Whose drum beat is the Burien City Council marching to? It certainly is not the residents of Burien because by the council's own admission they are disappointed with the citizen response they have received.

The council has decided not to go after an advisory vote because they do not think the residents are capable of understanding the annexation data. Some of the council members say they are under intense pressure. From whom? It must be special interest groups that only care about themselves and seem to have the ear of the council.

According to several council members there are three major factors to consider in making a decision of whether or not to annex. These are financial, safety and public services, and the Vision Plan that was established for Burien.

As of right now it seems that the Vision Plan is no longer on the table. The worst possible scenario is being touted for safety and public services. That leaves only the financial end of things. The numbers are changing weekly.

The county is trying to rid itself of North Highline because it constantly runs in the red. It seems that the Burien City Council is looking for some sort of political alchemy that will convert the deficit into a benefit for Burien. They keep looking for numbers that will support this conversion.

What started out as a three legged stool has quietly become a one legged stool. The council has decided that finances are the most important leg of the three-legged stool. I guess that we are supposed to believe that the future of Burien will balance on this one leg as soon as the numbers support the council's annexation position.

James Sharkey

Burien