Devotion to Developers

My September 26 letter to city council:

Your devotion to the desires of developers at the expense of our community comes through loud and clear by your remarks in The Northern Light. Councilman Hill's frustration with a minor delay by the planning commission in voting on the Central Business District upzoning that financially benefits him as well as Gurdeep Bains—both of whom have engaged in illegal self-dealing by voting for the upzoning— exemplifies the degree of corruption that has become the norm at Blaine City Hall under Mayor Steward and Development Director Alex Wenger. 

Illustrating the lack of independence at the planning commission, which should function as citizen oversight of public officials rather than puppets of Mr. Wenger, Mayor Steward suggested the council meet with the commission to discuss their visions of development in Blaine. Meanwhile, the visions of the community—shut down by Mayor Steward in February when she ended public comment at city council meetings—are ignored in favor of self-dealing developers.

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