The article on the Marine Hills Pool drain prompts me to write regarding the insidious infiltration into our lives of outside government agencies, and why taxes are necessary to deal with them.

The tragic death of a 7-year-old girl in a residential backyard hot tub expanded rules for all sorts of pools and spas in public spaces due to the political influence of her grandfather, Jim Baker, former secretary of state. He stated in an interview with Larry King that a non-entrapment drain could be purchased for $63.

That’s a far cry from actual “installed” costs. The King County health department established its own set of rules, much more strict than the state guidelines, requiring new plans be prepared by a licensed professional engineer for existing facilities. They want $173 an hour for a minimum of two hours to review them, and more to inspect the installation. All construction costs for the installation of new drains in existing concrete is a significant expense and typically not in the budgets of homeowners’ associations or city/county parks departments. A large grate or cone, like what is used in storm water retention basins, could have been a standard solution easily implemented without expanding the county’s empire.

My point is: as long as government can change the rules, taxes are going to have to be raised to pay for the results. I suspect that not a single life will be saved by these new requirements for pools and spas. Get ready for the impact of new Americans with Disabilities Act requirements coming soon to a town like ours, without any funding or recourse.

Terry Slaton, Federal Way