As usual I enjoyed Jerry’s article about Burien annexing White Center.  As a 60-year resident I watched these same changes take place in both Burien and White Center and I pretty much agree with Jerry.

This annexation makes not a lick of sense.  However, Jerry’s son-in-law (was he REALLY Harvard educated?) stirred my blood and I would like to address his 10 points one at a time.

1. I think the people are “genuine and unpretentious”, but so are us Burienites (if you don’t count the city council)

2. $200,000 house with million dollar views...maybe 20 years ago, and YOU are living in Gregory Heights because...?

3. White Center Park is a King County Park open to all regardless of annexation and is already enjoyed by all who wish to use it. 4. “A highly diverse and multicultural community which encourages interracial understanding, tolerance and cooperation” Sounds so politically correct, but wait ‘til Burien inflicts our sign code on them.

5. Evergreen High School....a lot of challenges and a lot of effort by the school district to make this a good place to learn, but what does this have to do with annexation?

6. The new track...ditto. 

7. The Evergreen pool...Burien left it out of the first annexation for a reason.  These older pools are a drain on the pocketbook and Burien has already got a new pool figured into the new community center they want to build. Evergreen Pool won’t last long after we annex.

8. Many ethnic restaurants.  We already enjoy them too. There’s no gate around W.C.

9. Westwood Village. A nice little mall. I even like the fake stream...but the taxes go to Seattle. If it were south of Roxbury we would have annexed it already.

And finally number 10. The Rat City Roller Girls...can’t argue with that...annex away....

Jim Hughes
Burien