Speak Out
A place to have your say about anything, from politics to potholes. Flag as Inappropriate
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Jeanne Gustafson (Editor) May 17, 2013 at 01:54 pm
Thank you so much for sharing this great event on Patch! What a cool thing to do--as an Issaquah…Read More resident, I really appreciate your involvement with EBC.
Kendall Watson (Editor) May 15, 2013 at 01:19 pm
Hey, thanks for the bear photos on Friday! Sorry about the slight delay in posting!
Ben H April 14, 2013 at 03:42 am
Agreed Mark,
Much as this solution seems crazy, some things are worth paying for (law and order, a…Read More decent safety net, good schools and yes roads). I do blame the tax hawks though. Washington already has a relatively regressive tax structure. The "choke the government" solution seems carried way too far.
Question Mark April 12, 2013 at 02:13 pm
I thank the author for his well thought out arguments regarding these important transportation…Read More issues in Washington state. While I believe some of the ideas presented are debatable, for example I believe that a vital and well used transit system ought to be part of our congestion relief plan in metropolitan areas, the lack of realistic funding options for this system cannot be ignored.
However, our legislature (both parties included) seems to place a higher priority on "no new taxes" than creating a sustainable future for the state in many areas, including the transportation system. More than that, though, we live in a state whose citizens have varied interests and priorities. Most of all, we need our government to set priorities so that citizen interests and needs can be reasonably served.
It seems we are pretending that we can base tax policies and tax rates exclusively on individual self-interest, as is often the consequence "no new taxes" scheme (e.g. if I don't get a direct benefit for myself, I won't support paying for it). This seems to me to be as much a part of this problem as current transportation system priorities.
Richard Bray April 9, 2013 at 07:26 pm
It gets worse folks. I was part of a selected focus group a few weeks ago of people who live along…Read More I-405 conducted by a well-known marketing research firm and paid for by WSDOT. They are considering options that would charge commuters to use a new lane on I-405 & charge for the existing carpool lane too (even if you have two people in the car!)
Jerry Gropp Architect AIA May 15, 2013 at 07:05 pm
Seems like this was a good time to sell our SouthEnd Mercer Island home of 25 years. JG-
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