Chair Dow Constantine, stood up and said the sale proposal’s not going anywhere. Constantine himself reiterated that in an e-mail to us after the meeting, saying in part:

… as far as I am concerned, we’re not selling Puget Sound Park. The Council would have to approve such an action, and my position has been clear:

1) Park land is precious and is not to be parted with except under extraordinary circumstances; and

2) Puget Sound Park is within Burien’s intended annexation area and any decision about changing the park can and should wait until after that annexation happens.

Burien city manager Mike Martin was at tonight’s meeting too and warned NHUAC members not to leave anything to chance, saying they have to get the county executive to remove the park from the list. From what he’s seen, he says he’s clear that “the project is alive.”

Each council member agreed to contact a King County Councilmember tomorrow to get the message out; Constantine also tells us that we should know within a few days whether he has a majority of councilmembers on the no-sale side.

NHUAC is also considering further public outreach about the controversy, possibly leafletting neighborhoods, even organizing a picnic. We’ll follow up with Constantine and his staff to keep you up to date on what happens next.

The Seattle Times is reporting that the road clearing during December’s snow storms was driven by political decisions rather than the clearing of critical arterials.

In previous storms, plow drivers had discretion over how best to clear their assigned routes, said plow driver Chris Stuker. City drivers would traverse main routes in tandem, allowing main roads to be cleared and plows to clear feeder streets as they were able to, Stuker and three other drivers said.

But that system was replaced by top-down decision-making that resulted in trucks being pulled from major streets for special assignments and to help less-experienced drivers, most of them working in the south end of the city, according to two drivers who asked to remain anonymous out of a concern for their jobs.

On behalf of West Seattle Blog and White Center Now, we interviewed King County Council Chair Dow Constantine the day he declared he was running for County Executive. One of his council colleagues, Larry Phillips, was already in the race – and we have just published our interview with Phillips on WSB – topics include annexation and a possible area jail — see the story here.

I interviewed Dow Constantine this afternoon in West Seattle for a West Seattle Blog follow-up to the announcement last night that he’s running for County Executive. One of the questions I asked was about annexation, and what happens now that a Seattle City Council vote has thwarted the Memorandum of Understanding between Burien, Seattle, and two fire districts. While we try not to repurpose material too much between the two sites, it’s been suggested we repost the entire story here, so here goes:

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor/White Center Now news editor

Instead of a once-planned family vacation on a sunny beach, King County Council Chair Dow Constantine is spending this partly sunny Seattle day — the first official day of his campaign for King County Executive — doing interviews, answering phone calls, e-mails, and text messages. And he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“This is fun,” he insists, as we part ways after a conversation at West 5 (WSB iPhone photo at left), in a space the native West Seattleite also remembers from spending many a day there in boyhood, when it was West Seattle Speedway, slot cars and all.

Read the rest of this entry »

That’s King County Council Chair Dow Constantine, who represents White Center and West Seattle (among other areas), announcing he’s running for County Executive. More details at our partner site West Seattle Blog.

Just announced this morning, King County Executive Ron Sims has been nominated to become a deputy secretary for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Detailed coverage, including comments from White Center’s King County Councilmember (and council chair) Dow Constantine and Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, on our partner site West Seattle Blog.