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-----Original Message----- From: Aaron Ostrom, Fuse To: Billie Garber Sent: Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:53 am Subject: Put the brakes on overdevelopment in Snohomish Co. Dear Billie, It seems like we hear about a new subdivision going in almost every day. Sometimes it feels like irresponsible developers run the county -- exploiting loopholes, cutting deals, and paving our countryside. But today we can do something about it. The County Council is considering three new laws in the next month that would close major loopholes and significantly improve the quality of new development here in Snohomish County. Fuse is working with people across the county and community groups like Futurewise and Pilchuck Audubon on a campaign to secure the passage of all three laws. Developers are fighting these laws tooth and nail, so we need to send the County Council a powerful message about where the people of Snohomish County stand. Please join us by signing our petition today, and forward it to your friends and neighbors. We'll deliver your message to the County Council before they vote.
Aaron: When you say it seems like developers run the county, why do you say "sometimes"? Money runs the county and always has. Right now it's "developers". In Columbia and Mexico, it's often drug dealers. It could just as easily be arms dealers, or "investors" in gambling or prostitution. Like frontier whores, the council members would embrace any of them as long as they offered a dollar. Do you suppose that anyone who decides to subdivide undeveloped rural land to build more stick houses and pavement in this environment could under some circumstances be considered "responsible"?! At least call a carpetbagger by its real name. These are all the same, just spoilers trying to make a lot of money. Maybe we should celebrate that most of them use their ill-gotten gains to hasten an early death and turn their children into delinquents. Much as I would love to believe you, the last development limitation "law" I supported was the Land Management Act and you can see how much teeth that has. I don't trust laws to solve this problem. No law will stop corruption, and laws without enforced severe criminal penalties don't even draw these people's attention. Their greasy attorneys love to stand up and warn the council against "strict interpretation of the law." We should try that with the tax laws on normal private homes. Too many of these campaigns seem to play us in order to establish even bigger and more persistent loopholes. I don't plan to give the council members an opportunity to show how MUCH they sympathize with our grief over the destruction of our rural way of life, while all the time they don't plan to uphold the law anyway. Money talks, big money talks loudest; the county council members and their development investors have no $ reason to protect our rural communities. Haven't you heard that Reardon said nothing can stop sprawl? Like crime or pollution. Nothing can stop crime, nothing can stop terrorism, nothing can stop evil in general. I think he meant to say he can't, but I believe he won't, because he's quite comfortable with them. I am putting my effort now into strongly urging legislators not to try using tax dollars to bail out lenders or borrowers. Maybe something can stop sprawl after all. Maybe some economic and cultural phenomena will stop it, abruptly, in fact. And we neighbors will also expect the County "Planning" Department to account for its decisions and clean up its messes as these "cluster ...communities" fall into decay. I can hardly wait, and love to see the cycle of signs going up along the housing project roads. First its Windermere, then John L Scott, then Century 21, then For Sale By Owner. When they are sagging and overgrown with alders, bracken and berries, maybe the wildlife will return and find they are fit to live in. It will be a vast improvement and good riddance!
