I just read your editorial on the issue of the Seattle jail sites (July 2). Good for you to remind everyone to take a breath and study the issue. I went into a dry cleaner in White Center today and he had flyers being distributed that start out "Seattle is already doing damage to our neighborhood, now they want to make it worse."

Of course the person distributing this information is part of the "We hate Seattle" crowd in White Center who are pushing for Burien annexation.

I also received an e-mail talking about how terrible a jail would be. When I responded by providing a list of questions that I would want answered before I take a position, like; immediate crime impact of similar jails sited elsewhere, other potential negative impacts, how it will impact property values, additional police coverage that might come with the jail siting decision, living wage jobs created by the jail and whether they could be prioritized for White Center families, other potential city investment, and a whole list of other questions; their response was silence. If I could not condemn the jail outright, from the beginning, that I would be of no value to this group.

The fact is that all cities are getting pressure to work together with the county to site the jail in Kent next to the existing jail. This issue is not over.

Anyway, thanks for your smart, calm perspective.

Mark Ufkes

White Center