No plan is perfect. I have seen plans come and go in the Seattle area for over 50 years. Always, someone has come along and shot it down saying it would do nothing to eliminate congestion. Proposition 1, the Roads and Transit issue on the ballot, is a well thought out effort. Yes, it will cost money and yes, it will take time to build. But we must get started and it is an appropriate mix of money for roads and transit.

To Mr. Sims credit, he has always been concerned about the environment and greenhouse gases. However, elimination of road improvements will not solve the problem. How much additional pollution will be created by thousands of cars and trucks idling for hours more each day as they become hopelessly mired in the parking lots we used to call freeways?

Ron Sims helped create this plan. Now his turnaround is trying to doom the hope of future generations to once again travel the roads at the speed limit or to commute to work in the comfort of a train or bus as millions do in other parts of the country and the world.

Remember, this is the same Ron Sims who is trying to overrule Burien and the Port of Seattle over the Laura Lake Apartments, and he did a flip-flop on the EMS levy which will also appear on the November ballot. He originally supported a 25-cent levy but decided at the last minute to change that to 30 cents, feeling that everyone automatically supports EMS no matter what the cost.

He does say that "running for re-election is not about what you did - it is about what you will do." If only we had known.

Again I apologize.

Ralph Shape

SeaTac

(Editor's Note: Shape is SeaTac's deputy mayor.)