Times/News

Around Halloween, my thoughts wander down to Des Moines.

Des Moines used to be the home of the Scare House, which brought autumn thrill seekers into the Waterland City.

Invoking Des Moines' nickname reminds me of the Waterland Festival, which attracted the summer crowds.

Things are scary now in Des Moines, but it doesn't have much to do with the departure of the Halloween house or the giant summer festival.

In fact, bygone Waterland Festivals with the grand parade and marina carnival might have contributed to today's scary times.

The Chamber of Commerce put on big celebrations that raised money for other big celebrations in an endless loop.

Cooperation between merchants and the recruitment of new businesses were ignored.

That left Des Moines vulnerable when state tax-cutting initiatives dramatically decreased revenues to municipalities.

Other Highline cities have core business bases to keep generating needed tax revenue.

Burien has the car dealerships. SeaTac has airport hotels and parking lots. Tukwila has Southcenter and office parks.

After the previous chamber's non-inclusive executive director left to join the carnival, volunteers valiantly tried to resuscitate the organization.

But now they have pretty much decided to fold or merge into the South King County Chamber of Commerce that serves Burien, SeaTac and Tukwila.

Here's another idea, or at least, an additional path: Form "Discover Des Moines."

Just north of Des Moines, Discover Burien with 145 dues-paying merchants and residents, along with a city subsidy, produce fun events and encourage new city businesses.

Of course, in Des Moines, fall's scariest date isn't Halloween - it's Election Day.

Four years ago, three "pro-business" candidates were swept into office. Actually they were more anti-tax and anti-city staff than pro-business.

Their victories were aided by secret contributions from people who wanted to run a conveyor from Beach Park to the third runway.

Until Mayor Don Wasson was forced to resign by the state Public Disclosure Commission, the new council majority drove off a qualified city manager and tied up the city's legislative process.

Councilwoman Susan White estimates the deadlocked council wasted two years. Meanwhile, other Highline councils debated and decided on about a half dozen items per meeting and moved on with the people's business.

Fortunately, the grown-ups are coming to the rescue this election season.

Wise elders Ed Pina, a former school board and planning commission member, and Carmen Scott, star real-estate agent, community do-gooder and former council member, are on the council ballot, along with competent incumbent White and former Councilman Dave Kaplan.

Besides a couple of new lawmakers, Des Moines needs more police. There are about a quarter less personnel in the police department than in 1999. Meanwhile, serious crime has jumped nearly 30 percent.

This police-needs analysis comes from new Police Chief Roger Baker.

Baker isn't some Podunk county sheriff from Bemidji, Alabama. He's from California's 10th largest city, Anaheim, population 328,000.

Des Moines, population 29,000, is lucky to have his big-city police expertise. And the city is fortunate that he and his wife have chosen to settle in Des Moines and eventually retire there.

Without an adequate business base (see above), the city has a serious budget crunch. The best way to boost police protection is by lifting the lid on the city's property tax levy.

The levy lid proposition is on the ballot Nov. 8. On a home assessed at $250,000, property taxes in 2006 would only increase by $110 per year.

Also, Des Moines has two distinct locations with great potential.

As a guy who usually vacations near the water, I'm impressed by Des Moines' downtown-by the-sea. It has good restaurants (Anthony's is Marge's favorite), a movie theater (even Burien doesn't have that) and the only marina between West Seattle and Tacoma.

I foresee small waterfront-oriented shops tied in with the marina.

And Pacific Highway South, the main highway, is right off Interstate 5, midway between Seattle and Tacoma. (Thus the name "Midway")

That's the place for larger chain stores.

Fortunately, city leaders and volunteers have begun the effort to stem the decline and claim the Waterland community's bright future.