MOSES LAKE SIGNS

I attended the City of Moses Lake’s council meeting on August 11th, eager to hear debate on both sides of the recent political sign issue.  On one hand, I’m not sure who (other than the city) should decide what message should be on public property (like the POW-MIA flag which flies under the US flag at City Hall).  I am more persuaded by the other side of the argument, however, that the city cannot decide to allow some political messages, but filter others. 

The city now intends to follow the proposed ordinance as if it had passed, ignoring our right to a public debate.  This is troubling not only because it flies in the face of our democratic system, but serious challenges have been made to the ordinance’s constitutionality.  I was eager to hear an explanation or a reasonable argument from the city why they believed otherwise, or in the alternative, why they didn’t care, but rather welcomed the inevitable lawsuit by the ACLU.  I didn’t get to hear that discussion.

The City of Moses Lake obviously views the public hearing process as something they must suffer through, with our complaints and nagging, before they can pass their ordinances. These public meetings are not intended to simply slow down the city’s agenda; but sometimes proposed policies are simply wrong.  They may be wrong because they are unfair, illogical, or unconstitutional.  When a policy or an ordinance is proposed, people should get a chance to point those errors out.

This is not the way government is supposed to work in this country.  The POWs and MIAs honored by the City’s flag pole bled and died to end tyrannical regimes worldwide and to protect and defend democracy.  Just below that flag, I witnessed a government meeting that dishonored their memory.

Nathan P. Albright

Moses Lake