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[4] www.federalwaymirror.comDecember 5, 2009

M I R R O RE D I T O R I A L

Rudi Alcott Publisher: [email protected]

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Red lights and green lights

A Division of Sound Publishing

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Dark side of the trees(RE: “Federal Way saves money on holi-

day light bill”)Your article states that all Federal Way

trees will be lighted by Nov. 25. Today is Nov. 30, so I will assume that all the lights are up that will be put up.

I drove down 320th Street this evening, dumbfounded by the appearance of the lighted trees. Only the bottom half of the trees are lighted. Your article stated that the city was going to reduce costs this year by lighting every other tree. � at would in e� ect cut the cost by half.

It seems that the crews that decorate the trees had a di� erent idea of how to cut the cost in half. � ey have lighted only the bot-tom half of the trees.

I started to giggle when I saw these trees. I could imagine the headline in � e Mirror reading, “Federal Way cuts holiday lighting cost in half.” � e picture accompanying this headline would be a tree with lights on only

the bottom half of the tree.It would be a worthy submission to Jay

Leno, but probably not the example of smart leadership that the city of Federal Way wants to project. It did get a laugh out of me, however. Ann Hardwicke, Federal Way

Shake your money makerWow — more red light cameras! Folks, it

is all about money. Add up the over 15,000 citations to date for 2009.

� is equates to over $2 million at $140 a pop for Federal Way. Of this amount, there is minus approximately 20 percent to 30 percent for camera maintenance going directly to American Tra� c Solutions. It is rather easy for most of us taxpayers to understand the reasons for Federal Way to

install more cameras under the premise it is all about safety. � e city co� ers will easily raise another cool million for next year.

� ink about this. Most everyone will agree that Federal Way is not collecting the same amount of sales tax, business tax and tax on the tax revenues.

An obvious slowdown in people pur-chasing power and great numbers of people out of work create the shortfall. � e way to quickly increase more revenue is to � nd a simple solution by adding more revenue-making photo cameras.

� e safety factor rings well, but consider-ing rear-end collisions caused by people not running the light at these intersections, it seems di� cult to justify the safety factor. � e California stop right-hand turn ticket is a really great money maker. Somewhere I read that the state recommended tickets

for right-hand turn violations to be set no greater than parking tickets around $24.

So why do we pay $140 for this ticket? One only has to imagine what’s next. Maybe photo cops?Neil Corbin, Federal Way

Store’s closure is a shameTo say that I am disappointed that Met-

ropolitan Market is closing in Federal Way would be an understatement.

I have shopped there since it opened and have continued to be loyal to them, even though I could � nd my groceries at several other grocery stores in the area at a much less expensive cost. But, Metropolitan is my neighborhood supermarket. I know almost everyone there by name. A� er a while, a store doesn’t become just a store, but a part of the neighborhood.

I am happy that no one will lose his/her job over this, but very disappointed in the

� e day a� er we proposed a community event honoring � rst responders, a Seattle police o� cer demonstrated a degree of vigilance and preparation that exempli� es the qualities shown by many in law enforcement.

Benjamin L. Kelly, 39, has more than four years experience with the Seattle Police Department and is a military veteran. O� cer Kelly showed an alert presence of mind during a situation that started out very routinely.

While on patrol, Kelly saw a car with the hood up and the engine running. He ran the license plates. � e car had been reported stolen early the same day, so there was paperwork to be completed. One of the chal-lenges in staying aware of your surroundings is that most situations present distractions.

About 48 hours earlier, four Lakewood police o� cers were drinking co� ee and using laptop computers in a Parkland co� ee shop when Maurice Clemmons opened � re.

Did any of the four victims look up and make eye contact with Clemmons as he entered the co� ee shop, passing by them moments before he started shooting?

Kelly, sitting in his patrol car doing paper-work, observed a man walking up behind him on the driver’s side and recognized that the man was Clemmons. Imagine how the o� cer

felt exiting from the driver’s seat. He was close to becoming another victim when he ordered Clemmons to stop and show his hands. Clem-mons did not show his hands and began to

run away in the other direction, going around the vehicle.

