What if projections turn out wrong?

Thanks for the coverage of the Brightwater issue and for asking questions about the costs for this sewage plant and the growth projections.

The ratepayers and taxpayers of the future will bear the brunt of this if the projections on which this whole thing is based turn out to be wrong. Any promises made today may be no better than the promises that were once made to Native Americans in the 19th century.

Debate on the concerns surrounding this has been suppressed by the way King County has brought this issue forward, and by the fact that eminent domain is a poor vehicle for public policy.

The reason the public should be included in full and critical debate about this is not because the experts are not good at what they do. The reason is that decisions that might significantly affect Snohomish County as much as this one will are concerns that citizens have a vital stake in. Citrizens should be allowed real access to debate and to participate in the decision-making process.

That may seem like an alien idea these days, but we should remember something from our high school days: “Government derives its just powers from the consent of the governed.”

King County has attempted to overpower the public in Snohomish County and to use the environmental process to deflect debate. I hope at least the press can accomplish some critical scrutiny here.

Edmonds