Letters to the editor

The following are letters to the editor that appeared in the Oct. 21 print edition of The Peninsula Gateway. To submit a letter, e-mail gatewayeditor@gateline.com. Please keep letters submissions to 250 words.

Mayor deserves second term because he values character

This letter supports Mayor Chuck Hunter’s second term for candidacy. He is the only candidate in the race because he deserves a second term.

Why? In my view, his advocacy for reasonable building size and scale, especially with respect for established neighborhoods, deserves my vote.

To do that, he had to withstand the non-support of some council members. Additionally, Hunter and City Administrator Rob Karlinsey advocated staff adjustments last year about this time that would have saved nearly $1 million for city projects, programs or the absolutely necessarily retirement of debt on the Gig Harbor Civic Center.

But by choosing not to follow the recommendation, the city council chose a wasteful, unsustainable budget path that has not been corrected.

I would encourage Mayor Hunter to stand up for city services and against waste, and to recommend again that the city council correct the whole staffing problem no later than January 2010, with a responsible, sustainable budget.

Mark Hoppen, Gig Harbor

A vote for Asplund would be a welcome change to city council

I was recently invited to a fundraiser for Ken Asplund, who is running for Gig Harbor City Council Position 3, on the M/V Modoc.

I wasn’t sure what to expect about Asplund’s views on the Gig Harbor community, but it was a tremendous eye-opener. I was immediatly greeted by Ken and his wife, Diane, who introduced themselves with a warmth and a community feel.

It was more than a fundraiser. It was an opportunity for the people of Gig Harbor who would not normally mingle to talk about the true concerns in a group environment, with a comfortable feeling, with food and music on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon, with Mount Rainier in the background, which set the perfect backdrop of what Gig Harbor really is.

After meeting Asplund and listening to what he believes are big concerns, I think he would be a good fit and a welcome change to the Gig Harbor City Council.

Tiffany Wright, Gig Harbor

Payne will continue to push for responsible city government

Tim Payne has served the City of Gig Harbor with distinction and selfless hard work for the past four years. And, even in the face of a crippling budget deficit, he wishes to continue serving the people in order to finish the work he started.

Payne has worked hard to ensure our community will continue to grow and accommodate us all without losing the character of the town that brought us here in the first place.

A vote for Payne is a vote for continued responsible and responsive local government.

Scott Duncan, Gig Harbor

Council member Payne listens to Gig Harbor homeowners

We are writing to solicit your vote to re-elect Tim Payne and call your attention to actions taken on your behalf by the Gig Harbor City Council member.

Many homes in Gig Harbor are legally non-conforming as result of zoning changes. The City Planning Commission found 33 percent of residential units zoned R-2 were non-conforming structures and estimated 350 non-conforming structures in the city.

In 1990, a change in the Gig Harbor City Ordinances prevented reconstruction of legally non-conforming structures if they suffered damage in excess of 50 percent of the replacement cost. Thus, if a triplex in an R-2 zone incurred sufficient damage, then it could only be rebuilt as a duplex, and one of the owners could not rebuild their home.

Not only would the homeowner lose his or her home, but they would still be obligated to continue to make payments on their mortgage.

These zoning and code changes also meant, that knowing about this restriction, a mortgage company could refuse to finance or refinance a home or could refuse to provide a reverse mortgage. Several of us discovered this situation from one of our neighbors.

Please note that this egregious legislation was enacted in 1990 and remained in force through 2007.

Council member Payne listened to our concerns and helped sponsor and support the legislation passed last year, which permits the reconstruction of these properties.

We need Payne with his demonstrated concern for the homeowners of Gig Harbor, his independent voice in our community and his demonstrated ability as a team player to obtain a consensus to pass important legislation.

Bruce and Raelene Rogers, David and Kathryn Hyde, George and Marcia Pollitt, Gig Harbor

Shabro a public servant, successful business manager

I picked up a copy of the Gateway the other day and did something I haven’t done in a while: I read the editorial page.

I scanned through the chaff and came to a letter that caught my eye. The catch phrase was that the writer thought we should get rid of career politicians in our government and put someone in office who has some common sense.

I could not agree more, and I would expand the requirements to include some experience in the real world. Perhaps as a manager of a business that has paid taxes, met a payroll (with money that was earned instead of doled out from public funds), and has had to compete with other real-world businesses instead of the complacency of government monopolies.

What I don’t agree with is the author’s example of a career politician. He could only come up with one, Jan Shabro.

Shabro has been a public servant in Pierce County government for about a dozen years, but prior to that, she had a very successful life as a school teacher, business manager and as an executive at Boeing.

If the author wanted some good examples of professional politicians, there are plenty of them around. Unfortunately, most are democrats, but this guy was out to get Shabro and didn’t want any facts to get in the way.

Jim Jensen, Gig Harbor

Anderson deserves your vote for Pierce County Auditor position

The Pierce County Charter requires that the auditor provide public notice of the ballot title in order to offer its citizenry the opportunity to give comments to the Prosecutor’s Office and the County Council prior to their publication.

