The Chronicle 12/14/199
To the editor:
Thank God the Washington State Department of Transportation uses some good sense and looks out for the safety, health and welfare of citizens, because Lewis County sure doesn't.
The WSDOT has been funding the Lewis County Flood Reduction Project, or is it a floodplain-reduction plan? The Exit 72 fills, Mellen Street fills, steam train area fills, Port of Chehalis fills, Interstate Avenue fills, and many others are all being allowed by our local government while it contends they are in a flood reduction project. Millions of our tax dollars are being spent on a plan with no intention or good faith on flood reduction.
In The Chronicle article, "State doesn't like Exit 72 work" (Dec. 11, page A1), Mike Zengel, county Community Development director, suggests the state ought to be able to demonstrate it has permitting authority if it plans to intervene in the project. "The county at least as far as we know is the decision-making agency for the project," Zengel said.
Well, we have seen the county as a decision-making agency before: the cost overruns on revetments in East Lewis County that cost taxpayers more than $2 million, the East County rest stop, the multi-million dollar Tacoma City Light adventure, the state Department of Natural Resources lawsuit that cost a half million dollars, and the Silver Creek dike that cost $115,000, to name a few. I think we need some changes on Lewis County's decision-making board.
The county is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on salmon recovery while allowing fills in the food plains that, according to fish and wildlife officials, are raising havoc with fish and wildlife habitat, wetlands and aquifer recharge areas.
Is there no rhyme nor reason for Lewis County's spending, or should I say wasting, of tax dollars? Or is it to stimulate the local economy?
By the way, that is one heck of a dike at Exit 72 to protect an area the "decision making agency" has said doesn't flood.
The filling at Exit 72 will bring to the area jobs with possibly a Burger King and a Taco Time. Do these fit the Lewis County Economic Development Council's classification of family-wage jobs?
It's well past time to bring integrity, responsibility, honesty, and common sense back into Lewis County government. Vote for better government next November!
DAN SMITH,
Chehalis
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