Again telling Clemmons to stop, the o� cer drew his gun. Clemmons seemed to be reaching for a gun. Kelly � red shots. At least two rounds stopped Clemmons, who had already been shot in the torso two days before during a struggle with one of the o� cers slain in

Parkland. At the time of his death, Clemmons was armed with a .40-caliber pistol taken from one of the Lakewood police o� cers at the scene of the massacre.

Kelly was justi� ed in using deadly force to stop Clemmons because he had reason to believe Clemmons had already committed the violent murders of four o� cers. � us, even if Clemmons had not presented an imminent threat to Kelly, Clemmons would have posed an imminent threat to the public if he got away.

Clemmons was an individual who wrestled with his own private demons. Society extended compassion toward Clemmons when he con-vinced an Arkansas parole board and Gov. Mike Huckabee that he was a changed man.

Alert mind is your best weapon

● L E T T E R S . . . Y O U R O P I N I O N C O U N T S : To submit an item or photo: email [email protected]; mail attn Letters, Federal Way Mirror, 1414 S. 324th St., Suite B-210, Federal Way, WA 98003; fax (253) 925-5750. Letters may be edited for style, clarity and length.

Smile, drivers: You’re on cameraBeginning in 2010, the registered owners of

vehicles caught on camera speeding in school zones or running a red light will receive a ticket by mail. � e ticket includes information that allows the owner to review a short clip of the violation online.

Some Federal Way residents are quick to jump on the city for installing red-light cameras, but they fail to acknowledge the bigger picture. Revenue from the cameras saves the city from cutting more sta� members and public services.

Taxes are down. � e city uses tax revenue to supply services and maintain a balanced budget. � e money from red-light cameras is making up for what’s lost in taxes.

Imagine if the city removed all red-light cameras. � is would save all the non-law-abiding citizens from paying for the red lights they run. However, to make up for the decrease in revenue, the city would remove sta� in the permitting, public works and police departments. � at would certainly give residents something to complain about.

Residents should consider which of the follow-ing is a better deal:

• Have fewer offi cers on patrol, lower-quality roads, increased collisions at intersections and decreased customer service at City Hall.

• Pay up for a ticket you deserve.

Marijuanalyn MonroeIn Washington state, Senate Bill 5615 will go

before Washington state legislators in 2010. � e bill would decriminalize adult possession of marijuana from a crime (with a mandatory day in jail) to a civil infraction (with a $100 penalty payable by mail). State Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-District 36), the bill’s co-sponsor, wrote in a recent report that the state could save $16 mil-lion and bring in $1 million in new revenue if the bill passes. Some of that money would go toward drug treatment and prevention services.

� e Mirror urges District 30 State Sen. Tracey Eide to back this practical and overdue bill. Washington state has already taken a vital step forward with its medical marijuana laws. In times like these, the � nancial potential of can-nabis decriminalization is too great to ignore.

WINNER:• Best editorial page• Second place, General Excellence

2009 Washington Newspaper Publishers Association awards

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[7]www.federalwaymirror.com December 16, 2009

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The Commons at Federal Way 253-529-6000

won decisive victories.

What did we learn? We learned Seattle is still lib-eral, the rest of the county is moderate and conservatives still can’t win county-wide. It also appears that while the voters may not always like what they see, they will usually vote for the candidate with the most experience.

Of course, there’s always the exception — like the hairdresser who said, “I didn’t know any of those ladies running, so I voted for the one with highlights.”

Federal Way resident Bob Roegner, a former mayor of Auburn, can be reached at [email protected].

[ ROEGNER from page 6]

[ LETTERS from page 6]

Twin Lakes voteDespite having to stand

in line for an hour just to check in at the recent special meeting of the Twin Lakes Homeowners Association, I was actually quite relieved to learn that a quorum was not obtained, thus delaying the vote.

After getting through the line and finding a seat, I read the ballot that was handed out and was really quite shocked at the lan-guage. It read:

“I vote that the dues assessment for the Twin Lakes Homeowners As-sociation be increased by twenty-five dollars ($25) contingent of the board of directors completing what it determines to be an accept-able amenities agreement with the Twin Lakes Golf and Country Club within three months (emphasis added).”

