[Jeff Higgins]

It is a real problem in this area. Having grown up here, I have seen its decay from what was once an idylic, relatively unpopulated area. An area whose freeways, even at the height of rush hour, were never congested. It has decayed into an area where the freeways are at least congested 24/7, and almost impassable during rush hour. I believe we now have the dubious distinction of the highest traffic density in the nation, when measured as cars per lane/mile. Something needs to be done. No one argues that.

This area's freeway system was built in the '50', '60's, and '70's when our population was one fifth of what it is today. It served admirably then. Problem is, no one was prepared for the massive population explosion we have experienced through the '80's, '90's, and into this century. Our leaders did not adequately plan for it (Democratic leaders through the entire growth period, by the way). Our unique position between the mountains and the coast, with all of its attendant waterways, valleys, and ridges, does not readily accomodate more roads. We are in a bind.

So the Democratic answer is to raise more money to spend to fix it. Not to re-direct existing funds, but to demand more. Fiscal responsibility and foresight are demonstratably not in their vocabulary. They are inarguably the ones under whose leadership we find ourselves in this mess. It happened on their watch. Now their only answer is, well, their only answer to so many things - "we need more (of your) money".

It seems to altogether escape them, and their followers, that the roads that need fixing now were built by an area population one fifth of what we have today. With, presumably, one fifth the tax base, even using a very simplified one-to-one population/tax correlation. We are, of course, taxed at a higher rate than we were when these roads were built, but this works for the sake of argument. So, in other words, the very traffic sitting with you on 520, 405, I-5, I-90, or wherever, is adding substantially to the tax base. The public coffers are swollen beyond the wildest dreams of those who were charged with initially building our roads. Now the ones charged with fixing them, the very ones that allowed the population to so far outstrip the infrastructure, cannot find the money. Incredible. Incredible that anyone buys into that.