Litzow’s 2/3rds vote will hurt efforts on school funding, environment
Re: Senator Litzow and the 2/3 vote to raise revenue:
The legislative session just started. There are three main issues that the legislature needs to address. These are CO2 reduction, school funding and transportation. Governor Inslee has put forth his proposals on CO2 as a starting point for the legislature to consider. I would think that clean air would be an issue we could all agree on.
My concern is that Steve Litzow voted immediately to require a 2/3 vote to raise any revenue, which my understanding is that this eliminates any chance at a solution to CO2 reduction. Senator Litzow and his friends in the senate did what I would equate to throwing a grenade into the negotiation. Senator Litzow is telling us that the solutions to our pollution problems are dirty coal, more oil, and nuclear power, instead of solar, water and wind power.
To me, this move on his part is very disrespectful of the governor, the rest of the legislature and all of us who want to reduce pollutants in the air. As Chairman of the education committee, this would also tie his hands in efforts to come up with a workable solution to school funding, unless he does not have any intention of solving the school funding problem.
Senator Litzow needs to show us how his actions can be interpreted as anything other than the worst forms of gridlock and not what he was elected to do and that is to solve the urgent problems of this state.
Curt Engeland
Sound Transit plans will ensure gridlock here
I wrote the following in hopes of presenting it to Mercer Island residents at their Jan. 14 meeting at their Community Center. It was an opportunity to explain to Island residents how Sound Transit’s East Link will end their easy access into Seattle and why the ST Integrated Transit Service will result in the Mercer Island light rail station being inundated with thousands of transit riders every morning and afternoon attempting to transfer to and from over-crowded light rail cars.
It was a major disappointment I was not allowed to do so as “East Link” was not on the meeting’s “agenda.” I’m certain residents will eventually learn to regret that decision if the lack of “public awareness” results in the City Council approving the permits needed for East Link to proceed.
East Link Impact On Mercer Island: 1) Mercer Island residents will lose their easy access to Seattle for a light rail system that provides one four-car train every eight minutes, or 30 74-seat cars an hour.
2) Island residents and transit riders forced to transfer to trains at the Island light rail station will have a particularly difficult time accessing this limited light rail capacity during the peak commute hours since the cars will likely be full before they even reach the Island.
3) The 200 foot drop off and pick up areas cannot possibly accommodate the 84 buses per hour the ST Integrated Transit System expects to route to and from the Mercer Island Station during peak commute. Riders attempting to transfer to buses on the return commute will have a particularly difficult time making connections.
4) Mercer Island Single Occupancy Vehicles will have a particularly difficult time accessing I-90 outer roadway. The increased congestion due to the loss of center roadway and additional drivers forced to drive because of limited light rail capacity will require severe “throttling” by I-90 on-ramp control lights.
5) Once on I-90, Mercer Island commuters will join all the other vehicles facing inevitable gridlock on the route into Seattle.
6) All of this can be avoided if Mercer Island disallows the permit Sound Transit needs.
Bill Hirt
Bellevue
