To the Editor:

There has been a huge misunderstanding--and I must present the facts.

It was ACT's original expressed intention to have a debate on the elected Mayor issue on Jan. 13th.

Part of the reason was the fact that I was going to be out of town on the 16th. (As a working person and truck driver, my job takes me out of town 4 days out of the week.) This date was chosen also because we thought more people could attend a debate held on a Sunday rather than mid-week.

These facts were stated to the Mirror in October and again during our informational presentation at Decatur High on Nov. 18. By the way--ACT spent thousands of dollars to present to the people of Federal Way an unbiased discussion on the 2 forms of city government at that event.

We were originally told that the Jan. 16th debate was going to be separate from any debate sponsored by ACT. The assumption was that ACT would have nothing to do with it. Okay. I had made it clear that I could not attend a Jan. 16th debate. But we were told that the date would not be changed.

Note here that the Chamber made its endorsement (by the slimmest majority; it was basically split down the middle)--and then continued to co-sponsor the Jan. 16th debate.

As for the claim that members of ACT were mysteriously "absent" form the debate, I have to tell you that some of them were of course in attendance. The fact that they were not introduced is another matter.

The Hardisons were asked by ACT to participate in the debate. The fact that they were not speaking "as ACT" Board members has been blown out of proportion of course. The bottom line here is the fact that they are concerned citizens--like the 3,200 others who signed the petition for change. Period.

Because of this lack of communication, and other errors that have occurred, some have now made the subject of electing our Mayor into a "where was ACT"? issue. Please do not buy into this spin. Readers, you're smarter than that. You're smart enough to see through the latest attempts to block change.

Roy Parke

ACT President and Federal Way resident