Letters to the Editor
Published 1:30 am Friday, May 29, 2026
VEHICLE TAX
This proposed tax is flat-out flawed
The vehicle tax proposal has a critical flaw I hope will be addressed. The proposed $20 fee per car for our roads is another flat tax, like our sales tax, which benefits the rich and penalizes the poor. How is it fair that a person who can only afford a car worth $5,000 pays the same tax as a person who can afford a $50,000 car? This is the same problem our flat sales tax creates. The wealthy benefit, and the poor are penalized.
I support efficient government that works. I do not support cheap government, because it is usually unfair. A flat, $20 fee is cheap and easy to implement, but it is unfair. Instead, I recommend a value added tax of .1% based on the value of the car. This VAT has a different impact than a sales tax, because its effect is more reflective of income.
A person with a $5,000 car would pay an extra $5. A person with a $50,000 car would pay an extra $50. It is likely that the resulting revenue would be close to the proposed unfair $20 flat tax. So the impact of this VAT would be much closer to each person’s income and ability to pay.
I would also strongly endorse a higher rate for commercial vehicles than for personal vehicles. Commercial vehicles cause much more wear and damage to our roads, and they use the roads for commercial profit. That is fine as long as they pay their fair share. The proposed $20 flat tax completely ignores this. So I imagine the wealthy and the large commercial businesses are thrilled with a proposal like this!
Efficient government (not cheap government) which works, and which is fair, will provide us with safe roads in good condition. And we will be charged in a fair way for this government service. I strongly support this approach to justifying needed tax revenue. More unfair flat taxes are not the answer.
Respectfully,
Ron Friesen
Marysville
SLUSH FUND
The actual big steal: 1.776 billion
Demented Donald is preparing to steal 1.776 billion from all of us, Democrat and Republican alike. John Thune says he’s “not a big fan” of the Donald J. Trump Militia Fund. Seems to me there’s something he could do about it. I have a few questions…
Since when does a president get to spend so much of our money with no oversight? (Congress has the power of the purse.) How do we know that he isn’t rewarding his buddy Putin, along with those “patriotic” J6’rs? How can Biden’s attempt to relieve school loans be unconstitutional while this is not? And finally, we all know he can’t stop himself from making a fast buck. How many bribes have gotten all the EPA restrictions reversed? If there is nothing stopping this crime, what is there to stop him from emptying the coffers just before leaving the White House altogether?
With this administration, it’s always worse than you think. Call and complain. Make John Thune actually DO something.
Nancy Cooper
Stanwood
IRAN WAR
Avoiding harm’s way sets a bad precedent
This “war”; but not a war since congress is the only body that can declare war is a prime example of how impotent our military is under Donald Trump.
The shipping companies have been begging the US daily to provide safe passage through the straight since day 1. We spend, as a country, 50 percent in total of all military expenditures worldwide. You would think this would be enough to thwart Iran’s poorly trained and equipped military.
Our navy is out there to ensure free commerce on the water yet Iran’s tiny military is able to keep us from performing this essential duty.
This is Iran; not Russia or China. We are setting a dangerous precedent that we as a country are not willing to put our navy, or other branches in the military, in harms way unless we have near certainty that there will be no damage to the fleet or lives lost.
Whats going to happen when China launches an offensive on Taiwan or claims the entire South China Sea? Based on what’s transpired with Iran: not much of anything. Taiwan is an ally and provides much of our technology. Losing them to China would be a disaster.
This reminds me of the League of Nations who allowed Germany to grow an army of 4 million in direct conflict with the treaty of Versailles, which limited their army to only 100,000 and the Japanese to invade China while the league sat on its thumbs until it was too late. All talk and no action led us into World War 2.
We NEED to escort those ship through and take our licks if that’s in the cards. If Iran fires on us then we need to let our military off the chain and truly release the dogs of war. This will show the world that we are not a bunch of impotent loud mouths and that our bite is far worse than our bark.
PS – Einstein once said “I don’t know what kinds of weapons World War 3 will be fought with but future wars will be fought with sticks and stones.”
Eric Beardsley
Lake Stevens
PROJECT CASCADE
It would be a mistake to allow Amazon expansion
I am writing in regards to the news of Amazon expanding their campus in Arlington. I think it would be a terrible mistake to allow this to happen. Arlington is a remnant of what small towns used to be in our country, a main street populated with small, independently owned businesses, supported and loved by the people who frequent them. Small businesses like these were once part of the fabric of this country, a way for people to make money for their families doing something they love while bringing variety and value to the communities they call home.
Amazon, on the other hand, operates in a manner designed to make it impossible for small, independently owned businesses to continue to exist. The people in Arlington, myself included, should advocate for the things we care about, the ability of our friends and neighbors to continue doing the things they love in a way that benefits us all. Ceding ever more of our land, our water, and our electricity to a company that only exists to make its founder even more billions of dollars, does not benefit Arlington.
I hope our council and mayor will show that they share in our priorities and deny Amazon the ability to cause even more damage than it already has.
Ben Corey
Arlington
MUKILTEO LEADERSHIP
Mukilteo council makes an excellent choice
At their May 18th city council meeting they chose Ilona Van Duser as our new council member. She is replacing council member Mike Dixon whose term expires in 2027. He left citing professional and family commitments.
Ilona will represent our city with integrity, honesty and with a measure of compassion. The citizens will know how she arrives at decisions affecting them. If she cannot share information about the policies that concern them, she will explain why, whenever that is possible.
Her most positive assets are her keen listening skills. She will hear you out. She may not come to the same conclusion that you do.
But she will listen to your side of an issue.
2027 is going to come way to soon, unless of course, she decides to be on the ballot.
Elaine Knapp
Mukilteo
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Just get out
A addendum to my letter thanking those who have supported me in my escaping from a life immersed in domestic violence. Make no mistake in knowing that helping anyone get out of a violent relationship does more than anyone knows. The affect on children who are exposed to dv, no words exist to adequately describe the catastrophic effects. Not only on the children who have experienced trauma, but the devastating consequences on communities, as the children grow and, if left without treating the PTSD, can manifest this traumatic memories in ways that will be devastating to us all. I know that, and had known this. If I could change my past, allowing the exposure to the dv would be the first and most important change I made, and that one change would change how our future was shaped. To anyone who is hesitant to leave a toxic relationship, for any reasons, please, please understand that all the clothes, the material things that you do not want to leave behind, trust me when I tell you that they are not important. Get your kids, your pets, and get out. I promise you, when you walk out that door and have your children, your pets, and the clothes on your back, you have EVERYTHING that you need. Just get out, please get out.
Patricia Grigg
Marysville
