Regarding the Dec. 16 editorial entitled “Maybe transportation should go to the voters”: For the most part I felt that the editorial was on the mark. However there is one thought that does bother me about this process. Is it fair to place the transportation problem as a whole in one statewide package? I think not.
The Puget Sound region as a whole lives under different requirements than the other parts of the state. The main traffic areas here are sandwiched in between lakes and the Puget Sound. We have been increasing the problem by the reluctance of business and dollar pressure from the business sections to allow some of the burden to be moved outside of these waterfront cities.
In the early 1960s, the Seattle downtown businesses screamed that no way was the corridor for I-5 going to bypass the downtown area. When the sports stadiums were to be built this same group that stated they would not support the idea of them being built away from their restaurant’s and shops. On top of this, they had the poor judgment to even build a convention center over the freeway. Ask yourself, because the people east of the mountains are certainly going to be asking. Why should they pay for the lack of judgment put forth by the politicians and their mega dollar constituents, for these problems?
Their economy is in even a shakier position than that on the west-side today. The free-trade agreements have made it especially tough on the smaller family producers. Farm prices as a whole are hardly able to meet the supply and demand of a one-family operator. Are we being fair to ask them to bail us out? I think not.
Yes, I do feel it is right to put the package before the voters. However it needs to be presented in three packages. One for the Puget Sound I-5 corridor, one of the balance of the west side and one for the east side individually.
People, speak out on this issue – let your wishes be known. You will be paying for this many, many years; no matter how it is decided. Don’t allow the issue to be decided by a group of money-hungry lobbyists and their bought politicians.
Everett
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