Last week we featured the comments of Jack McCullough, outgoing Chair of the Downtown Seattle Association. He wondered whether we have lost the progress in our progressivism. This week Bill Hinkle, Executive Director of the Rental Housing Association of Washington asks, “Am I on Candid Camera?” This post is a version of a article Hinkle wrote for the Association’s newsletter.

Sometimes I sit in one of the multiple meetings I attend throughout the week and ask myself, “am I on Candid Camera?” I mean really? It’s hard to take in all the crazy things going on right now. In response to  a concerted nationwide labor campaign, Seattle City Council just passed a minimum wage law that will eventually require employers to pay a $15 hour minimum wage, but there is still a heated debate over this issue that will bring who knows how many initiatives on the ballot this fall or next.

And the Council seems to ignore its own growth management plan when enough neighbors show up protesting density. Traffic is terrible in Seattle and throughout the Puget Sound-region, with no regional leadership in sight.

And Seattle Councilmembers Sawant and Licata’s answer to help fix a budget problem with King County Metro is to raise the existing parking tax, and implement an $18-per-head employee tax on businesses.

Thankfully, we have major employers still interested in coming to Seattle, thank you Amazon, and wait, Boeing – are we still dating?  I guess for a while we are.

At some point we’re going to be squeezing blood out of a turnip. And when will we see a stop to the high pitch shrill of class envy?  This is such a beautiful state, but for some reason turmoil seems unending.

To repeat one of my favorite political quotes “can’t we just all get along?” Unfortunately the answer is no, not without real leadership in the city and the state.

Politicians need to quit trying to find the scapegoat and commit to principled leadership. All too often, they respond to the last person in their office, fearing colored t-shirts with picket signs in front of their office if they don’t take heed.

Why spend months of citizen and staff time developing a comprehensive plan that directs high density into certain areas and then ignore the plan when local citizens show up en masse with the cry “NOT IN MY BACK YARD!”?

Where were the NIMBY’s when the comprehensive plan was being developed? Between local process, and a State Environmental Policy – ignored by the city during its planning processes, but used by activists to stop the exact types of development city leaders claim to desire – investors are faced with a market of uncertainty and added costs which end up passed on to consumers.

It has been said we get the government we deserve. In other words, we vote these people in, but then complain about them as though we never had anything to do with their ineptness.

We must hold our elected officials accountable.

We need people in office who have vision and a proven record of problem solving. Electing single-minded, activist candidates to office only leads to more division.

In the next two years the voters will have huge opportunities to affect change and bring problem solvers in to position to be leaders for our region.

State elections in 2014 will determine whether we have a split legislature where compromise has to take place, or one party rule where political agendas take precedence.

And in Seattle in 2015 there will be district elections for all of 9 council positions for the first time since 1911 giving areas of the city a chance to hold their elected councilmember directly responsible for the direction Seattle is headed.

I encourage all to get active in the process, learn about the issues, and become engaged with policymakers. Your bottom line depends upon good leadership in government.

Bill Hinkle, Executive Director of the Rental Housing Association of Washington, is a former Republican member of the Washington State House of Representatives, representing District 13 from 2003 to 2013. He served as Minority Whip. Hinkle previously served as Commissioner for Kittitaas County. He also has received Paramedic Training from the University of Washington, and attended Tacoma Community College and South Puget Sound Community College. Hinkle’s experience includes Paramedic/Firefighter for King County Medic One Service, Journeyman Stone and Brick Mason, and Internet Service Provider.