[Capr-announce] "You're Fired"? Court date for Constantine Recall; Join me?

[ayousoufian at comcast.net]

Thursday,  February 3, 2005

Item: King County Councilmember Dow Constantine ("Chairman Dow"), of CAO fame, court hearing date now set re: Petition to Recall him from office and subject him to a public vote to, hopefully hear the words: "You're Fired".

Subject:  Court hearing date set for Friday morning, 10 AM, February 11, 2005 for Recall of King County Councilmember Dow Constantine ("Chairman Dow"), last year's chair of the "Growth Management and Unincorporated Areas Committee") that passed the Critical Areas Ordinance package.  

Dear CAPR (Citizens Alliance for Property Rights) Colleagues and anyone else I thought would be interested,

As most of you know/will recall, I filed a Petition for Recall of Dow Constantine on January 14, 2005.  For those of you who need a reminder of what this is all about, I've included below the latest version of a comprehensive email on the subject, with the Petition for Recall, links to articles, etc., below.

Constantine, as most of you know by now, is one of Sims' facilitators/enablers/minions in putting forward the CAO.

We now have a court date set for when a King County Superior Court judge will hear this matter.  The outcome of that hearing will determine whether I/we will be allowed to start gathering signatures to put the recall of Dow Constantine on the ballot to allow voters to remove him from office.  

The goal is to for the voters to be able to say to Chairman Dow: "You're fired".  If the vote is compelling enough, it'll be: "You are so fired...".

The court hearing is set for 10 AM, next Friday, February 11, 2005 in the King County Courthouse, Courtroom W-813, before Judge Jeffrey Ramsdell.  My lawyer, Charlie Klinge, estimates it will be approximately a one hour hearing. I am expected to take the stand and be questioned by the judge and Constantine's lawyers.

It would be great to have a number of you present to witness this event.  Please consider joining me there.  

Finally, many of you have contributed to the legal costs of this effort, but I definitely need more contributions to help with the legal fees.  Please consider a donation of any amount.  The easiest way to contribute is to mail a check, payable directly to the attorneys, who are: "Groen, Stephens, and Klinge, Attorneys at Law".  Please mail the check to me at P.O. Box 950, Vashon, WA  98070-0950.  If you are more comfortable doing so, you can mail the payment directly to the law firm (email me for their address and to let me know that's what you'll be doing), but mailing it to me will allow me to better keep track of the contributions, turn them into the law firm in more time efficient batches, and relieve the law firm from spending time reporting to me what has come in.  Also, so long as you make payment out in the name of the law firm, there is no requirement for any reporting to anyone, which makes all our lives less complicated.  

Armen Yousoufian

If you hadn't see the material below before, it will fill you in:

What follows below is my latest updated email on the Constantine recall.  This comprehensive piece includes, or provides links to, almost all the published material on the matter, along with my commentary.  It may well contain more than you want to read, and it's obviously up to you how much you want to take in, skim over, or ignore.  

The Constantine recall is definitely capturing the interest of the media.  This past two weeks alone after the January 14 petition filing, I was on the Mike Siegel show three times discussing the Constantine recall and related issues, on the Dori Monson show for what turned out to be nearly a one-hour segment on the Constantine recall, the "Republican Radio" broadcast on Saturday, January 29, 2005 and cable television (broadcast will be today, Thursday, February 3, 2005, 5 to 5:30 PM, Seattle Community Access Network, Channel 29 or 77 in King County).  I've been giving presentations nearly every night, Mondays through Thursdays and the issue is getting "traction", as they say.  

If anyone wants to learn a bit about me and my interest in good government and, especially, my nearly 8 year long saga re: Ron Sims' Public Disclosure Act violations (long denied, then eventually admitted violations, and the biggest case of its type in state history, and we think in the entire country), google on "Armen Yousoufian", in quotes.  It will lead to my website and a lot of other material, including streaming video or audio of several of the dozen seattle channel, tvw, or public access cable television interviews I've done on the public disclosure act, honesty in government conduct, misconduct by government lawyers, etc.  

My experience with suing Ron Sims, discovering what he hid from the public, his personal involvement in rigging studies, and then covering that up from the public was an eye-opening experience that led to my current activities to improve the openness, honesty, and transparency of government - including the effort to recall Constantine.  

Per an article in the Saturday, January 15, Seattle Times, link to which is below, I've filed the necessary legal papers to have Dow Constantine recalled from his position as King County Councilmember for District 8.  I've also copied and pasted the entire text of the article below.  

