MUDD

It should not come as a surprise that our City Hall is involved in controversy once again and the scandal has reached the senior-most manager of our government. We are like any town or city in this nation. Inappropriate behavior in our city government and in several departments has been reported over the past 32 years that I have been a resident and a subscriber to this newspaper. What I find to be most unfortunate is that the Mercer Island Reporter would rather expend such rich text in the debauching of a private citizen, like Ira Appelman, than to exercise due diligence as a newspaper in the role of the “Guardian of Truth.”

May 12, 2009 4:37 pm

It should not come as a surprise that our City Hall is involved in controversy once again and the scandal has reached the senior-most manager of our government. We are like any town or city in this nation. Inappropriate behavior in our city government and in several departments has been reported over the past 32 years that I have been a resident and a subscriber to this newspaper. What I find to be most unfortunate is that the Mercer Island Reporter would rather expend such rich text in the debauching of a private citizen, like Ira Appelman, than to exercise due diligence as a newspaper in the role of the “Guardian of Truth.”

This city has been riddled with controversy for several years, and your obvious disdain of the right of a citizen to seek the truth is more important than reporting the news as your name implies. Reporter? I might suggest that a little discretion be exercised for want of appearing as if “thou does speak too much.” Might be viewed as a “cover,” thus supporting the city or complicity in drawing attention away from that which is the truth.

Contrary to one of the letters to the editor, Mr. Appelman is not trying to hide behind the Mercer Island Community Council. The mailing included a cover letter explaining his cause with his signature. He did not use a P.O. Box. His name is printed on the first line of the return address label and his address, which is a physical address, appears on the third line. You can confirm that by using the telephone directory distributed by the Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Foundation. So much for hiding.

For years, Mr. Appelman took his seat in the back of the City Hall chamber, taking notes of the Council’s actions. I applaud Mr. Appelman for his tireless effort to be informed and keep us informed; I applaud Mr. Appelman for his dedication; I applaud Mr. Appelman for his commitment to be a good civic-minded citizen.

If I had been just one percent as diligent as the likes of Ira Appelman or Gerry Gropp, maybe the ambivalence of this Island community would be just a little bit different. Perhaps if the Reporter would not engage in MUDD [Miss-Use-Directed-Debauching] and was more like a “Seeker for the Truth,” this community might be better served.

Rivian Smith