Did you know that there is actually a Washington state law that town or city Council people have to have 4 year terms? Why? That’s as long as a president’s term, but a president’s term being 4 years make sense given the gravitas of that office, but Council people? These Council people have a level of importance, of course, but they aren’t so important that we the people shouldn’t be able to kick them out of office after two years.

Yet, somehow the Washington law gives politicians these long terms because, after all, politicians make the laws and so they give themselves certain, built-in protections to protect their incumbency. It’s hard enough to vote out an incumbent after 2 years, back when they used to have 2 year terms, if ever in Washington, or those with 2 year terms in other states, let alone 4 years when they get double the advantage. Yet, a lot of these people put on their literal or metaphorical but nonetheless phony “We-love-democracy” badges and at the same time limit how often you can vote them out of office.

It’s a trend. Mark says they did the same thing in Minneapolis a long time ago, in 1985, when their Council changed from 2 year terms to 4 year terms. Of all places, Minneapolis, which has turned from a nice, sophisticated city to a hellhole, needs relatively short terms for their office holders, i.e., two year terms. Mark says their downturn started in 1985, not only with getting rid of the short terms for Council people but a dioxin-spewing, huge garbage burning furnace that they approved that year, and then the disastrous Sayles-Belton mayorship in the 1990s and the decision to let in a huge influx of foreign refugees; the dye was cast for poor, old Minneapolis (not 100% sure if it was the Sayles-Belton mayoralty or the preceding Fraser mayoralty that made the decision to let in refugees without some numeric limitations; both administrations were leftist). Now, it’s a pathetic, third world hellhole.

So, when a certain party, especially, tells you they are such great democracy lovers, then ask them when do we get the two-year terms back for politicians so we can vote assholes out of office before double that time? Maybe that will be our next initiative someday, albeit on a statewide level.

In the meantime, please help us get District FW on the ballot, the local Citizens Initiative to elect most, but not all, Federal Way, Washington Council members through wards (districts), starting in 2027. We need about 200 citizens to get 30 signatures apiece for us, and 80 groups to get 80 signatures each. We can do this, and once we do, then we’ll set our sights on slashing the 4-year terms back to a sane two. So, cut out the “We love democracy” b.s. while you’re limiting voting-you-out-of-office opportunities (I’m talking to you, politicians). Only stupid people buy that propaganda. — Margot Blaine, Author of Facebook’s “Way Tales by Margot Blaine”