Quasijudicial idea sounds like quasi passing the buck

Published 12:50 am Friday, October 3, 2008

OK, I agree, it seems I pick on the North Bend City Council quite a bit. Sitting here in the posh offices of the Valley Record, I racked my brain to come up with an editorial other than one about North Bend.

Oh sure, I could talk about the mayor of Snoqualmie and a few key staff people heading to Arizona to check out a casino. Or maybe some of the messages that have been posted suggesting that the mayor and staff, and possibly council, are on the take. But honestly, that all seemed like ridiculous speculation by folks who probably need to echo their concerns at a council meeting.

Or what about the annexation of the property, formerly called the Lowe property, across the road from the Salish Lodge and Spa? I strongly feel that any increase in hotel capacity in the Valley is a plus. Besides, the Falls is one of the largest tourist destinations in the state and it would be great if more of those people stayed here and spent their money.

Or maybe I could spout off about the Legislature’s plans for transportation and how joyous we all are about an increase in the gas tax.

But one of the most interesting stories to come out of the political scene last week was the North Bend City Council’s decision to forego the quasijudicial process and send decisions to King County Superior Court. Hmmmm. So basically, we seem to have a council that doesn’t want to make the tough decisions. The quasijudicial process is probably one of the most difficult things a council has to do. But it is a process in which we expect our elected officials to participate.

I think it needs to be a local process. King County Superior Court cannot accurately reflect the desires of the city and its residents. We elect council members to represent our interests. We elect them based on their biases, concerns for the community, ability to problem solve, ability to take constructive criticism and ability to make decisions.

So, council members, if your decision is to not make a decision, then our elective process has failed. Passing the buck doesn’t do our community any good. Stay the course with the quasijudicial process. It may be a tough road and your decisions or inability to comment may not always be popular, but that is why you stepped up to be elected.