MY AMERICAN DREAM

[May 15 submission to The Northern Light 'American Dream' essay contest]

My American Dream is one where political dissent is non-violent, and government is open and welcoming. Open government is a topic of disagreement in Blaine, which led to death threats against open government activists, as well as to retaliatory policing. Neither is acceptable behavior in a democracy.

In his May 11, 2026 letter to Blaine City Council, former Downtown Advisory Committee member Glen Pentland made the following remarks. 

"Blaine’s leadership has failed the community by systematically shutting the public out of meaningful participation in shaping the city’s future. That failure has now reached a critical point: City Hall has abandoned its responsibility for downtown planning by stripping away important building codes and handing control to profit-driven developers to dictate the vision for Blaine’s future, while residents are pushed to the sidelines. The City is now seeking further legislation to eliminate public participation.

Good government requires meaningful public engagement. Instead, Blaine’s government has treated community participation as a threat rather than an essential part of responsible leadership. Strong communities are built when residents are brought into the planning process — resulting in better decision-making, stronger civic pride, greater volunteerism, and a shared commitment to the future of the city. Most importantly, successful planning reflects the heart and soul of the community, not the priorities of outside developers or City Hall."

In 1994, I was victorious at the Washington Supreme Court, protecting Critical Areas statewide. In 2026, I filed a complaint with the EPA against Blaine for retaliation when our group asked for help from the Secretary of Health, to prevent contamination of Blaine's public water system.