Moses Lake City Council rejects donation proposal
I optimistically attended the Moses Lake City Council meeting Tuesday to propose some suggestions regarding our current budget deficit of $1.8 million dollars. The Bill & Melinda Gates and Warren Buffet Foundation are optimistic too, and when I sent them my proposal regarding educational priorities, they diligently implemented my proposal into success and currently it is still one of their priorities. Michelle Price, our current superintendent for the Moses Lake School District, should contact them.
Anyhow, this is what I proposed to the city council. The first was for the city to take out a low interest rate loan with no penalties for repaying the loan early and only raise taxes to cover the monthly cost for repaying the loan. Work smart, right? That is the most optimal solution. The analogy was if they had to refinance their home or lose it, they would refinance. The second, will not holistically solve the budget deficit. It was for the city council to implement the $4.86 tax increase for the ambulance fee; whereas about $500,000.00 would stay in the general fund and to take that money and reallocate it to the Parks and Recreational Department that took a $1.080,000.00 million dollar hit from their budget. With the knowledge that about 400/0 of our population falls into the category of poverty, in good conscience, a hardship for this tax increase must be considered.
Where I am completely left in a state of shock is that I also proposed a "Share the Care" optional donation, and there was no reason why that could not have been immediately implemented. To my dismay, not one elected city council member would even table the option for a motion for it to be considered to be voted on and approved; whereas it would have only required a change in the bill format and a specific fund for child-related purposes only. There is no reason why that could not have been immediately approved so we can move in a direction of resolution. Resolution means: the act of finding an answer or solution to a conflict, or problem, the act of resolving something, and answer or solution to something.
Benjamin Franklin once said, "How few there are who have courage enough to own their faults, or resolution enough to mend them."
The "Share the Care" is an optional donation like the PUD's "Share the Warmth." It is not a tax, but the good news is it is tax-deductible. If you donate $10 it is tax-deductible. If the "Share the Care" was implemented it would be added onto the water utility bill for the people to choose to donate in aiding to restore our: recreational center, ice skating rink, BMX track, the Centennial Concert series, (including the Bluegrass Festival),
Movies at the Park, our Fourth of July fireworks show, and other public park needs.
The city council members are elected officials who are supposed to represent the people and be the voice for the people. In their leadership position, they currently don't represent mine. It appears, by our elected city council members' flabbergasting decision, that they don't think the people want the option to choose to donate to the "Share the Care." I am a long-standing member of a group called Mothers Rising. We started off statewide and quickly grew nationwide. We implement bills into laws regarding children and family needs. We always succeed because we all stand together and visit, call, email and or write our elected officials like Congress, per se.
The next Moses Lake City Council meeting is 7 p.m., Jan. 27. I am going to request the "Share the Care" to go back on the agenda. I encourage you to jump in. Attend the meeting and let your voice be heard.
If you are like me and get really nervous when I have to do public speaking, please go visit them, knock on their door, approach them, write or email, and call or text them and let them know you do want the option to choose to donate to the "Share the Care" contribution and that it does need council approval.
Here is the city's address and city council's phone number:
City of Moses Lake
Attention: City Council
401 S. Balsam St., Moses Lake, WA 98837
509-764-3701.
Here is a list of our elected city council members names and contact information:
- Dick Deane, mayor: 509-764-3701
- Todd Voth: tvoth@cityofml.com
- Jason Avila: javila@cityofml.com
- Jon Lane: jlane@cityofml.com
- David Curnel: dcurnel@cityofml.com
- Karen Liebrecht: kliebrecht@cityofml.com
- Bill Ecret: ecret@cityofml.com
They are elected in leadership to be our voice and when they are not representing our voice adequately, they deserve to know. We are the people. Together we can do this.