There has been a concerted effort of late, not least of all in the “letters to the editor” section of this newspaper, to paint Kevin Scheid as a one-issue candidate. As it happens, the portrait of the City Council candidate that has emerged from this effort bears little resemblance to the man himself, as even a cursory glance at his website or campaign literature will demonstrate.

Given his years as an involved citizen on Mercer Island, Kevin knows full well that there are numerous issues which must be dealt with by city government in the near term, including, but not limited to, the relocation of Youth Theatre Northwest, the enlargement of the Thrift Store, the scale and pace of downtown development, the prudent stewardship of tax revenues.  But Kevin is also aware that there is one issue with the potential to negatively impact all of these other issues, and that issue is the proposed tolling of I-90.

Kevin knows that the institution of tolling would serve to severely limit the easy access to and from Mercer Island that is the key to our community’s survival. In countless ways, whether making it more expensive for students and staffers from off the Island to participate in Youth Theatre Northwest, or effectively raising prices for those bargain hunters from around the Sound who’ve made the Thrift Store a popular shopping destination, I-90 tolling would be a disaster for Mercer Island. Kevin understands this and has the determination to keep it from happening.

Jim Bailey