In tough times, do more with less

The mayor of Everett has asked all departments in the city to make cuts to their 2010 budgets. This will affect all of us who live and do business in this city.

Times are hard and some can see a call for the cuts. The problem is at the same time the budget is being cut, the city is going ahead with projects like the Children’s Theater building. The plan also calls for a very small but very expensive park on the same parcel of land. A park the size of two small building lots, which doesn’t give very much bang for the buck.

The millions that are going into a project to serve very few people fails the logic test. If we are going to cut money from existing parks, repaving roads that need it, and public safety, why are we going ahead with a project like this?

I fail to see why the Children’s Theater program cannot use the Performing Arts Center, which sits empty most of the day. We also have the Historic Everett Theatre in the downtown core, which is also under-used. The office of the now bankrupt Everett Symphony is also sitting empty on Colby. Why couldn’t the Children’s Theater group use that building for their office and practice space, then use the theater buildings we already have for their performances?

In times of tight money, a city cannot afford to build more spaces to do exactly what existing facilities do.

Dave Hensen

Everett