Gordon Shaw got exactly what he deserved last week as the City Council election results rolled in showing Gordon soundly defeated by a 60 percent-40 percent vote margin.

This defeat for Shaw was clearly a referendum on the proposed annexation of White Center, which Shaw has backed from the get go for the last five years.

Shaw, along with Joan McGilton and Rose Clark and Jerry Robison, has steadfastly refused over the years to hold a citizen advisory vote.

Well, you have your advisory vote now. If you still don't believe me, run your own survey and ask the next ten citizens you meet in Burien their view of annexation...you will find that 6-8 of them will respond against further annexation, as it makes no sense at any level: financial, business or otherwise.

There is still hope to keep our nice little city by the bay, well, nice! We can still avoid the financial apocalypse that annexation represents. Annexation is on life support now, given that the odds are very good the sales tax credit subsidies will be eliminated at the state level.

A funny thing happens when politicians stay for multiple terms. They forget that their only role is to represent the people. They start to work their own agendas. And that is exactly what happened to Shaw, and what is happening to McGilton, Clark and Robison.

Robison won by a relatively narrow margin only because his opponent unfortunately didn't have the time or resources to mount a potent campaign. McGilton and Clark continue to preach that annexation opponents are a "vocal minority."

And that is not true. There is a majority in play here who took down Gordon Shaw, an incumbent. Take a lesson from Gordon Shaw, Rose and Joan, because you are next.

Horace Parker
Burien