Letters to the Editor, Nov. 18
Referendum a victory for county voters
The people have spoken and strongly rejected the idea for a new county building because every aspect of the plan was fatally flawed. Properly engaging the public could have avoided this referendum but political arrogance overruled the opinions and voice of constitutes. Well, the voters reminded the arrogant who they work for.
This election is also a rejection of our council member Derek Young’s vote to approve this $230 million, 30 years of debt boondoggle. Derek Young’s vote to approve this building violated his fiduciary responsibilities to the people he swore to serve. I hope Gig Harbor and Peninsula voters remember how Derek Young wanted to suppress their vote by supported a lawsuit against his own constitutes who only wanted to sign a petition and vote. I’m thankful to live in a county that allows a citizen the right to initiative and referendum if they disagree with their government and their wasteful spending and debt decisions. I hope this successful referendum emboldens many others to question and challenge Pierce County government because the residents in this area have shown they will support such a challenge at the ballot box. As stated in the Preamble of our Charter, “We the people claim the rights of initiative and referendum and encourage citizen participation.” This referendum victory is a reminder to our elected officials that your use of taxpayer funded lawyers and lawsuits to shut up your own constituents will not intimidate or deter us. We the people, are watching.
Jerry Gibbs
Gig Harbor
We must be careful how we refer to Paris terrorist attack
Several political candidates have rushed to publicly condemn the recent attack on Paris and demanding that our president use the phrase “Islamic terrorists.” I think we must reject this language as it tarnishes a worldwide religion because of the actions of terrorists who, in their intolerance, attack innocent citizens. This is as unfair as characterizing the KuKluxKlan’s terrorizing and lynching of innocent blacks after the Civil War as “Christian terrorists.”
We ought to remember that Christians and Muslims alike worship the same god by different names, all while a few radical thugs wage a war for power under the banner of an ideology they don’t understand.
Lynne DeMichelle
Gig Harbor
GUEST SUBMISSIONS
The Peninsula Gateway accepts guest columns up to 600 words and letters to the editor up to 250 words. Priority consideration is given to those who live on the Gig Harbor or Key peninsulas. Letters and columns should be submitted by 5 p.m. on the Friday prior to the next publication. The Peninsula Gateway reserves the right to edit for space, style and potentially libelous material. To submit a letter or column, email gatewayeditor@gateline.com (preferred), or mail it to: Letters to the Editor, 3226 Rosedale St., Gig Harbor, WA 98335.
This story was originally published November 19, 2015 at 11:50 AM with the headline "Letters to the Editor, Nov. 18."