Having read your Jan. 21, 2009 article on “Budget Worries,” I’m certain that 33rd District legislators Upthegrove, Orwall and Keiser can find real savings and revenue streams for the taxpayers if they ignore the politics of spending and budget creation. We are finding that large amounts of money are being spent on arts programs statewide and locally by various agencies such as King County 4Culture. At the same time, cyclists have benefited from huge public expenditures made on their behalf but are not responsible for any direct cost.
These are both politically motivated measures that inadequately serve the public.
Taxpayers are currently paying wealthy real-estate developer Martin Selig for space in vacant buildings for artists “to emphasize experiment and play” with work that “wouldn’t fit in a commercial gallery.” (Seattle Times – Dec. 5, 2008).
This serves no justifiable public good in view of the fact that cutbacks in essential services such as law enforcement threaten public safety.
Despite the fact that there are fewer than 7000 cyclists that commute regularly by bike, there has been a disproportionate amount of money spent to accommodate them.
Cyclists do not pay their fair share. I propose that cyclists should be treated the same as other vehicle operators. There should be required training, testing and licensing of cyclists along with an annual fee for tabs. This will insure that those who drive are not unfairly burdened with costs they don’t incur.
In these challenging times 33rd District legislators need to ignore the political aspects of the budgetary process to find ways to save and spend. This will benefit all taxpayers.
John Kohler, Kent
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