LETTER: Vashon is crowded, too costly

I would like to thank Paul Dixon, Mary Rose and previously Emma Amiad for their thoughtful response to my position on migrants moving to Vashon. These nice folks have called me a racist, a xenophobe, construed my last letter as hate speech and considered rebutting my last letter an act of patriotism. So to understand better read on.

I’m not racist or xenophobic and I certainly have nothing against blacks, gays, Jews, Japanese or anyone else including the Russians. I am, however, a whole lot worse. I am the ultimate heretic. I oppose growth.

In our wonderful democracy we have a left and right wing. These are the two wings of the same odious bird we call government. Government loves growth and if you haven’t noticed, both the Democrats and the Republicans promise they can promote growth better than the other. Remember what they said in the 1980s during Bill Clinton’s run for office: “It’s the economy, stupid.” Well guess what, stupid? The economy owns you and you’re addicted.

I’ve stood against population growth for the last 50 years. Over-population is the worst-of-all social injustice; it brings on all the trouble people cry about these days, and it feeds government.

Vashon Island is nothing like it used to be. Once upon a time there was plenty of room for more people. That is no longer the case. Now we’re crowded and for a lot of people, especially your children, unaffordable.

I used to think the red-necks were kind of dumb, but since they’ve been displaced by blue-necks: now we’re in for it. Blue-necks aren’t dumb; they’re highly educated in collectivism and have plans for the rest of us. To oppose them is un-American. I never had a child and never will; thus, I made room for a migrant. Did you?

— Jeff Schnelz