I've also included below a lengthy article in the January 19, 2005 Vashon Beachcomber on the Constantine recall.  It was the lead, front page article in that issue.  It's the last item pasted below.

The petition is further below, following the Seattle Times article. It sets out the legal basis for the charges that Constantine committed acts that I believe constitute misfeasance, malfeasance, or violation of oath of office, triggering the provisions of the recall statute - RCW29A.56.110 through 270 (see:  http://www.leg.wa.gov/RCW/index.cfm?fuseaction=chapterdigest&chapter=29A.56  ).  

I believe the charges more than adequately meet the threshold test of triggering the right of recall. 

In fact, I believe Constantine has committed very serious acts involving betrayal of the public's trust, including: material misrepresentations and material omissions in his printed public statements in a guest commentary on the CAO in the November 17, 2004 Vashon Beachcomber (it and my December 1, 2004 rebuttal are below); a vote he took at the County Council meeting on October 25, 2004 that was the direct opposite of the legal advice he had just heard from a county prosecutor advising the council that such a vote would violate the U.S. Constitution and would almost certainly result in a lawsuit against King County that they would lose, which would further involve wasting taxpayer dollars defending the indefensible; etc.  Details are in the petition.  The link to the Seattle Times article is below, and the entire text of the article is also included in this email, below my sign-off.

This is a serious matter that is related to the recently passed Critical Areas Ordinance. 

I am confident a judge will rule that the grounds for recall are sound and that I will be given the necessary permission to begin gathering signatures soon.  Courts generally allow recalls unless they are clearly for frivolous reasons, which is hardly the case here.  My grounds are serious - as serious as the grounds I believe exist to recall Ron Sims.  I mention the latter as it is also something I and others have considered doing in connection with the revelations that came out of my nearly 8 year long saga of Public Disclosure Act requests and successful litigation against Sims over stadium documents.  

As a result of considerable prior research into the recall statute and how it related to Sims' conduct, I had become very familiar with its provisions.  When I observed Constantine's conduct, I recognized he had crossed the line from merely uttering typical "spin" and practicing typical partisan politics to committing serious acts of misfeasance, malfeasance, or violation of oath of office.

If necessary, I will take this matter to the state Supreme Court, per the recall statute's provisions for expedited/emergency review (the law requires the state Supreme Court to address such a matter as a public emergency and take action within 20 days).

Here is the link to the Seattle Times article.  

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002151638_recall15m.html

Armen Yousoufian

Saturday, January 15, 2005 - Page updated at 12:00 A.M.
Successful county plaintiff wants councilman recalled
By Seattle Times staff
Make It Count: Recall


The man who successfully sued Metropolitan King County Executive Ron Sims for illegally withholding public documents related to the Seahawks Stadium and the Kingdome is now working to have a County Council member removed from office. 
Armen Yousoufian, of Vashon Island, filed a petition for recall with the King County elections office yesterday, accusing District 8 Councilman Dow Constantine of wrongful and unlawful conduct and of violating his oath of office. 
Attempts to reach Constantine for comment last night were unsuccessful. 
Yousoufian's petition largely focuses on the county's Critical Areas Ordinance rules to restrict what rural landowners can do on their property, in an effort to protect the environment. Constantine wrote an article for a Vashon Island newspaper last year; Yousoufian claims Constantine intentionally distorted facts and made material omissions in writing about the ordinance. 
In voting on the ordinance, Yousoufian also accused Constantine of ignoring legal advice that could result in the county losing a possible future lawsuit. 
A King County Superior Court judge will decide if the charges meet statutory requirements for a recall. 
Copyright © 2005 The Seattle Times Company

