"You remember you voted against the new bridge."

Priority gap

Getting our attention: Crumbling structures or superfluous links?

Editor, The Times:

Isn't it obvious that we need to stop throwing tax money down the light-rail sinkhole and, instead, start fixing and improving our bridges and roads now, before we have a tragedy like Minneapolis' bridge collapse?

A Sound Transit Board chairman made it clear that light rail will not ease traffic congestion. According to TruthAboutTraffic.com, light rail will handle less than 2 percent of daily trips, but as reported in "Bridge money part of ballot issue" [Times, Local News, Aug. 3], it will gobble up $10.8 billion (that's 75 percent) of the $14.5 billion "roads" tax package that will be on the ballot in November. The ballot issue doesn't even include any money for the Alaskan Way Viaduct.

The true cost of the light-rail boondoggle will be the essential repairs and improvement of our roadways that we will have to forgo in order to pay the $23 billion to $37 billion total cost of light-rail expansion. This will have a negative effect on commerce as well as our quality of life.

If our fuzzy-headed, elitist leaders don't make a quick turnaround on this issue and admit that light rail will not be good for Puget Sound citizens, it's time for voters to dump them in the next election.

— Dave Marsh, Kent

A deadly deference

I saw " 'A national bridge problem' " [Local News, Aug. 3], concerning the state of disrepair of our state's bridges. No doubt true, but it seems our illustrious governor has other priorities, such as providing free health care to the children of illegal immigrants.

Let's see — $50 million per year, two-thirds of which goes to children of those unlawfully here — while we wait for a bridge to collapse and kill dozens of citizens who paid taxes to fix it.

Interesting priorities.

— Ed Nichols, Bellevue

Roads saved with gold

Since the recent bridge tragedy in Minneapolis/St. Paul, we hear that hundreds of our bridges are unsafe, but apparently, there is not enough money to repair them all. President Bush's recent gift of $250 billion of our tax money to the richest 8,000 families would have helped! Any of them like to give it back?

— Jean Wallace, Kirkland

Anger foremost

So now according to one letter writer, the bridge falling in Minneapolis was President Bush's fault! ["Connecting span: The GW bridge," Northwest Voices, Aug. 3.]

Now protesters plant banners saying "Bridges, not war." I am beside myself with this latest observation!

Let me get this straight: Minnesota, controlled by liberals, taxed to high heaven, with a $2.1 billion budget surplus, couldn't keep the bridges safe. So now it is the federal government's fault. What a great reminder why I left that God-forsaken state of Minnesota!

Why is the hatred for Bush so bad that liberals blame a bridge on him? Is the next earthquake that will undoubtedly collapse the Alaskan Way Viaduct going to be Bush's fault also?

— Christopher Van Auken, Buckley

Pride before a fall

As I see President Bush promising to do all that is necessary to restore the bridge in Minneapolis ["Bush pledges quick rebuild aid," News, Aug. 5], I see in my mind's eye a certain someone promising to restore New Orleans to its former glory, no matter what it takes. The only difference is that progress on Interstate 35 will be much easier to monitor.

— Robert Gardner, Renton

The looming danger

In light of what happened to the bridge in Minneapolis, we in Seattle should view this as a wake-up call ["Twin Cities reminder: Care for what we have," editorial, Aug. 3].

The viaduct is crumbling, probably cannot survive a major earthquake, is traveled by many more cars per day than it was constructed to handle, and has potential to fail. Bridge failure is what they call it.

We do not need any more public votes or political grandstanding over how to replace the thing. Members of the public are not engineers and metallurgists who are equipped to debate methods of replacement and costs.

What we need to do right now is close the viaduct and begin the project of replacing it. We need our elected local, state and federal officials to lead. Make a decision and fix it.

Otherwise, our city may end up like those in Minneapolis, mourning an unthinkable loss.

— Janice Sabin, Seattle

As an afterthought

It's not the engineers, it's not the politicians, it's the voters — people like us. The voters of Minnesota have blood on their hands because they failed to step up and demand what's right. All bridges must be replaced.

Imagine the Interstate 520 bridge taking down a school bus full of kids in 600 feet of water.

If that's not enough motivation, imagine yourself in your car pitched into the lake. The electrical system shuts down so you can't open your windows. The water pressure is so high you can't open your door. The glass is so strong you can't break it. You're quickly sinking, slowly tumbling, it's dark, and you feel the cold, cold water pouring in through your air vents and the floorboards.

You remember you voted against the new bridge.

— Mark Nassutti, Kirkland

Back seat to chimps

How, in good conscious, can we now spend $30 million on a not-necessary parking garage at Woodland Park Zoo when many of our very necessary bridges and sewer systems need attention? ["Council asks zoo if money for garage could be better spent," Local News, May 18.]

— Mary Mullen, Seattle

Time to backpedal

To Mayor Greg Nickels: The U.S. Department of Transportation report on Bridge Technology Statistics lists Washington bridges as follows: 7,548 total bridges; 381 as structurally deficient; 1,634 as functionally obsolete.

Why are we spending millions on bicycle paths in Seattle ["City begins expansion of Burke-Gilman Trail," Local News, July 20], when there are so many other transportation emergencies?

— Diana Aakervik, Seattle

Rim burns

The collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis emphasizes once again the vital need to spend public resources to buy a new arena for the Sonics.

— Lowell Ross, Redmond