With the recent opening of a light rail segment in Bellevue, “What were they thinking?” comes to mind first, while Danny DeVito’s hilarious lecture in “Other People’s Money” sadly follows. Here, we see municipal leaders and transit planners squandering almost a million bucks to pat themselves on the back, enhance personal publicity and “announce” the opening of a light rail segment that’s been eagerly awaited for a decade.

Didn’t these people ever stop to think the optics of such a public hootenanny, with 40 grand in cheesy “commemorative” handouts, might not sit well with a public about to be asked for yet another $50 billion for Sound Transit 3?

Seattle and King County taxpayers have varying degrees of the “Thank you sir! May I have another?” attitudes to tax increases. This ostentatious example of political self aggrandizement was rather poorly timed shortly after Seattle dumped millions into a failed bike share turkey. This brings to mind Reagan’s partial quote of, “If it stops moving; subsidize it.” Now we discover Seattle’s budget must be cut even as the council rewards itself with additional staffers. Are public officials devoid of common sense, and immune to public embarrassment? Dream on wastrels, if you truly believe you will be able to sell ST3 to voters this fall. We have seen your Philistine motivations and utter disrespect for the public purse. You may find it tied off tightly rather soon.

Jeffrey S. Howard

Redmond