A house divided against itself can not stand.

Abraham Lincoln

Discover Burien was organized with fanfare four years ago, absorbing the still-young Merchants of Burien in the process.

Its stated mission (see www.DiscoverBurien.com) includes promoting local economic development and business recruitment and retention.

"We work with Burien businesses to find solutions to their problems," the statement adds.

Yet in recent weeks, rumors have surfaced that suggest the Merchants of Burien might be resurrected to represent a growing number of disgruntled business owners.

For some time, several of them have been frustrated because, with the exception of the Strawberry Festival and Burien Clean Sweep, Discover Burien events are staged on Southwest 152nd Street between Fourth and 12th Avenues Southwest.

Retail centers in other parts of Burien are left undiscovered by visitors from other cities who come to town for these special events.

But discord exists even on Southwest 152nd Street.

Michele Smith, proprietor of Vino Bello Wine Shop, said recently, "My experience as a new business owner in Burien is that Discover Burien does not work for me. I have not seen any results. I was not welcomed.... It was difficult for me to pursue being part of the Art and Wine Walk."

Lindsay White, who with her husband, Carlo, owns Primo, an Italian restaurant, agrees that Discover Burien did not make their business feel welcome and at times seems to be "working against us."

These concerns add to a growing perception that Discover Burien Executive Director Debra George does not promote other downtown restaurants because she also works with her close personal friend, Chris Mark, at The Mark restaurant in Olde Burien.

Ms. George says Discover Burien directors allow her to supplement a salary of about $50,000 a year with additional work.

Concerned restaurant owners, however, say it's going too far when she works for a competitor-especially when the Discover Burien budget and, therefore, her salary are subsidized by an annual grant of more than $80,000 from the city of Burien.

The city funds come from business and occupancy taxes, sales taxes and business license fees paid by Burien restaurant owners that compete for business with The Mark.

Whether this constitutes an actual conflict of interest on the part of Ms. George is uncertain. But there is no doubt that it creates the appearance of a conflict of interest that undermines the credibility of Discover Burien as an advocate for all businesses in the city.

The Discover Burien directors, in turn, appear to be so enamored with the increased number of festivals along Southwest 152nd Street that they have chosen to ignore the discontent that is beginning to fracture the local business community.

That's bad business and bad public policy.

Using tax revenue to fund, directly or indirectly, activities that pit one private enterprise against other private enterprises that pay those taxes is wrong.

And it increases the cloud of distrust that hovers increasingly over government at all levels.

Burien council members need to act unequivocally to remove this cloud and unify the local business community as they write a new city budget for 2007.

For the record, I will vote against every transportation-funding issue on my ballot next month, despite the fact that many projects are needed badly.

Additional money that Seattle, King County or the state receives from taxpayers now will increase the possibility that Mayor Greg Nickels can sucker Gov. Gregoire into bilking Washington taxpayers by forcing them to pay for a tunnel to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct.

That's a folly none of us can afford. Rebuild or retrofit the viaduct and keep on driving!

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.