Letter to the Editor - A City Divided
Kirkland Views received the following Letter to the Editor submitted by Robin Gentary on August 2, 2008:
Dear Editor:
I have enjoyed reading this blog and some others to try and get a sense of the mood and attitude here. It is great to be home while at the same time strange to find that the place I grew up in and developed my life compass has changed. It’s not the buildings as much as a sense that there are few here anymore who really know how special this place was in the 50’s, 60’s and even 70’s.
My family’s decision to move here was greatly infuenced by what I told them. My parents and relatives who were here have either died or moved away so I really didn’t have that motivation to come back. We had the means to live anywhere in this Country and chose to come here to ground our kids while we can. So far the people here are cordial and helpful. I am still having a hard time understanding the political stuff.
From when I grew up here to where I have been around the world the people in power set the tone for how the common folks acted. Talking with people I have met since my return and what I read it appears that this is a City divided. Which appears to be the case on the Council. When I grew up here there was an attitude that we are all working towards the same goal. We had Council leaders that took bold steps to buy waterfront property and look beyond the present.
Today I see no initiatives of the like even proposed. I read the comments on the budget problems and wonder what were these people thinking as this area experienced such huge economic growth. I look at all the time, money and emotion that has been spent by the Council and others debating an extra story of a building and a bank when in the end what does it really matter? The absurdity of the situation is that now there will be a another meeting so that a Council member can tell the public about something that concerns other Council members. I would think that his actions ought to be of concern to all the public. More time money and emotion that could be better spent on issues that I have read about on this blog. I truly hope that I am not misinterpreting the situation.
Robin Gentary
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8 Responses to “Letter to the Editor - A City Divided”
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This was a different town back then. Kirkland has grown up since you moved away and it is not the same little backwater town it once was. A new wave of young, affluent and aware individuals have been populating Kirkland for the past 10 years or so. They are shaking up the old boy’s network that once worked so well around here. They will have none of it and quite frankly, nor should any of us. Kirkland is divided among many lines. Develop vs don’t develop, bleeding heart liberals vs staunch conservatives. We have eco-freaks, business zealots, artsy fartsy types, Microsoft millionaires and everything in between. Kirkland has become an extremely expensive place to live. It will forever be. The old days of cheap land will never return here again and with it has gone everything from a cheap cup of joe to a low rise downtown. This is called life.
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I understand the City has grown up from when I was growing up. I accept all that is here and will enjoy learning how the City has evolved.
Having lived in 3 Cities where the division between groups involved guns,kidnappings, torture and occasional dead bodies in the streets I think I can handle all the groups you mention. These Cities also had affluent and aware individuals who thought they were smarter and more entitled than anyone else. This didn’t make them any more right from a moral or ethical standpoint. My point is that we all have to live together. It helps if the politicians and the process they utilize to get us from here to there is above board and truly ends up being in the best interest of everyone.
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From what you have written you sound like a person who has chosen her home wisely. Welcome back. I hope the strange politics of late don’t scare you away. Let’s knuckle down and fix what is broken. Believe it or not, there is far more to like about Kirkland than otherwise. The city has just made some poor choices of late. Speak out or allow others to make decisions for you.
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Robin,
Your letter brings up an issue that I think needs further examination. What has Kirkland been doing during the past 6 years of economic boom? Any big projects? Any big plans? No. Annexation was one but they couldn’t make that work. Totem Lake fell through and it looks like Kirkland will shoot itself in the foot and let Park Place wither as well.
I think there are no big plans because there is too much division on the council. Strong cliques have formed and ideology can it difficult to broker compromise.
Someone on this blog said something about the council not getting paid nearly as much as the city manager. I looked but I couldn’t find the passage. The statistic was eye opening because it made me wonder how much of the blame should fall on his shoulders.
This is a good community and thank heavens we don’t have the crime and violence you write about in some places.
Our problems are different but real as you are awaree. I am pleased to see new comers like you and new2kirkland jumping right in and joining the rest of us. I just found this blog so I have some catching up to do before I am well versed on all that is going on.
There seems to be a real sense of ‘I’m better than you or my opinion is more important than your’s because I have lived here longer than you.’ I think this is moronic. It conveys an inflated sense of self importance. Laugh at them. That’s what I do.
