Dear Blog Editor,

I would like to thank the voters of Des Moines for granting me another four years to represent our great city.

While Des Moines has struggled to overcome a number of adversities over the years, we are poised to build a bright future for all of our residents … one that reflects the values of our community, takes advantage of our ties to Puget Sound and our proximity to regional transportation facilities, and one that ensures a rational, sustainable level of city services for our residents.

I’ve been proud to serve as your City Councilmember for the past four years, and I’m looking forward with enthusiasm and energy to the next four years.

Thank you again!

Cordially,
Dave Kaplan
Des Moines City Councilmember

It was the battle of the incumbents in Des Moines with Councilman Dave Kaplan defeating Councilwoman Susan White in a landslide for City Council Position 7.

As of Thursday (Nov. 5th) afternoon’s release of the latest vote totals by King County Elections, Kaplan held a +19-point lead, with 59.42 percent (2,641 votes) to 40.02 percent (1,779 votes) over White.

“I’m proud and honored to have been granted another term to serve as your City Councilmember on the Des Moines City Council,” Kaplan told The Waterland Blog.

White was attending a conference out of town and could not be reached for comment.

In 2001, Kaplan was defeated after serving one term on the council – the same year that White was elected to the first of her two terms as councilwoman. Kaplan was elected again in 2005, but instead of seeking re-election to his Position 5 seat this year he opted to oppose White.

Matt Pina, with a current lead of 55.21 percent (2,448 votes) to 44.54 percent (1,975 votes) lead over political newcomer Anne Farmer, will succeed his father, Ed Pina, in City Council Position 1.

The senior Pina is retiring from the council. Earlier, Matt Pina also followed his father as a Highline School Board member.

“I’m happy where (the vote) is right now,” Pina said before Thursday’s vote total update. “It’s a good spot to be in.”

In the closest race this year, incumbent Councilwoman Carmen Scott held a 52.30 percent (2,270 votes) to 47.35 percent (2,055 votes) lead over Melissa Musser, another newcomer to Des Moines politics, for Position 5.

“Obviously, the votes are not all in yet, but I am already feeling very confident about the energy and commitment of our new council members and look forward to our developing a unified plan of cohesive solutions to downtown growth and vigor,” Scott said.

“Beyond that, I know we will all be focused on maintaining parks and recreation programs, finding new sources of revenue, containing expenses, encouraging development of the Port business park land, and redevelopment within Pacific Ridge,” she added.

“Thank you for your vote. I will serve you well.”

The third political newcomer this year, Melissa Musser, was unopposed in her bid for Council Position 5, which previously was held by Kaplan.

Mayor Bob Sheckler said of the election outcome, “I couldn’t be more pleased. When this economy turns around, Des Moines will be in a position to act quickly to further economic development. This is the council that will get us there.”

But the biggest news for many residents was not the results of City Council races but the outcome of Proposition 1, which will establish the Des Moines Pool Metropolitan Park District that will keep the Mt. Rainier Pool open for public use.

Proposition 1 was sweeping to victory by a 62.86 percent to 37.14 percent margin. Had it not been approved, it is likely that the popular community swimming pool – used by beginning swimmers, swim teams and seniors – would have been closed due to lack of funding.

Elected as pool district commissioners were Gene Achziger, Eric Kasnick, Bernadette Barrett, Marty Martinson and Nancy Kuehnoel. All ran unopposed.

THANK YOU, DES MOINES!

One is not supposed to write with solid capital letters on the Internet because it is equated with shouting. But I am SHOUTING.

THANK YOU, DES MOINES, for recognizing that we need to stop legislating for our grandparents and start legislating for our grandchildren. By that I mean we need to stay focused on investing in the future, not obsessing with today.

On Tuesday, even in our down economy, the good people of Des Moines set aside haggling over taxes to pass Proposition 1. You created Des Moines Pool Metropolitan Park District to keep Mount Rainier Pool operating for generations to come. You responded to the message that we do some things right here in the “Waterland City.” And one of the best is our swim program, which, in addition to teaching tens of thousands of kids over the years to swim and be safe around water, gives those kids an opportunity to better themselves and better our community.

