Business concerns ignored

In Shawn Vestal’s flippant article about the bill of rights initiative, he devoted all too much ink belittling the business community representatives as suits and ties whose concerns are hysterical and suspicious! His caustic diatribe reveals an unreasonable hostility toward business people. Shawn makes no attempt to understand their reasons for mobilizing against the initiative. Then he reveals he is clueless to the chaotic impact of these extraordinarily broad rights to both the city and its neighborhoods.

Right No. 1 – The neighborhood right to determine their own future conflicts with the planning process guided by the Planning Department. It may not be perfect, but this bureaucracy is a known entity that can be relied upon to be relatively consistent in its interpretation of its regulations. This right grants to the neighborhood a trump card over any decisions made by city government relative to it.

This is a disruptive and untenable condition that would undermine comprehensive planning for the city. To the proponents, I suggest working through the existing government to make changes like the rest of us do.

To Shawn, not all voters are going to understand the pitfalls of the bill of rights by reading the ballot initiative. After all, you didn’t.

Al Payne

Spokane