COVID has hit STA too

COVID has hit STA too

Obviously, COVID has caused reduced STA ridership. STA’s website graphically shows the negative impact. Mr. Cargill suggests giving “wasted” money back to working families by lowering sales taxes (“STA gets too much tax revenue for service provided,” Sept. 3). How much is wasted? Which routes should be eliminated? What happens to the 68% of riders who depend on STA as their only source of transportation?

Considering Mr. Cargill was a member of the Spokane Regional Transportation Commission, he should know the majority of STA costs are the product of detailed long-term plans and are “fixed.” Fixed costs can’t be jerked around based on unplanned events such as a global pandemic.

Mr. Cargill laments sales taxes that fund STA are regressive and a hardship on low-income people. I wish the Washington Policy Center, which employs Mr. Cargill, would use its vast resources to formulate ideas for mitigating the unfair burden regressive taxes have on working families. And we desperately need new mass transit strategies considering changing transportation patterns such as delivering purchases to the front door while working from home. And, most importantly, let’s analyze mass transit’s role in reducing carbon emissions.

Unfortunately, I doubt the Washington Policy Center, which is a mouthpiece for the Koch brothers, is concerned about climate change or an equitable tax system.

We all want efficiency, but not the elimination of critical services. It’s not STA’s fault that the unvaccinated have fueled a COVID resurgence that has pushed many businesses, including STA, to the brink. Please give us practical recommendations, not political rhetoric.

Jim Baumker

Liberty Lake