Consensus is the lack of leadership.

Former British Prime Minister

Margaret Thatcher

Last year a Burien political action committee, Citizens for Honesty in Government, backed three candidates for election to their city's council.

All three won.

But two of them, Mayor Joan McGilton and Councilwoman Rose Clark, aren't taking marching orders from that PAC.

Mayor McGilton and Ms. Clark, along with Council members Gordon Shaw and Sally Nelson, indicated last week they believe it is in Burien's best interests to declare all of North Highline a potential annexation area.

Some council observers think Jack Block Jr. will join them in a 5-2 majority when the council formally votes on the issue in October.

This is the kind of leadership citizens have the right to expect from their elected officials-even when they must make hard decisions in the face of malicious threats.

And the cadre behind Citizens for Honesty in Government is threatening Burien's lawmakers with recall through their other political action committee-Burien Residents Against Annexation (the two share a common mailing address).

"Burien Residents Against Annexation is preparing a recall petition to be filed against any and all Burien Council Members who vote" for a potential annexation area of part or all of North Highline, their notice warns.

Note that these community activists-most of whom live west of Ambaum Boulevard and thus represent a small, if vocal, cross-section of Burien-did not threaten to recall council members who vote for annexation.

They threaten to recall anyone who votes for a comprehensive study of annexation.

Viewed from a different perspective, they exaggerated claims against opponents of their candidates in 2005, and now exaggerate their influence on those elections-and threaten legal action if they don't get their way.

The actions of these PAC activists, buoyed by their lack of understanding of representative government, now jeopardizes whatever chance may still exist for constructive, civil discourse as council members attempt to determine what is best for all of Burien.

It also reflects their ignorance of the recall process under state law, beginning with a basic fact: declaring all of North Highline a potential annexation area will cause these dissidents no irreparable harm.

A few years ago, when the Des Moines City Council was embroiled in controversy, a citizens' group went to court to recall the four lawmakers who constituted a majority.

Their case for recall-made on the basis of alleged illegal actions by those council members-was quickly tossed out by a superior court. State law, he ruled, protects elected officials from recall for exercising their statutory duties in good faith.

Obviously, the designation of North Highline as a potential annexation area would constitute neither malfeasance nor misfeasance, and the ringleaders of Burien Citizens Against Annexation should know better.

Such a move-the lone forward-looking option at this point in the process-simply gives the city time, free from outside pressure and arbitrary deadlines, to conduct a thorough review of all financial, social and environmental impacts of annexation on Burien.

During the past year, not all numbers presented by the city have added up. Then again, some data presented by annexation opponents have been found wanting.

This designation will afford time to make sure all questions and concerns are addressed accurately.

When the process is complete, a sound decision based on the best possible information can be made about annexing all, part or none of North Highline.

Stopping further review of annexation now, however, could inflict irreparable harm on Burien and all its residents.

Recently, I compared some council members to Captain Queeg. Now they have an opportunity to become Profiles in Courage. Let us so hope.

The views of Ralph Nichols are his own, and do not necessarily reflect those of Robinson Newspapers. He can be reached at newsdesk@robinsonnews.com or 206-388-1857.