To the Editor:

On a regular basis we are subjected to the sarcastic, arrogant diatribe of Frosty Hardison on the pages of local papers.

He seems to fancy himself as a self-appointed expert on a variety of topics but most galling is his questioning everyone else about their business acumen. So here are a few questions I would like for him to answer with specifics, not his usual sarcastic generalizations in order for us to determine his qualifications to speak with such authority on this subject.

1. What is the name of the business you own, run or manage in Federal Way?

2. Where is it located?

3. Is it a sole proprietorship, corporation, LLC and what are your state and city business license numbers?

4. Number of people you employ and pay L&I and payroll taxes on?

5. Annual revenues of your business?

6. Your educational background with specific degrees, names of institutions from which you earned them and year the degree was awarded. Also the leadership awards you have earned including dates, organization who awarded it and nature of the award.

7. Your business management experience including years, numbers of employees supervised and names of the businesses in which you have held these positions?

8. Specific actions the Federal Way City Council has taken that have directly affected your business and in what way?

9. The names and phone numbers of the company managers of QFC, The Men's Wearhouse, KB Toys, Toy's R Us, Enterprise Rental Car, AMC Theaters, CoCo's, Cyber Bear Computers, The Computer Store and the Shell Gasoline station that told you the reason they closed their business was because of the sales tax rate in Federal Way, the money taken by the city from the state to build medians on highway 99 or the zoning or building regulations of the city. Also, please provide the names and titles of the company officials authorizing you to speak on their behalf about the reasons they closed or relocated their stores.

10. The names and phone numbers of the company representatives of Bally's, 24 hour Fitness, LA Fitness, Curves for Women or Liberty Fitness who have told you that their business has been negatively affected by the Federal Way Community Center and the dates you were originally told this before you wrote your January 9th letter.

While this could go on and on, specific answers to these first ten questions should help us understand your expertise and credibility with respect to the charges you make against the city.

Now remember Frosty, we are asking for specifics, not broad generalizations or things we can't verify. We anxiously await your response. Without a response, we will have to assume you never learned the truth of the old adage "better to be thought a fool than open your mouth and prove it."

C.L. Vaughn

Federal Way