I would like to start a community conversation regarding electing our Tukwila Pool Metropolitan Park District commissioners. Because the MPD is its own separate taxing district, I believe Tukwila residents should be given the opportunity to elect their board of commissioners. That is not the case currently with the City Council acting in ex-offico capacity as the MPD board.
The City of Tukwila crossed over a line it should not have when it converted a program for a group that was renting the pool, excluding men due to a combination of cultural and religious restrictions, from a private program to a public one.
People of all ages gathered Thursday, July 4, at Fort Dent for Tukwila’s annual Independence Day fireworks show. Our family arrived at 8 p.m. and found the park filled with families having a wonderful time.
Joe Duffie has been a fixture in our community for a long time and he is someone who should be a model for all citizens in our community.
As president of Tukwila Firefighters IAFF Local 2088, I write on behalf of your local firefighters to endorse and support 11th District candidate Steve Bergquist.
Mandates on garbage collection? Are you serious? (Chuck Parrish, March Tukwila Reporter, “Mandatory garbage collection is best for all.”) The cost of garbage collection will certainly go up when Tukwila citizens have no choice and require every resident to pay for a service whether they use it or not.
Soon you will receive your ballot for the Feb. 14 special election.
Can Money Buy Elections?
Tukwila will find out as it votes on Advisory Measure No. 1 asking residents if they support casinos in Tukwila.
Just before we left on vacation, I read Jenny McCoy’s letter about the casino jobs in the online version of the Tukwila Reporter. She dismissed the jobs as low paying and sometimes just part time.
Why do we need to get the state out of the liquor business? Why does Costco need to get into the business (other than profit)?
The casino supporters allege that if social card rooms are banned, 450 family wage jobs will be lost. According to the city of Tukwila Finance Department, the actual number of full time jobs for the three casinos still operating in Tukwila is 316, with an additional 98 which are part-time.
Last night, Oct. 13, at the candidate forum, much attention was given to the idea that public safety should not be compromised as we look at additional budget cuts. This is what one expects to hear. Much attention was given to the increase in crime on Tukwila International Boulevard after the Neighborhood Resource Center was shutdown.
Where will the money come from?
That’s the two million dollar question Tukwila voters are asking as they decide whether casinos should stay or go. While the loss of almost $2 million annually is nothing to sneeze at, it is actually a very manageable problem with acceptable solutions.
We believe in fiscal responsibility. We believe the city should not cut a revenue stream without a plan to replace that revenue or a plan to cut spending.
Do endorsements of candidates for office in Tukwila really mean anything? Answer: Very little. Public officials often engage in mutual “back scratching.” You support me in my campaign and I will support you in yours. Or, we go way back and I have to support that person.
In a free society citizens are allowed to make their own decisions. Nobody wants a “Nanny State” regulating behavior. Americans from libertarians to progressives agree on this.
Last February the Tukwila City Council passed Ordinance 2323, establishing Jan. 1, 2016 as the sunset date for casinos in Tukwila. Subsequent pressure from the pro-casino lobby caused some council members to vacillate on that decision. In August, public testimony by citizens prevented the council from rescinding 2323. The compromise, Advisory Measure No. 1, brings this issue to the voters in November, asking if they want to allow casinos in the city or to ban them.
Today’s conventional wisdom touts consensus as the ideal for a Congress or legislators to seek. However, conventional wisdom isn’t always right or wise, nor is consensus necessarily a noble goal. Consider this – consensus means average. Do you want our ambitions to be just average? In addition, the authors of our Constitution constructed federal law as a system of checks and balances on government — not as a consensus-building document. Our founder’s design for legislating dictated that concepts are to be brought before the separate chambers of Congress where discussion about elements described in bills occurs.
At the election in August, we are being asked to vote the authority for Tukwila to create a new tax stream, collected every year, on our homes, not to exceed 15 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation.
Our pool has been a valued asset to our community for the past 38 years. Besides recreational swimming there are programs for beginners learning to swim and for seniors maintaining their quality of life.
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