NO TAXES, NO INFRASTRUCTURE. HOW'S THAT?

You'll have to excuse my bluntness here. But I rarely get the chance to speak my mind on the all importance of keeping and maintaining our state roads and infrastructure.

After I got done reading one writer's letter ("Democrats want our every last dime"), I came away with the impression that people like him whine way too much about paying their share in taxes.

You know, maybe on second thought...maybe we don't need all these renovations to our bridges, fixes in our roads, new bridge spans in our highway system, or anything else that would require millions of dollars to reinforce, repair, or replace entirely.

Heck no! We don't need that! Why? Because some people feel like they are being unfairly taxed to death by a state government that has put more monies into the transportation budget than any state on record.

Remember the W-35 bridge which collapsed because of age, wear and tear? I heard that the city there didn't want to pay any new taxes to get a good replacement in the works. Too much money the people said! They didn't want to pay out!

What happened?

Down went the bridge. People died as a result.

Now, imagine that being one of our major bridges or tunnel spans like the Alaskan Way Viaduct--filled with hundreds of people at the height of rush hour and the whole thing collapsing in on itself.

Then ask yourself this:

What's more important? Your money or people's lives?

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX