On the Mayor’s Mind - Burglaries and Elections
Saturday, October 17, 2015
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| Shoreline Mayor Shari Winstead |
By Shoreline Mayor Shari Winstead
10-17-15
After almost two years of writing this column, I sometimes feel like I start every article with a comment about how busy things have been, or how fast time is going by. I find that once again that’s the first thought on my mind, as I sit down with a house full of friends, having just returned from vacation. It was great to have a break from the day to day routine, although this break wasn’t as relaxing as we had hoped.
While away on vacation our house was burglarized. I know that many of you (too many, in fact) have also experienced this horrible violation of your privacy, so you understand what we have been feeling and going through. I won’t waste your time bellyaching about this horrible experience, but there are a couple of lessons learned I would like to share.
First, take photos of your stuff - it’s so easy to do with our cell phones. Don’t just save them to your computer, but email them to yourself. Because if your laptop is stolen so are your photos (goodbye honeymoon pictures). Make sure to photograph the serial numbers, too.
Second, don’t assume that having an alarm will keep burglars away, or the fact that your neighbors are home and it’s 2:30 in the afternoon will keep your personal property safe.
My sincere hope is that you never have to experience a burglary. And, of course, if you see anything unusual happening in your neighborhood, don’t be afraid to call 911. Better safe than sorry.
The other prevalent item on my mind is the upcoming elections. No, not the presidential election in 2016, but the upcoming local election. Recently, I was having a conversation with a friend about the presidential candidates, and I asked him what he thought about the local city council candidates. I wish I could say I was surprised to hear that he wasn’t following the City Council races.
It is so disappointing that people get caught up in the drama and mudslinging of the presidential race, but don’t realize that local politics affects your day to day being as much -if not more - than the presidential election. The consistently low percentage of voter turnout for these elections, is astounding. Roughly 40% of the voters vote in a local election, with about 70% voting in the presidential election.
The people elected to the City Council are the ones setting the policies for your local community. Besides being the guardians of your tax dollars, they are the decision makers for how our roads are cared for, how our community is protected, how our parks are cared for, how we fund human services programs - the list goes on, and it’s all very important. I encourage everyone, as your ballots arrive in your mailbox, to spend the time and effort learning about the issues and candidates, and vote in our local election!
The Council’s main work item right now is the 2016 budget. I encourage you to stop by our meetings on Monday nights at 7pm, or watch the meeting online or on City TV (channel 21). We really appreciate comments from the citizens, on how their money is being spent.
Wishing you a Happy Halloween and lovely Autumn!
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2 comments:
We can all sympathize with Shari Winstead as the victim of the burglary she just experienced, and I do. Even if we have not experienced such a traumatic invasion of our own homes, we certainly can empathize with anyone who has.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if the four Shoreline City Council members who supported and voted for the community-destroying 185th Street Subarea Plan radical rezone - Shari Winstead, Jesse Salomon, Keith McGlashen, Will Hall - had been able to respond positively to the hundreds of their constituents who told them over and over and over again that the plan was harmful to them? None of the four were moved to change any part of the plan to accommodate these families who pleaded with them to slow down, rethink, reconsider the grievous impacts the plan would have on thousands of Shoreline residents and their families.
We have a chance to send a stronger message to them now that we have our election ballots in hand by voting for those running for the Council who did listen and sympathize with those who do not want the kind of radical change to our city of Shoreline that the 185th Street Subarea Plan is designed to inflict upon us.
Only Keith Scully, Lorn Richey, and Doris McConnell have demonstrated that they understand that Shoreline governance needs to consult, involve, and be responsive to Shoreline residents in any decision that involves massive changes in our city.
Having been burglarized, I know that the feeling of being violated can be worse than the loss of whatever items were taken. I'm sorry you were hit — I wouldn't wish this experience on anyone.
I can also say from personal experience that those feelings do fade in time, and that knowing the fact that the overwhelming majority of people in any community would never do something like that does eventually win out.
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