After watching the “new council” bashing via insinuations of collusion and suggestions of recusal that took place on Jan. 11; a cloud of irony and hypocrisy hung heavy in the air like the smell of rancid fryer oil from a big box fast food restaurant.

I watched as among the residents of the Fitzgerald subarea pleaded with council to arrive at a decision regarding the lawsuit; a few good soldiers who so passionately protected the old mayor from the growing lynch mob that called for his impeachment; be the first in line with pitchforks and torches for the new council members. [Tap on shoulder] its still your council people… only two new seats were filled after the election; and to date the city staff who they hired to advise them are still employed.

But I get it. From a political standpoint this happens every time there are newly elected officials. There seems to be this immediate sense of entitlement for a better way of life. The reality is it often can take months, if not years, to clean up the mess of the previous administration. I think we need to allow this “new council” the same courtesy. The newly elected members didn’t make this mess… so why would you make the job of fixing it any more difficult than need be?

Bothell finds itself with the daunting task of finding it’s identity. Do we continue to build towards a bustling metropolis by exceeding the expectations set by the GMA (Growth Management Act)? Do we become eco-warriors and do just enough while protecting the environment? Can we as a community have our cake and eat it too?

Not if all we can manage to do is act like a spoiled child. Perhaps we need a timeout. Perhaps, if we truly desire what’s best for us as a community; we can come together, like adults; and get it done.

Carl Frair, Bothell