An article of September 14 about the monorail board's new financial advisor Kevin Phelps ("Advisor eyes monorail costs"), stated that he "disagreed with the prediction that Seattle's population will grow by just 0.3 percent annually. Phelps thinks the city's population will grow 6.1 percent a year."

In fact, Phelps endorses ECONorthwest's analysis that the city's population will grow 0.77 percent annually, very much in line with the Puget Sound Regional Council's forecast of 0.80 percent annually and the City of Seattle's forecast also of 0.80 percent annually. It is the annual growth in Seattle's motor vehicle excise tax base that Phelps projects to be 6.10 percent.

Phelps's well-founded financing plan is a significant improvement over the rejected financing plan. It deserves our support.

Nils Enevoldsen

Arbor Heights