At least one member of my household has been present at each of the town hall meetings and we have all read the various infor-mation packets sent to us by the HOA. We were told of the amenities we could expect in exchange for the mandatory hike in our dues. I cannot recall it ever being stated that they were still trying to come up with an “acceptable amenities agreement.”

In essence, the ballot pre-sented at the Dec. 10 meet-ing, had it passed with a “yes” vote, would have had us all handing over $300 more a year for a deal that hasn’t even been settled. I keep reading letters about what a great opportunity we have to play golf and swim in their little pool (whether

Maher will lobby in Olympia for law enforcementMIRROR STaff REpORTS

The Council of Metropolitan Police and Sheriffs announced the appointment of Federal Way resident Renee Maher as executive direc-tor of the organization. COMPAS represents more than 2,000 law enforcement officers and

police commanders, including Seattle police and King County Sheriff ’s deputies.

Maher is a former prosecutor and licensed attorney in both Hawaii and Washington. She is the widow of Federal Way police officer Patrick Maher, who was killed in the line of duty on Aug. 2, 2003. In 2006, she ran for the Legisla-ture against current State Sen. Tracey Eide.

As executive director of COMPAS, Maher will lobby in Olympia on behalf of local and state law enforcement. The organization will

pursue legislation to benefit families of officers killed in the line of duty, for example, along with legislation that denies bail to third-strikers, she said.

“I see getting law enforce-ment involved in the political process to be very important,” said Maher, hoping to bring awareness to legis-lators about the effects of criminal laws.

Renee Maher


[6] www.federalwaymirror.comDecember 16, 2009

Rudi Alcott Publisher: [email protected]

(253) 925-5565

Andy Hobbs Editor: [email protected]

(253) 925-5565

Advertising (253) 925-5565Classi� ed Marketplace (253) 925-5565

Letters [email protected]

For delivery inquiries Toll-free: (253) 872-6610 or e-mail

[email protected]

1414 S. 324th St., Suite B-210, Federal Way, WA 98003

.com

F E D E R A L W A Y

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Golf course and property values in Twin Lakes

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Faison’s leadership will be missed

When Deputy Mayor Eric Faison was appointed to the city council in 2001 to � ll a vacant position, few really knew the level of scholarship, sagacity and experience he would bring to the job. Actually, he has been serving city residents since 1998, when he was on the Planning Commission. He was elected to the Federal Way City Council in 2001 and again in 2005.

He is currently on the council’s Finance, Economic Development and Regional A� airs Committee (FEDRAC). He represents Federal Way regionally on the county’s Growth Management Planning Council and three committees of the Association of Washington Cities (Housing Policy Advisory

Group, Resolutions and Legisla-tive). He has also been active with the Puget Sound Regional Council.

What these facts don’t reveal by themselves is Faison’s calm and thoughtful deliberation before he makes a decision. His incisive questioning during presentations to the city council precedes his carefully articulated decisions.

He had a vision about long-term growth and development in our city that o� en called for thinking outside the box. Like a turtle who gets ahead by stick-ing his neck out, Faison initiated the City Center Access Project. It would have given Federal Way a second cross-city road along S. 312th Street from the western

edge of the city that would con-nect with I-5 and relieve pressure on S. 320th Street. Ultimately, it would make a connection down to Auburn in the valley.

Visionaries look for the best solution to a problem, one that might not have been considered before. Unfortunately, their ideas are frequently scuttled by reality. And that’s what happened to the City Center Access Project. Faison’s vision was scuttled by the highly negative citizen reaction to the project because of its impact on Steel Lake Park, increased neighborhood tra� c on inad-equate roads and a lack of short-term or long-range funding at any government level. Nevertheless, city sta� and residents learned a

great deal about the complexities of long-term transportation plan-ning from the six-year involve-ment with project.

He will be leaving the city council at the end of December. I wish him well in all his future ventures. I thank him for his ef-forts on behalf of our city and the people of Federal Way.H. David Kaplan, Federal Way

Shame on The Mirror for cop killer story

Shame on you, Federal Way Mirror.

