By John Pierre

The world of politics wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the politicians who reside therein. I don't think our founding fathers intended for our elected representatives to remain in office forever while providing themselves with regular massive raises and a retirement income and medical coverage that would make J. Paul Getty jealous.

There is one advantage to having our federallawmakersall headquarteredin Washington, D.C. As an old farmer would say, "Keep all of your rotten apples in one basket." There may be a half-dozen honest politicians (there's an oxymoron for you) in the group, but the bulk of them would seem to be banditos.

How else do you explain that (1) they go into office as upper middle class citizens and soon find themselves multi-millionaires, or (2) they spend millions of their own money to get elected to a job that brings inless peryear than they normally earn in a week?

Wouldn't it be a refreshing change to elect people who actually care what their constituents think?

Wouldn't it be a pleasure to find that some in Congress have principles? Sorry, I've lost faith in all of them. But I blame the voters more than I do the thieves they elect.

Name familiarity seems to be the key. There have been cases when well-known names have gotten people, who currently occupy a cell in jail,re-elected.

I give Edmonds voters and politicians a little more credit than that, although name familiarity (with one exception) seemed to be the order of the day in our recent election of City Council members.

But I am bothered about the long, drawn-out arguments over non-substantive matters such as whether or not our goldfish should be on a leash or was that parakeets?

Nope, neither. My wife just reminded me it was cats.

Then there was an item on the council agenda not long ago as to whether or not travelers waiting for the ferry should be allowed to leave their engines running.

In hot weather one needs to have the engine running to use air conditioning. In cold weather those who don't wish to have their "bewtocks" (with apologies to Ensign Pulver) frozen off will need the heater, which requires a running engine.

How about the building heights matter? Seems to me it has been going on for some years now. Isn't it about time a conclusion is reached?

What? Me worry? Have a good day.