With "Blaine facing budget shortfall" as seen in the Herald, it's time to think outside the box and look at another way to raise revenue for the city and create jobs in Whatcom County. Do away with SB 5763, the permanent bar of certain Canadian provinces to RCW 82.08.0273, the exemption of sales tax to certain non-state residence. So we miss out on some sales tax. Let's look at the retail sales, and all the other services and sales taxes we receive while they are here. Non-expert sales are lodging at hotels or motels. Repair services (except vehicle repairs where the parts portion is not taxable to qualifying non-residents), laundry or dry cleaning services. Automobile towing or parking, amusement and recreational activities such as golf, bowling, and charter fishing, personal services such as tanning, tattooing, and dating services, abstract, title insurance or escrow services. Can you see the potential? And yes, there will be no waiting at railroad tracks due to coal trains. They are north of the terminal. Maybe the only the traffic jams caused by those going to work at the coal terminal in the morning. We may even need an Amtrak stop in Blaine to handle the tourist traffic across the border. We need to help ourselves help each other. Let's welcome our friends to the north and put our own to work. If we build it they will come.

Candido Villalobos

Bellingham