I had the opportunity to watch KCTS tonight and I would like to know who gave David Cline (interim Burien City Manager) the authority to speak from a pro-annexation position.

He said during the debate that Burien is the kind of community that listens to its citizens. Who is David Cline listening to? Himself? The council? If the council, who is the council listening to?

Since we, the citizens of Burien, do not get a chance to vote on the annexation, it seems that the council should do its utmost to get the most input possible from the citizens of Burien. A couple of town meetings is not the way. A few hundred people who turn out cannot begin to speak for the 30,000 citizens of Burien. What is going on here?

Since SeaTac and Tukwila have already said no to any idea of annexation, why does Burien have to drag things out as if it is a possibility sometime in the future? Burien city officials have the opportunity to declare North Highline as a potential annexation area. That should also mean that Burien city officials have the opportunity to not declare North Highline as a potential annexation area and put the matter to bed once and for all.

James Sharkey

Burien