As one of your new pool commissioners, I’m fully aware of the need to pinch pennies and stretch dollars… and not just in these lean times. Continuing to do so will be necessary if we are to achieve my goal of seeing to it that every child in this community who wants to learn to swim will have an opportunity to do so.

I look with admiration at Pacific Middle School teacher Schell Ross who can pack Mount Rainier Pool on a Friday night with sixth, seventh and eighth graders who enjoy safe, supervised exercise rather than wandering the streets.

And who can not be inspired by 105-year-old Faith Callahan whose three-days-a-week regimen of low-impact water aerobics keeps her sprightly?

I was particularly struck during our campaign kick-off when Chris Burrage, just hours out of United States Marine Corps boot camp training, showed up, unannounced and in full-dress uniform. He wasn’t on the agenda and initially declined an invitation to speak. But he was moved by his remembrances of the role swimming at Mount Rainier Pool has played in his life. He spoke wistfully of those memories and what it meant to be a teenager growing up in Des Moines. He then exhorted the crowd to “fight to keep Mount Rainier Pool.”

And there was Ariana Kukors, who began swimming at Mount Rainier Pool as a 5-year-old and would go on this last summer to be crowned the fastest woman in the world in the 200m IM. She didn’t flinch a minute to break off from her training in Southern California for the US Olympics team to return home to urge voters to keep the pool open.

And you did.

So I, once again, just wanna shout: THANK YOU, DES MOINES!

Gene Achziger for
Save Our Swimming

UPDATE WED. 11/4/ 5pm: The second round of ballot returns has been released by King County Elections, and with between 28-30% of the votes counted, Dow Constantine still leads with 58%, Matt Pina with 55%, Carmen Scott with 53%, Dave Kaplan at 59% and 62% voting “Yes” on Proposition #1 (to save Mt. Rainier Pool).

Also, Initiative 1033 is still failing with 67% voting “No,” and R-71 is still passing with 67% “Yes.”

Here are the updated results culled from the King County Elections website as of 4:19pm Wed., 11/4/09:

KING COUNTY EXECUTIVE:

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 308,650 / 1,079,842 • 28.58%

• Susan Hutchison: 125,607 • 42.26%
• Dow Constantine: 171,006 • 57.53%
• Write-in: 621 • 0.21%

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 308,650 / 1079842 • 28.58%

Initiative Measure No. 1033:

• YES: 92,654 • 33.28%
• NO: 185,721 • 66.72%

Referendum Measure No. 71:

• APPROVED: 202,125 • 66.59%
• REJECTED: 101,403 • 33.41%

CITY OF DES MOINES:

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 4,021 / 15,291 • 26.30%

Council Position No. 1:

• Anne Farmer: 1,588 • 44.43%
• Matt Pina: 1,975 • 55.26%
• Write-in: 11 • 0.31%

Council Position No. 3:

• Melissa Ponder: 1,643 • 46.96%
• Carmen L. Scott: 1,841 • 52.62%
• Write-in: 15 • 0.43%

Council Position No. 5:

• Melissa Musser: 2,848 • 98.48%
• Write-in: 44 • 1.52%

Council Position No. 7:

• Dave Kaplan: 2,133 • 59.46%
• Susan White: 1,430 • 39.87%
• Write-in: 24 • 0.67%

Proposition No. 1:

• YES: 2,309 • 62.30%
• NO: 1,397 • 37.70%

Des Moines Pool Metropolitan Park District Commissioner Position No. 1 Interim term

• Gene Achziger: 2,603 • 98.30%
• Write-in: 45 • 1.70%

Des Moines Pool Metropolitan Park District Commissioner Position No. 2 Interim term

• Eric Kasnick: 2,549 • 98.49%
• Write-in: 39 • 1.51%

Des Moines Pool Metropolitan Park District Commissioner Position No. 3 Interim term

• Bernadette Barrett: 2,552 • 98.46%
• Write-in: 40 • 1.54%

Des Moines Pool Metropolitan Park District Commissioner Position No. 4 Interim term

• Marty Martinson: 2,543 • 98.53%
• Write-in: 38 • 1.47%

Des Moines Pool Metropolitan Park District Commissioner Position No. 5 Interim term

