Seattle Displacement Coalition leaders John Fox and Carolee Colter have an editorial in the latest Capitol Hill Times accusing advocates for more density around the planned Roosevelt light rail station as elitists.

And they single out former Cola contributor Dan Bertolet as the the biggest "Noblese oblige" "anti-Democratic" "elite" of all for a display of "disturbing arrogance."

Criticizing a letter from a group of business, community, and environmental advocates,  Fox and Colter write:

Take a recent quote from Dan Bertolet, one of the ... letter’s signatories and a vigorous pro-density blogger: “Decisions of regional consequence should not be left entirely up to local residents…. Seattle’s leaders have an obligation to make sure land-use decisions benefit not just the neighborhood but also the greater region and…the entire planet.”

In a more recent posting, he applauded the mayor and City Councilmember Burgess for “defying the will of a neighborhood group,” showing “just the sort of leadership Seattle needs.”

Bertolet responded on his blog this weekend:

Got that? If your concerns extend beyond the boundaries of a local neighborhood, you are arrogant. Might I suggest, Mr. Fox and Ms. Colter, that next time you work with an editor. Unless, that is, you both truly do believe that every neighborhood is an island and people have no business getting involved in regional or global issues.

For our coverage of the Roosevelt debate start here with Roger Valdez's report on last week's North Seattle forum.