Below is the petition:
Petition for Recall of
Metropolitan King County Council Member Dow Constantine
I, Armen Yousoufian, file this Petition demanding the Recall of Dow Constantine, Metropolitan King County Council Member for District 8. Dow Constantine’s full name is James Dow Constantine.
My name is Armen Yousoufian. I am a legal voter registered to vote at Vashon Island, Washington 98070. I am qualified to vote in District 8 of the King County Council – the District now represented by Dow Constantine.
I contend that Dow Constantine (James Dow Constantine) has committed misfeasance or malfeasance in office, and/or has violated his oath of office as set forth below.
CHARGE 1
Charge 1: Writing and having published a newspaper article with knowledge that the article contained misrepresentation of facts regarding a public matter, namely the new CAO Land Use Ordinances. 
Charge 1 Statement of Facts: Dow Constantine was listed as the author of an article in the Vashon Island Beachcomber newspaper dated November 17, 2004. The newspaper is circulated on Vashon Island. The subject of the article was the "Critical Areas Ordinances" (CAO) package of three land use ordinances just recently passed by the King County Council. Dow Constantine was intimately involved in passing the CAO because he chaired the Growth Management and Unincorporated Areas Committee, or "GMUAC Committee". I believe that Dow Constantine recklessly and intentionally distorted the truth in what he wrote in that article and made material omissions of important information he did not include in the article. I believe he had to have known that the statements he made in that article were distortions and that he intentionally omitted material and significant information, absent which the reader would not have fully understood and appreciated the CAO's consequences. Mr. Constantine completely left out any discussion of the impact of the CAO on anyone who wants to build a home on land they had not yet cleared. That impact will be severe. Depending on the size of the parcel, property owners must leave 50% to 65% of their land in a natural state. Instead, Constantine claims that property owners will not have to give up their land. In the article, he asserted that the CAO preserved the ability to keep horses, but he does not reveal that the restrictions may limit a property owner to one or two horses on, say, a 10-acre parcel. In contrast, before the CAO you might have had 5 or 10 horses on such a parcel. Mr. Constantine also said you could "clear blackberries", but did not reveal that it may require paying for a permit to do so, starting at a cost of $500 and quickly rising to $1,400.
Charge 1: Statement of Knowledge of These Facts: I personally attended many of the GMUAC Committee meetings and Council meetings, and watched and listened to Mr. Constantine carefully, and was aware of how involved Mr. Constantine had been in the evolution and details of the CAO. He obviously knew the content of the CAO. I also have reviewed the CAO, various documents discussing the CAO, and had numerous communications with County staff such that I am aware of the CAO provisions and learned what the permit fees would be. I personally read the newspaper article in question.
Charge 1 Grounds: I feel Constantine's misrepresentations and material omissions in his newspaper article amount to misfeasance, malfeasance, or violation of oath of office. I believe Mr. Constantine wrote the skewed and biased article intentionally to influence people's views and to discourage them from signing petitions or contributing to a campaign being waged at the time to gather signatures for referenda to force the CAO to a public vote.  

