The gloves are off in North Bend

Published 12:40 am Friday, October 3, 2008

It’s poker time and North Bend has one of the best players when it comes to the high-stakes showdown with King County. Mayor Joan Simpson, with her best poker face, is holding the cards. On the table is the King County Sheriff’s Office contract for the city of North Bend.

I have to admit, I was surprised by the city’s recent announcement that it was yanking the contract, but I like it when someone actually takes a passionate stand about something. Mayor Simpson heard loud and clear from her constituency that Ron Sims’ desire to put a sexual-predator transitional facility on property east of North Bend is unacceptable. The push by a majority of the King County Council and Sims is nothing more than a political maneuver. He wants to position himself for a run at governor and the least impact to the voting public is in North Bend.

It’s really sad that east King County has once again become the scapegoat to whatever the rest of the county wants to do. The struggle to keep such facilities out of the North Bend area has been a long arduous battle. From alcoholic farms, as they were called back in the 1950s, to a prison in the 1970s and 1980s, to a regional airport in the 1980s, the area has long been a target for the county’s unwanted.

Unfortunately, the one caught in the cross hairs of the latest battle appears to be Sheriff Dave Reichert. I truly believe he understands the impacts of placing this facility in North Bend and has even gone so far as to say North Bend is not the right location. With that said, if Reichert has political ambitions, he is saying everything right to the North Bend crowd.

I think it’s also obvious that North Bend is not the right location for a sexual predator facility. The road to the site is narrow and winding. With North Bend looking elsewhere for police protection, the cost to the county and state for police services will be astronomical.

So with Mayor Simpson’s move comes the realization that you can’t just bluff in political poker. Now is the time for both Snoqualmie and North Bend to enter into an agreement for police services. Let’s have the entire Upper Valley take advantage of a police force in Snoqualmie that is well-equipped and well-trained and has all the facilities necessary within a reasonable distance. It’s at least worth a thorough investigation.

So my hats off to Mayor Simpson for taking a stand and taking advantage of some leverage the city has. If Sims was a good poker player, he would know he should probably fold.