Letter to the Editor: are the 32nd Dems anti-bicycle?
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
To the Editor:
Are the 32nd Dems as anti-bicycle as Mary Jane Goss?
If not, why would they endorse her for mayor of Lake Forest Park?
Ms Goss has made opposition to improved facilities for bicyclists a major focus of her political career. She was an outspoken leader in the LFP council that started the opposition to the King County’s plan to improve the Burke Gilman Trail. She fought improvements to the trail that would increase bike commuting from northeast King County. She supported special rights for lakeside owners with driveways that crossed the trail. She fought County proposed detour routes that went past her house. Her record opposing bicycling in Lake Forest Park is unblemished.
I thought 32nd Democrats were pro-environment, and believed in science and that global warming is real. Bicycle commuting is one of the best ways we individually can fight global warming. We can’t all bike to work, but we should support improved facilities for those who can. Mary Jane Goss has consistently fought against improving bike facilities in King County. She does not deserve the endorsement of the 32nd Democrats.
Does Ms Goss think that global warming is not as important to citizens of LFP as right-of-way over cyclists? Do the 32nd Dems agree?
Stuart Strand
Lake Forest Park
Posts
6 comments:
The more important question is why is this writer intent on viciously attacking anyone who questions bike policies? This letter is typical of some bike riders tactics, but is not typical of most cyclists ethics.
Mr. Strand is out of line with this attack.
Bikes are vital to our transportation choices, but what is clear is that some bicyclists have trouble accepting that there are other people who may also need to use a right-of-way.
My understanding is that the 32nd District Democrats stand up for high standards for our environment and for candidates who do as well.
This letter is an outrageous attack on Democrats and it cannot go unanswered. This kind of rhetoric is out of line.
I've asked Mary Jane Goss and some 32nd Legislative District Democratic officials for a reaction to this letter.
There are more than a thousand daily bike users on the Burke Gilman trail each day, but only about 50 lakeside households in LFP. This letter writer and Mary Jane Goss apparently think that the rights of a lakeside resident are more important than those of 20 bike riders. Is that fair? Is it "vicious" to want equal protection under the law for bicyclists?
The 32nd Dems should stand up for their principles and not endorse a candidate who has repeatedly worked against the environment and regional cooperation.
The writer of this opinion letter provides no evidence other than his own assertions. One of those private landowners fronting the Burke-Gilman Trail is Goss' opponent, yet I don't see any complaint from Mr. Strand.
Additionally, I also don't believe that there is an official position adopted by the 32nd District Democrats on bicyles in their platform, which makes this a red herring. There is not official platform that is different for the 32nd District per se:
http://www.32democrats.org/document-library/cat_view/23-organizational-documents
So one should go consult the King County Democrats for their platform as Lake Forest Park is in King County (the 32nd District straddles King & Snohomish Counties), here is a link to their platform:
http://wa-demchairs.org/kcdems/2010/KCD_Platform_Final_0420101.pdf
Here is the only mention of bicycles in the aformentioned document: "...improved facilities for pedestrians, people in wheelchairs, and bicyclists." Since the Burke-Gilman is an existing facility, I might ask what is more important, new bike lanes on surface streets, better bus service, wheelchair & other accommodations, or other improvement to the transportation infrastructure?
In an era of declining public funding, there are competing interests for transportation infrastructure and decision-makers must make a cost-benefit analysis of which special interest group is larger, will remove the most cars, reduce emissions to a greater degree as a whole, and has the greatest economic need. Unfortunately, the bicyclists as a special interest group believe that they rank above the disabled who are in need of specialized services, rank above commuters whose bus service is being cut, etc.
As a result, I tend to discount hysterical letters written by Mr. Strand with no evidence provided whatsoever.
To Stuart Strand
Reasonable readers can see your letter for what it is; a political device for the upcoming primary election for the office of Mayor of Lake Forest Park on August 16th.
I ride a bike, and consider myself a cyclist and have owned a fuel efficient hybrid cyclist since 2004. I also am an avid pedestrian, like many others in LFP, and used to walk on the Burke Gilman much more frequently. As a woman, my perspective is based on personal safety, and I rely on that perspective in making decisions for myself and for others. Aggression on the trail and lack of consideration for others has increased steadily over the years to the point it has discouraged use by many who choose not to be bullied, intimidated, threatened or physically hurt. There are those whose ingress/egress to their home must involve crossing the trail and as I consider one’s residence their refuge, your demand ingress/egress issues not be adequately addressed threatens the safety of Burke Gilman users. Your letter demands less equal consideration be given to those persons who live along the trail based on income level. You fail to understand the original documentation surrounding the Burke Gilman Trail, and do not mention the Environmental Impact Statement(s).