Was it really necessary, was it really newsworthy, was it in the best interest of our — excuse me, your community interest to make

a front-page e� ort to associate a deranged cop killer to our com-munity (“Cop killer Clemmons had business ties to Federal Way,” Dec. 12)?

Is it not bad enough that Federal Way struggles with a low reputation in the Puget Sound community that you, our very own local paper, have to drag us down? So yes, three to four years ago, this animal lived in our com-munity, ran a business here. � at is a fact.

So now when we tuck our chil-dren in at night, we can tell them about the cop killer that lived down the street from us years ago, and wish them sweet dreams. Is that what you tell your children every night?

Shame on you!Kerry Moore, Federal Way

Election 2009: What we learned

● L E T T E R S . . . Y O U R O P I N I O N C O U N T S : To submit an item or photo: email [email protected]; mail attn Letters, Federal Way Mirror, 1414 S. 324th St., Suite B-210, Federal Way, WA 98003; fax (253) 925-5750. Letters may be edited for style, clarity and length.

Residents in the Twin Lakes community have an opportunity to keep a few thousand dollars.

Business is down at the Twin Lakes Golf and Country Club. A proposal asks residents to es-sentially pay an extra $25 a month toward the private club. In return, all Twin Lakes residents gain access to its golf course and amenities.

� e real issue involves property values in Twin Lakes. At least one worst-case scenario predicts a double-digit decline. If the average $300,000 home lost 1 percent of its overall property value, that’s $3,000. With the country club proposal, an annual investment of $300 would ideally pre-serve thousands of dollars in a home’s equity.

� e amenities proposal is a mini-bailout — not in the sense of a government takeover, but more like a last-ditch e� ort to keep the current system intact, rather than face an uncertain or imagined future.

If the country club can’t bum a few dollars from neighbors, developers could open their checkbooks. Houses or low-income apartments could � ll the void. � e club could open to the public, lower its prices, attract more average Joes and scare away wealthier clientele. Housing prices could plummet regardless of whether the club stays.

All these outcomes are possible.But are they probable? Golf courses add � nancial value to a commu-

nity. According to a study commissioned by Golf Digest and Business Week, homes in communi-ties with golf courses tend to hold more value in the present real estate market.

In January, the New York Times reported that buyers a few years ago would pay up to 25 per-cent more for a home in a golf course commu-nity. � e Times report also touched on a group of homeowners in Bonita Springs, Fla., � ghting to save their golf course — and property values — by raising enough money to keep the course open temporarily.

Each side of the Twin Lakes debate has its valid reasons. For homeowners concerned about their investment’s equity, the amenities proposal is worth considering.

WINNER:• Best editorial page• Second place, General Excellence

2009 Washington Newspaper Publishers Association awards

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M I R R O RE D I T O R I A L

Everyone knows the results of last month’s election. But we’re all still trying to � gure out what it actually means.

Dow Constantine was elected King County Executive by a surprisingly large major-ity over Susan Hutchison. Constantine, with a signi� cant Seattle base, was probably the most liberal of the primary � eld, and Hutchison was probably the most conservative. But Hutchison worked very hard, if not persuasively, to project a moderate image. At the same time, Seattle elected Mike McGinn as its mayor. McGinn may be the more liberal of all the candidates and the least known. All the King County Council members were easily re-elected or were unopposed. Lloyd Hara, a mod-erate, was elected King County Assessor over a large � eld. Hara’s prior management experience, along with name familiarity, appears to have made the di� erence.

Many Seattle voters were upset with in-cumbent Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, and cast a “message” vote for his opponents in the primary. � ese voters probably anticipated they would vote for Nickels in the general election. Unfortunately, for the many people who think he might have been a better choice, those “mes-sage” votes cost Nickels his job.

McGinn will get a lot of help and advice, but he has no experience and will likely face a very bumpy road.

We also learned that outside Seattle, the pub-lic respects experience.

Constantine had more experience than Hutchison. Even though King County is beset with problems, the public wasn’t interested in someone who didn’t have a strong background in government.

