Wayne Krauss expresses my sentiments exactly. We cannot allow the reign of terror of Aaron Ament, Nancy Chaney, Linda Pall, and the Moscow Civic Association to return to Moscow and inflict their economic destruction on us again. We’ve learned that lesson, haven’t we, Moscow?
Balance: (verb) “offset or compare the value of (one thing) with another.”
Finding a balance in the decision-making process is always a challenge in local government. It is important to remember when making a decision that affects an area of our community, the decision made must be what is best for the entire community. It would be wonderful if government could keep “all the people happy, all of the time,” but of course that’s impossible. There will always be decisions made by the council and mayor that will make some people unhappy, whether it is accepting a plan for a new neighborhood, a more restrictive noise ordinance or a connecting vehicle bridge, some folks will not like it.
Our current council and mayor have done an excellent job balancing their decisions for the benefit of all of Moscow. Unfortunately, we have lost Macy’s, Hastings, Office Depot and a few others. No amount of letter writing or phone calls to corporate headquarters will change the fact that retail sales did not offset expenses. Every sale on Amazon, eBay and other internet sites takes away from local business and therein lies part of the problem. Remember that catch phrase “Buy Local”?
Fact – Walmart came back to Moscow in 2012 because the council approved a change to the Large Retail Establishment ordinance that eliminated the need for a conditional use permit. Art Bettge was chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission at that time and was instrumental in forwarding the recommendation of P&Z to remove the CUP from that ordinance to the council for approval. Please do not be a single-issue voter. We have a council and mayor that make balanced decisions.
Let’s keep our current mayor, Bill Lambert, and council members Bettge, Gina Taruscio, John Weber, and Walter Steed in office.Wayne Krauss
Moscow