Your letter proceeds to attack my advocacy regarding equal consideration, civility, and respect for local regulation, insinuating I am anti-cyclist. My career on Lake Forest Park City Council spanned 8 years or 96 months, between 1998-2005. The Burke Gilman issue involved about 15 months, hardly career long, as you state. I advocated for safety for all users, including commuting cyclists. In addition, I have advocated for accommodation for cyclists, responsible cyclist and motorist driving education, and concern about the environmental impacts along the Burke Gilman Trail. During the entire 96 months, I was also focused on fiscal responsibility in city budgeting, fiscal planning and forecasting, wastewater, and did my homework and research outside of Council meeting times.
My aggressive advocacy for safety for all users and respect for local control is different than your brand of hostile, aggressive advocacy which continues to damage public perception of cyclists in general.
I am a Democrat member of the 32nd District Democrats, and your insults to their judgement and integrity regarding their endorsement of my campaign for Mayor of Lake Forest Park out of line.
It is too bad that Ms Goss feels it necessary to paint me and, by extension, cyclists who think she is anti-bike, with the broad tar brush of the aggressive cyclist stereotype. She has no reason to think I am inconsiderate on the trail, any more than I have to think that her occasional bike rides and trail walks makes her a bike safety expert. That kind of ugly stereotyping encourages anger against cyclists in general, most of whom are just trying to get to work or are out for some exercise. There is enough road rage out there without reckless generalizations about bicyclists as threatening bullies.
Nor is the right to ingress and egress by lake side owners to their properties at issue here. Most of us drive out our driveways onto our street from our homes with no problem, but we do have to stop for traffic. The battle that Goss started with King County was about the stop signs for cyclists at private driveways and the engineer’s recommendation to turn them to face the property owners. Common sense and national road standards tell us that safety for all trail users is increased when the 4000 lb car yields to the 160 lb bicyclists. But Ms Goss sets her personal feelings over national engineering standards as laid out in the County plan.
The average LFP citizen is thinking right about now, “why do I care about all this bike stuff? That’s old news. I’m worried about how we can afford city services.” Well, the LFP campaign against the County’s trail plan played a big part in the financial mess that LFP is in now. That campaign cost LFP at least $360,000, nearly half of the $960,000 deficit that LFP Prop 1 would have covered and that is now causing painful cuts in LFP governmental services. If Ms. Goss had sided with King County and its engineer’s plan and not started the big bike battle, we would have had an improved and safer trail years ago and the deficit would have been nearly halved. Does Ms. Goss regret that expenditure in hind sight? Or was it worth the extra $72 for the average LFP property owner, in order to give lakeside residence special, liability-free-right-of-way on the Burke Gilman trail and to thumb the nose at regional planning and infrastructure development?
Even now Ms Goss spends City money fighting bicyclists’ equal access to the roads. I am told that she has sued LFP for access to emails and other records related to the routing of the detour for the trail renovation. This obsession of hers with fighting bicyclists will require the expenditure of thousands of LFP dollars in staff time and outside lawyers to vet the records of sensitive correspondences. This is a lousy use of my tax dollars and I would bet most LFP residents would feel the same, no matter what their attitude is toward cyclists. Is this an example of the kind of fiscal responsibility she would bring to the office of mayor?
I have not insulted or attacked the 32nd Democrats. I have been a foot soldier in the Democratic party since 1968, doing door to door for Humphrey, McGovern, Carter, Mondale, Dukakis, Clinton, Gore, Kerry, and Obama. I walked the 32nd for McDermott, Inslee, Gregoire, Murray and Cantwell. I represented the Dems in the polling station in 2000 and I did rah-rah on the corner in 2004. I contribute to progressive causes generously and reliably. I resent the ill-considered hostility I have been subjected to by Ms Goss and others in response to my polite and reasoned opposition to Ms Goss’ clear record of fighting against equitable treatment for cyclists. Is this the way she and her supporters treat fellow Democrats?
Encouragement of bicycle commuting is something most Democrats. But Ms Goss’ record shows she believes otherwise. Ms Goss works for the special rights of a few privileged lakeside property owners over the rights of a thousand bike commuters. She spends City money lavishly for pet anti bike projects and then fights against taxes to cover her excesses. Are those Democratic values? Not in my book. I urge the 32nd Dems to reconsider their endorsement of her for LFP mayor.
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