The Editor:
I want to comment on two letters in last week’s issue of The Northern Light. First from Stephen Nelson regarding the governance of Birch Bay. I agree with him, we need to incorporate for adequate law enforcement, city planning, community facilities and maybe even a shopping center (with a library). We don’t have a Birch Bay post office or even one blue mailbox even though we have a larger population and area than Blaine or Custer. If we became a city, most of our tax dollars would stay here. Dare we dream of our own Costco?
Andrew Bargen of Lynden is concerned with gasoline taxes. I am too but my take on it is different from his. Gasoline taxes build and maintain our state highways and freeways. If he can think of a better way to support the highway system, I am willing to listen. We have no income tax and a raise in sales tax would not be fair to those who do not drive. Real estate tax helps with schools, roads, fire department, libraries, jails etc.
Tesla is the fastest selling car on the market. Since they do not use gasoline the revenue source for roads goes down with every electric car on the road. But they use roads all the same. This is a serious problem and I hope our legislators can work out a sensible plan. Having worked with Richard May, I know he has the ideas and experience to help legislate a solution. (And dare we hope for a railroad overpass?)
Alice Brown
Birch Bay
The Editor:
Your article in last week’s issue of The Northern Light about Blaine City Council deliberating on a development committee has us puzzled. Is there a tug-of-war going on between our elected council members and the public (tax-payer funded) city employees? Why would our council members be denied an ad-hoc development committee to ask questions about the growth and future of our town? You would think that more questions result in better decisions!
I was a council member in the 1980s under the former elected mayor-led government, just like Bellingham, Ferndale and Lynden still have. Our elected council members live in Blaine and have to answer to their voters. What about the public employees? Are we residents of Blaine losing control over our own local city
government?
Ted Angell
Blaine
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