Spokane7
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October 30, 2010 in Washington Voices
Important information was left out of story
I’m puzzled. In reading the Valley Voice this past Thursday on the demise of the Sprague/Appleway Revitalization (Redistribution) Plan, I noticed some interesting omissions.
Of course, always noted was my participation in Friends of Spokane Valley (formed to restore of property rights for over 1,100 small business and property owners along the Sprague corridor) followed by my participation in the Disincorpration Now movement. OK with me. I will always stand against the bullying of a local government using the right of petition and the ballot box for change.
However, for real disclosure, I noticed an inordinate amount of “front-load” print given to the members of the not-disclosed SVBA (Spokane Valley Business Association.). Those speaking against the SARP are mostly at the end, summarily discounted and dismissed by their past activism against injustice.
So please add this:
Dick Behm, author of a fear-mongering e-mail saying that our Valley is lost without a City Center at U-City. Missing is his SVBA membership and ownership of commercial property in the favored area.
Richard Munson: SVBA member and former council person who angrily continues to lobby for his oppressive vision asking for resignations. Failing to address glaring inequities and problems, he rushed SARP through, taking cover in SVBA and Chamber endorsements. No special interests here except possibly the rightful judgment of the electorate.
Carlos Landa: Board member of the SVBA.
Dr. Philip Rudy: SVBA Board member and Chamber of Commerce member who champions a return to a two-way Sprague Avenue to the freeway and a city-owned “Big Dig” tunnel from U-City to Dishman for traffic with city built above.
Karla Kaley: After Ms. Kaley’s multiple-paged treatise on remaking the Valley, no mention of her ownership of a large office building next to U-City and that she’s a recent transplant to the Valley. I applaud her activism, but shouldn’t those interests be disclosed along with her status as an ex officio board member of the SVBA?
Councilperson Bill Gothmann is a member of the SVBA, champion of the SARP and the traffic reversal. He and Rose Dempsey both oppose a public vote on the traffic direction. Repeatedly, I have asked for a public vote. Never mentioned. What does the SVBA fear?
Where was mention of the substantial number of property and business owners and the harm done to them? They spoke.
Over the past year, hundreds have come forward to plead for relief. Only this meeting was mentioned, not past hearings over months. The SARP is costly, hurtful, filled with oppressive detail. The intent may have been good, but “The road to ruin is paved with good intentions.”
As Senator and Councilman Bob McCaslin eloquently says: “The ‘plan’ is the free enterprise system, and the duty of government is to get out of the way.” We need jobs and revenues from business in this community and that’s what drives this Council.
Lastly, Councilman Gothmann continues to cite a 2004 survey for a city center at University City though it is now almost 2011. The city’s moved on. The heart of the community is CenterPlace, between Pines and Sullivan in economic terms and community spirit. There is freeway access, Class A office buildings, regional shopping, hotels nearby, a medical district, the Industrial Park, vacant land, the Centennial Trail, Senior Center, YMCA, Discovery Park, government facilities, Mirabeau Park, river views and natural areas.
Sprague Avenue is a business route, for new and existing businesses of all types. It provides opportunity for hundreds of small businesses who can’t afford the high prices and rents of other areas. The council has practical, common-sense goals to help business in this corridor. The high-priced consultants of SARP can peddle their “Brooklyn Bridge” somewhere else.
Spokane Valley Councilman Dean Grafos can be reached by e-mail at dgrafos@ spokanevalley.org.
Genesis Church finds new home 
rterrylynch on October 30 at 10:32 a.m.
It is interesting that if one looks at the geographical layout of the city of Spokane Valley, one does not find Center Place to be the center of the city. When Mr. Grafos puts forth the idea of locating the city hall in the northern quadrant, he fails to mention it benefits only his supporters who own the site (the old Zoo site that failed). I think Mr. Grafos complains only to change the subject that to place the city hall in the northern quadrant on the north side of the freeway will make it as inconvenient to the majority of valleyites as the court house in the west northern section of Spokane. This is shameful.
james_l on October 30 at 10:35 p.m.
This is a completely inappropriate abuse of power to have a sitting city councilman personally and venomously attack his constituents.
Councilman Grafos has gone off the deep end this time.
Sam_Smith on November 01 at 12:17 p.m.
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding… yes, folks, it is true we have a winner. What we have here is the worst case of sore winner I have had the pleasure of witnessing over the last 10 months. One would have thought that by this time Mr. Grafos and his friends, Ms. Grassel and Mr. McCaslin, would have gotten past all of the new council syndrome and have gotten themselves ed-u-macated by now and settled in to work to improve this community. However, all they seem to want to continue to do is sit in a corner with a can of worms and pout about how “the old council did this to us” and “no one is being nice to me.” Grow a pair and get over yourself. This is the public space and you need to stop acting like babies. You were the ones who decided to take on this job. It is serving 90,000 people. All you are doing to running around trying to see if you can trash the “old council” because they did something you did not like. You ran for office, got rid of them. Great. You win. Now, get over it, and now is when you start to work with and for everyone. Get a tough skin. Some people are not going to like you and some people are not going to like everything you do. So what? How dare you attack the same people you swore to protect and serve! How dare you not respect every point of view! How dare you condemn people because they were not born or grew up here! What dang difference does that make?? But it is complete unprofessional for you to have this kind of display on a regular basis in the public eye like a big baby.
Sam_Smith on November 01 at 12:18 p.m.
Does that mean that you will call the editors of the Spokesman again and have Chuck Hafner and Jack Pring tell the paper to quit picking on you?????? Mommy – Daddy people are not being nice to me….
Descolada on November 01 at 8:19 p.m.
It has become painfully obvious from comments made by Mr. Grafos from the dias and in writing that the only citizens he represents are those that either like him (how painful that must be) or agree with him on all counts. Attacking citizens who have taken the time to appear in council chambers to legimately air their concerns is totally wrong and small minded. And this from an elected official. Mr. Grafos has clearly shown that he should never have been elected. Representing all citizens is clearly out of his league. Lastly, he definitely should not be elected in 2012. Wake up Spokane Valley and get rid of this guy.
bdr on January 01 at 4:16 p.m.
RIP Richard Munson
At least Munson had a vision of a city center.