Eric Shalit must be living in a different reality than the rest of us.

He states that (in a Nov. 23 letter) "the mayor and other political leaders didn't get behind the monorail because they saw that it was being run by amateurs, and had a fantasy-based financial plan."

Did the responsibility to provide an appropriate mass transit solution between West Seattle and downtown rest solely on the shoulders of the Monorail Authority? Who selected these people? Who was supposed to oversee them? Who is ultimately responsible for whether or not the residents of Seattle have workable transit solutions of years of gridlock?

The answer to all of these questions is the mayor, the City Council and Seattle voters. We are all responsible.

I voted for the monorail every time I could, and I will continue to work with those who are trying to find sensible transit solutions, which does not mean building more and more highways.

So, the mayor may not have wanted to "hang his career" on the monorail. So be it. He will forever be known as "Mayor Gridlock."

That is his legacy. Time will tell, but I think Mayor Nichols might have bet on the wrong horse.

Tom Melancon

Admiral