Amid the confusion of telemarketing messages, glossy mailings, local news stories and editorial pronouncements regarding this next election, there is a recent bit of great news that needs to be celebrated. Snoqualmie Point Park will officially be opened Saturday, Oct. 27, at 9:30 a.m. Take Exit 27 off Interstate 90, eastbound.
A developer once coveted this extraordinary viewpoint. His vision included the development of an office tower for the site. Other, informed souls felt it should definitely be a highway rest stop. It took eight years of negotiations by the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust to secure and save for us, the public, this shelf of rock that overlooks the grand vistas of the Snoqualmie Valley.
So what does this piece of good news have to do with the upcoming election?
Everything ... in my book.
Those who know best tell us that if we vote down the transit measure, Proposition 1, we will be losing the ultimate prime opportunity to advance positive transportation issues in the region. A no vote will set the region back 40 years. And yet many admirable people have spoken out against this proposition, and many political groups are so split on the issue that they could not make any sort of endorsement. So, what is an informed voter to do? Perhaps reflect on the successful outcome for Snoqualmie Point Park?
Venus Velazquez, running for the Seattle City Council, gets cited for DUI, pleads not guilty, but then one must remember that she declined to take a breath test at the police station the night of her arrest. What is an informed voter to do, since her next court appearance is Nov. 19, many days after this election? Seek enlightenment at Snoqualmie Point Park?
I do not mean to be glib. Rather, I want to acknowledge that getting informed as a voter is very, very difficult and ultimately very personal work, but ever so important. If you do not take the time and exercise thoughtful reflection in relation to your values, then please be quiet after the election. It still distresses me that only 30-plus percent of our citizens are making decisions, via the ballot box, that have an impact on all of our lives.
Please spend time this next weekend sorting out all the options. Try to talk openly with your neighbors and your family members. Listen to their ideas, their hopes, perhaps even their impassioned pleas! And then vote. Mark your ballot with your engaged mind and your heart.
The Snoqualmie Point Park celebration informs us that slowing down bad decisions can reap rewards. I do hope you can see your way clear to vote no on Proposition 1. I believe we have better options for transportation needs in the region. Microsoft is announcing enhanced software for business conference meetings. We are seeing more and more businesses embracing effective options for their employees to avoid rush-hour traffic. We have seen in other major world cities alternative transport solutions. Rome has successfully integrated battery-driven buses that are scaled to use routes inaccessible to large metro buses. This shows effective critical thinking. In our region, we have the brilliant minds that are eager to find better solutions.[[In-content Ad]]
