We have to do better Mayor

To the Office of Mayor Frank Kuntz, 

 My name is Elvis Garcia, and we have met a few times. I am the owner of Seattle Yoga Lounge and Café in downtown Wenatchee. You were actually at our ribbon cutting ceremony just about a year ago. I’m also a member of the COVID-19 recovery council that you are a part of. You are right; the city of Wenatchee is and should continue to be committed to being a welcoming city to all, and you are also right that Wenatchee is shaped by the diversity of all who live here.

 I wanted to take the time to express myself and to share my thoughts on your recent “Statement from Mayor of Wenatchee” regarding the Black Lives Matter protest that we had here in our city. I would like to thank you for taking the time to release a statement on the matter; however I don’t think that your statement had any concrete direction, nor was it strong enough in condemning the individuals who were there to intimidate the Black Lives Matter protesters, nor did it lay out a plan of what the City of Wenatchee is going to do or is actively doing to help reduce the racial injustice right here in Wenatchee. 

 As a member of this community, I would like to ask you a few pointed questions. In your statement you thanked the police department, but I didn’t see a single officer there to protect. Why were the police not there to protect?

 During the march, Douglas County Commissioner, Kyle Steinburg attended in a tactical vest and armed with a handgun and an AR-15, while he stood with armed counter-protesters there to intimidate the peaceful marchers. Why have you not publicly denounced his actions? 

 As the moral compass and community leader here in Wenatchee, where were you? Why didn’t you stand in solidarity with the peaceful protest, and why has your office still not put out a statement condemning racist acts and in support of Black Lives Matter? Because all lives can’t matter until Black Lives Matter. 

In closing, what changes are you enacting to ensure accountability of the police? What actions are you and the city taking to help fight racial injustice? 

 I would be more than happy to sit down with you and discuss some things that I believe would be a great start, as well as how I can be a part of the solution to help navigate our city into the future. We can start by making records of police misconduct and all uses of force public, or at least have a way to track the misconduct and all uses of force better to help pick up patterns of abuse faster. We could also dissolve qualified immunity within our county, because if a healthcare worker can lose their job for killing someone, so should a police officer. You could also direct our city to hire and promote People of Color at a higher rate. These are all just the beginning steps of accountability. I look forward to hearing from you and continuing our conversation. 

Thank you for your time,

Elvis Garcia

Local business owner 

Elvis@seattleyogalounge.com