Opinion - Letters to the Editor

POSTED: Monday, Oct. 26, 2009

Ferry project should take center stage

In the next couple of weeks we will be electing a new County Council. Am I the only one to realize that one of the first votes the new council makes will set in motion the largest capital improvement project the county has undertaken in decades if not its history? That is the Lummi Island ferry.

By The Bellingham Herald's estimate, the project costs will range from $20 million for relocating the ferry dock on Lummi land to hundreds of millions for a new ferry and dock off Lummi land.

Three or four years ago the Herald ran front page articles about the conflict between the Lummis and the county over the lease. Nothing was decided. The story was put aside, but it didn't go away.

A couple of years ago there were front page articles describing the new ferry option. Nothing was decided. The story was put aside, but it didn't go away.

In the last week or two The Herald ran front page articles about the lease expiring in February and the costly decisions that had to be made and approved by then. Does anyone else deem it newsworthy to know how the candidates will pay for this project before we vote them into office?

Barry Herman

Lummi Island