A desperate and rather pathetic smear campaign has been started against Dave Somers, Snohomish County Councilman. On Wednesday, September 10th 2008, a mail piece was sent to Snohomish County voters attacking Dave, and accusing him of being pro-sprawl. This would be hilarious if it were not so ridiculous. The Everett Herald agrees!
On Monday September 15th a similar mail piece accused Dave of being for global warming. By the end of the week, expect the accusations to include Dave being against affordable housing, against creation of living wage jobs, and being against kids and senior citizens. Just a prediction...
UPDATE! The third mail piece arrived on October 6th claiming Dave Somers is AGAINST AFFORDABLE HOMES! Wow I guessed that one right. Dave has fought to protect affordable housing, including trying to rescue senior citizens and low income families who live in the county's many mobile home parks that are under siege by greedy developers who want to kick out the limited income residents and redevelop high income housing. The fact of the matter is, the County's FCC ordinance only requires that the developer of an FCC make 30% of the housing "affordable" to those making 120% of the County's median income. In 2008, 120% of the median income for a four person family (two adults and two children) is $100,000. Is this affordable housing? No! The County code is weak and needs to be fixed to truly provide for affordable housing. Dave Somers wants to fix the code to create affordable housing, the developer who wants to build a new resort community at Lake Roesiger opposes taking the time to fix the code.
Dave is a professional fish biologist who has worked tirelessly for many years to PREVENT SPRAWL!He worked for 20 years for the Tulalip Tribes, fighting to protect our dwindling salmon runs and Puget Sound. He has won awards for fighting for our citizens and communities, protecting and enhancing our quality of life, and opposing sprawl and irresponsible development.
The smear campaign is funded by out-of-county developer Dave Barnett (1) who wants to build a new sprawling city of 6000 homes at Lake Roesiger, 10 miles out in the forest and away from the nearest services and highways. Who does he think he is fooling?
Fully Contained Communities (FCC's) are not as Mr Barnett advertises.
An FCC at Lake Roesiger:
DOES NOT provide affordable housing;
DOES NOT require the developer to build needed new roads - this is put on the backs of taxpayers;
DOES NOT make the developer pay for new schools - this too is foisted on the taxpayers;
DOES NOT provide for new jobs - there is absolutely no requirement for a single new job within an FCC;
DOES NOT provide for fire and police protection - again the costs for these services will go on to our county's taxpayers!
An FCC at Lake Roesiger WILL:
- raise your taxes
- cause horrendous increased traffic on our rural roads, Highway 9, and Highway 2.
- compete for scarce funding with our existing towns and cities
- destroy 2000 acres of world class commercial forest land
- destroy our rural communities
- CREATE SPRAWL
Don't believe the developer funded smear campaign!
If voters knew the truth, they would OPPOSE FCC's like Dave Somers does.
STAYED TUNED! MORE COMING SOON!
- Who is developer Dave Barnett and why does he think voters will buy his laughable smear campaign?
- Who are them members of Keep Snohomish County Affordable? (That's easy - Dave Barnett)
- Who is Strategies360 - the firm running the smear campaign?
- What problems has the FCC in King County created?
- Why does King County now PROHIBIT FCC's?
- Why have more than 7 Snohomish County cities voted to OPPOSE FCC's?
- Why has the Puget Sound Regional Council (including Pierce, Kitsap, King, and Snohomish Counties and dozens of cities) voted unanimously to DISCOURAGE FCC's?
- What is Dave Somers real record as a County Councilman who fights for the citizens AGAINST big developers?
To view the smear campaign website, go to:
www.keepsnohomishcountyaffordable.org
Do they think we are all that stupid?