That teensy snippet of conversation says it all. It underscores the problem I've been trying to communicate for many months about the commission, despite Bart Dalmasso's (and other commissioners') protests that they are only interested in Sultan's future. The Commission is packed with pro-development heavies, each with their own individual motivation for developing Sultan as fast as they can, largely to pay for development that has placed a strain on current infrastructure. It's the ol' Development Catch-22: Develop, grow, out-grow your infrastructure, develop more in order to pay for improvements to the infrastructure needed only because of that development.

Mayor Rowe has hand-picked most of the applicants for the Planning Commission, rejecting many good folks who have had no agenda in mind other than a quality long-term future for Sultan. The current Commission's "scrutiny" of important issues such as the Industrial Park Master Plan and wholesale ordinance changes has been merely a rubber stamp to the Mayor's plans. And that stamp reads: "Passed Without Exception." It is clear to me, at least, that based on the scrutiny provided by PC members (with the exception of Ron Kraut and Josie Falgatter), most decisions have been reached at one of Sultan's favorite "watering holes" before the sketchy draft ordinance has even been presented -- most times without any prior review -- to the PC for their "recommendation and approval" to the council. And despite the best effort by the two quality-growth, pro-law voices on the Commission -- Ron Kraut and Josie Falgatter -- they have not been able to change the wording on that rubber stamp.

For those who still don't know how the planning commission works, here it is in a nutshell: The developers tell the mayor what they want. The mayor tells Rick Cisar to write an ordinance. Rick Cisar presents a superficial draft of the ordinance to the Planning Commission. Commissioners Kraut and Falgatter request more specifics on the details and impacts of the proposed ordinances they're supposed to be voting on. Rick Cisar says, "Not to worry -- it's just a work in progress." The Commission stamps it. Rick presents it to the council. The council holds a hearing (which most folks don't even attend anymore since (1) they are poorly advertised to the general public; and (2) no one listens to them anyway unless they're potential land developers). The ordinance is passed as presented unless Councilmen Jeff Everett, Mark Raney or Perry McPherson object or offer changes. And even if they do, the council is too heavily weighted against their voices of caution. (The only possible exception to this scenario is Bruce Champeaux, who seems to show flashes of independence.) And that's how it works.

Of course Sultan will grow.

Of course Sultan's UGA (Urban Growth Area) and city limits will expand.

Those are not the questions.

The questions are: How will the growth come, and what will be the quality of the development?

Will Sultan's future be several new businesses sprouting up around a Big Box Store base, one with a track record of employee and environmental abuse similar to the City's that will place most existing business in a trash heap? Or will it come in the form of crafting Sultan into a quality town, one which is esthetically pleasing and maximizes our natural beauty? One we'll be proud to proclaim to anyone in the state that we call home? A Sultan with an industrial or office park base with family-wage jobs, fulfilling the original promise of the LID (on which the federal grants were given), or a crush of fast food and retail outlets with low-wage jobs?

We already have a shining example of the results of too-greedy, too-fast development in Monroe. How about a different vision? A true master plan with a well-architected office park, light industrial businesses and a natural trail and alternate road to a refurbished park-like downtown shopping mall A vision that has room for a downtown core that houses unique boutiques and shops, a "destination" location which complements the vision begun with city hall? Better than the desolation that will result from an East End Big Box Bust? I believe so.

But Mayor Rowe and others of his ilk have other ideas in store for Sultan.

Ever the shining cavalier of the downtrodden taxpayer, Mayor Rowe selflessly visited Wal-Mart's headquarters in Arkansas during his last vacation. If you want the truth of the sort of neighbor and employer Wal-mart is, check out our web page dedicated to that subject. And, please, don't take our word for it. Check it out yourself. We invite you to browse to other web sites that have first-hand knowledge of the subject. We found the following in only a cursory search for Wal-mart and Costco on Google's great search engine. Out of the first 10 matches for Wal-mart, three sites were sponsored by the Wal-mart corporation announcing how great they are, the other seven were sites highly negative to the practices and policies of the company. We admit we did not look any further than that. By contrast, however, we made the same search for "Costco," and the first 50 selections revealed no negative websites at all.

Mayor Rowe stated during the July 3^rd council meeting that the Euphrata, Washington Wal-Mart store gathers in $650,000 a year in tax revenues. I will not dispute that number, despite its source, because I have no personal information by which I could contest or confirm that figure.

What I do know is that he conveniently forgot to mention the "soft" price all taxpayers have to pay for hard-earned lessons that must be deducted from that gross amount, many of which are difficult to measure because they are "hidden": Environmental problems, over-burdening of the sewer/water infrastructure (one store is equal to between 100-140 single family homes), added police loads, conspicuous upsurge in traffic and gridlock, and the decreased quality of life for many residents. But the worst victim of the presence of a big box store, the most burdensome price of all, is the total destruction of all existing business -- especially in the downtown core.

I do not wish to have ANY big box store in town. I agree that Sultan needs to grow to develop revenue. But the historical Sultan method is to do it the "quick and dirty" way in achieving instant gratification through the fast buck. Is it possible that Sultan might begin to do things the right way as opposed to the fastest way? Have we learned nothing from past mistakes?

The development-heavy components of the council, planning commission and the aggressive property owners in town whose nostrils are filled with the intoxicating smell of money, combined with the cost burden of the botched LID, will make it difficult for Sultan to resist the lure of a "Big Box Savior." But for those of us who wish to continue living here for many years, I'm hoping the good folks in town will begin coming back to the council and planning commission meetings and hearings and will raise their voices in an affirmation of Sultan's future. Sultan can and will survive if we plan for a quality long-term future rather than an quick economic sell-out today.