Unfortunately, Dan Grausz is not forthright. My wife and I attended the Oct. 1 candidate forum at Aljoya House. We came away utterly convinced that Mercer Island desperately needs a change.

We found it disappointing that Dan Grausz would state that he is undecided re: the ‘road diet.’ He has clearly been for it, and I resent candidate speak for “I know how I am going to vote, but you don’t deserve to know until after the election.”

Grausz commented to a speaker that more people should attend City Council meetings and stated the “Appearances” portion of the agenda was an excellent forum for citizens. This is the same Dan Grausz who, along with several other Councilmembers, was dismissive and contemptuous toward the entreaties of citizens regarding the Tent City discussions. This is the same Dan Grausz who opposed transparency and televising the City Council meeting so that all could observe. (He eventually reluctantly relented and voted with the majority.)

The ‘road diet’ is a bad idea. A single auto lane on Island Crest makes no sense at all. A clear theme in the Aljoya meeting was that Mercer Island needs to be less accommodating to the cyclists, not more. We have lost East Mercer Way to the cyclists, and the Council refuses to do anything. If Dan Grausz has his way, we will lose Island Crest as well.

Carv Zwingle

Editor’s note: The road diet does not plan for a ‘single auto lane.’ Details on city proposals for ICW and Merrimount can be found at www.mercergov.org.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.