Power to the neighborhoods

In “Group’s vision for city assumes dark forces at work” (Feb. 17) the editorial board writes that Envision Spokane thinks some “people have untoward influence over the government.”

A small group of people do, in fact, have an untoward influence over government. To suggest otherwise is not only naive but ignores the past eight years. Residents across Spokane have come together because they recognize that our structure of law, which allows a small minority to override decisions of the majority, isn’t working. If it were working, Envision would probably not have been invited to come to Spokane.

Residents have seen this repeatedly with the City Council making decisions that override and nullify the best interests of neighborhoods to suit the interests of large corporations.

This is why Envision Spokane – a collaboration of neighborhood councils, local labor unions and other organizations – is proposing to finally give our neighborhood councils some teeth. They are proposing to empower residents within a neighborhood, through their neighborhood council, to decide if a development is right for their neighborhood.

Ginger Patano

Spokane