Homeowners Beware!! Renters are making your decision!!
According to the laws that govern annexation, the City of Federal Way apparently had several options on how to proceed. They chose the method that allows "all voters in the area" to vote, rather than the more fair process of just allowing "Property Owners". They chose this method simply because it was the one that allowed them to force a vote on you at the earliest possible convenience to them, not you.
In the printed material it states"several different annexation processes are authorized by state law". Why did they choose the one that allows transient or temporary residents to determine the fate of the real estate owners?
The answer was provide, again, by the city council. $$ MONEY! $$
It would have taken too long for the city council to do the responsible thing and actually consider the rights and desires of the property owners. The "most common method of annexation in King County" is Direct Petition Method Annexation which is a done by 'owners of property' and can be initiated by property owners. If this is such a wonderful thing as is being represented, then this is the method that would have been the most fair to the affected land owners.
They saw the money and single-mindedly pursued it. Their admitted, and main, goal at this time is to take advantage of the limited time offer of money. Your interests are second in mind to the council. But they do need to 'sell' you on the plan in order for it to work.
But if the annexation is really and truly the best decision for the area, then the council should have approached the affected people before putting it on the ballot. Their decision to rush it to vote then try to explain it to you shows they are only doing this for the money.
A "NO" vote on August 21st is the only way to respond.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
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2 comments:
Shame on you for thinking that only land owners should be allowed to vote. This great country gave non-land-owners the right to vote in the 1850's. Are you the kind of person that still thinks the South should have won the civil war aso that land owners would have been protected?
Casey,
So you feel that I, who do not own the house/apartment/mobile home that you live in, should be able to tell you, as a renter, that because I do not like the fence or tree that you put up that you must, under penalty of punishment, MUST take it down?
Or do you think this just about the taxes? You are wrong. This decision effects the land, which will be here long after the people who voted on this annexation are gone.
This is about real estate. Look at the LAND that is being grabbed. Land owneres are the ones who should have the exclusive right to decide the future of their land.
Look at the five annexation options and you will find that the most common one used is controlled by the Property Owners. There is a valid and rightful reason for that. The city chose to tromp the rights of property owners by using 'resident' as the voting bloc, not property owners.
You are terribly mis-guided to draw a comparison regarding land to taxes and bring up the civil war as an example of voters rights in this situation.
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