Island needs good news for a change | LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Published 12:19 pm Tuesday, March 6, 2012

To the editor:

A friend of mine who lives in the Magnolia district of Seattle sent me the following email:

“What’s up with the police on Bainbridge Island … made the front page of the Seattle Times for two days! With Bainbridge Island having 27 square miles and 21 police officers, each one covers 1.3 square miles.

“You are getting very good coverage.”

I tried to explain:

“Dear Marvin, we like to feel safe. Even though we are understaffed, shoot first, ask questions later is not really a bad policy. But you liberals in Seattle would not understand.

“We also like to have a city ‘council’ that appears to be constantly at each others throats. Nothing wrong with being active. Compare this to the do-nothing Congress. So, they spend a ton of money hiring and firing city managers.

“We believe in large amounts of severance pay for anybody not working out. I mean, we do have the money, unlike you tight ghetto dwellers in Magnolia.

“Keep in mind what Oscar Wilde said: There is only one thing worse than being talked about – not being talked about.”

Anyway, I have long since regretted my vote to incorporate. The Seattle Times article was just an additional negative blow. Does anybody have any good news?

James Behrend

Bainbridge Island