VEHICLE FEES: Wishful thinking

With regard to the initiative asking for an increase in auto registration fees. In all the articles put forth telling the voters how this extra fee will be used for a dozen projects within the county, they have made it sound that these projects are ready to go and all that is needed is the extra money that this fee will generate.

These “projects” are nothing but a wish list. The state determines what projects are selected based upon money that will be available from the federal government and the state, not the local governments. This increase in fees is nothing more than a way to get money to build a new building for the KMPO and to purchase new equipment that is supposed to help eliminate traffic congestion, not to pay for “a dozen projects.”

The photo on the front page of the Oct. 17 edition of The Press shows a “traffic jams on U.S. 95” that is a little confusing. I cannot recall a portion of U.S. 95 going through Coeur d’Alene that has a hill like the one shown in the photo. Also, the backup on the left lane starts less than a half mile back and then there is very little traffic. On the right lane, it looks like the cars are being moved into one lane. The Press neglects to say what is causing this backup, was there an accident, was there construction going on or was this due to people getting off from work.

JIM LAWRENCE

Rathdrum