FAIRNESS AND DUE PROCESS AGENDA

January 25 letter to State Senator Sharon Shewmake:

Washington State's land use planning process is designed to expedite development to garner home sales taxes, regardless of environmental laws. Despite all the government propaganda about public participation, the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) and Critical Area determinations by cities and counties are not reviewed for compliance with state and federal laws by state agencies. Nor are these laws enforced by the state when concerned citizens document perjury, self-dealing and fraud by public officials at the behest of dishonest developers. Washington State needs to provide truly independent Hearing Examiners by creating a pool that cities and counties pay into in order to avoid conflicts of interest posed by Hearing Examiners paid directly by local governments. Enforcement left to the citizens is a betrayal of trust that is unfair and unlawful.

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