I would like to respond to the column from Sen. Joe McDermott in the June 30 Beachcomber (“Taxation is in response to global crisis,” June 30).
So Sen. McDermott tells us the dire consequences if we do not agree to more taxes. He gives us the usual chestnuts of cutting education, cutting health care and reducing public safety.
We seem to have plenty of money for:
• $2 billon for a tunnel in Seattle;
• $15 million for another park on Vashon;
• allowing state employees to double dip;
• negotiating contracts that guarantee a cost of living increase even if there is no increase in the cost of living;
• letting people schedule vacation during ferry downtimes and then paying them triple overtime;
• and allowing a $1 million mistake at the Department of Transportation.
What will happen when the two state pensions funds, which are underfunded by $3.1 billion, come due? Are we going to be threatened again?
No, Mr. McDermott, it is time for you to “cowboy up” and make real hard decisions instead of coming to us and asking for more and more money.
— Robert Kajca