TRANSIT: Regarding ballot question

On Friday the 13th, Thomas Sanner bemoaned the wording of a ballot question. One that failed at the ballot box and one that couldn’t have been written any clearer.

His example of how it “should” have been written paints a very different ballot question entirely. One that I, and probably many other voters would have supported because it just makes sense to allow the county to “manage” a bus system that travels multiple cities.

But that’s not the issue. Citylink doesn’t serve my community. Nor does it serve Athol, Spirit Lake, Hauser, Worley etc …

And that’s the issue.

Kootenai County isn’t just the four cities he mentions.

Nine paragraphs from the start, he states “county commissioners should hold public meetings INVOLVING PARTICIPATING CITIES” …

Mr. Sanner, there’s your answer and your solution. And the reason it failed at the ballot box. But let me make it clear.

Participating cities should shoulder the burden of Citylink.

Not those residing outside those cities who do not benefit from its burden on our tax bill.

Considering the failure of certain levies outside his city, and using his logic, he shouldn’t reject a higher tax bill to pay for those services because, it “affects the entire community.”

DUANE MARTIN

Rathdrum