Last week I caught wind of a story happening near my former “hometown” of Bothell, Washington. Thanks to the X algorithm, the Bothell Mayor’s post showed up on my timeline. He was expressing his jealousy over the Redmond mayor’s new 100-unit supportive housing project being presented at the upcoming Redmond City Council meeting.
Last night was that meeting. 5 of the 7 council members voted yes, 1 voted no and 1 was absent.
For some perspective: Redmond, Washington is the home to Microsoft. It has always been a rather affluent community as it draws many big-tech employees and their families. There’s a lot of money in this city. It’s the kind of city where you think: “those Seattle policies will never touch us here.”
Well, look at you now, Redmond.
How did we get here?
After I saw Jonathan Choe’s post on X about this meeting and the council vote, I got curious about the last election.
How many voters turned out?
Who were the candidates for voters to choose from?
Only 11,000 voters of over 33,000 registered, turned out to vote. In Washington, voting is by mail, so it really doesn’t get any easier than dropping your postage-paid envelope into the mailbox or ballot drop box.
4 of the 7 council seats were on the 2023 ballot, 2 of them ran unopposed. Getting good candidates who can appeal to voters with solid messaging is a big problem on the Republican side - and it’s not just a Washington problem.
Redmond should be a cautionary tale that compels citizens around the country to take a vested interest in what is happening in their local government. The decisions being made at a local level impact you and your family far more than federal and statewide elections. The Redmond City Council’s decisions will drastically change the future of the city.
When we are apathetic, disengaged, disenfranchised and distracted (which is exactly what the enemy wants!!) our communities will be overtaken and changed, perhaps beyond repair.
I share this story today in an effort to show you how easy it is for the socialists who want to control our country to come in, city by city, and push their agenda into communities that just aren’t paying attention.
We each have a duty to step up, to speak up and to take action to keep America a free country.
No matter how busy you are, there is something you can do to be an active citizen. I wrote this article last year with ideas on how you can take action!
PS: it’s not too late for the City of Redmond. Citizens must activate NOW if they’re going to have a chance to save their city.