The juxtaposition of your two articles in the Bothell-Kenmore Reporter says it all: the only “building spree” that Kenmore can manage involves public buildings paid for with tax dollars — as contrasted with the significant real development going on in the downtown Bothell area. But at least we won’t have any evil breweries operating in Kenmore — or jobs, or restaurants or new businesses.

There has been no significant economic development in Kenmore since the city was created, even though there were some extraordinarily excellent economic conditions during that period. The fact is that the city is absolutely clueless when it comes to business development matters (spoken by someone who has been a director of business development) — and spends most of its time on petty disputes and personal vendettas.

Comparing the Kenmore “downtown plan” with the depiction of Bothell’s city-center campus only emphasizes the hopeless condition of the Kenmore Village wasteland. No one with any common sense ever believed the development plans for that tract floated by the city, because the fact is that Kenmore doesn’t have a downtown — any more than Lake City does. We’re not Bothell, or Edmonds or Kirkland — and never will be. Wasting taxpayer dollars on 522 “art” light poles and useless “historic” street signs doesn’t improve the situation. No developer will ever consider doing anything with “LakePointe” as long as the city continues it current behavior.

And, no, I don’t have any answers or suggestions — I learned long ago not to waste my time or energies on hopeless situations. I’ll just move on at the earliest opportunity.

Ken McLean, Kenmore