Opinion
Courtesy of Kirk Prindle
Kirk Prindle, candidate for the King Conservation District Board of Supervisors.
Don't let Ballard be shushed
By Kirk Prindle, candidate for King Conservation District Board of Supervisors
Vote in the King Conservation District Board election this Tuesday, March 16 at the Downtown library…shhhhhh.
Shhhhhhh…it’s at the library.
Shhhhhhh…The King Conservation District Board election is this Tuesday, but…shhhhhhh…it’s at the library.
Shhhhhhh…you are not mailed a ballot…shhhhhhh…you have to go in person to the downtown Seattle or Shoreline public library…shhhhhhh.
I love our libraries, but what kind of message does this send? What kind of message does it send when the only public election that deals directly with the conservation of King County’s important natural resources is the only public election not publicly administered by the King County Department of Elections?
Secret elections may work for the Skull and Bones Society. Secret elections may work to ably disenfranchise the vast majority of voters. And, secret elections may work to marginalize positions or issues.
But, secret elections do not work for the King Conservation District, and they certainly do not work for Ballard – not when so many district programs, funds and opportunities could improve the lives of Ballard residents in our great neighborhood.
The sole mission of the King Conservation District is to promote the sustainable use of King County natural resources – it’s really tough to promote things in secret.
I believe the district should support programs and services that truly promote an awareness of the importance of natural resources to vibrant economies and livable communities.
The district should loudly support youth sailing, naturalist and outdoor recreation programs; the district should help jurisdictions develop prominent urban forestry programs and plant community heritage trees associated with civic buildings and public spaces; the district should sponsor local and county-wide conservation awards to demonstrate how King County values conservation; and, the district should support farmers markets and sponsor creative events and spectacles at the markets that directly promote our region’s natural resources.
These are the ways to truly promote natural resource conservation in King County, not by holding a secret election.
Please be sure to vote in the last “secret” election for the King Conservation District Board of Supervisors March 16 at the Central Library, located at 1000 Fourth Ave.
Don’t let the voices of Ballard be shushed – it’s too important.
Visit www.kirkprindle.com to learn more about my specific ideas to improve the King Conservation District and to truly promote awareness of the importance of natural resources in King County.
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Comments
The Shushing of Ballard
The blame should not be laid at the feet of the King Conservation District; they're following the law. Believe it or not they are probably doing the best job of running elections of any Conservation District in the state.
In actual fact, doing anything better than what they're doing would be against the law.
The culprit here is an obsolete law which the Legislature refuses to change. Let the blame lie where it belongs.
Monty Mahan, Director
Pierce Conservation District
Vote Prinsen
Both Sierra Club and King County Conservation Voters have endorsed Max Prinsen in this election because he will continue applying the board’s $6.3 million dollar budget to saving salmon, assisting farmers with conservation plans, and investing in environmental protection and habitat restoration.
Vote Prindle
The Sierra Club and King County Conservation Voters are endorsing the familiar - elections are about change!
Kirk Prindle has devoted more than twenty years to working as an ecologist and environmental planner on vital conservation issues in the region.
He brings a wealth of experience and hands on knowledge to the table as well as a fresh and energetic perspective.
There is no better choice - VOTE PRINDLE on March 16th!
PS. Be sure to read more at www.kirkprindle.com
Not to mention Kirk Prindle
Not to mention Kirk Prindle was named Trout Unlimited's "Conservationist of the Year" in 2008 for facilitating the group's efforts to save wild Lake Sammamish Kokanee. His endorsements range from city council members, business leaders, economic development specialists, property managers, architects, engineers, planners, scientists, designers and many King County real estate agents and current leaders in the real estate community. I, for one, appreciate his willingness to work collaboratively -- listening to the needs of the community while all the while strongly advocating for protection of our precious natural resources.
KCD elections
Monte, while the regulations for these elections are undoubtedly outdated, I seriously doubt that doing anything more than they are now would be against state law. Surely more could be done to advertize them, and even KCD's website didn't clearly identify which position was up for election this year (it's the one currently held by David Irons, who is not running for re-election).
I respect the endorsement of the sierra club and King County Conservation voters, but found Prinsen statement on the KCD site very poorly written.
Prindle's statement was more convincing, but I was disappointed to see yesterday afternoon that most of the position papers listed on his website were still "coming soon" less than a week before the election.
I'd appreciate more feedback on either of these candidates, or any of the others running.
Vote Kirk Prindle. He has a
Vote Kirk Prindle. He has a couple of position papers up on his website now that convey his views, which are right on.