Letter: Setting record straight on Leavitt

I disagree with James E. Blighton’s March 2 letter, “Change of course is discouraging,” about Vancouver’s Mayor Tim Leavitt.

Regarding light-rail operations and maintenance costs, our good mayor actually has advocated for no new taxes. He opposed the Vancouver City Council’s decision to endorse placing a sales tax measure on the ballot last November.

Regarding an increase in the gas tax, Mayor Leavitt was one of a dozen mayors around the entire state who recommended the governor consider ways to pay for our deteriorating roads and bridges. Our state has nearly 2,000 bridges that are either functionally obsolete or structurally deficient.

Regarding “protecting seniors,” our mayor does not have a role in Social Security, Medicare or issuance of driver’s licenses. He does have responsibly for considering future generations, just as previous leaders did for our current seniors.

I applaud our mayor for showing the leadership and backbone needed to take the difficult but necessary, and sometimes unpopular, stands. He knows the issues and the consequences if we don’t do something to change the current bad path we’re on.

Derick Thompson

Vancouver