Letters to the Editor

While Dwight Pelz succinctly and correctly identifies the pressing need to build urban density in order to protect our rural lands, he should not dismiss his friend's interest in open space ("What it means to be an urban environmentalist," Thursday). Our city currently lacks enough places for people and wildlife to find refreshment and recreation; worse, Seattle will be increasingly challenged to continue building density if it fails to provide more of this critical amenity.

Already we see terrible strains over the use of the limited park land available, with factions lining up to fight for "their" kind of public use (be it soccer or songbirds, spaniels or suntans). These conflicts are only going to increase until new public open space becomes available.

Not every vacant lot should turn into a pocket park, nor should people use the lack of open space as an excuse to refuse their fair share of density.

But public green space is just as important in attracting residents to the city as are late-night restaurants and good transit service.

Daniel G. Drais
Associate director
Seattle Audubon

JAMIESON COLUMN

Wrong conclusion drawn about McDermott and war

Robert Jamieson's July 16 column (" 'Baghdad Jim' was dead on about war") draws the wrong conclusion from the facts related due to faulty logic and Jamieson's willingness to ignore some highly relevant information.

There is no denying what President Bush said. There is also no denying that the words "The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa" were true then and are true, now. Just ask Prime Minister Tony Blair; he still maintains the accuracy of his government's report.

However, Jamieson conveniently misses the important point that this 16-word sentence was not the only reason our president gave to explain the necessity of war with Iraq. He also misses all we have learned since we've been in Iraq. Torture, murder and rape were the standard tools of this regime that McDermott insisted we "have to take the Iraqis on their face value" (as quoted in Joel Connelly's April 9 column).

The fact is that if our president leading the coalition of the willing hadn't led us into Iraq, the murder, rape and torture would still be going on. Trust me, we'll find the weapons of mass destruction, Saddam and Osama. When we do, we'll have confirmation not only that this was a just war, but also that the only person more misguided than McDermott is someone who thinks he's right.

Bill and Deborah Sheretz
Lynnwood

PRIORITIES

While deaths and deficit mount, Bush raises money

While our young men and women are dying in an ill-conceived war in Iraq and our country is going deeply in debt and social programs are being hacked, President Bush is going blithely on his way fund-raising.

The Associated Press tells us that he "wrapped up two days of Texas fund-raising that generated more than $7 million and propelled his campaign war chest above the $40 million mark."

First things first, I guess.

Betty Fulton
Seattle

SOUND TRANSIT

Federal money could be used more efficiently

In a recent editorial, you state that Jennifer Dunn misunderstands that the objective of light rail is not to reduce traffic congestion but rather to be an "antidote" to it. But Jennifer Dorn, head of the Federal Transit Administration, in her cover letter to Congress recommending that Sound Transit be issued a "full funding grant agreement," asserted that the light rail project would be the equivalent of a seven-lane freeway. Which, if true, obviously would reduce and probably eliminate congestion.

But it's not true.

In fact, the statement is an obvious fraud. Unfortunately, similar statements were made on behalf of Sound Transit before the '96 election, and later by, among others, Bob Drewel, Greg Nickels and Cynthia Sullivan. Yes, trolleys on Martin Luther King Jr. Way wouldn't be caught in freeway congestion, but this is just as true for buses.

For the price of Sound Transit's 14-mile "Tukwila Trolley" to near Sea-Tac Airport, we could have bus rapid transit running on HOV/ HOT lanes at 60 mph 24/7 covering the entire metropolitan Puget Sound region (more than 125 miles). This wouldn't reduce traffic congestion either, but it would solve the regional transit mobility issue. And that's a pretty good start.

Donald F. Padelford
Seattle

Reroute the money to something that works

Instead of lamenting the alleged loss of jobs if the light rail grant is rejected by Congress, transportation leaders should be at least thinking about the more effective projects that can be completed by redirecting these funds.

A top priority is the Alaskan Way Viaduct problem. Imagine a 3,300-foot-long park overlooking Elliott Bay where the Viaduct now stands. It would replace the noisy, view-blocking structure; its valuable traffic safely enclosed underneath the park on a low-cost, earthquake-proof expressway. And it could be completed in 30 months with money already in hand, now cached for light rail.

Another project is the conversion of key arterials to stoplight-free expressways. New higher fixed-bridges across the canal at Ballard and Montlake would be required, allowing buses to move with the same freedom as fixed-guideway transit. This is known as bus rapid transit, something legislators are only now becoming familiar with.

Sound Transit currently has $900 million in the bank, allocated for light rail. There is also an ongoing tax stream flowing into Sound Transit's coffers since April '97, equivalent to a 20-cent per gallon local gas tax.

A revote on the Sound Transit measure passed by voters in 1996 is required to tap this mother lode for genuine congestion relief. But Congress is now updating the Transportation Equity Act that allocates federal support, scheduled for completion by September. The timing for these changes is awkward. Let us pray that our congressional delegation is looking ahead, ready to find a way to get the region's share of federal support while giving us the best transportation return on investment of local taxes.

Dave Petrie
Petrie Transit Consultants
Des Moines

Dunn has good reason to oppose the project

I don't get it. How can a resolution that states that it will look at local funding options, yet respects the sub-area equity plan to satisfy a shortfall of $700 million satisfy the request by Rep. Ernest Istook? We know that Sound Transit has maxed out its taxing and bonding authority in the South Seattle region. There are no new local taxing options or Sound Transit would be using them to get the final mile to the airport.

If instead Sound Transit plans to cancel some projects, which ones are on the chopping block?

It's little wonder that Jennifer Dunn opposes this project. Her district is being set up to pay for it and will never see any benefit from it.

Gary Powell
Renton

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

Media not doing electorate a favor by dissing Kucinich

I was surprised Sunday to come to your Web site and find no coverage of Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich's campaign appearances in Seattle Saturday.

A well-informed electorate is essential for a flourishing democracy. Voters should be aware of all their choices so that they can select the candidate who most closely represents their views. The news media should not make that choice for them ahead of time through selective coverage of the candidates.

I hope that in the future you will give equal coverage to all candidates.

Laura M. Poyneer
Kent

NO MORE SODO

Burgeoning neighborhood deserves a better name

Please make the effort to stop referring to the area that once was south of the Kingdome as SODO. It has an unfortunate association (If Sodo comes can Gomorrah be far behind?). And I don't think it makes good logical sense to build up the area and perpetuate the appellation SODO. There's got to be a better name for this up-and-coming area.

Turn the matter over to readers and ask them to come up with an appropriate new name.

Camilla Kelly
Port Angeles

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