Letters

Edmonds EMS levy

Permanent levy saves election costs

This letter is intended to provide useful information to Edmonds voters concerning the upcoming vote on Proposition 1, the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) levy. At the polls on Sept. 17 or by absentee ballot, Edmonds voters will choose whether to continue funding the Fire Department EMS levy which provides pre-hospital care to the sick and injured.

If voters approve, the levy continues to fund approximately 60 percent of the Fire Department’s EMS budget, including the Medic 7 Paramedics and Firefighter/EMTs that come when 911 is called This is not a new tax, and as it is now, the tax rate will not exceed 50 cents per $1,000 dollars of assessed property value. For the owner of a $200,000 house, renewing the EMS levy will continue to cost $100 a year, or $8.33 per month.

In this election, Proposition 1 asks to permanently renew the EMS levy at the current tax rate. The last EMS levy election in 1997 was for six years. Elections are expensive. The Sept. 17 election is budgeted at $45,000. A new state law allows for permanent renewal, saving taxpayers the cost of repeated elections.

In 2001, EMS assistance was requested 2,968 times. This constitutes approximately 81 percent of all Edmonds responses, or over eight EMS calls per day, a 5.3 percent increase over 2000.

For more useful voter information on Proposition 1, the Edmonds EMS levy, call the Edmonds Fire Department at 425-771-0215, visit the Fire website at www.edmondsfire.org, or tune to Edmonds Public Access Channel 21.

THOMAS J. TOMBERG

Edmonds Fire Chief

EMS service is critical to the city

One of the most important contributions that we can make as members of this community is to vote yes on the EMS levy, Proposition 1, Sept. 17.

EMS stands for Emergency Medical Services. This includes Medic 7 Paramedics, Firefighters, EMTs, medic and aid vehicles, training, equipment, supplies, and emergency pre-hospital care necessary to treat the sick and injured.

Edmonds has the highest percentage of residents over 65. Consequently, this population is the most frequent caller to 911, averaging eight calls a day. The presence of highly trained Medic 7 Paramedics and Fire Department EMTs responding to an emergency call with their up-to-date and efficient equipment is most reassuring in an emergency.

If Proposition 1 does not pass on Sept. 17, it will appear on the ballot again on Nov. 5. If the EMS levy on November 5 doesn’t pass, the City Council will have an enormous task to decide how to make up a $1 million shortfall.

Please vote yes! Don’t fail your community.

BETTY RUNNING

Edmonds

Pets

Help animals with mandatory fixing

As a former Edmonds resident and as someone who recognizes the importance of protecting the pets of our community, I served my first shift as a volunteer signature gatherer for the Protect Edmonds’ Pets Initiative recently. The reaction that I got from the people of Edmonds was tremendously heartening, and it showed to me why it is so important for Edmonds to begin spaying and neutering the animals adopted from the Edmonds shelter.

The most common reaction was, by a wide margin, shock; shock that Edmonds releases unaltered animals back into the community. I can understand their shock. Every shelter from the Canadian border to Olympia alters their pets except for the shelters in Edmonds and Everett. The PAWS shelter in Lynnwood has required the alteration of their animals since the Lyndon Johnson administration.

People seemed incredulous that Edmonds was not altering their animals. They know full well that an effective shelter spay and neuter program is the best way to save the lives of shelter animals and prevent euthanasia. They know that King County and Seattle saved tens of thousands of lives and millions of dollars over the past decade by altering their own shelter animals prior to adoption.

Many of the folks that I talked to wanted to know why Edmonds is behind the times; who in Edmonds was responsible? The answer to this question of responsibility is simple: All Edmonds residents can help the animals of their community and become responsible for their welfare by signing the protect Edmonds initiative. Folks who would like to sign the initiative or volunteer with the campaign can call Tamar Pucket at 425-742-4009 extension 257.

RICHARD HUFFMAN

Lake Forest Park

Marijuana

Reader turned off by prohibition of pot

Once again this year I was in attendance at the 11th annual Seattle Hempfest! It was a wonderful event and very well organized.

Along with thousands of my proud pot smoking friends I took a pledge to never again vote for any so-called “leader” who still insist on treating me like a criminal simply because I smoke cannabis buds.

DARRAL GOOD

Lynnwood