Letter writers take on drive-thru living, school closures, roundabouts and lawmakers retiring
Would YOU live in an apartment above a drive-thru?
That’s what I’ve been thinking about since reading your article on the troubles of Casa Mia and other Olympia restaurants as state workers increasingly work from home. It’s a huge shift, and I have long had the feeling the number, and diversity, of restaurants in Olympia could decline.
But the solution is NOT having people live in apartments right above lines of idling vehicles. Forget about opening your windows on a nice day.
I applaud those who took the lives and health of tenants into account when thinking this is a bad idea and a worse precedent. Would you want to live above an exhaust factory? Your children? Your pregnant daughter? I doubt it.
Let’s not add one problem to another with reckless decisions. Maybe there are solutions here, maybe there aren’t. But having tenants suffer for drive-through profits just seems like something out of the movie “Idiocracy.”
David Starke, Olympia
Veteran lawmakers will be missed
Two veteran state legislators from Thurston County have announced their plans to retire. One is a Democrat and one is a Republican. One is a liberal and one is a conservative. One has devoted his professional life to public service while the other toiled in the private sector.
And while they hold very different views as to the role of government, both Rep. J.T. Wilcox and Sen. Sam Hunt have a demonstrated commitment to open, collaborative and civil discourse in the political arena. Neither view “compromise“ as a bad word, and both have always had an open door and welcomed everyone into their offices and heard them out.
These are values badly needed in today’s harsh political climate. These two will be missed. Let’s hope that those who fill their shoes will share their values.
Mark O. Brown, Lacey
Where did the cannabis money go?
Is there someone in state government who can tell us where the tax money from cannabis is hiding? At this point in time, our state sees over $500 million a year from these sales. That’s $500 million and the powers that be in the Olympia School District want to close schools.
There we go! Legalize cannabis and throw the students out.
State representatives and Olympia education “officials,” you can hold your heads up again If you care to do the right thing. Right now, you are all a sad, sad group. Right now, all we can do is hope that your terms will be up soon and that we the community and taxpayers can get better folks in the positions you currently hold.
Daniel J Delaney, Olympia
Signaling in roundabouts
I appreciated Doug Dahl’s response to the letter regarding using turn signals in roundabouts. I almost always do, but most drivers do not. Here is one possible reason: The road signage on most roundabouts is terrible, making it hard to impossible to anticipate when you need to turn, especially if you haven’t already been through that roundabout many times previously.
A few, but very few, roundabouts have signs with street names at each exit and on the approaching streets as you enter. Most don’t, so if a driver is unfamiliar with or forgotten which exit to take for their desired street, whoa Nelly! They will either slow way down, make a fast last-second turn, or go around again in an effort to seek the correct exit. Or exit on the wrong street and then make their way back to try again.
Why not install clear signage with exit streets clearly named for all streets connecting to a roundabout as you enter the circle?
This is especially problematic for nighttime drivers, struggling to identify and read street signs as they approach exits.
Dave Peeler, Olympia
