I'd like to share some numbers with you; 57, 57, 58 71, 51, 52, & 75 .Of course this data is the % favorable for the Shaw's proposal in wards 1 through 7, respectively. The city average was 61.6% favorable. Even though this was only a single-issue ballot 13.4% of the eligible Burlington voters, voted. Before you conclude that voter turn out of 13+% is insignificant, let me share some other information with you. In the spring city elections of 98 with a full slate of issues only 12.8% and 7.7% of the eligible voters in 2 wards voted in the election of the councilors. I don't recall the mayor or any of the councilors ignoring those results or deciding that they were meaningless.

The verdict of your peers is against the direction the city is taking to provide a downtown grocery. If the mayor or any councilor received 60+% of the vote in a public referendum, it would undoubtedly be consider as a mandate. Conversely receiving less than 40% usually motivates wise people to consider that they are out of step with reality and not serving the real needs of their constituents. I'm sure all of you must know deep down that if the ballot was a simple yes or no for the co-op the result would have been even more one-side against the city's strategy.

The Co-Op is just not a practical place to buy staples. Cloning the Hanover Co-op does not significantly address this short-coming as highlighted in a recent "Letter To The Editor." The writer who recently moved to Burlington from Hanover concluded that although the Hanover Co-op was a wonderful place to shop for organic, or for something out of the ordinary, or if you had lots of money, it will not be competitive with conventional grocery stores for the basics.

North Enders have been frustrated for a long time with an inadequate super market. The 70+ % favorable votes in Wards 4 and 7 likely reflects their doubt that a similar size store downtown can satisfactorily handle the basics while offering a significant variety of all natural products.

I suggest that all of you illustrate the benefit of local control and direct the Co-op to stay put unless it commits to being the "neighborhood grocery store" and not just a fancy version of itself

Thanks.