To the Editor:

Opponents of the strong mayor initiative ask "Why tamper with something that has been proven to work?"

Oh really?

Did any one read the front-page article in the 12/6/07 Tacoma News Tribune, "City sells land for massive towers," regarding the incredibly huge project to begin in our core area? Before this project was written in stone, does any one recall hearing about United Properties (the builder) being in litigation for building several leaky condos?

That United Properties Ltd. of Vancouver B.C., filed for protection in Canada six years ago, similar to a Chapter 11 reorganization?

That they had to file for protection regarding two hotels in Arizona?

That they may not be union friendly, may not hire union workers at prevailing wages, may not employ unions and apprenticeship programs?

Council member Eric Faison said he was aware of the developers' protection filing but not the "leaky condo" issue.

Oh well, that makes it all better, doesn't it? Now, speaking of Eric Faison; are any of you voters familiar with the unending University Place Town Center the University Place city council has been trying to get off the ground for five years?

They just fired their third developer, which will cost the University Place tax-paying citizens almost $2 million to get rid of him.

The citizens of University Place are saying their dream is now a nightmare propagated by their multi-headed monster, also known as the city council (boy, can I dig that!), which has an insatiable appetite for taxes.

With luck, it wont be UPlace's version of the Boston big dig; as the final cost is unknown, shall we just trust to luck?

Yep, our very entrenched councilperson/newly elected deputy mayor Eric Faison has been involved in that fiasco, too.

Friends, I fear that looking at the Town Center mess, we're getting a chilling view of our future.

Although at first I was for the Symphony project, after finding that, instead of having primarily businesses and retail, the number of condos and, for Pete's sake, rentals in our high rises were now a big factor, I suddenly understand why Deputy Mayor Jim Ferrell had called it a bait-and-switch deal during the council meeting, for which he was promptly pounced on by a colleague.

Looks like he knew what he was talking about.

Another phrase in Symphony project article explained that the first building would be completed in the 18-month cycle that each would be produced in, but, with the qualification that the rest will be built on "demand."

What happens if there is no demand? Well, of course, the city can litigate, but how much time and money (taxes) do you suppose that will take?

I think it's time we get a single strong leader to more prudently represent the hopes and desires of the citizens of Federal Way instead of trying to corral and control seven separate egos (the feared seven-headed monster in University Place mess?) whose opinion of the voter, according to their leader Barbara Reid, is that we're so short of intellect we would no doubt elect a sixth grade drop out who can't even balance a checkbook. This is their best argument?

Now we have a chance to elect someone who just might give us a little more credit. Let's do it on Feb. 19th. Let's not miss this chance to show them how well we can handle the voting booth, so to speak.

Let's vote for the right to elect a strong mayor and get some common sense back into our city government. Vote yes for a strong, elected mayor.

Clara McArthur

Federal Way