CHARGE 2
Charge 2: Voted to unlawfully exempt public schools from the CAO restrictions while also voting not to exempt private schools in violation of Constitutional rights.
Charge 2 Statement of Facts: On October 25, 2004, the CAO package of Ordinances came to the full County Council for a vote. The meeting was held at the County Courthouse in Seattle. The ordinance that imposed the new critical areas rules was proposed as 2004-0122 and included a provision giving a special exception to public schools . Specifically, the provision authorized approval of alterations to certain critical area wetlands by public schools in Section 137. An amendment entitled "Schools private same as public" was proposed before the Council to also provide the same exception to private schools (originally amendment numbered 39 Sponsored by Council member Hague, then later replaced by amendment number 39.5 with same effect). As part of the proceedings, an assistant prosecuting attorney informed the council of the legal status of granting special treatment of this type to public schools without also giving the exception to private schools. He told the committee that giving special treatment to only public schools involved violations of the United Stated Constitution. He told the Council that the County would almost certainly be sued and most probably lose if the Council did not also provide the exception to private schools or remove the exception for public schools. Constantine voted against the amendment to also exempt private schools, and then Constantine voted to pass the ordinance with the provision exempting only public schools (Ordinance No. 15051). 
Charge 2: Statement of Knowledge of These Facts: I personally attended the October 25, 2004 Council meeting, and watched and listened to the discussion on the amendment. I witnessed Mr. Constantine vote against the amendment and also for the Ordinance, and I am aware from numerous sources including newspaper reports and public documents that Constantine made these votes.
Charge 2 Grounds: I believe Mr. Constantine violated his oath of office, or committed misfeasance or malfeasance, when he voted to exempt public schools, but not private schools, from provisions of the CAO. Mr. Constantine, who is an attorney, and who I believe intentionally ignored the legal advice of the county’s own assistant prosecuting attorney who was giving the Council legal advice on this matter, voted against the amendment and for the Ordinance. The vote was 6 to 7 each time. Only one vote would have changed the outcome. If Mr. Constantine had voted in favor of the amendment, the county would not have been put in the position I believe it is almost certainly in now, where it will be sued and lose. In the process, taxpayers’ money will be needlessly and wastefully expended on defending that which Mr. Constantine heard a member of his own legal profession tell him was indefensible. Certainly, Mr. Constantine did not uphold or defend the Constitutions of the United States and the State of Washington in taking this action, and otherwise acted in violation of the Constitutions and the law, including 42 U.S.C. Section 1983(Civil Rights Act) and 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000cc etc. (the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2002 "RLUIPA"). 
CHARGE 3
Charge 3: Violated campaign finance laws.
Charge 3 Statement of Facts: Constantine violated the campaign finance laws of the State. The public records reflect that the campaign finance reports for James Dow Constantine for November 2004 were due on Friday, December 10, 2004, but the report according to the Public Disclosure Commission automatic electronic received stamp was filed late on December 15, 2004, in violation of law and signed electronically by Dow Constantine. The reports show total contributions of $14,685.97 and total expenditures of $5,781.32. Specifically, the reports filed late are the C4 Summary Full Report Receipts and Expenditures, C3 Cash Receipts Monetary Contributions, and the Schedule A to C4 Cash Receipts and Expenditures. The filing of the reports was made electronically to the State Public Disclosure Commission in Olympia. 
Charge 3: Statement of Knowledge of These Facts: I personally reviewed the reports which are available to the public on the website for the State Public Disclosure Commission (PDC). I spoke to staff persons at PDC to confirm that the reports are due on the 10th of the month and that the received date is automatically input electronically by the software program.
Charge 3 Grounds: I believe Mr. Constantine violated his oath of office, or committed misfeasance or malfeasance, when he violated the law by filing campaign finance reports late. In particular, RCW 42.17.080(2)(c) requires the filing of the reports by the tenth day of each month in non-election years unless total contributions received or total expenditures do not exceed $200. RCW 42.17.390(4) makes it clear that failing to file a report within the time required is a violation of law. Constantine is obviously aware of the requirements having filed these reports for years, and nevertheless intentionally or recklessly disregarded the filing date imposed by law. 
Verification. I verify that I believe the above charges to be true and that I have knowledge of the facts alleged upon which the stated grounds for recall are based. 
I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of Washington that the foregoing is true and correct and was executed by me this 14th day of January, 2005 at Seattle, Washington. 
Signed by: Armen Yousoufian
The next item below is Dow Constantine's November 17, 2004 guest piece in the Vashon Beachcomber, in which he stated that he would present facts, but in fact, distorted and misrepresented, and left out facts.  (Constantine's opening remarks included the statement, re: the CAO: "... misinformation ... has been spread about these changes. I wanted to take this opportunity to provide the facts about this important legislation."  Constantine's closing remarks included the statement: " Those are the facts that should be considered in any debate on the merits of this legislation. ") 






Nov 17 2004
Protecting critical areas protects water for Islanders


By Dow Constantine
Recently there has been a lot of coverage in the newspapers and on talk radio regarding the Critical Areas Ordinances that were just passed by the King County Council. 
A number of Vashon and Maury Island residents have contacted me regarding the CAO. Their biggest questions have been: why is the county considering these ordinances, and how will they affect my property? 
Many people have also expressed concerns based on misinformation that has been spread about these changes. I wanted to take this opportunity to provide the facts about this important legislation. 
In 1995 the state Legislature amended the Growth Management Act to require that local governments protect the “functions and values” of critical areas such as wetlands, streams, aquifers and steep slopes, and to do so by December 1, 2004. 
In March of this year the King County Executive proposed the mandated 10-year update to the County’s Comprehensive Plan, along with the Critical Areas Ordinances to reconcile our development regulations with that state mandate and modern scientific understanding of the land around us. 

The Council considered these measures for the better part of eight months, holding nearly two dozen public meetings and, ultimately, changing the proposals to make them work better for property owners while still protecting critical areas. 
The Critical Areas package is actually a set of three regulations: the Stormwater Ordinance, the Clearing and Grading Ordinance, and the Critical Areas Ordinance, all of which update existing regulations on the same subjects. Together they are designed to prevent flooding and erosion coming from upstream properties, protect drinking water and wildlife habitat and, with changes made by the council, ensure that urban areas do their part to protect water quality and wetlands. 
Until now there were no limits on clear-cutting in most of rural King County. A 5-, 10-, or 20-acre forested parcel could be completely, permanently cleared, and its rain-absorbing soils compacted with heavy machinery. As we reviewed the science that was submitted with the Critical Areas package, it was clear that a minimum clearing requirement was needed to protect not only forests, but aquifers, streams and downstream neighbors. On Vashon and Maury Islands, which rely on a sole-source aquifer isolated from any other potable water source, maintenance of forest cover and healthy drinking water is particularly critical. 

