CIVIC REFORM COMING TO BLAINE

September 16 letter to Whatcom County:

When you're the head of a criminal enterprise masquerading as a municipal government, official misconduct is your MO. Mayor Steward's coverup of self-dealing by Blaine officials Mike Hill, Gurdeep Bains, and Sam Randhawa and other acts of official misconduct requires frequently checking in with the city attorney Peter Ruffatto to see what she can get away with, knowing The Northern Light has her back. (Mayor Steward has the back of the real estate industry, and The Northern Light's bread and butter is real estate advertising--a colossal conflict of interest.) 

With Mayor Steward constantly running to the city attorneys (whom we pay) for advice on how to defeat civic reform, environmental protection, and the rule of law, city legal bills have doubled to $25K per month. Her biggest gripe in her September 8 meltdown at city council was that Councilman Lewis made motions for adoption of a code of ethics for Blaine officials and that oral public comment at city council meetings be restored. Steward calls that tyranny? Maybe her apparent friend Alicia Rule can get her some mental health counseling at her clinic.

All these conflicts of interest and fraudulent zoning by Blaine Community Development Services on behalf of the real estate industry make Blaine a prime target for investigation by the Public Integrity Unit of the Washington State Auditor and the Attorney General. A difficult task given the enormous influence wielded in Olympia by the real estate lobby.

Still, we have laws in Washington, and when local governments flout them with impunity, it is only grassroots democracy that can put things right. Civic reform will come to Blaine, despite the best efforts of Blaine City Council under Mayor Steward to undermine public participation.

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