Last week’s guest editorial by Paul Steadman is an example of why people should not broadcast in a public forum their ignorance for all to see. His article was no doubt “Cooked up” by the new generation of good ol’ boys and is comprised of misleading statements, falsehoods and misdirection. While not having the openness to name us directly, his basic conspiracy theory is that we are maneuvering to cause the sale of the Tift Haus to fall through and then purchase it ourselves.

It really is no secret that since November of last year we had indeed been negotiating for the purchase of this property. When the Westlake group entered negotiations in March, the price rose quickly above that which offered a reasonable return. At that point we told the listing realtor we were withdrawing our bid, and to extend congratulations to the Westlake group. We were then asked to sign a back-up offer in case the sale fell through and we declined, stating that we had no further interest in the property.

We suppose that if we had really been serious about purchasing the Tift Haus, we would have moved faster to close the deal rather than let it languish into the spring. We have a specific business model for purchasing buildings to add to our portfolio of historic properties. The Tift Haus was marginal for that business model; it had a good location but did not offer any historic tax credits or incentives.

What we also are amazed about is the fact that at anytime, Westlake, Garcia or Cook could have walked down the block, into our office and asked us what our intentions were. For that matter, The Snoqualmie Valley Record should have called to confirm this conspiracy theory before they went to print and moved forward spreading rumors and falsehoods.

Let us be clear, publicly and in print. We have no further interest in this property. Should it come back on the market, we will not re-enter negotiations to purchase it. We approach our business deals honestly and without the need for scheming and manipulation. If Steadman’s article is what is being said in print, one can only imagine what is really going on behind the scenes. Before buying into this conspiracy theory, we urge everyone to read and research all of the issues behind this property and the public right of way involved.

We had hoped Steadman was merely ignorant of the facts regarding the Tift Haus, but upon further reading of his article, it becomes clear that it is subtly manipulative of many, if not all, of the “facts” he presents – something mere ignorance would not allow. The use of such manipulations, innuendos and fabrications to smear the reputations of others and promote his own agenda smacks of McCarthyism at its worst.

Susan and Dale Sherman

Fall City