FEE: Worth your support

I support the ballot initiative proposing a $50 increase in the Kootenai County vehicle registration fee.

As a Republican and a fiscal conservative, I was surprised that the KCRCC opposed this initiative, since it is a conservative approach to a local problem. It meets the “True North” principles of the Heritage Foundation’s definition of a conservative policy in that it (a) does not rely on the Federal Government to provide a solution to a local problem, (b) it will be overseen by local elected officials allowing for the closest, most transparent and most accountable method of addressing a problem, (c) it raises the minimum amount of revenue required to address specific problems, and (d) it has a “Sunset” requirement, which limits the time the fee will be collected.

We live in a beautiful area with amazing natural resources. Our region and state are conservative in the approach to problems. Our area is attractive to many who now live in more liberal areas of the country and especially large cities with significant problems, and that is fueling a dramatic increase in the residential growth we see in Kootenai County, especially multifamily development.

We have a local problem. We are proposing a local and conservative solution to that problem. We cannot stop growth. We cannot rely on the meager portion of a gas tax increase we might receive if that was approved by our Legislature, and we cannot put up toll booths on I-90 to have others pay for a solution. 98.5% of this fee stays in Kootenai County and helps us solve that problem.

Please vote “Yes” for the vehicle registration fee increase.

LEN CROSBY

Post Falls