The Governor has figured it out. He is going to steal the promised $50 million state contribution to the Narrows Bridge leaving the toll payers to pay for not only the bridge but also the Highway 16 improvements. The Governors excuse is that because the toll payers have stalled this project for several years in court, the bond rates have come down enough to have them pay for the whole project and not even notice it. That’s like saying because gas prices have dropped recently he can implement the $.09 gas tax and no one in Washington State will even notice it.

Our ex-representative Tom Huff and Speaker Frank Chopp (D) says it’s OK for the Governor to take the money as long as he pays it back — from where? And when do you think this miracle will happen. Chopp then says he can finally get this bridge built under a new public financing scheme and the districts Representative Pat Lantz applauds this plan. However no one has answered the question of how the construction cost skyrocketed from $350 million to $800 million under the “sole source contract” with United Infrastructure. Public or private financing makes virtually no difference compared to the cost of financing $350 as opposed to $800 million on the backs of the toll payers.

And then there is Senator Bob Oke who doesn’t really care much about anything except to establish his destiny by getting his bridge built — at what ever the cost and under any plan anyone can get through. Damn the people who have to pay for this boondoggle for the next 30 years at a cost of $100 million a year sucked out of the Gig Harbor economy for one HOV lane in each direction.

“We need this bridge” is the battle cry from all those in Olympia who rarely use the Narrows Bridge when all they really want to do is set up the mechanism to start paying for roads and bridges with tolls, but at what cost to us, the toll payers? Lets be fair — If Seattle gets a new $1 Billion Alaska Way Viaduct with no tolls then we should get an $800 Million bridge with no tolls.

Randy Boss
Gig Harbor.