With the change in our King County District 12 council seat comes renewed enthusiasm that Snoqualmie Valley will lose its “Issaquah step-child” status and become part of the mainstream discussion at the council table.

Brian did his share of work for District 12, all of which was so

eloquently highlighted in a recent mailer to his constituents (kind of makes me

wonder what he will run for next). I applaud him for his continuing role in support

of environmental protection and growth management. I have a feeling he will

be right on Dave Irons’ heels with questions, which will at times encumber

the process but also provide a greater level of accountability.

So Dave, here we are, the Snoqualmie Valley, full of people that you

represent. Eighty-five-plus percent of us drive to a job somewhere on the

Eastside, so traffic congestion is a major concern to us. The reason we have to drive

is that there are very few jobs that pay above a low-income wage in the

Valley. And it’s not getting any better, as developments like Falls Crossing are

going to contribute to the plethora of low-paying jobs.

We have a little water problem, which seems to get worse with each

new acre of development. Visibly, water levels are higher than they were 10

years ago, just in the groundwater levels. But our water problem goes beyond a

little ground water (which will likely be cured now that the county and the

departing Derdowski have voted to make us pay to fix and monitor the situation …

gee, thanks!) and actually has a lot to do with flooding. It’s been a problem

around here that government folks have been trying to fix since the 1950s. It led to

the creation of dikes which are now useless because nobody maintained them.

It’s led to whole parcels of land being rendered useless for their owners, but

still generating tax revenue for the county. But, on the bright side, it has led to a

rise in the 10-foot boat market, which is useful when getting to and from our

houses in the event of high water.

We receive increased pressure from developers to allow development,

much of which happens in parallel with other development, thereby masking the

true effects on our daily lives. Our sense of community is constantly under

attack, but unlike any other community on the Eastside, we have managed to keep

it together thanks to some great people.

All we ask is that we are on your mind as much as Issaquah and areas of

the plateau. And don’t just humor us with lip service; we get enough of that

at other levels of government, so let’s see some action. If the action is

there, you’ll get my vote on re-election day.

Jim McKiernan