In response to the editorial (“In Praise of Light Rail”, Issaquah Reporter, July 24, 2009.) I find it interesting that according to the article, the first noted benefit that people on the Eastside can expect when light rail reaches us is that we will have a smoother ride.

Let’s take a step back and look at the cost versus the benefit of light rail for those of us in Issaquah and Sammamish.

It’s time for a more holistic discussion on light rail and not high level talking points. While I agree that light rail serves a great need to those on or close to the light rail line, the costs in order to fund such a capital intensive project needs to be spread out to a larger community, or it would never pass. That is to say that even light rail has an economic breaking point.

We have only heard high level proposals for what light rail may look like once it comes to the Eastside. The costs, however, are already being paid by us through significantly higher sales tax and higher car tab tax.

Currently, we pay .9% of the 9.5% sales tax to Sounds Transit under the two propositions. We also pay about $8 per $1000 of vehicle value under our car tab tax (or $80 per year for a vehicle valued at $10,000). I have estimated the total cost of these increased taxes ranging from $325 per year for an average household to estimates of $60,000 per family over a 45 year period.

The $60,000 total includes the increase in sales tax, the impact of the increase in business sales taxes that will likely be passed on to consumers through higher prices and inflation.

The total estimated taxes collected under Sound Transit going forward (excluding what we have paid under the 1996 Sound Move tax increase) will be $107 billion over the life of taxes, the majority of which funds light rail.

Did Sound Transit deliver on their plan approved in 1996, and can we expect them to deliver on their Prop 1 plan approved in 2008? Not even close. The 1996 Sound Move plan stated that $2.3 billion would get us 21 miles of track starting in 2006 with estimated riders of 127,000 by 2020.

What recently launched is 14 miles that is 3 years past due.

The estimated 21 miles of track will cost $6 billion and they have lowered the daily ridership to 45,000 by 2020.

The approved Prop 1 plan promises light rail on the Eastside by 2020 reaching Bellevue and eventually Microsoft.

This is great for the residents of Bellevue, and the employees of Microsoft that live in Bellevue and Seattle close to the light rail lines. But what do we get in Issaquah and Sammamish for our estimated $60,000 per family investment?

We get an engineering study that will determine if light rail is feasible to further extend on the Eastside.

There has even been talk of using one or two of the lanes across the I-90 floating bridge for the light rail line. This would surely make the commute into Seattle from Issaquah and Sammamish worse, not better.

We can hope that with all the taxes going toward Prop 1 and light rail that they won’t toll the SR-520 and the I-90 bridges over Lake Washington. They just passed a bill to toll the SR-520 bridge and the I-90 bridge will certainly follow.

I can’t find a lot to praise for light rail in Issaquah and Sammamish. But maybe that’s because I am looking at the economics of what we pay for versus what we really get in Issaquah and Sammamish.

At least we could have participated in Sound Transit’s $1 million weekend party where they offered “free rides” on the train.

But what’s $1 million for a party when are you are spending $107 billion to get a “smoother ride.”

Dan Jedda is a finance professional who lives in Issaquah.