1. Democracy is not free. Elections are perhaps the highest and best form of public spending.

2. The $100k plays into the hands of the anti-park crowd.

Bert wrote "However, if the petition is proved to be valid, then it will be more likely that the City won't be able to go forward with zoning changes, or approval of any plans or permits to build, until the called for park study has been completed. " I respectfully disagree and here's why.

The city can adopt the Amendment to the Comprehensive Plan even if the petition qualifies because nothing legally can stop them from doing so. What the petition has done is to raise the political costs of forging ahead despite all metrics on the issue. The question for the pro-park faction is has the petition raised the costs high enough to slow or stop a vote? I don't think it has.

City council members may vote for the amendment for many reasons: It's the right thing to do, they feel confident in the security of incumbency, and even if voted out at worst they lose a poorly paid part time job in which a bunch of folks say nasty things about you behind your back and to your face. The anti-amendment crowd will grumble and perhaps file a law suit or two but in a year or so the hubbub will fade.

The hard truth is a council member doesn't stand to loose much, if anything, by voting for the amendment, whereas voting against the amendment brings down the wrath of Olympia's money and media elite. This is why I believe the hopes of pro-park folks lives or dies with the State. If I were a pro-park supporter I'd be calling and visiting with Karen, Sam and Brendan 24/7. A few calls to Chris wouldn't hurt either.

I too hope the council does the intelligent thing and delay a vote until the petition/referendum is resolved. That said, there is a larger task ahead for grassroots activists in this town and that is to build structures that ensures codification of progressive thought. That means building real, meaty, game-changing, political power. 

Niccolo Machiavelli, the political genius much maligned by the Left and mis-understood by the Right, has valuable advise for Olympia activists. In Chapter XVII of The Prince entitled Concerning Cruelty And Clemency, And Whether It Is Better To Be Loved Than Feared Nicki wrote

...and men have less scruple in offending one who is beloved than one who is feared, for love is preserved by the link of obligation which, owing to the baseness of men, is broken at every opportunity for their advantage; but fear preserves you by a dread of punishment which never fails.

If you want an elected official to honestly represent you, they must fear the unpleasant consequences, the dread of punishment if you will, for not heeding your wisdom.That is exactly what Tri Vo has successfully done. And ya know what? So far it's working.

Obviously, there are some major differences between that situation and the one with the Isthmus - perhaps most significantly that the City doesn't actually own the land in question. However, the city does control the zoning. So, technically, I can see how the initiative could serve as an injunction to prevent zoning changes - so long as the called for study has not been conducted, or voted upon in a referendum.