We not sure whether to laugh or cry at the circumstances in Sultan. If Salvadore Dali were to depict Alice in Wonderland, I believe it would look like our current situation. Is anyone else thinking the "R" word yet? That word isn't "recall" this time, but "resignation." The single most important thing Mayor Rowe can do on behalf of this city now to save it, and himself, further embarrassment, is to resign immediately.

The recent action by surrogates of Porter and Rowe in initiating petitions and supplemental petitions for recall against Dr. Mark Raney are desperate acts of desperate men. It's a naked, pitiful and almost comical attempt at retribution. Dr. Raney heals people and heals Sultan. He takes the sickness spread by others and tries to cure it. He is a man of great integrity and stature.

But instead of dwelling on Dr Raney, let's review Mayor Rowe's record since taking office:

1. Selection in closed (illegal) Executive Session of Cindy Broughton as a new councilmember;
2. Encouraging, and perhaps instigating, conditions leading to Debbie Copple's resignation as President of the Sultan Chamber of Commerce;
3. Selecting Brian Olson (a convicted felon) as a "facilitator" for the council retreat at a cost of $5,400 (selection later rescinded);
4. Willows Trace and Eagle Ridge Code "Irregularities";
5. Rowe's failure to notify councilmembers of Roy Bysegger's past;
6. Destruction of Wagley's Creek wetland buffers;
7. Shut-down of LID-97 construction first by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife, and then by the Army Corps of Engineers;
8. Doubling the cost for the LID (From $2.5 to $5.0 million or more -- it's not finished yet -- which has required the city to borrow millions (in the form of bonds) to pay for the debacle;
9. Encouraging rampant development by proposing significantly denser zoning in the industrial zone to obtain "cost-benefits" to pay for his incompetence in overseeing the construction. (By the way, for those continuing to protest that it wasn't the mayor's "fault," RCW 35A.12.100 [Duties & Authority of the mayor] states: "He shall see that all contracts and agreements made with the city or for its use and benefit are faithfully kept and performed.";
10. Rowe's conflicts of Interest within the LID to enhance his financial holdings there;
11. Countless and seemingly endless environmental violations in stream and wetland buffers;
12. "Death by Delay" of the Tourist Center/Waterfall Park in order to protect a campaign benefactor;
13. Re-acceptance of Garth York's Intent to Annex two months after it was voted down.
    City Attorney's increasing influence over city affairs;
14. Three residential lots in Eagle Ridge "magically" turned presto-chango into an almost-business center;
15. Selection of heavily pro-growth Planning Commission appointments, the last one of which had to resign after taking office due to the fact he was not a legally-registered voter;
16. An escalation of pipeline development population levels to 2012 GMA targets;
17. Accepting possible annexation of 20 additional acres to expand Sultan's UGA boundary further north. (The county, thankfully, had the wisdom to reject this action.);
18. Secreting of the Department of Natural Resources' jurisdictional notification of their proposal of a 600-acre gravel operations until the comment period deadline had passed;
19. Turning city hall and its personnel virtually upside-down due to Rowe's determination that his hand-selected ESA consultant be hired, first by lying to the press, then firing City Administrator Roy Bysegger over false charges, then barring him from city hall and from his association with any city employee;
20. Encouraging surrogates to vilify and smear the name of G.R.I.T., Loretta Storm, Ray Kistenmacher, and other G.R.I.T. "members" by accusing them during council meetings of illegal acts, when those same surrogates were the ones perpetrating illegal activity;
21. Encouragement of countless violations by either overt or indirect, tacit approval.

What ELSE lurks behind city hall's walls of which the public is yet unaware? The old expression, "Where there's smoke, there's fire," couldn't be more true in this case. Sultan is under a pall of smoke so thick we are choking to death.

To accuse Rowe of incompetence would be too kind. If one were to accept this as truth, they must also accept the fact that he is unfit to govern. If, however, one were to accuse him of unethical and possibly illegal behavior, it follows that that, too, is reason for his removal. After reviewing his first year in office, one -- or both -- of those conclusions must be drawn. Does it matter WHY these things happened, really? The reality that these events DID happen, and continue to happen, should be more than enough to shame him, and shame us for allowing him to stay in office.

Mayor Rowe has become an embarrassment to the City of Sultan and its residents. He represents the old brand of Sultan politics, the "You scratch my back and I'll do yours and we both keep our mouths shut"-type of "governing." Just how dumb does Mr. Rowe believe Sultan citizens to be? I think Mr. Rowe is confusing the guidelines of Fair Play drawn by men of goodwill (which allows the benefit of the doubt be given to all, even to their possible personal detriment) with their level of intelligence. But when "doubt" turns to certainty, action is required.

Mr. Rowe, you may not understand this yet, but along with the developments you allowed to proliferate, came a fresh, cleansing wind blowing through town. That wind is the hue and cry of new residents appalled and mortified at your archaic and unethical (and in some cases, illegal) methods of "doing business." We expect more from our elected officials, and now we're demanding more: We're demanding that you resign and allow a person of integrity take the helm. Your "brand" of government has branded us long enough.

If you truly wish to help this city, resign now. It's the RIGHT thing to do. But more importantly for you, it's the SMART thing to do. Resign NOW.