Dino Rossi's Support Of The Gas Tax

We've just entered Day 8 of the "Where Does Dino Rossi Stand On I-912" vigil. We're still waiting for Rossi to take a stand, but it looks like we're going to have to replenish our stock of candles.

Meanwhile, in last Sunday's Seattle PI letters section, Aaron Schwitters, Campaign Coordinator for I-912, reminded us that Dino Rossi, when he was last in the public eye, supported the 5 cent gas tax increase in 2003. This prompted me to write a letter to the editor in response, and since they've not indicated they ever will publish it, I'm going to print it here:

Thank you Aaron Schwitters for reminding us in your letter that Dino Rossi supported the nickel gas tax, and probably supports the latest transportation package. The irony is that this is the man you and your I-912 supporters were so angry was not elected Governor that you want to "send a message" to Olympia in his name.

Only goes to show how extremist, and out of touch the activists for this ill-advised, reckless initiative are. Schwitters and his ilk have yet to learn the lesson all Americans are slowly understanding: that you cannot gamble the safety and lives of people for political points. Our transportation infrastructure is in dire need of safety fixes and congestion relief upgrades, and the gas tax increase is a small price to pay now, so we don't pay a huge price later.

But I guess we've come to expect nothing less from the "Something for Nothing" crowd supporting I-912. It will be the ruin of us all.