|

To enlarge image Click Here
Tacoma patriots form committee to oppose Ladenburg’s
proposal to abolish city council term limits
by John Hathaway
While most of Tacoma’s eyes are focused on
this Fourth of July weekend and today’s arrival
of the Tall Ships, a small group of Tacoma
citizens are bringing the 232nd year of United States independence closer
to home. And in the words of this writer’s seventh
generation ancestor, John
Paul Jones, “I
(they) have just begun
to fight!”
Within 15 hours of the Tacoma City Council
passing what it now being
called “The Ladenburg
Obsession”, a resolution
asking Tacoma citizens
whether or not to vote
to abolish the City
Charter mandated ten year
city council term
limits, a group of Tacoma
patriots has organized
to oppose what will be
designated as Proposition
1 on the November 4 ballot.
Amazingly enough, for the most part, these
are the same city patriots
that opposed and
defeated two city government
sponsored “Save
our Dome” bond issues in
the recent past.
According to City Clerk Doris Sorum, former
Tacoma City council candidate Charles “Kelly”
Creso, Chris Lucas, Sherry Bockwinkel, and
former Tacoma city council member Tom Stenger
have shown interest in being on the committee
to oppose November’s Proposition 1.
Sorum stated that to date no one has come
forward to be on the committee
to support
the measure.
On July 28 the City Council Appointments
Committee, comprised of
Mayor Baarsma, and
council members Manthou,
Anderson, and Lonergan,
will decide who will be
appointed to both
sides of the issue.
In an e-mail sent to The New Takhoman late
yesterday afternoon Bockwinkel wrote, "Power
corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.--Lord
Acton, 1887
“Chris Lucas is asking people to volunteer
to help SAVE OUR TERM LIMITS.
“Tacoma voters need to volunteer to save
term limits because career politicians on
the Tacoma City Council want to eliminate
them. The five council members who voted
Tuesday evening to put Proposition 1 on the
ballot said they want the people to decide
on the issue of term limits.
“In 1973 voters approved term limits.
“In 2008 the voters will have to tell the
council once again that term limits are important
for good government.
“Lucas began organizing this morning, just
hours after a majority of the Tacoma City
Council members voted to spend $100,000 to
place Proposition 1 before the November voters.
‘Lucas called the clerk's office to volunteer
to be on the citizens committee to oppose
the charter change. Lucas is encouraging
others to contact the city clerk (591-5171)
to volunteer to be on the committee.
“There is a process.
“Volunteers need to fill out an application
form found at
http://www.cityoftacoma.org/Page.aspx?hid=1834
“Yvonne Yaskus, with the clerk's office states,
‘It is anticipated that the Appointments
Committee will be reviewing names submitted
for the ‘for’ and ‘against’ committees for
City of Tacoma Proposition No.1 at their
regular meeting of Monday, July 28, 2008.
Our office will be soliciting names of interested
individuals prior to that time period, and
will be sending all necessary paperwork to
those appointed at the appropriate time.’
“If being part of the committee working on
the Voter's Pamphlet is not your cup of tea,
then join Lucas and others in a grassroots
campaign to Save Our Term Limits.
“The grassroots campaign is planning to put
up yard signs, make phone calls and publish
a web site.
“If you want to attend a meeting or volunteer
please contact Chris Lucas at
SaveOurTermLimits@gmail.com”
According to Bockwinkel there will be a meeting
for all who oppose Proposition 1 on Tuesday,
July 8 at 3:00 PM at Tulley's Coffee on 9th and St Helen’s (next to city hall) in the
upstairs area.
“We're planning a grassroots campaign with
yard signs and window signs. We're planning
on purchasing a list of names and phone numbers
to begin contacting Tacoma voters”, Bockwinkel
stated.
Further Bockwinkel said,
“We need people
who are willing to volunteer
some time and
money”.
Stenger summed up the current fledgling grassroots
campaign to defeat “The Ladenburg Obsession”
as follows. “Every system needs a periodic
flushing. Term limits provide that for Tacoma’s
citizens.
|