So, now we are being asked to tax ourselves for more park property, why? Greenways 3 levy was voted and approved to be used for maintenance, not land purchase. Why are we being asked to fund a parcel of land that was not bought legally? And then to pay back the city with interest for the purchase, for what? So why do supporters figure the "southsiders" have extra tax money to buy this land? Finding a good paying job is hard enough in this city. Trying to pay taxes is getting harder every year. Everything keeps going up except wages. If this tax increase passes for the "southsiders" that want the land, does that mean only we should have special park passes to use the land because we helped buy this property not the "other" Bellingham residents? Why don't supporters put their energy into finding ways to bring good wage-earning jobs to Bellingham, not protest their being here? Mayor Linville's proposed 25 acre parcel would be kept residential as a way to recoup the loan from the endowment fund. Building homes on part of this property would be a great way of bring tax revenue to the city and put our needed out-of-work construction workers back to work. The way supporters think, we "southsiders" have so much money to spend on parks and parcels, does that mean us "southsiders" will be able to stake a claim on this ridge so we will have a place to live after we lose our homes to higher taxes?

Rod Hubbard

Bellingham