Seattle's silly council

Seattle voters should reject a silly, feel-good advisory measure on the November ballot regarding equal access to health care.

Health care is a big, sweeping topic; the City Council is not the place to deal with it. The measure asks voters to agree — or disagree — with the idea that every person in the country should have an equal right to quality health care and Congress should implement that right. The correct answer to Advisory Measure No. 1 is "no," or "Come on, get serious." The council ought to have more pressing work to do.

The council approved a measure sponsored by members Tom Rasmussen, Richard Conlin, Jan Drago, Nick Licata and Richard McIver that will have zero impact. Check the "no" box to tell the council to work in its own zone of influence.

The proposal captures politically correct sentiments that say, wouldn't it be nice — wouldn't a lot of things be nice? — if everyone had quality health care? The council has little to do with national health-care policy. The proposal provides no staff and no money to accomplish anything. It is more meddling in national affairs that makes the council look like it has too much free time.

The advisory measure makes the Seattle City Council once again the Seattle Silly Council. Mayor Greg Nickels had the good sense not to sign this proposal. Voters should turn it down because it is a useless endeavor that accomplishes nothing.