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Residents across Lake Forest Park have received a glossy mailer from a shadowy source calling itself Good Govt LFP. At first glance, it’s full of numbers and “data” meant to look authoritative. But look closer: they cherry-pick figures, strip them of context, and spin them into a false narrative designed to alarm rather than inform.
For example, they say the “City Council proposed a 61% increase in the city’s property tax rate.” Wow, sounds like my property taxes are going up by thousands of $$$s. My house is valued around the city average, I pay $769.50 per month in property tax. Based on a 61% increase, it sounds like my taxes will go up over $470 per month.
But it’s pure deceit —under the actual proposal my tax will go up about $19.90 per month. Do they hope that by flashing big, shocking numbers—without meaning or explanation—we’ll be too rattled to ask what those numbers really mean?
Who’s Really Behind Good Govt LFP?
Lake Forest Park is a small, tight-knit community. We argue passionately, we often disagree, but at the end of the day our debates are rooted in something deeper: our shared love of this place we call home. That’s why Proposition 1 deserves a debate grounded in facts and transparency—not anonymous groups hiding in the shadows.
The so-called Good Govt LFP mailer doesn’t follow the rules the rest of us honor. They haven’t registered with the Public Disclosure Commission, as Washington law requires. They don’t say who they are. They hide behind a private web hosting service with an address in Phoenix, Arizona, yet they claim to speak for Lake Forest Park residents. I’ve looked everywhere for contact info and only found these 2 numbers, try calling them: (480) 624-2599 or (480) 624-2505.
That raises a serious question: If they care so deeply about our city, why are they hiding from us?
This isn’t how honest debate works. It’s how misinformation works. It’s a smokescreen meant to obscure reality rather than illuminate it.
We all know that community voices matter most when they come from people who live here, who pay taxes here, who volunteer at our schools and food banks, who walk these streets under our tree canopy. That’s how democracy in a city like ours should work—neighbors speaking with neighbors. Instead, opponents of Prop 1 want us to trust unnamed figures calling themselves Good Govt LFP, but they’re not confident enough to put their names behind their words.
If this campaign is so sure of its facts, why hasn’t anyone come forward and owned them? Why will they not make their funding and affiliations public, the same way every legitimate campaign in Washington is required to?
Lake Forest Park deserves better. We deserve honesty, transparency, and accountability in our civic debates. If the no campaign won’t tell us who they are, and if their only contribution is misleading statistics wrapped in fear, why should we listen to them?
Let’s build community,
https://nextdoor.com/g/vi0n2v5to
Matt Muilenburg
Lake Forest Park
Who’s Really Behind Good Govt LFP?
Lake Forest Park is a small, tight-knit community. We argue passionately, we often disagree, but at the end of the day our debates are rooted in something deeper: our shared love of this place we call home. That’s why Proposition 1 deserves a debate grounded in facts and transparency—not anonymous groups hiding in the shadows.
The so-called Good Govt LFP mailer doesn’t follow the rules the rest of us honor. They haven’t registered with the Public Disclosure Commission, as Washington law requires. They don’t say who they are. They hide behind a private web hosting service with an address in Phoenix, Arizona, yet they claim to speak for Lake Forest Park residents. I’ve looked everywhere for contact info and only found these 2 numbers, try calling them: (480) 624-2599 or (480) 624-2505.
That raises a serious question: If they care so deeply about our city, why are they hiding from us?
This isn’t how honest debate works. It’s how misinformation works. It’s a smokescreen meant to obscure reality rather than illuminate it.
We all know that community voices matter most when they come from people who live here, who pay taxes here, who volunteer at our schools and food banks, who walk these streets under our tree canopy. That’s how democracy in a city like ours should work—neighbors speaking with neighbors. Instead, opponents of Prop 1 want us to trust unnamed figures calling themselves Good Govt LFP, but they’re not confident enough to put their names behind their words.
If this campaign is so sure of its facts, why hasn’t anyone come forward and owned them? Why will they not make their funding and affiliations public, the same way every legitimate campaign in Washington is required to?
Lake Forest Park deserves better. We deserve honesty, transparency, and accountability in our civic debates. If the no campaign won’t tell us who they are, and if their only contribution is misleading statistics wrapped in fear, why should we listen to them?
Let’s build community,
https://nextdoor.com/g/vi0n2v5to
Matt Muilenburg
Lake Forest Park
PDC laws apply to candidates for elective office. They do not require independent entities like Good Govt LCP to obtain a permission slip from the state to engage in leafleting on an issue. You, and I, and Good Govt LCP all have a solemn right to fire up the printing press and engage in whatever political speech we so desire while disclosing as much or as little of our identity as we wish.
ReplyDeleteThe claim the group is making about city property taxes doesn't sound deceitful in the least. If their claim of 61% increase is accurate and your claim of $19.90 increase per month is accurate, then that means your city property tax is going from $391.48 to $630.28 on an annual basis. That's a couple hundred dollars of impact. People -should- be alarmed by such a proposal.
It's sounds to me like you're upset with the group for using big, shocking numbers in their communication, when the numbers are indeed big and shocking.
Sorry, I said LCP when I meant LFP. Haven't had my coffee yet.
ReplyDeleteThanks for calling this out Matt. Lake Forest Park *does* deserve better and when we're about to make important decisions about the safety of our city and community, it's especially critical that we are informed with facts and not unsubstantiated fearmongering coming from unknown sources.
ReplyDeleteThank you Matt for your letter. I have found a lot of accurate information about Prop. #1 at the City Website: https://www.cityoflfp.gov/710/Levy-Lid-Lift-Info
ReplyDeleteLong winded way to say you are in favor of property tax increases.
ReplyDeleteCan you refute any of the other “cherry picked” numbers? Otherwise your letter smacks of conspiracy theory.
ReplyDeleteActually no... to the original poster above- that is a violation of state law. Do your homework. Any PAC has to register with the PDC. Bring your a-game, because we are all happy to school you in the law.
ReplyDeleteWhat you assert in the following is a direct violation of the WACs:
"PDC laws apply to candidates for elective office. They do not require independent entities like Good Govt LCP to obtain a permission slip from the state to engage in leafleting on an issue. You, and I, and Good Govt LCP all have a solemn right to fire up the printing press and engage in whatever political speech we so desire while disclosing as much or as little of our identity as we wish."
This is absolutely false as it pertains to a PAC or organized support or opposition to any ballot measure or candidate.
So you can't refute any of the "cherry picked" numbers then?
ReplyDelete