Below is a letter sent to Burien-News, it is published as it was sent:
To my Burien neighbors,
I came to my business on a Sunday to take care of some admin tasks and was welcomed to my storefront with the sight of slimy, emblazed graffiti all over the windows and sides of my building. So now, I am not just sad for my city, I am mad as hell. And you should be to.
I have tried to stay silent, praying and hoping that change will come for Burien, hoping that Burien would turn a corner. I have been working towards a Burien where we as residents and businesses owners can have our friends and family come to visit and feel safe coming to a city where we can all enjoy walking the streets of Burien… a place where we want to spend our free time and money.
Sadly, this is not the town we live in.
I ran twice for your vote to improve Burien, and twice I did not make it. I ran out of love, loyalty and obligation to you, my fellow residents, businesses and neighbors. I ran as a commitment towards bettering the town we all live and do business in.
Running for council in Burien was like being on an island fighting off sharks one handed.
I have been threatened, slandered, picketed, and taken proverbial bullets for my efforts to better this city. I ran with good people who also endured the same hate that I did. Why were we reviled? We were hated because we told the TRUTH about what was happening to Burien and what we saw WOULD happen to Burien on the then current trajectory. At that time, where were the local business owners? Hiding in plain sight, afraid to stand up for Burien and for the good candidates fighting to improve Burien. The business owners stood by in absolute fear and let their fellow candidates made up of business owners, residents and friends take the hits that came from lies, spread and condoned on the socials, including the B-Town Blog. Shameful, hurtful, and deceitful and egregious behavior!
Here we are in 2023, two election cycles later and has Burien changed for the better? Are YOU safer? How do you like the tax rates? How are you feeling about going to Safeway at 9:00pm? Are you proud of our city where crime, gangs, graffiti, and tent city at City Hall are clearly tolerated? Not just tolerated, but we have past and present council members who are seeking to continue to bring MORE of these types of criminals into our small city of just over 52K people.
Is this the future you envisioned? The majority of our city council only seek to climb the political ladder and it’s happening over and over. Krystal Marx was defeated for congress and also for her second term on the Burien city council is running yet again! Jimmy Matta gets Dow Constantine money and fundraisers and immediately ushers in DESC. Kevin Schilling who waits to see what way the wind is blowing on literally every vote before casting his lot so as be sure to be on the winning side. Our current Mayor Sofia Aragon who is (surprise!) running for a King County political appointment. Our council and current city manager gas-light the residents of Burien by saying “it’s everywhere- It’s not our fault, there’s nothing we can do about it.” Doesn’t it make you wonder what these people were promised when they threw Burien under the King County Bus?
This is the city we deserve when so few of us that care refuse to show up. Is this what we really want?
Haven’t you had enough?
We are at a crossroads concerning safety in Burien. It’s time to restore public safety and get rid of the soft on crime policies AND council members which have done nothing to help the situation, except to make it worse by gas-lighting us about how it’s actually not bad because they have some crime stats on a chart showing how things look good in Burien. Things are not good in Burien; they are downright awful. Shootings, drug busts, gang activity, graffiti, tent cities, all while our council and local government turns a blind eye.
These union driven, social justice warrior Council Members are not helping anyone who has committed a crime against society (US!) or harmed themselves. They have done nothing to make us a more caring community. They have virtue signaled and actively enabled Burien’s destruction, along with the destruction of the addicts and thieves themselves. How is letting someone live in a tent and defecate on to our sidewalks compassionate? Our private property is being vandalized, stolen, and bartered. Destruction of our once proud city center. Destruction of our safe and public places. I ask you again, haven’t you had enough?
The people in Burien are hardworking people, good people. People taking care of their families. People who have obligations. When we gift our community obligations to be decided and ran by local government without balance this is what we end up with, a danger ridden, soft on crime, gas-lighting, political climbing, immoral city council, looking for grift in the form of political benefit, but who care NOTHING for the people who dealing with the consequences of their decisions… US! YOU!
Is Burien lost, is it worth saving? If you live here and do business here, then the answer is always YES.
What can you do?
Come to our gathering of concerned residents
Monday, March 27th, 7-9 pm
RE/MAX Upstairs
427 SW 152nd St Ste 101
Burien WA 98166
SHOW UP.
Go to the city council meetings and demand better.
Demand Discover Burien be an advocate for our businesses with actionable results
Organize with your neighbors, have your own meetings.
Partner with your local businesses
Email our City Manager and Council with your grievances.
Based on past community involvement, they are betting you will give up and go away. Or they will bus in paid activists, thugs, and homeless people to take over the meetings as evidenced by what has happened in the past. The only way to combat this is through ongoing and consistent involvement.
It will not get better if you continue to tolerate it. I have said this before and will say it again…
We get what we tolerate.
It’s time for a community meeting. Sat Tuned.
Your neighbor, business owner and friend,
Darla Green
