Closing City Parks

[Matt]

I just drove over to Luther Burbank Park on Mercer Island. It's closed--- stinking King County! Why are we closing parks? What is wrong with our people that we are so unwilling to pay taxes that we'd rather close parks? I just don't get it...

[Greg_W]

King County is closing parks so that Ron Simms can afford to build an $8-9 Million apartment building for homeless drunks. I am not kidding; this is an actual project. King County had a $20M shortfall in their budget I recently heard. Ain't government grand?

[COL._Von_Spanker]

Yeah, WTF. Time to organize the militia if ya ask me.

 

Fuck Tim Eiman (sp?) too.

[allison]

I just got back from the library, and due to lack of funding, the entire Seattle Public Library system will be closed for a week next month. They had to do that in August of this year too.

 

Yes, it would apprear that we as an electorate would rather have cheaper car tabs than parks and libraries.

[Greg_W]

quote:

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Originally posted by allison:

Yes, it would apprear that we as an electorate would rather have cheaper car tabs than parks and libraries.

---

Bullshit Allison. I think you're smart enough to know that these are separate budget line items. This is a COUNTY issue; see above where Ron Simms is building a $9M drunk tank on your dime.

 

Colonel - Eiman had nothing to do with the parks in King County.

 

[ 11-13-2002, 01:13 PM: Message edited by: Greg W ]

[allison]

Greg, as much as I hate to throw down with you, I must point out that the Eyman initiatives have all been statewide, and have impacted governments from the state level all the way down.

 

So even though, as you astutely point out, the County and the City are not the same thing, they have both suffered considerable losses of revenue in recent years.

[Greg_W]

Allison - What happens when you have to take a pay cut? What will you do when you have your surgery later this year and maybe have to take time off or pay a portion of the medical costs? You will (I assume) take a hard look at your personal budget and decide what is important and what isn't, what can wait, et cetera. Isn't that a responsible thing to expect from a government? Why should it be okay for a government's need for money continually increase? Do you really think, in the face of a $20M shortfall and reduced state funding, it is responsible of Ron Simms and King County to move forward with a $9M drunk tank? That is a prime example of why people voted for I-776 (in my opinion); because they were sick and tired of the governmental bodies in this state expecting more and more money and spending and spending and spending.

 

End of throwdown...

 

Greg W

[MtnGoat]

If there losses of revenue have been due to the fact that tabs no longer support non transpo issues, this is entirely appropriate. The city and county's job is to make priorities and meet a budget, not just spend and spend and meet the budget by raising taxes.

 

I don't get to go to my boss and demand a raise because I couldn't decide between a boat and fixing my house, and neither the city nor the county should be building apartements for drunks and closing parks and then claiming they don't have money. They do have money, they choose to spend it in the wrong places. They are paid to make hard choices, and it's time to make them. Govt is not a bottomless cornucopia.

[allison]

*Grumpy*

 

Guess you guys don't use the libraries or the parks much.....

[iain]

ahhhh, a boring scuffle over taxes and city council members....the perfect breeding ground for a goatpost...or two....or three...

[COL._Von_Spanker]

quote:

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Originally posted by Greg W:

 

Colonel - Eiman had nothing to do with the parks in King County.

I know. But while we are on the topic of local govt bashing I thought I would throw that in.

[Greg_W]

quote:

---

Originally posted by allison:

*Grumpy*

 

Guess you guys don't use the libraries or the parks much.....

---

Kudos, way to miss the point entirely. If the library's closed, I have lots of good educational books that I'm sure you've never thought of reading before.

 

Greg W

[Dru]

How many people made free ascents of City Park anyways. They should have had to pay to use it instead of getting it for free. Damn that Todd Skinner.

[Greg_W]

quote:

---

Originally posted by COL. Von Spanker:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Greg W:

 

Colonel - Eiman had nothing to do with the parks in King County.

I know. But while we are on the topic of local govt bashing I thought I would throw that in.

Oh, okay. That's cool, Col.

[allison]

Greg, you being such a smart fellow, you must be able to see that the statewide Eyman inits have in fact shrunk budgets from the state level on down. Of course the parks funding has been impacted, just like the Metro funding that has changed my local bus line from something I used to be able to use to get to work sometimes, to something that is not reliable or frequent enough any more.

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

This reminds DFA of that one time when somebody posted that thing, and then, like everyone started spraying about politics, and, like, Greg and Allison were at each other's throats, and, man, it was crazy!

[sk]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dr Flash Amazing:

This reminds DFA of that one time when somebody posted that thing, and then, like everyone started spraying about politics, and, like, Greg and Allison were at each other's throats, and, man, it was crazy!

---

did that happen at band camp???

[Greg_W]

That's it, I'm done. Allison, I'm not going to waste my time with you if you aren't going to read and comprehend what others write in this thread. What about what MtnGoat wrote? No response? Whatever. You're talking past me which gets us nowhere. Nice debate skills. Don't bother me anymore.

[allison]

quote:

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Originally posted by Greg W:

If the library's closed, I have lots of good educational books that I'm sure you've never thought of reading before.

 

Greg W

---

Yes, I missed the point about you wanting to lend me some reading material. Whatcha got? I'm going to need some stuff to read while I'm home recovering, and for part of that time, the library will be closed!

 

I've got a lot of good stuff on 20th Century art and architecture, maybe we could arrange something.

[Matt]

quote:

---

Originally posted by MtnGoat:

If there losses of revenue have been due to the fact that tabs no longer support non transpo issues, this is entirely appropriate. The city and county's job is to make priorities and meet a budget, not just spend and spend and meet the budget by raising taxes.

 

I don't get to go to my boss and demand a raise because I couldn't decide between a boat and fixing my house, and neither the city nor the county should be building apartements for drunks and closing parks and then claiming they don't have money. They do have money, they choose to spend it in the wrong places. They are paid to make hard choices, and it's time to make them. Govt is not a bottomless cornucopia.

---

MtnGoat--

 

You said that Government is not a bottomless cornucopia. Well, I say America is. We are the richest nation in the world. We have everything. Money, power, everything. We are the only superpower left standing.

 

Personally, I would like to see a state income tax in Washington so we could have the resources to solve our local problems ourselves.

 

I think closing parks to save money is akin to cutting after school sports and art class in public schools-- an atrocity in our afluent society.

 

From what I understand, Eyman is not Republican (that is, pro-local government), rather he is anti tax. He's just a greedy selfish pig who doesn't want to give any of his money to help anyone but himself. Didn't I-776 actually take away power from local government? How is that democratic?

 

 

I want my park back.

[Uncle_Tricky]

Why is Eyman even an issue? It's the people across the state who vote that decide whether to give the thumbs up to inititives.

[Matt]

Personally I think the initiative process is a poor way to legislate and Eyman has abused it to the nth degree. As an individual, he has lowered the quality of life in Washington State.

[rbw1966]

Welcome to participatory democracy. If you want to abdicate all your political powers to some dipshit in office feel free. Don't want to sign the petition, then don't. Just because its on the ballot doesn't mean you have to approve it. The initiative process is the most grassroots form of political change short of litigation Joe Citizen has available to him (or her).

[vegetablebelay]

This is nothing a new permit or two wouldn't fix.

[Bronco]

Come over to the darkside Matt. Become a Capitalist and you can have your own park! We could use some creative thinking over here anyway. Things have gotten dull with all the Enron boys out of the picture, those guys could make money appear out of thin air I tell ya'.