Letters to the editor

Tank battle

Why sit still while spendthrifts roll over citizens?

Editor, The Times:

It is hard to sit still after reading editorial columnist Joni Balter's tirade on Washington state voters ["Trumping the greater good," Times editorial column, Aug. 4]. How uncooperative we are about paying an additional 9.5 cents for the state gasoline tax!

We have had it up to our sinuses, with a monorail that was to cost $1.7 billion and is scheduled to cost $11 billion over a period of 50 years. With a Sound Transit that has a rail system that has been characterized by congressional committee staff members as, "The Mystery Train. They don't know where it is going and they don't know how much it will cost." The state Legislature has given us a Regional Transportation Administration and a Sound Transit Authority that are not elected but are appointed by our county executives and our mayors.

Two light-rail leaders were defeated in their local county board elections last time, partly due to their light-rail record, and their vacancies were filled by two other light-rail cheerleaders. Not the two victors.

I could go on about the viaduct-replacement "Big Dig" tunnel. The six- or eight-lane replacement for the 520 floating bridge. No one knows the billions these are slated to cost.

All the state will do is pay for some surveys. But Balter wants us all to be cooperative little children and just write out some more blank checks for our politicians to play with and fritter away.

— Art McDonell, Seattle

Cap off congestion

I read John Carlson's "The reason folks flocked to the gas-tax-repeal initiative" [guest commentary, Aug. 4]. It is a pipe dream to think we can build ourselves out of traffic congestion. It is the same [as the] illogical argument that we can drill ourselves out of our dependence on foreign oil.

The quickest and most effective way to decrease our dependence on foreign oil is to use less oil: conservation. The quickest, cheapest and most effective way to decrease traffic congestion is to decrease the number of cars on the roads: carpool or mass transit. So it is not "irrational" to insist on HOV lanes.

However, given the increasing urban congestion, there are no perfect solutions to making urban areas and their roads non-congested. Mass transit is a solution but it will not stop the increase in drivers on the roads. We can only slow congestion's inevitable domination of our lives. To blame it on the politicians overlooks the true nature of modern life.

If, however, we allow our transportation infrastructure to go sour, we will pay dearly with greater congestion than anyone can imagine. There will be a greater cost of commerce and our economy will suffer. The cost of transporting goods and services will affect the whole state.

Of course, recessions do decrease traffic congestion.

— Steven Short, Mercer Island

Siphoning dangers

After John Carlson made the point that the 9.5-cent gas-tax increase is necessary to maintain and improve existing transportation, I don't understand his conclusion that the best course would be to gouge this source of community funds. Why doesn't he figure out the cost of the congestion relief he wants and submit an initiative to raise community funds for that?

Could it be there are special interests that actually want congestion because of the economic benefits of it? Who makes money when we crawl in traffic burning gasoline? Who makes money when we hit potholes, and have to do a costly repair or get a new car?

I believe the voters will see through this, and we still have the opportunity to defend these community funds.

Welfare caseloads declined primarily because folks were kicked off, not because they left poverty. It's strange to me that when folks in the community are in hardship, Carlson considers it a good thing.

— Charles Gust, Seattle

Retread on me

I will be voting in favor of Initiative 912. Contrary to what Joni Balter says about my selfishness and inability to see beyond the immediate fixes, my reasons reflect other factors.

I already pay more than my fair share in taxes in numerous forms every single day. State, county, local taxes don't include utility, excise, property, usage, and numerous other names government gives taxes to try to disguise the tax.

The state Legislature session that just ended increased state spending by 12 percent while revenue was projected to increase by only 7 percent. My income certainly hasn't increased 7 percent, and my spending certainly can't increase 12 percent. This is ridiculous.

The state will receive 220 million more federal dollars earmarked for transportation needs it was unaware of when it imposed the new gas taxes.

Two dollars and fifty cents per gallon of gas already includes more than 50 cents of tax collection (more than a 20 percent tax rate currently) right now.

I have no faith the state will spend the gas-tax increase even reasonably well. When I see some respect from my state representatives for the money I earn, then they can talk about additional taxes.

— Kathy Bowyer, Edmonds

Halt to sputtering

John Carlson states we should not spend $5.5 billion on rebuilding our roads because it won't solve congestion. It goes without saying that after the viaduct collapses in the next earthquake and the 520 bridge sinks from neglect, our commutes will all get much longer.

Joni Balter is far better reasoned. Her sentence, "Then along comes an initiative with no greater vision than boosting ratings and capturing anger whipped up in part by talk radio," sums it up perfectly. Talk radio is not accountable to anyone, except the ratings.

If you vote for Initiative 912, don't whine to me about the length of your commute in years to come.

— David Lednicer, Redmond

Kitty jitters

Learn to like the fringe

I have this whining in my ears. It's not the sounds of the Hydros or the Blue Angels, it's from the people who complain that their "cat" got scared by the noise. Or the people who don't understand why we have a "Seafair" at all.

During the last few weeks, more than a million people in the Seattle area have gone out of their way, at considerable time and expense, to participate in our cultural events. Shall we cancel the Fourth of July because it scared your cat? Or cancel the Torchlight Parade or even the Mariners or Seahawks games because they tie up traffic?

I made my choice to live in Seattle. If I did not like it here, with all the things that I call benefits, I would move ...

I hear Othello is nice; for entertainment, you can sit out on the back deck and watch the field grass grow. Move, and let the vast majority of us enjoy this fabulous tapestry that makes up our city.

— Dan Hagen, Seattle