The Tacoma News Tribune Editorial Board is throwing its weight around again with the opinion expressed the last day of January that the City of Lakewood needs to get off the marijuana (MJ) fence.
It’s not the first time the TNT has opted for profits over principles on the MJ issue.
Ban or don’t ban but in either case the City will pay the price.
Currently Lakewood nets nothing from the share of MJ sales elsewhere in the state. A state legislator, whose district includes Lakewood, wants to “shove” Lakewood (opines the TNT where ‘shaft’ would be more the truth) to further suffer and is recommending, with his sponsorship of House Bill 1099, that the City lose 70 percent of its share of liquor sales. That’s over a half-million dollars and Lakewood City Manager John Caulfield says ‘there goes four or five police officers.’
There are of course a couple three problems here.
One is the bigger bully wins, or at least takes a swing.
The City straddles the MJ fence, the State tries to knock ‘em off.
The people vote for MJ, the City ignores.
More big-bully developments: despite overwhelming opposition to rental inspection, Lakewood forces city-approved inspectors onto and into private rental property.
Lakewood’s indifference to the people’s preference with regards I-502 (MJ) is hardly different than Lakewood’s indifference to the people’s loudly-shouted opposition to Ordinance No. 644 (RIP).
Though three of the four Lakewood Council incumbents have now declared their intentions to once again champion the cause of those they represent by seeking another term, here are in fact two examples – marijuana and rental inspections – that indicate the opposite is true, that controlling, not serving, is their gambit.
And why is it that every time significant money is threatened, public safety – i.e. police officer salaries – are the first kicked to the curb, thrown under the bus?
In a city where government employees are paid up to two-and-a-half-times the average house-hold income, does instead jettisoning a cop or two or three or four or five sound reasonable to you?
“……Lakewood City Manager John Caulfield says ‘there goes four or five police officers.” Amazing isn’t it that the first cuts in city staff at the hint of a funding shortfall are in public safety; the primary function of government. It’s as though there aren’t any other city employees around. They’ve disappeared! Yet police are only about 1/2 the city staff. Where are all the others hiding????? This is the same fear mongering that the prior city managers and Councils used to push gambling into Lakewood and then to retain it in Lakewood. It is unworthy of Council members to endorse such a statement by the City Manager in an attempt to bully the citizens of this city. Indeed, as often happens, a person bullied may become a bully to those who can’t resist being pushed around by them. “Monkey see; monkey do” seems to be this city government’s motto. Mr. Caulfield should be fired and Council members replaced in the next election with those that see themselves as public servants and representatives. Until that happens expect more such bullying. Taking back our government has started in Washington D.C. Time for that to happen in Washington State. Time for that to happen in Lakewood.
Does instead jettisoning a cop or two or three or four or five sound reasonable to you? NOPE!!!
Stop sitting on the fence and pass the Marijuana I-502!!!!
Thank you City Council!!!