I’m very disappointed by the coverage the Renton Reporter has (or hasn’t) provided on the issue of Renton joining KCLS. They declined an invitation to a Library Board meeting where an opponent was scheduled to attend. They also declined an invitation to report on KCLS’s extensive school and youth outreach programs as described to the PTSA council.

Four of the five quotes by City Council members in last week’s article were Marcie Palmer arguing against joining KCLS, despite the fact that she is the sole council member who opposes Proposition 1. The only numbers I’ve seen show that KCLS would be 6-9 percent cheaper than the city-owned alternative. These are the same numbers that the City Council has reviewed. Yet, the Reporter never challenged Ms. Palmer to justify her position in light of the higher costs involved.

The opposition’s slogan “Vote no until you know” is a frank admission that they don’t understand the issues. Worse, they haven’t really shown much interest in finding out. I wonder how Ms. Palmer and her supporters would react on hearing that KCLS’s guiding principal of equal service for the population means that wealthier communities are net contributors to the system, while poorer communities are net beneficiaries?

The pro-Proposition 1 campaign has tried to present the issues factually. Ask yourself, “What do three Library Board members, six of the seven City Council members, Margarita Prentice, Marcie Maxwell and a former Renton School District superintendent know that Ms. Palmer (and the Renton Reporter) aren’t telling you?”

Peter Hartley

Renton