Bellevue is a very pleasant city. It has spacious and clean parks, successful commercial areas, and award-winning schools. It also has a population that is increasingly ethnically and socio-economically diverse. The image of a community, which is lily white and high income, could not be more wrong.

The City Council, on the other hand, has been less diverse – almost exclusively populated by pro-business conservatives. To its credit, Bellevue’s business community has done very well. But there are other issues to be addressed: the environment, neighborhood development, and involvement of all community groups.

Having Steve Kasner as a member of the Bellevue City Council would be a good step forward in bringing balance to the council. He has a long history of community involvement, and listens to people’s concerns. He will not have the inherent conflicts of interest that come from having large business involvements within the city. Rather, he will be a representative of multiple community needs.

I strongly encourage my fellow citizens to seriously consider Steve Kasner for our city council.

Darrell Johnson, Bellevue