What's in a Name?
And Where is the Name?

    February 10, 2004
    by Dixie A. Walter

    This is just my opinion of course,  but I believe we wouldn't have names if names didn't serve some purpose in our lives. So I don't understand why, yet another, anonymous group is attempting to take political action, and change our town government and our way of life in the process. If the actions they are taking will benefit the community, why in the hell won't they put their names on it? 
    I'm personally fed up with these shadowy figures trying to "control" the way we live.  I say give me a name if you are going to take political action in my community.  And I say, "Tell us where you live. In town or out of town?" While you are at it, please explain the form of government you want the town to take.
    Don't just ask me to blindly sign a piece of paper - a piece of paper which would radically change the  community - a piece of paper backed only by "Anonymous."  Even if I agreed with the issue, I would never sign such a shady document. However, I will  find it interesting to see how many people do sign something so vague, no one will claim responsibility for it. 
   For weeks rumors drifted about town that a  petition was coming at you that would change Eatonville's government from mayor-council to council-manager.  This gives the council more "control."  Then, during the  February 9 meeting, council member Ray Harper said, "petitions" were going around town.   
    So it wasn't a  surprise to find that a lengthy petition is now  being circulated which has no human identity attached to it. This petition is very interesting because it states, in part, "WARNING - This is a serious Petition..." If  this paper is so serious you need to be "warned" about its seriousness, why can't I find a serious name?
    Last year a petition was circulated asking for a temporary new building moratorium until the water shortage issue was solved. This petition was signed by 200 people and never acknowledged by the council or mayor. The temporary moratorium petition was not anonymous.  Longtime Eatonville resident, and former district court clerk, Rosemarie Van Cleve, had the courage and conviction to put her name on the petition. 
   This is not the first time Eatonville has been targeted by an anonymous political action committee (PAC). During the past seven months another anonymous group, calling themselves "Citizens for a Responsible Town Government" paid  for political advertising for two council candidates during the 2004 election, Cliff Murphy and Mike Gallagher. (Murphy lost to Bobbi Allison and my husband, Bob Walter, lost to Gallagher. The group did not purchase ads for Bobbi or Bob.)
   Through the Public Disclosure Act, long before the above mentioned election, ENN divulged the name behind that shadowy political action group. The group was registered under the name of *Ron "Grins" Pierce, a local realtor  and Eatonville planning commissioner. I have no idea who is responsible for the latest petition. However, when there isn't even one name associated with the action and issue, it does make me wonder. How about you?
    The mysterious petition can be read by clicking Nameless - you can print the page and help whoever it is that's  trying to engage citizens in this effort - or you can simply ignore it until someone is accountable for the petition.

     *For more information about the Ron "Grins" Pierce PAC please see PAC

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