Letters: Nov. 13, 2019
Voters took back $30 car tabs
What the citizens demanded, the Legislature took away, time and time again. Yup, the wonderful Washington Legislature slapped down the demands of the constituency of the state and repeatedly imposed a variety of fees and expenses on car tabs. In doing so, they repeatedly ignored what the citizens voted for.
Well, Saint Timothy has ruled again. I-976 was his weapon of choice and, once again the state voters demanded the Legislature stick with the $30 car tab fees.
Saint Timothy, without you acting on our behalf, the Lord only knows how high our car tabs would be.
Mike Lauman, Pasco
Pot tax could pay electric rate hike
If you live in Richland and want to know why your electricity bill is larger than ever before, despite the fact that we've had a mild summer, you can blame the Richland City Council. The council claimed they needed to raise our electricity rates by 8 percent in order to generate $2,607,000 (the amount needed to cover the Bonneville Power rate increase). But, that's not true; the council could have made up the shortfall with tax revenues from a marijuana tax.
Green2Go, the marijuana store in Finley, generated over $7 million in excise tax revenue in 2017 alone. Which means, if the puritanical Richland City Council wasn't so adamantly opposed to marijuana stores, we could have gotten most of that tax revenue. The council didn't need to raise the rate; they just preferred to raise rate over collecting marijuana tax revenue.
Besides ignoring the hefty revenue from marijuana stores, the Richland City Council is also creating a black market for THC vapes. And it is these black market THC vapes that have been the cause of many of the recently reported medical problems, including some deaths. So not only did the council raise our electricity rate needlessly, they're also encouraging a black market to flourish with dangerous THC vapes.
Jack Edwards, Richland
New building serves its Mission
We at the Tri-City Union Gospel Mission would like to thank everyone in this wonderful community for supporting the construction of our new Men’s Facility in Pasco. We were able to open our doors last December to a cold and hungry group of clients and community members thanks to your generous gifts.
Our old building had been in use since 1953, and many lives were changed with much more than hot meals and a bed. We are now better equipped to meet these challenges with programs such as minor medical, job and computer training, GED classes, counseling and case management. We also offer our clients hope! As winter comes, more and more lives are literally at risk, including local families and children who depend on our services.
As a member of the (Misson’s) Board of Directors, I would like to ask that our partners remember the ongoing costs and staffing requirements associated with this larger facility and its expanded programs. Please visit our website at TCUGM.ORG for a list of our immediate needs, to volunteer or to schedule a tour. Thank you!
Mike Richardson, Vice President, Executive Board of Directors, Tri-City Union Gospel Mission
This story was originally published November 13, 2019 at 12:01 AM with the headline "Letters: Nov. 13, 2019."