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The City Manager is currently paid $158,004 plus benefits such as an automobile allowance (pay package is here): http://www.ci.kirkland.wa.us/__shared/assets/8h4_OtherBusiness7457.pdf
The mayor currently makes $1,400 per month and the other members make $1,100 a month plus some benefits. It is important to note that these are not considered full time positions.
It has also been noted that since Kirkland has a Council- Manager form of government that this can weaken the role of the staff and give more power to the Council
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council-manager_government
So while one can and should argue that the City Manager should bear some of the responsibility for the current situtation it is hard to tell really how much control and power he has. At least that is my understanding.
That being said I think this is a great community and one of the things that has most impressed me in the time I have lived here is how willing people are to get involved and serve on boards or committees or just help out with events. Not everyone who serves on a board here in Kirkland has an agenda above and beyond wanting to make Kirkland a better place.
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Renee and Where’s the beef. This website has made our transition a lot easier.
I bring back with me to this country from nearly everywhere we lived is that there will always be the extremes on either side. America when viewed from abroad is this big democracy that tries to do it’s best but doesn’t always succeed. We met people who were old, young, rich, poor, educated, mostly illiterate and in some cases very scary that all wanted to come here. The majority of the people are like us. Poltically moderate and more to the center than at either end of the spectrum. What I sense is a civil war of sorts here that seems to create epic battles. I look at the battles, try to figure out what they are really about and come to the conclusion that it is a lack of vision and leadership that is at the heart of the matter. I watch a Council meeting where Council Members overturn an appointed board of professionals because they think the board interpreted the rules wrong, stumble to define amongst themselves the very terms in question. While I appreciate the effort it appears that we are still waiting for the results. I feel the appellant should have every right to appeal and I also feel that the Council has a responsibility to efficiency and effectively render a timely decision. I was amazed that after the Council offered the 2 sides an opportunity to mediate their differences that the appellant evidently had no intention of mediating. It appeared to myself and a neighbor who watched that meeting that this was clearly outside the historic process that the city would use in such a case. It also struck me that there seems to be more questions about conflict of interest than there should be. I don’t know any of these players or what positions they play but from my gut something doesn’t seem right. Perhaps I will have the time after taking the kids swimming, to dance and art class and cleaning my new home I will have the opportunity to research . Until then I will utilize the comments and clarifications of those on this site to help me navigate this fascinating subject. Thanks for making me feel welcome.
Robin
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Robin,
What a great letter. There’s the old saying that “you can’t go home”. You obviously have and I have enjoyed reading about the differences you see. It is probably harder for you than for us transplants. My eyes are wide open to everything here and I can only compare my observations with my own background. My wife and I enjoy our new neighbors who unfortunately also are not from here and have only been here a year or so. The only thing we feel competent to comment on are the differences in attitudes and behaviors from where we have been and here.
I am wondereing your thoughts on the political climate here? I heard a phrase today something to the effect of keep Kirland, Kirkland. I may not have that exactly right but was wondering what it means? I am honestly confused since I haven’t been able to find anything but the City’s vision statement. I love this blog and hope at some point have enough of an understanding about what is really going here to comment intelligently and contribute something helpful.
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Keep Kirkland Kirkland. Well the question then becomes what is/was so special about Kirkland that people want to preserve? Is it the small town feeling? Is it the quaint look of Downtown? Is it the vibrant community where people do actually get involved and fight for what they believe in?
What is it about Kirkland that you would like to preserve and how do you see it slipping away or how to you think it could best be enhanced or repaired?
I believe that one of the best things about Kirkland is its sense of community and the ease with which people who care can get involved. While this may lead to some disagreements among groups in general healthy discussion about what happens in a town is good. It just needs to be controlled properly by the City and not allowed to negatively impact business and the long term health of the City - which I think is happening now.
I think Downtown is good right now, but has the ability to be something really special if all the groups would work together and realize that developers have certain economic realities, but that some aspects of the current downtown do deserve to be protected. Working together I think some reasonable compromises can be reached. I think the new B of A proposal comes close.
I think we need to re-develop a sense of trust in our government that they can manage the city fairly and lead it back to economic health. I think that is going to take an election cycle but until then people are just going to have to keep voicing their concerns and pushing the Council to hear what their constituants want and believe is best for the city.
What do you want to keep about Kirkland and how can we all help make that happen?
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