Lakewood City Manager Andrew Neidtiz suggests that “two Tillicum residents” charged the City – and Camp Murray – with not having fully explored “all options with regard a new Camp Murray gate.” That however, is not a shot across the bow. It is a direct hit on our ship of state.
In a letter to Camp Murray, dated September 16, 2010, later underscored by the entirety of the Tillicum Action Committee, Assistant City Manager of Development Dave Bugher fired off 11 separate indictments of the Washington State Military Department’s plan. All landed on Camp Murray’s deck. Of the military’s promised “rigorous review of all gate options” Bugher wrote that in fact “all alternatives had not been thoroughly vetted.”
This observation led Bugher to conclude that “the primary impetus for the new main gate is convenience.”
Neiditz suggests that the “tremendous amounts of time and energy invested by City Council members and staff” – investments “underwritten by our taxpayers” that include “upgraded roads, sewers, water lines, sidewalks, street lights and park facilities” and “code and police officers. . .regular presence” – are disparaged through the feeling expressed by Tillicum residents as having been sold out.
But again, all these commendable activities notwithstanding, how else to explain yet another charge by Mr. Bugher just months ago that Camp Murray’s gate relocation plan was “thoroughly insufficient in that it focuses on the installation itself and not the affected area, the Tillicum neighborhood through which traffic would be redirected”?
How is THIS plan different than THAT plan – other than speed bumps, or as Neiditz calls them “disincentives for cut-through traffic” – when traffic will still be redirected, still will cut-through?
As it turns out, City Councils, staff, code and police officers have the responsibility to conduct community-happiness – not covert – operations. It’s their job.
I will get to the point. Tonight, August 1, 2011 at 7:00 PM (19:00), we of Tillicum, the people that live in Lakewood, taxpayers and residents of Lakewood, are going to get together at the Lakewood City Hall to show, through peaceful solidarity, our feelings about the proposed gate move at Camp Murray.
Tillicum, while small, compared to the rest of Lakewood is very important to Lakewood, so we hope. The businesses in Tillicum pay taxes and furnish services to both JBLM and Camp Murray and the community. Haircuts, food, tailoring, boating and fishing, fuel, etc. Recently when I approached all of these local businesses to hand out flyers about the proposed gate move, many of these business owners were not aware of the proposed move. They were shocked, to say the least. It was the same as last year. It is disgusting that the city of Lakewood never took the time or gave the effort to inform these businesses in Tillicum of the second Camp Murray plan. While most of these businesses are owned by Americans, most of these businesses are classified as minority small businesses. When explaining to them what was planned, they were very surprised to find out that this issue is up for a second time. Some of these business owners do not understand what is proposed. But I can assure you that, had they been given the chance by the city, and had the city worked with these minority small businesses closer, these folks would have been able to express their concerns. Just remember that a lot of these folks have come from different countries and are attempting to make a living in Tillicum. Due to language barriers and the understanding of how government works they sometimes do not understand what is happening. They think that no one is going to listen if they speakup. For a better lack of terms, they are scared to ruffle the governments feathers. Can you blame them? Through my broken Korean that I speak and very slight understanding of Vietnamese, I was able to converse with these folks and let them know what is happening. I let them know from my perspective what is planned. Many of these folks expressed concern that if the traffic is rerouted via Portland Ave., they will not see a lot of the Camp Murray clientele anymore. Eating establishments will not be frequented as much because of the proposed gate change. There are valid concerns by these people. Shame on our fine city for not taking the time to talk with these folks on a one on one basis. It only took me two hours to talk to all of the Tillicum businesses. Why don’t you folks take two hours and let these fine folks know what is being proposed. Take an interpreter with you. After all, it is these folks livelihoods we are talking about. The gate move may have a profound impact on these businesses or it may only have a small impact, but is the city willing to impact these businesses at all by giving into the wishes of one military establishment, who has no tax impact on the city, versus thirty five tax paying businesses? Think it over.
If you might be looking for me on the morning of 1 August 2011, you will find me on Union Ave. rallying these folks one more time. Its the American way. See you at 19:00 at City Hall.
Follow the money….$1.2 million to be exact. Wave a dollar under the nose of a politician or public employee and they’ll follow you anywhere. Camp Murray? Hipkins Road? A host of other $$$ make work projects? It’s all about the money not about public service. Notice recently that your Pierce County sewer bills went up by 15%? It’s all about the money. Notice that Pierce County Public Works (Sewer) just spent $3.4 Million on a pedestrian bridge at their golf course ($20 Million and counting and still in the red). It’s all about the money. Notice that the State is pushing AMTRAK high speed rail through Lakewood and other urban areas and bragging that it took $19 million in “stimulus” money refused by Florida as a boondoggle? It’s all about the money. How about 3/4 Trillion in stimulus funds at the national level the majority of which went to keep government employees shielded from the recession the rest of us went through? It’s all about the money. If government has the money they will spend it: if they don’t have the money they will borrow it. The only way to kill this beast is cut off its money.