Jan Drago, a seasoned politician new to the King County Council, came out to meet us Monday night, and she sounded many of the right notes — from the continuation of the passenger-only boat to the expansion of the Vashon Library. She seemed to understand what matters most to this passionate collection of souls who’ve chosen to live on a rural island in the middle of Puget Sound.
The Beachcomber had supported the selection of state Sen. Joe McDermott when the county council went through its protracted and politicized process of electing Dow Constantine’s replacement for the 8th District seat on the council. McDermott, energetic and ambitious, knows Vashon well.
But Drago, who sought the seat saying from the outset that she would not run for it this November, will likely prove an able representative as well. She’s a tough veteran of the region’s political life. She’s put together what appears to be a strong staff. And with no intention to run, she can speak her mind freely and smartly, acting in her capacity as one of the region’s grand dames of politics.
Already, she’s taken on one issue that has been the source of much consternation on Vashon. She’s written a letter to Bill Ptacek, the head of the King County Library System, suggesting he engage more effectively with Island activists. And while her tone was restrained, it was a strong letter.
KCLS staff, she told him, should not use their procedures “to trump your mission statement, which calls for a library-patron partnership.” It’s not enough, she added, to let Islanders comment on two or three design proposals at a public meeting. Such an approach, she said, “does not constitute the productive dialogue that is necessary for success.”
The county has often acted as though it has no power over KCLS, a public library system with its own taxing authority. But that’s like saying the President has no ability to shape the future of the Supreme Court. The fact is, the county executive nominates — and then the county council approves — the trustees to whom Ptacek reports. It’s not clear how this process has unfolded in the past, but it certainly hasn’t been high-profile or publicly vetted.
Drago suggested that process should change. And if it does, so too might KCLS. The county has some muscle to flex. It’s time it does so.
If Monday night’s appearance was an indication of what’s to come, Vashon has an opportunity with Drago: She won’t be in office long, but while she is, she could certainly act as an able representative of Island interests. We hope Islanders fully step up to this opportunity, as some already have. And we trust and hope Drago will continue to use her political savvy to effect some much-needed change.