� e mayor of Kent, Suzette Cooke, won big over a strong opponent. And

in Auburn, Pete Lewis won big over a weak op-ponent. Some have speculated that councilman Gene Cerino’s loss to newcomer John Partridge might have been a reaction toward Lewis by those who didn’t feel comfortable voting for Lewis’s opponent, Virginia Haugen.

On the Eastside, this question was asked: Could a person who was a mayor of one city move to another city and be elected again? Ap-parently experience counts, and the answer is yes. Former Redmond Mayor Doreen Marchio-ne was elected to the Kirkland City Council.

Most suburban council members were easily re-elected. Here in Federal Way, longtime in-cumbents Linda Kochmar and Jeanne Burbidge

[5]www.federalwaymirror.com December 5, 2009

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Teresa Timms-James

Teresa Timms-JamesMany mistakes are bound to occur in a compassionate

and open society like ours. � e watchmen at the walls may let down their guards.

Nevertheless, in one sense, you and I are no di� erent than the o� cers that walk the thin blue line. You and I need to exercise situational awareness. Whether you are sitting in your car, relaxing in a restaurant or walking in the park with your family — stay on guard.

� e best safety equipment we have is an alert mind. Take your gun, but don’t leave vigilance behind.

Federal Way resident Mark Knapp: [email protected]. Also visit http://� rearmslawyer.net.

[ KNAPP from page 4]

corporation. However, I guess I shouldn’t be sur-prised. When it comes to corporations, loyalty usu-ally only goes one way. It’s a real shame also because I foresee an almost empty plaza a� er most of the businesses shut down one by one — until Dash Point Village is once again a big empty parking lot with a few businesses barely hang-ing on.

I have a friend who was looking at houses in the Dash Point area, mainly because that’s where Met-ropolitan Market was. Now he is not going to buy in Federal Way.

It is a great loss for our community, but not com-pletely unforseen.

A� er all, it is generally the ones who can weather � nancial storms the easiest that are the � rst ones to abandon ship. Isabel Cole, Federal Way

Buying balsamic vinegar for $130

I, too, have shopped at the Metropolitan Market since it opened. I, too, am sorry to see it close. It was a store with some fantastic items that you could not � nd elsewhere.

However, Federal Way does not have a high mean income like Bellevue or parts of Seattle. If Trader Joe’s sells the same cheese for $5 less per pound, you are probably going to buy it at Trader Joe’s.

As much as I always wanted to buy the balsamic vinegar for $130 that was displayed in a locked case in the vinegar aisle, I never did.

� e Metropolitan Market will be greatly missed, espe-cially the great employees that worked there.

Nobody wants to live near a vacated building, so let’s hope that a decent ten-ant moves in before long. Say, baseball’s around the corner — how about some indoor batting cages?Libby Ray, Federal Way

Who’s to blame?I am no fan of Mike

Huckabee, but I would like to say something in his de-fense. Huckabee is the for-mer governor of Arkansas and the former Republican candidate for president.

It seems that people are blaming Huckabee for commuting the sentence of Maurice Clemmons, the alleged killer of four Lakewood police. In fact, you would think Huckabee actually helped Clemmons pull the trigger.

Let’s be sensible about this. Huckabee commuted this sentence nine years ago. � e legal system in the state of Washington released Clemmons from jail with a $15,000 bail only a couple of days before the fatal shooting.

If anyone wants to put blame, let it be on the state of Washington, not Arkansas.Leo J. Thoennes,Federal Way

Proposal is good for Twin Lakes

Many Twin Lakes residents are unaware that Twin Lakes Golf and Country Club is not owned by the Twin Lakes Hom-eowners Association, but is a privately owned and oper-ated entity. � e potential closure of the club will have a very negative � nancial impact on every homeown-er within the community, member or not.

� e measure proposed and recommended by the board of the Twin Lakes Homeowners Association (amenities agreement) would help the golf club maintain � nancial viabil-ity during these di� cult ecomonic times, thus pre-serving the value it o� ers to the Twin Lakes community. To do this, the already low homeowners dues would have to increase by $25 a month.

� e primary consider-ation for each Twin Lakes homeowner voting on the

[ LETTERS from page 4]


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