[Vision2020] Re: Not a city resident (Donovan Arnold)

[Tbertruss at aol.com]

Melynda et. al.

Melynda wrote:

The City Council is likewise free to ignore my opinions and ideas if they 
wish, whether because I live in the county or because they find them 
objectionable in some way.

To recap:  a) Melynda can't vote in Moscow elections; b) Melynda may still 
express her thoughts about Moscow city government; c) The City Council doesn't 
have to pay any attention to Melynda.

It seems so clear. . .
-------------------------------

Maybe the Moscow City Council would not have to pay any attention to you if 
you expressed concerns about Moscow City matters that impact your child 
attending MSD, but I think they should, regardless of the precise legal standing you 
may have to influence Moscow City affairs, given that you live in MSD, but not 
in Moscow.  

Perhaps your legal power to influence Moscow City affairs is not as 
marginalized as your post seems to imply?  It is clear that some legal actions to 
attempt to influence Moscow City affairs can be legally taken by those who legally 
reside outside the city limits, though voting in city elections is not one of 
them.  It has been pointed out over and over on Vision2020 that some of the 
scrutiny over zoning code in Moscow has been instigated by some living outside 
Moscow City limits, and apparently this sort of influence over Moscow City 
affairs is quite legal, unless I missed something.

Some people obviously don't like the fact that the actions by some non-city 
residents to bring scrutiny to enforcement of Moscow Zoning regs. is legal!  
Maybe they have a good argument against a non-city resident taking these sorts 
of actions, but current law does not support blocking a non-city resident from 
a variety of legal actions regarding the City of Moscow, as far as I know.

If a Moscow City work truck ran over your child on Washington St. on their 
lunch break from attending classes at Moscow High School, does this mean you 
cannot sue the City of Moscow for damages because you live outside the city 
limits?  I suspect that if the all the Spokane TV networks ran a news story about 
an MSD student run over by a Moscow City work truck, a student that had a 
parent who lives in MSD but outside the city limits, who had been ignored by the 
Moscow City Council and/or the MPD about traffic safety impacting their child 
attending MSD, a parent now with a seven figure lawsuit against the city, you'd 
suddenly see the Moscow City Council doing back flips off the high dive to 
accommodate you.

Am I wrong?

Ted Moffett

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