• Nancy N. Kuehnoel: 2,298 • 98.33%
• Write-in: 39 • 1.67%

SOUTH KING FIRE AND RESCUE:

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 14,732 / 69,240 •21.28%

Commissioner Position No. 2:

• Mark Freitas: 10,484 • 99.39%
• Write-in:  64 • 0.61%

Commissioner Position No. 3

• John Rickert: 7,521 • 63.98%
• J. Roger Hershey:  4,216  •  35.86%
• Write-in:   19 • 0.16%

KING COUNTY WATER DISTRICT NO. 54:

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters:     634     /     2128     29.79%

Commissioner Position No. 3

• Alli Larkin: 431 • 98.85%
• Write-in:  5 • 1.15%

CITY OF BURIEN:

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 5, 006 / 16,617 • 30.13%

Council Position No. 1:

• Sue Blazak: 1,981 • 44.83%
• Jack Block, Jr.: 2,413 • 54.61%
• Write-in: 25 • 0.57%

Council Position No. 3:

• Joan McGilton: 3,214 • 97.01%
• Write-in: 99 • 2.99%

Council Position No. 5:

• Rose Clark: 3,212 • 96.69%
• Write-in: 110 • 3.31%

Council Position No. 7:

• Brian Bennett: 3,363 • 98.22%
• Write-in: 61 • 1.78%

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 5,006 / 16,617 • 30.13%

Transportation Benefit District No. 1 Proposition No. 1:

• YES: 958 • 23.50%
• NO: 3,118 • 76.50%

CITY OF NORMANDY PARK:

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 1,553 / 4,676 • 33.21%

Council Position No. 2:

• Clarke Brant: 1,025 • 97.99%
• Write-in: 21 • 2.01%

Council Position No. 4:

• John L. Rankin: 972 • 96.05%
• Write-in: 40 • 3.95%

Council Position No. 6 short and full term:

• Marion Yoshino: 995 • 98.03%
• Write-in: 20 • 1.97%

Proposition No. 1:

• YES: 680 • 47.16%
• NO: 762 • 52.84%

HIGHLINE SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 401:

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 13,664 / 57,961 • 23.57%

Director District No. 2:

• Angelica M. Alvarez: 10,372 • 98.47%
• Write-in: 161 • 1.53%

Director District No. 3:

• Susan Goding: 10319 • 98.53%
• Write-in: 154 • 1.47%

KING COUNTY:

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 254,261 / 1,079,842 • 23.55%

Sheriff:

• Sue Rahr: 220,802 • 97.96%
• Write-in: 4,597 • 2.04%

Assessor unexpired 2-year term

• Graham Albertini: 52,192 • 20.91%
• Gene Lux: 12,175 • 4.88%
• Lloyd Hara: 82,864 • 33.20%
• Bob Rosenberger: 72,525 • 29.06%
• Bob Blanchard: 29,041 • 11.63%
• Write-in: 806 • 0.32%

by Bob Sheckler
Mayor, City of Des Moines

November’s election for three City Council members comes at a critical time in Des Moines. First and foremost, our city faces a $2 million revenue shortfall. By the time the Council members elected in November take office in January, the 2010 budget will have been adopted.

The new Council must deal with multiple impacts from sharp budget cuts that, by law, must be made by Dec. 31 – and with a struggling business community buffeted hard by the lingering recession.

This is why, for the first time ever as mayor, I find it of major importance to endorse publicly the candidates who, I believe, can best serve Des Moines during these hard times and will best guide Des Moines to a brighter future.

Having observed two of these candidates during my six years as presiding officer of the council, and having observed all candidates on the ballot at every campaign forum held during the last two weeks, I endorse strongly:

• Matt Pina for Position 1
• Carmen Scott for Position 3
• Dave Kaplan for Position 7

As City Council members, both Carmen and Dave do their homework, study the issues, and make reasoned and deliberate decisions – based on logic rather than emotion – to provide a local government that enhances the safety, quality of life, and economic well-being of all our citizens and businesses. As a past Highline School Board member, Matt has shown that he will bring the same kind of advocacy for our city to the next Council.

