(The following is Beth Asher’s response to an email exchange between Renton City Attorney Larry Warren and Renton City Council President Rich Zwicker regarding Zwicker’s request for a city attorney at all council Committee of the Whole meetings.)

Every time I read it I get more steamed up. It points to a culture of indifference, facetiousness and lack of respect which I find shocking in a professional and in my elected representatives.  Please keep in mind that Larry Warren is the same city attorney who told the City Council they could ignore citizens who had legitimately and legally complied with state law and successfully pursued the initiative process. We brought in a petition validated by the King County Board of Elections and they told us to take a hike.  Basically Larry Warren formulated a legal opinion that, boiled down, said they could usurp the powers of the state judiciary and refuse to put the petition on the ballot because they didn’t like the wording.  The ironic thing was that dozens of us, all volunteers, stood outside through a pretty harsh winter gathering those signatures, and the night the City declared our efforts invalid, in spite of state law, was the Day of the Volunteer.

While I have to admit the literary reference in the email may be funny, the satirical tone isn’t. This is a prime example of how citizens are mocked and regarded as nuisances. Our input is not wanted or respected.  We are not nuisances, we ARE the government. We pay Larry Warren’s retainer and Rich Zwicker’s salary! Frankly, I think that we should stop paying Mr. Warren.

I regard this email on the part of the city attorney to be prejudicial, using city resources in a manner not consistent with public service, denigrating, and a very telling estimation of the total lack of respect and low esteem in which residents who voice their concerns and seek to work with the city are held. We’re nothing more than joke, is that it?

I don’t regard myself or any other of the men and women who spent hours in the rain and snow last winter during the petition drive as a joke. I don’t find the belittling tone of the email at all funny, and I don’t find our use of the legitimate democratic process guaranteed us in the Constitution of the United States funny either.

If anyone has wondered why the 76 percent of voters has been denied representation on the Renton Library Board, this email lets them know.  Because the mayor, certain council members, city staff, and the city Attorney do not respect you. They do not regard you as intelligent enough to understand the issues. This email gives everyone notice as to just how little residents’ opinions are regarded.  It certainly tells us just where we stand with the city – nowhere. It definitely tells us that our input is not valued and will not be used.  We’ll be fobbed off with more of what amount to public “group therapy” sessions with dead end scribble pads.  How funny we must be to them every Monday! I imagine they and Larry Warren enjoy a hearty laugh at our expense behind the curtains when council adjourns.

What is the council president afraid of?  Why does he need the city attorney there for every public meeting?  Is he afraid that those of us who stand up for Renton residents will be heard? As a member of the group of citizens that were Cedar River Library supporters and has now formed an advocacy group to try to represent residents’ interests before the city, I’m tired of being brushed off.  We’ve done more research and know more about the Cedar River Library issue than the mayor and the four council members who always vote with him.  We’re not incapable, and won’t be fobbed off as incompetent.  If the mayor and the rest of the council want to let Mr. Warren mock residents, fine! Then I’ll take my complaints to the court of public opinion.

I’m really unhappy to see this email. How daunting it is to be a professional woman, with a degree, someone who has worked as a supervisor in a bank operations center, managed a law library and 24-hour IT operations for a tax firm, been an award-winning rep, is currently a broker’s assistant handling $60 million accounts, has held down two jobs doing 16-hour days so that my daughter could finish school while I was going to school concurrently, and yet be regarded as a clown.

Beth Asher

Renton