The incumbent, Jan Shabro, made no public notice available. The proposition itself, with two subjects, may not be legal, but it’s not consistent with state law, and it’s a shabby practice that confuses voters and makes for a bad ballot.

These are serious mistakes and bear upon the incumbent’s capacity to carry out the myriad responsibilities of the county auditor position.

Shabro’s opponent, Julie Anderson, has garnered respect on the Tacoma City Council for her promotion of open government, citizen involvement and ethics.

Want the opportunity to comment on ballot titles and charter amendments? Then elect Anderson for Pierce County Auditor.

Lee A. Desta, Gig Harbor

Fire District 16 should get rid of board of commissioners system

It seems to me we could save a great deal of money if we could get rid of the commissioner system at Fire District 16.

These commissioners are paid for meetings, and they travel to other states to look at new equipment on the taxpayers’ money.

The cost is not needed; the fire chief is more than capable of deciding what needs to be added to the budget.

The commissioners should spend a lot more time in Olympia, when the state Legislature is in session, heading off bad bills that our Legislature is constantly pork barreling.

The districts, instead of passing unfunded mandates, should be seeking funding instead of traveling.

I do support the levy.

Robert L Elliott, Gig Harbor

I-1033 will impede economic growth in cities, counties

Initiative 1033 will destroy Washington’s economy.

While the proponents claim it’s to slow government growth, it will have insidious and detrimental side effects. The most destructive is the disincentive to governments to promote economic development.

Since revenue growth is capped to inflation and population growth, cities are dissuaded from allowing any new commercial or industrial development, since they would increase service demand without revenue potential.

Even building permit fees from construction would result in no additional revenue, despite the direct correlation with costs to operate the building department.

If I-1033 had been in effect when Gig Harbor North was developed, the city would have seen huge cost increases with no additional revenue, despite the increase in real estate valuations and sales tax.

Since commercial development doesn’t add population, the city cannot increase revenue to pay for the increased street maintenance costs, police or fire protection.

Cities and counties will be encouraged and rewarded to rezone everything to multi-family residential without density limits, since population growth will be the only way to get new revenue.

Cities and counties will be induced to allow only new residential construction, since all other construction will incur costs without revenue potential.

New road construction will cease. Even when built by private developers, there will be no maintenance funds.

Forget parks, libraries, community colleges, universities or other amenities, since the revenue to maintain them will disappear.

1-033 will drive the state to a third-world status that will resemble Somalia more than the United States.

Edward C. Robison, P.E., S.E., Gig Harbor

Vote yes on Referendum 71 to ensure equal benefit rights

My partner and I of 18 years have lived in Gig Harbor since 1991. As I drive around the area, going to the Costco or the YMCA, I am seeing signs for the reject Referundum 71 campaign. That saddens me.

As residents of the most beautiful area in Western Washington, I would hope that my neighbors would vote “yes” for Referendum 71.

We both own homes here, pay taxes here, shop at local business, and we are both veterans of the U.S. Air Force. We fought for our country and for the rights of everyone — heterosexual and homosexual — to live in a free America, where I have the same rights and privileges of my married counterparts.

Under the current laws, if anything were to happen to me, my partner would not have the right to use sick leave to care for me. He couldn’t see me in that big, beautiful new hospital we have.

This is how the community of Gig Harbor says thank you to veterans of United States military?

If people vote “no” on Referendum 71, they will not only be denying me and my partner benefits but also death benefits for partners of police and firefighters who are killed in the line of duty, pension benefits for partners of teachers and other public employees, and victims’ rights.

I ask all my friends and neighbors to think with their hearts and clear facts. Rights should never be voted on or voted away.

Rex Davison, Gig Harbor

Gig Harbor Film Festival provides one-of-a-kind experience

On Sunday, my wife Leslie and I completed viewing 33 hours of outstanding film entertainment presented by the second annual Gig Harbor Film Festival at Galaxy Theatres.

The cost of a three-day pass was nominal; the educational, intellectual and entertainment value received was literally off the charts.

Galaxy Theatre Manager A.J. Witherspoon concurrently ran dual-track sets of films in two theatres. Our dilemma was always which one of two interesting films we should watch. So many difficult decisions.

At the conclusion of most of the films, the director, the producer or several actors shown in the film stood up to answer every question we could think of. The responses always revealed a story that added a great deal of color and zest to the film we had just viewed.

For example, Executive Producer David DePatie, who created and produced the Pink Panther cartoon character in 1964 to lead into the Pink Panther film starring Peter Sellers, showed us three Pink Panther cartoons, explained the origin of the now-iconic character, the business deals he engineered with a big movie distributor, and how the Pink Panther, as we now know it, came to be developed and expanded.

DePatie now lives in Gig Harbor.

From start to finish, the Gig Harbor Film Festival presented us with one blockbuster experience after another. Leslie and I kept saying to each other that it just can’t get better than this, but it did.

We left the theater at 11:30 p.m. Saturday night and 9:30 p.m. Sunday night. Wow! It was great from start to finish.

Those who didn’t attend literally don’t know what they missed. But the theater rooms provided had hundred of seats with plenty of room for more of us to attend next year.

Tom Watkins, Fox Island