Folks:

While not from Washington, I have been reading this board for a long time. Why? Well most of my family and most of my friends live in western Washington. My work takes me there on a regular basis. I remember my first visit to Seattle [late 50s as a child]. It was a great place. I have been coming back to visit since then many times each year. I have noted some changes. It has changed for the worst [of course for the better sans paper mills and the copper thing in Tacoma]. Last time there [Oct 99]. My impression. It is approaching unlivable [south sound]. Why? Traffic congestion. This is a problem that will need to be solved, otherwise, it will follow the route of the original death-watch cities in the east.

Of course western Washington also has image problems. For example:

Hate along I-5

I have only posted on this board once [actually a series]. I was just harassing Zowie. Sorry, Zowie. Based on what I have read. I dont see a solution in the works. Hope things improve. With the geography, it will take some imagination. Personally, I don't see mass transit doing it. Of course, I could be wrong.

Bes

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), March 28, 2000

Answers

I basically agree with your sentiments, Z, although I couldn't access your reference. The local area politicians want the economic benefits of growth, but are philosophically opposed to building the transportation and other infrastructure. They've got to make up their minds, it can be small town with modest infrastructure or it can be mega-opolis and you'll need to build a bridge to Vashon like San Diego did to Balboa. Can't have it both ways.

-- (zowie@hotmail.com), April 01, 2000.

Zowie:

I could access it when I posted, but I can't anymore. I guess the Times or technology has deep-sixed it.

What was my question? It was the short term problem. It seems to me that a lot of bandwidth has been taken-up over ideological discussions.But there is an immediate problem. The last time that I was there [late Oct 99], traffic was not moving on I-5 north to Snohomish county. I need to go there in June. I will fly over the problem regardless of Horizon's problems [I need to go to Skagit].

It seems to me that some major solutions are in order. Don't know what they are.

Best wishes,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), April 01, 2000.

" It was the short term problem" There's an easy enough fix if the politicians are willing to do it. Stop using taxpayer money to lure more and more businesses into the area. I note with complete and utter amazement that the Guv indicated it wasn't worth $25 million in subsidies for a powerplant that would employ 25 people full time. Where was this enthusiasm when the state and various municipalities were giving tax credits away like crazy for Intel in Lacey, among other recent boondoggles. You can get Boeing to pay their fair share, and aggressively go after them for their environmental impact and WISHA violations, rather than just giving them a bye because they are "too important to the economy" to be held to the standards that the rest of us are being held to. Same-same, Weyerhauser. Same-same, our pathetic sports franchises. Time for a little economic Darwinism here, weed out the weak. Will that drive jobs away? Sure! You keep increasing the numbers of jobs available around here, you WILL increase the people, population density, congestion, etc. All these people who believe that increased population density (controlling sprawl) is the way that living organisms are supposed to work,... well, I assume they've never planted a garden among other things. Basically, you just can't have it both ways. If you want it like the 50s, you can't have 10 million people in the Puget Sound region, hell, you can't have

-- (zowie@hotmail.com), April 01, 2000.