“We should not have to babysit the city council”

Letter to the Editor
By Sylvia Fain
Rainier
Published in the Nisqually Valley News on Friday, June 4, 2010

“Steve Klein is right. We do have to take a more active roll in our local government to ensure the decisions made support what the public desires. I would disagree with him that we, as citizens, should have to meet in large groups and attend all council meetings to expect the results we want.

The Yelm City Council should be making decisions in the best interest of those same citizens that voted them into office.

We shouldnt have to babysit the council to get the results we want.

As far as where were you a year ago? I was writing to the newspaper, blogging about the problem and talking to local persons regarding the water situation. I am unable to assemble a large group of people to protest the council decisions and attend every meeting.

I believed I was doing enough.

A year ago, when there were many people writing in to the newspaper voicing concerns about the water supply and the councils approval of a huge new housing development, anyone who wrote about it in the paper was dismissed as a Ramtha follower.

They werent the only people concerned, but it seemed an easy way to dismiss concerns people had regarding the water situation.

The council should be voting in accordance with what the people want. Maybe one of them would like to answer these questions for us all. Why were these decisions regarding development and water supply made?

We should be able to rely upon the city council to make appropriate decisions that benefit the public. We shouldnt have to attend every council meeting to monitor their choices. They chose to run for these offices to represent the people of Yelm, and that is what they should be doing.”

This Letter to Editor used here with permission of the writer.

This Blogger’s response was published in the Nisqually Valley News on June 14th:

“You are brave to speak out, Ms. Fain.
This City Council does not care about you or me as has beeen stated by Mayor Harding & Mayor Pro-tem Isom, who have stated in council & in this newspaper they only care about those in the city limits — only those who elect them, period.

They have cast aside those of us who live in the county outside of city limits, regardless of the fact that we pay taxes for Yelm Schools, Yelm Cemetary, Yelm Library, Fire protection in some cases and Yelm’s city sales taxes whenever we purchase items from businesses located in the city limits.

Since Council hears from fewer than a handful of City of Yelm residents annually and are given accolades at Chamber, city & church functions, they think that is their mandate. Most of the people who do speak out and come to Council sessions are those who live outside of Yelm city limits & pay taxes to the city – voices that are basically ignored…. “