North Greenacres Neighborhood

A Stitch in Time

Mar 31, 2005

I?’d like to dispel any notion that I?’m a great seamstress. In fact, it?’s my experience with ?“unsewing?”, or ripping it out,that makes these examples so memorable.

The directions provided by the experts in these sewing patterns, just like those giving directives for GMA, are hard to follow. If I follow them carefully, I usually sew the pant legs together. Yet when I look at a real pair of pants, I get it right every time. The problem with the paper pattern, it always needs fitted for the individual, just like each city needs to have our zoning fit our real environment and neighborhoods.

Since it?’s been done without any vision of who they were going to make wear their zoning mandates, they are going to have to be revisited--a costly repair. It?’s like sewing the seams of the zipper so close; I can?’t get the zipper up. Then when tearing out these poorly placed seams, I rip the fabric, just as the people of the community are harmed. We can repair this but there?’s the unsightly patch job. A quick, ill placed repair that I don?’t look at more closely ends up with the back of the fabric sewn into the front and possibly a hole as I rip these seams out, There has been a hole made in the continuity of our community, we are pitted against one another. Hearts and lives are changed, the pattern is flawed.

The experts pattern makers of GMA
forced implementation of ill-conceived ideas on an unsuspecting community. Our trust is broken. It is a bi-partisan betrayal. Our government representatives know how to find us and get our attention when support for elections is needed, yet are unable to contact us in a meaningful way to understand the issues while in office. I think they owe this whole community an apology, and our state democratic and republican officials need to reread our Constitution, meditating on the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. American government isn?’t rule by a few. We were all given inalienable rights, not stingy human rights subject to the whims of human opinion; favoring one group while giving mere rations to another. Public participation should not be meaningless visioning that will never be implemented because the present laws prohibit or there isn't polical will to protect our quality of life. Isn't that dishonest? Somehow the things that make human connection meaningful are missing. Process has become more important than content. We attend meetings that wouldn?’t really need our public officials to be present. A hologram of their faces looking at us would suffice. They could stay home and watch the video later and discuss the issues amongst themselves. Something is wrong.

We are in a community crisis. When I?’ve botched my sewing project, I pull it out into public view and get a variety of opinions ?– it?’s time to learn from one another. The experts at neighborhood living ?– are my neighbors. Instead, the government will hire "smart consultants" to give the most notorious problem a face lift, while never really addressing it. Sometimes the consultant fees are near the cost of the project in question.

The more insulated the government makes themselves from the pain they are causing their citizens, by miles and from ideas disconnected from the populace ?– the worse this will become.

We need local control ?– not lip service.. Well, it?’s back to the drawing board. Amendments to the Comprehensive Plan, like my mending basket, are only tackled once a year. That?’s fine if you have a large wardrobe, but unfortunately, the Comprehensive Plan is the only thing we are allowed to wear ?– and it needs fixed today. Washington State should not be garmented in the same outfit. Everyone has some sphere of influence. It starts with us, connecting people and reminding our officials that we deserve more than just connecting street. We can keep informed as a neighborhood and from there we form blocks of caring communities.