The legislation we passed is a measured solution to some daunting problems in a still-growing county of nearly 2 million people. Some rural landowners have stated that the land use regulations are not necessary or that they would be unfairly burdened by these rules. But many owners, once they walk through the legislation and see what it actually does, find their questions answered: 
Rural landowners will not have to “abandon” 50 to 65 percent of their property. The legislation we adopted preserves your ability to keep horses, grow crops, clear blackberries, harvest timber, and do all the other things typically thought of as rural. You can continue existing activities in wetland buffers. Even near sensitive features such as wetlands, you can continue farming, maintain existing lawns and gardens, remodel your home, and rebuild after a fire. 
The adopted wetland buffers are reasonable and based on science. Opponents have charged that King County had some of the strictest wetland standards in the state, and that no further changes were needed. In fact, the standards were some of the weakest among 24 Washington counties surveyed. The amended ordinances set buffers that recognize the lower-intensity land uses in the rural area, strengthen protection in urban areas, and are supported by science. 
Urban dwellers, like those in West Seattle and White Center, already have far more restrictions on our property. The fundamental trade-off of growth management is that cities get planned growth in population and jobs, while rural areas get protected from suburban sprawl. Urban owners pay for sewers, stormwater facilities, sidewalks and gutters. They have zoning and landscaping requirements, traffic, and a complex — and invigorating — social environment. 

We have a moral and legal mandate to protect wetlands, streams, and drinking water for future generations. Opponents have painted the state critical areas mandate as “optional.” In fact, they are mandated by the state Growth Management Act. That law also requires that we accommodate growth, and protect farming and forestry. Our Constitution contemplates reasonable regulations to protect public health and safety. 
Critical Areas standards are based in the best available science. Many important studies of the Puget Sound environment have been conducted by scientists at the University of Washington. These studies, and over 1,000 more, were rigorously reviewed by scientific peers to create King County’s “best available science” assessment. Jurisdictions like Portland look to us as the scientific source for protecting streams and wetlands west of the Cascades. 
Those are the facts that should be considered in any debate on the merits of this legislation. Just this week the Council is considering companion legislation that I sponsored to ensure accountability, accessibility and ease of use of the new Critical Areas standards. 
Development pressure can’t be ignored. It has to be managed. With legislation, we can ensure that future development of rural King County happens in a way that also protects the survival of streams, salmon and a truly rural way of life. 
— Dow Constantine represents Vashon Island on the County Council. 



© Copyright 2003 Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber 


The next item below is my December 1, 2004 guest piece in the Vashon Beachcomber rebutting the distortions of the facts, and revealing the stunning material omissions of the facts left out of, Dow Constantine's November 17, 2004 piece:






Dec 01 2004
CAO: An outrageous taking 


By Armen Yousoufian
The newly passed Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO) — King County’s uncompensated “land grab” — is something that every King County property owner or renter should be concerned about. 
Its predictable effects include making buildable land more scarce, raising our high housing costs even higher, hurting businesses trying to establish themselves here and recruiting employees who can afford to live here. 
It will tax some people out of their long-time homes — all for the sake of benefits that won’t be realized. 
It’s not “about the environment,” which the CAO won’t help, but rather is another outrageous example of a “hidden agenda” that is about power, votes, and money. There is no justification for it, legal or environmental, and the claim it’s based on “Best Available Science” is rebutted by evidence it’s really bogus and invalid “junk science.” 
It may be the “best” available to King County, but numerous real scientists have critiqued it and criticized it as inadequate. 
Upcoming on-Island presentations will expose the distortions being issued by CAO proponents. 
A recent Beachcomber carried a guest opinion piece on the CAO by King County Council member Dow Constantine, the Growth Management and Unincorporated Areas Committee Chair who supported the CAO. 
The article was a stunning example of not only just telling half the story, but distorting and misrepresenting the part it questionably addressed. 
Conspicuous by its absence was the total absence of explanation of the other half. Namely, what’s been done to property owners who haven’t yet built on their land. They will be deprived of virtually any use of up to 65 percent of their land — except maybe to picnic on it — while still paying taxes on it. In some cases the new buffers will render their land unbuildable and possibly worthless. 
As for those who already have homes, Constantine left out such disclosures as the permission and new fees required to clear invasive, non-native blackberries (starting at $495 and quickly going to $1,425 beyond a minimal amount), while claiming you can still do “traditionally rural” activities. Or, claiming you can still have a horse, but not revealing it may be only one horse on the 35 percent to 50 percent of your property your use will be limited to. In contrast, pre-CAO, you could have had as many horses as, traditionally, your land would support. 
Outraged property owners in rural King County are gathering petition signatures to put a referendum on the ballot to subject the CAO to a public vote. 
More information is at www.proprights.org. Click on “CAO Referendum,” or “NO CAO,” which leads to an excellent rebuttal of King County’s bogus “Best Available Science.” 
Come to an evening “CAO unveiled” presentation, with petition signing and question/answer, at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 8 at the Vashon Library. I’ve arranged a special guest speaker who is an authority on the subject and knows the details of the CAO as well as anyone. 
If you are undecided about this matter, please come and hear what this is all about. Or phone me at 463-5441 or email me at ayousoufian at comcast.net. 
— Armen Yousoufian is a Vashon Islander who successfully sued King County over public records relating to King County’s decision to impode the Kingdome. 