And, from the perspective of a presiding officer, I would have done exactly what Councilman Dave Kaplan did – run against Councilwoman Susan White in her bid for re-election. On too many occasions she comes unprepared to Council meetings. She also has jeopardized the City several times by stating her opinions during public hearings before all testimony has been received. Des Moines both needs and deserves better.

Councilwoman Carmen Scott has a breadth and depth of proven experience that is difficult to find on a council in a city this size. By contrast, her opponent had no actual experience before running for City Council – and has seemed inept when it comes to city issues in her answers at candidate forums.

Matt Pina has incredible experience from his years on the Highline School Board. It is obvious at the candidate forums that he understands the critical issues facing our city and comes prepared – essential attributes for a council member. On the other hand, his opponent, too, is lacking in actual public experience and awareness of the issues.

One only would have had to listen to these people during candidate forums in the past two weeks, when the contrasting qualities of the candidates have become readily apparent.

It is important to note, again, that the next City Council will deal not with “window dressing” and “feel good” issues. The recession that has impacted every state, county and city has stalled plans for development of several projects, large and small, in Des Moines, and depressed local economic growth. As a city, we now must continue to plan for new development, new growth, and renewed economic vitality.

Regrettably, some in our community – council members, candidates, and citizens – do not share this vision. They cling to a “no-growth, status quo” attitude that, if allowed to expand, would relegate Des Moines to second-class status, thereby diminishing the quality of life for all residents and downgrading the economy for our local businesses.

Dave, Carmen and Matt, however, are leaders we can count on to help us weather this economic crisis and move into a better future, not by looking behind as some would prefer to do, but by always looking ahead and moving the city forward.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Have something you'd like to say? Then email us a Letter to the Editor by clicking here, and pending our review, we'll most likely post it.]

On the 34th anniversary of the opening of Mt. Rainier Pool (Sept. 15, 1975), a campaign called “Save Our Swimming,” intended to help pass Des Moines Proposition 1, launched its website at www.mrpoolsos.com.

In response to tightening finances, City Council members in July decided to allow the public the opportunity to put the pool on firm financial standing. Prop. 1 would create a metropolitan park district with the soul purpose of administering Mount Rainier Pool. It will be governed by a five-member board of commissioners that will also be elected on the general election ballot. The district would have the authority to levy up to 20 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation to operate the pool. With $280,000 the average assessment of a Des Moines home, the levy would be $56 per year, or approximately $1 per week.

If the measure fails, the pool will close on Dec. 31st.

The website carries information about Prop. 1 and how citizens can get involved in the effort to preserve swimming in our community. Upcoming events will be listed and details about Prop. 1 will be outlined.

Since voters approved Forward Thrust – a comprehensive bond package – in 1968, the citizens of Des Moines have supported a wide-range of water-related education at Mount Rainier Pool. Literally thousands of children have been taught to swim, seniors are extending both the length and quality of their lives with low-impact water aerobics, and families have had a safe, supervised place to recreate.

“Statistics show that nine Americans drown every day. Three of them are children,” said Gene Achziger, campaign media consultant. “The best way to combat those tragedies is to teach kids how to swim. And what better goal for ‘The Waterland City’ than to have water safety education available to every child?”

But Mount Rainier Pool does much more. One of the biggest proponents of the water aerobics program is soon-to-be 105-year-old Faith Callahan of Wesley Homes who exercises at the pool three days a week. SCUBA lessons are taught there and both Boeing and Alaska Airlines use the pool for water certification exercises for their flight personnel. Kick in the pool parties, CPR and lifesaving training, family swims and occasional full-immersion baptismal ceremonies and you’ve got one busy pool.

And then there are the girls and boys swim teams at Mount Rainier High that produce some of the best competitive swimmers in the state, many of whom continue their educations on scholarships at colleges and universities across the country.

Mount Rainier Pool also trains some of the best athletes in the world. Federal Way native Ariana Kukors swims for KING Aquatics Club that is based at the pool. She just shattered the world’s record in the 200IM while competing last month in Rome. Two of her practice partners are Olympians Megan (Quann) Jendrick and Margaret Hoelzer.

