Letters to the Editor for Oct. 27

Buxbaum wouldn't force vision on city

I fully expected your endorsement of the incumbent, Jeff Kingsbury, for City Council Position 5. The Olympian editorial board has made its pro-development views quite clear over the years, and Jeff Kingsbury, along with the majority of the rest of the current council, has been a reliable vote for development projects of all kinds. What I didn’t expect was the complete lack of any factual information about his challenger, Stephen Buxbaum.

In the three sentences you devoted to Buxbaum, you called him a “disappointment” simply because he has not taken a stand on the Capitol Lake vs. Estuary issue.

It seems to me it would be wise for a council member to withhold judgment until all of the relevant information has been developed and the public has weighed in.

Unlike the incumbent, Stephen sees his role as listening to and representing the community, not as imposing his own vision of the city on others. He will make decisions at the proper time and place. In addition, he acknowledges that the ultimate decision about the future of the lake will be made by the state, which owns it, and not the city.

But this kind of nuanced answer was ridiculed by the editorial board, which confuses simplistic answers with leadership.

Important decisions about the future of Olympia will be made in the next several years. We need thoughtful leadership, not development at any cost. To find out about Stephen Buxbaum’s superb qualifications for City Council, please visit: nuprometheus.com/buxbaum.

CAROLE RICHMOND, Olympia

Incumbents should be re-elected

I am supporting the incumbents running for Olympia City Council. During the election two years ago, and for some time prior to that, I kept hearing from friends and neighbors, “Why doesn’t the City Council do anything?” It seemed that the Olympia City Council was bogged down in studies, process and bickering.

Enough was never enough to bring the process to a conclusion.

The new fire station, the new City Hall, the new children’s museum, the recreation partnership, a dog run, blocked sidewalks in our downtown and, of course, the 25-year debate and studies on parking and a garage were nearly studied and talked to death.

The past two years we have seen action. Do I agree with every decision? Probably not, but as a collective series of decisions have been made, we are finally seeing progress and action. The days of stalemate are over.

Joe Hyer, Joan Machlis and Jeff Kingsbury don’t always agree but they are not disagreeable in their roles as city leaders and they make decisions.

Once again, Olympia is moving in the right direction. Let’s keep it that way.

I will vote for Hyer, Machlis and Kingsbury so that significant progress for Olympia continues and we will move in a positive direction toward the once vibrant community we were and want to be.

DEAN FOSTER, Olympia

Sermonti will do his research on issues

The Olympian got it right in endorsing Tony Sermonti for City Council Position 7. He is a bridge-builder who will help us get past our currently polarized and fractured conversation about the future of downtown.

Sermonti recognizes that housing for people of all income levels downtown is needed to help revitalize – but not gentrify – our community’s central area.

As Sermonti’s neighbor, I can also attest for his concern for neighborhoods, parks, sidewalks, transportation and all the other issues that combine to make running a city complex and challenging.

He is smart, thorough in his research, and a genuine team player. He is also candid and decisive, and someone who will never pander or equivocate.

We need Tony Sermonti on the City Council to bring a fresh, collaborative approach to solving our city’s urgent problems.

JILL SEVERN, Olympia

Vote against R-71 to overturn legislation

I am voting against Referendum-71 because the issue was rammed through the state Legislature.

It is a vote against the Legislature to grant special rights to homosexuals, a minority, in regards to everything but marriage. President Thomas Jefferson said it so well: “... to compel a man to furnish funds to the propagation of ideas he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical.”

Tim Eyman’s I-1033 will not help property owners. With the funding being at it’s lowest this year, I-1033 will financially starve the budgets of local communities, schools, fire and water districts. This will compel the Districts to go to the voters over and over to fund their services. This will create loss of services and protection.

DON CRAWFORD, Olympia

Replace incumbents with the challengers

Reject all incumbents, replace them with the well qualified challengers.

The reasons are apparent. Look at what the current Olympia City Council has done – huge debt, new unneeded City Hall way over projected cost, at odds with the citizen on the lake, and when asked for solutions. ... Oh, no — not another costly poll instead of talking and making decisions they were elected to do in the first place.

Time for a change — seems those words have been said before, and, yes, we can make a change.

Out with the old, in with the new!

DON VAUPEL, Olympia