OPINION
Online poll: Are you happy with the fiscal cliff deal? Vote in the latest poll online • 86.05% said no. at www.mi-reporter.com • 13.95% said yes. Wednesday, January 16, 2013 | PAGE 5
Mercer Island rEporter | www.mi-reporter.com
To the editor Praise for Smokey Joe story Thank you for the touching and sweet story in your Dec. 26, 2012 paper about “A home for Smokey Joe.” For cat lovers (which we are), and even those who “don’t care for them” — it was uplifting and delightful. What a wonderful person Ginna Seese, at Island House, must be to go to such lengths to save a poor homeless kitty. In today’s self-centered world of “what’s in it for me,” and constant bickering (i.e. our Congress), it is indeed a delight to hear about the complete opposite in the person of Ginna Seese. Thank you, Ginna, and thank you, reporter Rebecca Mar, for composing the article. We have been subscribers to your paper for years and have enjoyed it and will continue to do so. Kudos to you all. Barbara and Frank Couch
Tolling I-90 is wrong way to raise money for SR-520 Tolling I-90 is the wrong way to raise money, and the reasons are not correct. If you need to pay for the new bridge, do the following: 1. Toll the new bridge, and put a time limit on the tolls like other bridges in Washington’s history. 2. Raise the gas tax by a bit so we all bear the burden equally, and designate funds for bridge payments and nothing else! 3. Resist the urge to play social nanny by doing things that make driving more difficult/expensive. The market and your efforts to improve public transportation will take care of that. 4. Rebuild confidence in the state’s promises to use publicly generated funds for promised specific reasons without later diversion. The people remember and you should be ashamed for not doing it.
ISLAND
TALK
5. The toll you propose is a tax with another name, is forever, and hits the frequent users disproportionately worse. 6. One reason given, “relieving congestion on I-90,” is like drinking a diuretic to relieve thirst. Paul Calderon
Islanders should be exempt from tolling on I-90 If there is tolling, Islanders should be exempt, as we have no other exit from the Island. A recent article in the Seattle Times wrote that the 520 tolls are right on target for collections to supplement the budget for the 520 bridge. Earlier, there was comment that tolling was needed because the 520 tolls were not adequate. There is no infrastructure on the Island to ameliorate the impart. Seniors and the disabled need access to facilities, rehab, specialists, etc., that are off Island. There isn’t even a good bus service on the Island or a parking facility on the North end that could accommodate Mercer Island cars or buses, let alone rapid transit that would enable residents and service personnel to get off and on the Island on transit vehicles. Edward Barber
School use of tax dollars for survey questioned After the resounding defeat of the school bond issues, I was astonished to receive a survey call this evening requesting my support or lack thereof for ballot measures to build/renovate the Mercer Island elementary, middle and high schools. If the Mercer Island School District feels that a good use of public funds is to commission a voter sentiment survey on measures that have already been defeated, why would the taxpayers trust it with even more tax dollars? I questioned
the individual conducting the survey, and she advised me that this is the second survey of this type that she has done in the last six months. This is not only irresponsible, but it is also an unbelievable misuse of public funds and should not be tolerated. Lauren Beck
My eyes were opened when I heard what was presented by the representatives of WSDOT, Sound Transit and our elected officials in Olympia. Before this, I was like other people, who thought it a bad idea and “not fair” to the residents of Mercer Island. However, several people who had done their homework said by their calculations it could add up to nearly $5,000 per year for just one active family. That’s astounding! We should all try to estimate how many times we go off Island, either east or west (the direction that would be My husband and I went to the City tolled hasn’t yet been deterCouncil meeting Monday mined) and try to come night, Jan. 7, 2013. The up with a dollar figure for topic was the “possibility” our own households. While of putting a toll on I-90. Send your letters to: the amounts of the tolls Supposedly, it isn’t a done editor@mi-reporter.com. haven’t been decided either, deal, but everyone in the Keep it brief, courteous, we can all estimate a figure room thought otherwise. and sign your name. based on the SR-520 tolls. Several people who got up to Busy families with kids in speak had points that I want all sorts of activities go to to pass on. Bellevue and Seattle all the time. There are Our children were born and raised on the Island and participated in many activi- events and social gatherings and cultural ties on the Eastside and in Seattle. None of things we go to, and we’d have to pay each them live here and come from off Island to see us, and vice-versa. Letters | Page 7
Tolling will likely ‘not have any deal for Islanders’
Have your say
Prior to the Seahawks game on Sunday, we asked for predictions on the outcome of the game.
“I hope they win.” Sarah Fish Marketing Mercer Island
Online poll
“Seahawks, 28-21.” Jordan Siek Sales Seattle
“They’re going to win 24-17.” Bill Milligan IT Mercer Island
“28-21, Seahawks win.” Jim Gilchrist Retired Mercer Island
“I think Seahawks win.” Bill campbell Consultant Mercer Island
Tolling on Interstate 90 has become a hot topic for the area, specifically Mercer Island. We want to know what you think. If an I-90 toll is implemented, which side of the Island should be tolled? Vote now online at www.mi-reporter.com and look for the results in next week’s paper.