A letter writer recently criticized the Burien City Council for not ordering people to let the city decide how people should trim or cut down trees on their own land.

I say good job, council, for following the traditions of freedom and respect for other's property and for not abusing their power.

Perhaps Ms. Mackey-O'Brien wants to start fund raising to pay people the extra costs of redesigning their homes to have a tree in the middle of it. Perhaps she can find an organization that will pay people to go around specific trees, or to not use a parcel of land so the trees can have it.

The Burien City Council already ran over people's property rights by building their own village where there were already businesses.

They don't allow people to subdivide their land and develop it later. At least they still respect the rights of people to cut down their own trees, for now.

I say thank you for that. I grew up in Burien and now live in Des Moines. My Mom lives in Burien still. She had a tree cut down in her front yard last year. A few weeks ago we planted a new one. My Mom and other Burien residents should be able to choose when and if they cut their own trees.

Jeanette Burrage

Des Moines