Peter Stekel's pleadings for more taxes (Tax cut dangers, July 5) overlook the important fact that not a single taxing district in Seattle collects less tax than it did once, five or 10 years ago. For example Seattle's property tax levies are up 400 percent in the past ten years, and the tax collected on City Light customers is up 52 percent in five years.

Perhaps he has fallen prey to the politician's misleading budget tactic of announcing a planned expenditure to be 15 percent higher than the prior year, but then reducing it to a 10 percent increase and then presenting that increase to the people as a "cut in spending." To find the truth, learn how much money is collected and how it is spent

His statement, "There is no longer enough money to pay for anything that people expect from their government." begs the questions; Are tax dollars being unwisely spent on things the people do not want such as $730 million for a baseball stadium? Or wasted through poor management such as the $140 million the county, city and Port have spent on computer systems that failed to work? Or the $822 million Seattle has spent on two city halls in the past 10 years?

Seattle's politicians know how to work the issues. When the mayor wanted the monorail to die he pounded home the point that it would cost $11 billion. But when he wants a tunnel to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct at a comparable cost of $11 billion he forgets to mention the interest payments and cost overruns and says it will only cost $4.6 billion.

Let us ask our elected representatives to begin working on ways to provide the people the services they need in the most efficient manner before they ask for more money to propagate existing inefficiencies.

Frank Bradley

Gatewood