“Mount Rainier Pool has been one of the best kept secrets in Des Moines,” Achziger said. “Partly because it’s not on the main drag, and partly because it wasn’t able to advertise its services when the county operated the pool, not that many people realize what a gem we have here or even where it is.”

But thousands of school kids do know where the pool is and any previous times the City Council has addressed the issue of whether to close it, those kids and their parents have flooded City Council chambers to advocate for its retention.

“Parents have always strived to leave their children a better world than their parents were able to leave for them. Forty years ago, voters approved this wonderful opportunity for their children. It’s a wonderful legacy and certainly one worth preserving for the next generation,” Achziger added.

SOS is chaired by Willie C. Salmond Jr. and the treasurer is Nancy Kuehnoel. They can be contacted at: sosmrpool@yahoo.com.

Here’s more info on Proposition 1 as well as the history of the pool:

ABOUT PROPOSITION 1:
Prop. 1 would form a Metropolitan Park District to be governed by a five-member elected board of metropolitan park commissioners for the purpose of generating funds for Mount Rainier Pool maintenance, operation and capital improvement expenditures.

The initial levy amount would be set at 20 cents per
 $1,000 of assessed property valuation ($56 annually
 on a typical $280,000 Des Moines home). Under state
 law, once the tax rate has been set, it can only
 increase by a maximum of 1% per year unless
 approved by the voters.

POOL BASICS:
Located on the southwest edge of the Mount Rainier High School campus, Mount Rainier Pool is a 14,640 square foot facility in the City of Des Moines.

The tank itself is a six-lane competition style pool that varies from 3 feet in the shallow end to 12 feet in the diving tank/deep end. There is a movable bulkhead that separates the pool into two sections that is currently fixed in place due to several challenges associated with moving it. The volume of the pool is 240,000 gallons that are circulated every 6 hours through two high rate sand filters.

The pool had a minor upgrade in 1987 and a major mechanical system upgrade in 1997. A small amount of electrical system and architectural ceiling work was also completed as part of the 1997 upgrade.

Mount Rainier Pool is managed by Aquatics Management Group, which also manages the former Kent Forward Thrust pool.

The pool is generally open to the community year round from 5:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. In addition to recreational and lap swimming, classes in beginning swimming, lifesaving and CPR are conducted. There are programs for low-impact aerobics for seniors and the infirm. The pool is also rented periodically for events ranging from birthday pool parties to baptismal ceremonies. SCUBA lessons are conducted and, periodically, both Boeing and Alaska Airlines use the pool to train personnel for water safety certification.

Also, the pool is heavily used for competitive sports on the local high school and swim club levels. Mount Rainier Pool is the “home” facility for the Mount Rainier, Highline and Tyee high schools swimming and diving teams. KING Aquatics Club, which boasts both Olympic and World Champion level swimmers, also uses Mount Rainier Pool as a practice facility.

ABOUT FORWARD THRUST:
On Feb. 13, 1968, King County voters passed Proposition 3, the $118 million parks and recreation component of the comprehensive Forward Thrust bond issue. The vote was 64.7 percent in favor. At the time, it was the largest parks and recreation bond passed in the United States.

This led to the construction of Mount Rainier Pool in Des Moines. The pool was formally dedicated on September 15, 1975. Virtually all of the pools were erected on local school district property, in this case the Highline School District.

KING COUNTY BUDGET CRISIS:
Facing budget constraints, King County announced in 2003 that it intended to transfer ownership of its Forward Thrust pools to local municipalities or close them unless such agreements could be reached. Mount Rainier Pool was operated by King County until Jan. 1, 2004, when the cities of Des Moines and Normandy Park assumed the Mount Rainier Pool Lease Agreement originally negotiated between King County and Highline School District. On March 6, 2009, ownership of the pool was transferred to Highline School District.

LOCAL BUDGET PROBLEMS:
By interlocal agreement, the cities of Des Moines, Normandy Park and SeaTac, along with Highline School District, are members of the Mount Rainier Pool Contributors through Dec. 31, 2009. With the opening of a new YMCA pool in SeaTac, that city has now dropped out of the contributors group. Highline School District has indicated it will no longer contribute to the MRPC after the end of the year, but will negotiate a lease to a suitable entity for continued operation of the pool.

