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NorthWest Citizen.us
Let's do the Public's business in public. To Contents of this section Bellingham City Council - 5th Ward Terry Borneman vs Don Hansey debate on Sep 30, 2003, Herald Election Forum The Bornemann / Hansey race may well be the only close race of the bunch for Bellingham City Council. Watching Tuesday evening's debate between them was like watching a couple of carnival hawkers, each of them intent on getting you to believe that the show in HIS tent was far better than the other guy's. So, what's in Bornemann's tent? Well, long story short, more of the same that we've had for the past four years. He made a vainglorious attempt to portray himself as a person who listens to the people and provides a voice for those who are not otherwise heard. Sorry, Terry, but those sterling qualities have simply not been apparent during your term in office. What emerged on Tuesday evening was Bornemann's almost total lack of understanding of economic forces, his propensity to alibi previous actions on the basis of the smallest technicality, and his low expectations of the impact Council can have. As for Hansey's tent, what can Bellingham voters expect to find in there? Well, there's no doubt that Hansey's pro-business, fiscally conservative approach would be quite different than Bornemann's. Hansey, the experienced politician that he is, was quick to include comments that might tempt voters concerned about view preservation. Beyond fiscal policy, it is difficult to predict what to expect from Councilman Hansey. He has been silent on city issues for many years, and may find himself on a pretty steep learning curve during this campaign. His approach to environmental and social concerns may be far too conservative for our somewhat liberal City of Subdued Excitement. So there you have it, carnival-goers. Choose either certain mediocrity with Bornemann, or take a chance on the mystery tent with Hansey.
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