Letters to the Editor

Growth and gas

Affording housing

Editor, The Times:

In "Seattle's housing growth is off the charts" [Times, page one, June 18], reporter Stuart Eskenazi writes that, "The [growth] numbers ... provide fodder for those who argue that runaway growth has sacrificed Seattle's quality of life."

I would argue the opposite: The growth of the city's housing stock is the only thing maintaining the most important aspect of Seattle's most important quality of life indicator — affordability.

Without additional housing, prices are going to take an increasing bite out of the wallets of residents who stay, while others will simply be priced out of the market.

— Jake Seliger, Seattle

Fractional Metro rule slows needed transit

After reading your article on how Seattle has nearly reached its 20-year housing targets in just over three years, I was struck by how important it will be to add new Metro transit service to the city to accommodate these new residents.

However, as part of Metro's last six-year plan, adopted by the Metropolitan King County Council in 2002, a little-known "40-40-20" rule exists for adding new transit service. By this rule, 40 percent of new service must be distributed to the Eastside, another 40 percent to South King County, and the leftover 20 percent to Seattle and Shoreline. This is absurd.

While the need for transit service is pressing throughout King County, your article mentions that buses are too full to take on passengers in the dense neighborhoods of Seattle, despite the fact that ridership is far lower in the suburbs, with buses running nearly empty for long distances.

The explosive growth in housing — and demand on the part of urban riders — makes it logical, ethical and economical at a regional level to abandon the myopic 40-40-20 rule. Transit service improvements must instead be driven by customer demand and market growth: No rider should be left behind on account of this rule.

— Andrew Cencini, Seattle

Juneteenth

Toon offensive

Don't get me wrong, I'm excited about California recognizing same-sex couples' right to marriage equality. I was a plaintiff in a Washington state marriage lawsuit. But the cartoon car with the words "just emancipated" on it [Opinion, editorial cartoon, June 19], equating this development to the ending of slavery, especially on Juneteenth — the anniversary of the freeing of slaves after generations of brutality, forced labor, and families being separated and sold — is so offensive!

Yes, I feel a little more equal under law this week. Yes, it matters that some people are now first-class citizens, entitled to the same rights and held to the same responsibilities as other couples. Yes, the word "marriage" is honorable and understandable and right.

But, please: How is that like outlawing slavery, exactly 146 years ago today? How is it like 143 years ago, when Texans were told that for the last three years they'd been enslaved illegally and were actually free? How is it like being told, nearly a century later, that they could finally vote?

I am proud to be gay, but not at all proud to have this week's small victory equated with the emancipation of slaves and the enfranchisement of their descendants.

— Beth Reis, Seattle

Rhetorical sophists

The science of politics

Today's realm of modern science is political enough already, without Leah Ceccarelli's use of "rhetoric" ["Defenders of science shouldn't let the sophists carry the day," guest commentary, June 17]. In using whatever form or twisting of words that may entail, opposition voices would further be drowned amid what is correctly identified as "the weight of a supermajority." But just because a majority believes something to be true doesn't mean that it actually is: That kind of thinking is fallacious.

What is more, the root cause of "manufactroversies" is not politicians, but uninformed people who are too lazy to research issues for themselves and who would rather be fed boiled-down political messages.

Maybe these times have jilted me, but if the use of rhetoric in other fields is any indication, I would kindly like science to stay rhetoric-free, thank you.

One only has to look to President Bush and his war to see the frightening consequences of rhetoric used for illicit purposes.

— Scott Hippe, Snohomish

Cougar cred

Gardner's good thoughts

Please, let us hear more, much more, from John Gardner of Washington State University ["Educating a new generation of innovators and entrepreneurs," guest commentary, June 18]. His insightful, pragmatic and transparent views of higher education's responsibilities to students, faculty and our state's economy are truly "big ideas" for the betterment of all those constituencies.

High praise to WSU President Elson Floyd for recognizing and bringing to our state such a valuable, talented individual.

— Chris Marker, Medina

Sticker shock

Regarding McCain

So Heather Husa's sticker showing her support for John McCain is missing from her car, and that proves it: Everyone in the entire city of Seattle disrespects Republicans, and won't tolerate them [ "Political diversity: tolerating McCain in Leftyland," Northwest Voices, June 19].

I recently had a sticker taken from my car, too; it shared my appreciation for the blues rock band, The Black Keys. At the time, I assumed that my sticker was taken by a fellow fan, and I felt a certain kinship with them. Now, however, Heather's logic compels, and I see the truth: Everyone in Seattle besides me hates The Black Keys, and this city won't tolerate a single fan.

— Brenda Fritsvold, Lake Taps

Regarding Darwin

Lest it be implied that only conservatives such as Heather Husa suffer from having stickers torn from their autos, I've had more than one pro-intelligence sticker torn from mine, the most recent being a Darwin fish that a midday library patron tore from my car, broke into pieces and left crumpled at the driver's door.

I'm certain no "lefty" did this to my car.

— Liam Sauer-Wooden, Seattle

Public service

Thanks for Gitmo series

Thank you so much for the excellent series of articles by Tom Lasseter of McClatchy Newspapers on failed U.S. policies and violations of international law in Guantánamo and Afghanistan ["Guantánamo, beyond the law: behind bars, a star is born," News, June 19].

The public needs to know how the Bush administration has failed us and caused unnecessary and counterproductive harm to many individuals in the so-called "War on Terror." You have performed an outstanding public service by printing these articles.

— John Reinke, Redmond