How could only those owning property in south Bellingham (I-5 to the bay and city limits to South Hill) become obligated to pick up the tab for a city-wide loan and create an entity with the authority to, amongst other things, condemn property, pay its own incurred expenses, including paying its commissioners, and tax those same property owners forever, yet remain separate from and independent of city oversight, be created in one move? Simple; by those Southside voters failing to vote "no" on Metro Parks Proposition 1 on Feb. 12. Proponents insist that the taxation will be limited to 28 cents per $1,000 valuation, for only 10 years, and then disband, but the one-size-fits-all tool they are using to create the parks district has built-in authority to tax at 75 cents per $1,000 forever. (To expect future commissioners to be bound by these promises is not realistic.) I believe the erroneous assumptions are that it is the right and responsibility of Southsiders to pay a debt that belongs to the city, and secondly, that the metro-park model is the best and only method to save the 100 acre/Chuckanut woods. Neither is correct and both should be questioned. Look behind the curtain before approving such action as getting that genie back in the bottle would be impossible. (Failure to vote means fewer yes votes needed to pass.)

Phyllis McKee

Bellingham