In response, both the cities of Des Moines and Normandy Park have placed propositions on the Nov. 3 ballot to create metropolitan park districts to oversee and operate Mount Rainier Pool.

There are, however, important distinctions between the two propositions. Des Moines Prop. 1 would levy an assessment of 20 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation and encompass only the operation of the pool, while Normandy Park Prop. would levy an assessment of 75 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation an encompass operation of the pool and Normandy Park’s entire parks and recreation operation.

Also, while the Normandy Park metropolitan park district would be governed by the existing city council, the Des Moines pool metropolitan park district will be governed by an independently elected 5-member board of commissioners.

Candidates for those positions will also be on the Nov. 3 ballot.

Because each city’s propositions will be approved or rejected independently, the assessment in the Des Moines proposal would generate enough funds on its own to maintain and operate Mount Rainier Pool. The amount of the Des Moines levy could be reduced if both cities pass their propositions.

Based on Des Moines’ 2009 assessed valuation of $3,239,586,031, a levy of 20 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation will generate $647,916 per year. Broken down to the average $280,000 household, the share of the levy would be $56 per year, or $1.08 per week.

The current operations subsidy for the pool is approximately $100,000. However, since transfer of the pool from the county in 2004, there has been little maintenance of the facility. It is a 35-year-old building and does need repairs and upgrades. Consultants have identified $2.5 million in improvements that would need to be made over the next 10 years, thus the need for the extra revenue generated by the levy.

Language that will appear on the Nov. 3rd ballot for Prop. 1 (download/view PDF file here):

PROPOSITION NO. 1

FORMATION AND FUNDING OF DES MOINES POOL METROPOLITAN PARK DISTRICT

Des Moines Resolution 09-095 proposes creation of the Des Moines Pool Metropolitan Park District coextensive with the City’s boundaries pursuant to 35.61 RCW, including the authority to levy a general tax on property within the District each year not to exceed twenty cents per thousand dollars of assessed valuation, for the purpose of acquiring and operating a pool facility. A five- member board of commissioners, elected at large, shall govern the District.

o For the formation of a Metropolitan Park District to be governed by a five-member board of commissioners to be elected at large.

o Against the formation of a Metropolitan Park District.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• Candidates For Five Pool Commissioner Positions Announced
• City Seeking Residents To Write Pro & Con Statements For Pool District Resolution; Deadline Is Wed. Aug. 12th

UPDATE WED. 9/2/09: King County Elections certified results for the Aug. 18th primary election, and the final results for Des Moines City Council show that it’ll be Anne Farmer versus Matt Pina for Position #1, and Dave Kaplan vs. Susan White for Position #7.

The general election will be Tuesday, Nov. 3rd.

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters:  5,083 / 15,431 • 32.94%

City of Des Moines Council Position No. 1:

• Anne Farmer:  1,871 • 39.13%
• Matt Pina: 1,701 • 35.58%
• John D. Burdine: 1,193 • 24.95%
• Write-in: 16 • 0.33%

City of Des Moines Council Position No. 7:

• Susan White: 1,535 • 31.77%
• Dave Kaplan: 2,568 • 53.15%
• Chris Alexander: 710 • 14.69%
• Write-in: 19 • 0.39%

Don’t forget to look for your mail-in ballots sometime soon, and be sure to mark you calendars for the election, which is Nov. 3rd.

by T.M. Sell, Ph.D.
Special to the Waterland Blog

On the eve of an important primary election in Des Moines, we should consider the question of economic development within the city.

Economic development is always a subject over which reasonable people can disagree, even in a city such as ours, where reasonable people sometimes appear to be in short supply.

But the bottom line is that since the end of the car-tab equalization fund, which propped up the budgets of cash-poor cities such as Des Moines, the city has been chronically short of cash, all the while carrying a frankly deserved reputation as a very difficult place to do business.