© Copyright 2003 Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber 








Jan 19 2005
Yousoufian files recall against Constantine


By Anna K. Brinkman
Islander Armen Yousoufian filed a petition last Friday to recall King County Councilmember Dow Constantine, who represents Vashon Island and other communities within District 8 on the Metropolitan King County Council. 
Yousoufian’s petition lays out three charges against Constantine: that he intentionally misled the public about the controversial Critical Areas Ordinances in a commentary he wrote in the Nov. 17 issue of The Beachcomber; that he voted unlawfully to exempt public and not private schools from the CAOs despite legal advice to the contrary; and that he violated campaign finance laws by submitting his November finance reports on Dec. 15, five days after the Dec. 10 deadline. 
“My reaction is that when you lead, you’re bound to attract some folks who disagree with you,” Constantine said Monday of Yousoufian’s effort. “It doesn’t worry me. It annoys me. He has no legal basis for his petition; other than that, he disagrees with me on policy. It will waste taxpayer time and money, as it has to go to court, but I’m confident that a judge will recognize that it’s without merit and will throw it out,” Constantine said. 
Constantine is up for re-election this year. 
“My agenda for going after Constantine is not because I’m interested in his job. I don’t see myself running for County Council,” Yousoufian said. 
When asked whether he would seek some political office in the future, however, Yousoufian says his plans are not yet definite. 
Yousoufian, who successfully sued King County Executive Ron Sims and his office over a public disclosure act request, said he filed the recall petition to hold Constantine accountable for his actions. 
“I’ve had a number of calls asking if I have a political agenda — people saying, ‘he’s up for re-election this fall anyway.’ And ‘isn’t this going to divert our resources?’” said Yousoufian. But Yousoufian insists the move is not partisan and not an effort to get the job or designed to grant him exposure. 
“(Constantine) did things that I think are reprehensible. I think he ought to be held accountable for them. If he had been a Republican and (had) done this, I would probably have done the same thing,” Yousoufian said. “I believe politicians should be held accountable as quickly as possible. I don’t think he ought to be in office one moment longer than necessary,” he said. 
Still, Yousoufian says he doesn’t entirely enjoy the publicity. 
“The visibility is a two-edged sword. There are people who are going to walk up to me in Thriftway who love Dow Constantine and who used to think I was a nice guy who sometimes played the violin in church and who now are going to hate my guts,” he said. 
Yousoufian asked the Vashon-Maury Island Community Council Monday to let him speak and start a motion to support his petition. Council president Jim English allowed Yousoufian to make his motion at the end of the meeting during “new business” of the council, as is standard practice. The council is expected to vote on the motion at their next meeting at 7 p.m., Monday, Feb. 21. 
“This is a serious matter that is intricately related to the CAOs,” wrote Yousoufian in his e-mail to English. “Vashon and Maury Islanders should, in my opinion, be greatly concerned about this situation.” 
“This is a matter of principle,” said Yousoufian about the timing of his petition. He said he wants to inspire others to action and remind politicians of their duty to their constituents. He said he’d like them to realize they, “Don’t know what Armen Yousoufian’s may be watching.” 



© Copyright 2003 Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber 
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