One school of thought is that Des Moines is fine the way it is, and anybody who wants to do business here should:

A. Pay heavily for the privilege

B. Not impact the (non-existent) parking problem (if you don’t have any businesses, how is there a parking problem?)

C. Not disrupt anybody’s view of the water.

This school of thought argues that a planned development in the Pacific Ridge area between Pacific Highway South and Interstate 5 should not have been given any tax breaks, which the City Council approved earlier this year.

So great was the outcry from the losing side in this debate that they went out and recruited a slate of candidates to take out the evil people responsible for this travesty of justice.

Opponents of the development argue that the tax breaks will push the taxes onto the rest of us. Even so, they are quite happy to ask you to raise your property taxes to maintain a swimming pool that the city can’t afford to operate.

The city should have the pool – a lot of people use it. It should have after-school programs for kids; it should have open and well-maintained parks; it should have enough employees to do all the things a city is supposed to do.

The reason it can’t is because Des Moines has a woefully inadequate tax base. Statewide statistics show that Des Moines has the lowest per capita sales tax receipts of any city over 20,000 in the entire state, and the second lowest above 10,000. We also rank low in property tax receipts.

So Des Moines needs some business. Downtown right now is an attractive mix of nail salons, espresso stands and vacant lots; Pacific Ridge meanwhile leads the city in police calls. Shopping in Des Moines largely means driving to Burien or Federal Way.

And the city is tough to do business with, to the point where I don’t think hardly anybody on the council understands. For example, some city council members thought that as a condition of giving Highline College (my employer) a building permit for redeveloping the Marine Science and Technology Center in Redondo, the college should have to build a parking garage.

Now there is a parking problem in Redondo, but it’s on nights and weekends, when the college facility typically isn’t open. One council member thought the college should build a bridge from the MaST to Salty’s. Apparently, the college is sitting on a vast pot of money which we are free to use to solve the city’s problems.

A couple of years ago when the college was building its new Instructional Computing Center, a city engineer proceeded to demand that the college put in a sidewalk on a street off campus that had no relation to the college or the computing center. I approached a city councilman about this ridiculous request, which violated state law, and his only response was “He’s a good city employee.”

The college is a large institution and we can look out for ourselves. And we do our part. Over the last decade, millions of dollars in building fees from the college have helped the city balance its budget.

But we’re not building anything right now, and the city is going to have to look elsewhere for funds. The cash cow is out to pasture.

Which brings us back to Pacific Ridge. The 11-acre parcel where the development would go right now generates little revenue for the city – it’s a mobile home park and other underused properties. I know that sounds cold – the people who are there are as important as anyone in the city – but we don’t have enough money to be as comforting to everyone as we might like.

So the notion that tax breaks for an area that isn’t generating much revenue now will somehow cost us money is simply untrue.

Furthermore, as it is unlikely that everything will be built at once, the tax breaks won’t all come at once, further spreading out whatever tax burden might marginally occur from the development.

And let’s face it – nobody’s going to build up there without some inducement. And the size of this inducement isn’t going to bankrupt the city any faster than it’s already going bankrupt. And it is.

Opponents of the development point to the difficulties that similar mixed-use projects are having in Burien, Tacoma and Bellevue. Hello? We’re in a recession. Everybody’s having problems. Do you think that’s going to last forever? At worst, if the market is so bad there’s no money to be made, the developer won’t build and the tax break will never accrue.

The line of logic used in opposing this kind of project is not NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) – it’s BANANAs (Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anyone).

Somewhat understandably, there’s a group of people within the city who like it the way it is: A relatively quiet bedroom community without much going on.

The problem with that model is that it doesn’t work. The city cannot afford to be what it has been, a city with a pathetic tax base, a city that has as many vacant lots and empty storefronts as it has actually operating businesses. We can’t afford to provide the services people say they want without some businesses in town that pay taxes (and maybe even employ people).

In actually trying to get some new development in Des Moines, the City Council majority is not selling Des Moines by the pound. They’re saving it by the dollar.

Whoever you vote for, in the primary and the general election, ask them this:

How are you going to make Des Moines a city that can support itself again?
Because right now, it can’t.

(T.M. Sell, Ph.D., is professor of political economy at Highline College and has lived in Des Moines for more than 20 years.)