My disappointment overwhelms me! Federal Way had its opportunity to elect someone with brains and they failed to do it. Now we are subject to more of the same for three years. And, when I say more of the same, I mean more of the same. Our voice and the only dissenting vote on building the performing arts center at this time and building the towers is Jim Ferrell, and he narrowly lost the race for mayor of Federal Way.

While we citizens pay their salaries to look out for our interests, the Federal Way City Council will continue to do its own bidding and we will be paying for a performing arts, cultural and convention center. I love the arts. They have always been a part of my life and I subsequently married an actor. I would love to have a PAC in Federal Way someday. Someday, but not this day. We cannot afford it. The city cannot sustain it now without raising our taxes again. Where will the money come from after they have spent the state-offered $5 million they are scrambling to acquire before the end of November deadline? That leaves an unpaid balance of between $35 million and $55 million (today’s estimate, but you know how that goes, there are always “cost overruns”). People are losing their jobs and their homes. They will not be spending their last dollar at a performing arts center.

Add to that cost, the three towers project (hundreds of condos) that the council has not tabled yet. I suspect the project brings with it untold troubles and expenses: Parking, traffic, aquifer, sewer. Did you know that there is an underground river in the vicinity of the AMC Theatre lot where this project will be built?

News is everywhere of developers going broke because they cannot keep their buildings occupied with businesses or people. These particular developers cannot even raise enough money to buy the property from the city. Suppose, just suppose, they do get enough investors from Korea to build it. What happens when they can’t fill all the units? We citizens will foot the bill when they go bankrupt. Look at Federal Way’s shopping centers. They are all full of empty storefronts. And Federal Way wants to build three towers and a performing arts and convention center?

The city has just laid off 15 employees, limited the programming on Federal Way’s Channel 21 and they are wondering what to do with the Dumas Bay Centre, which they cannot afford to update. The city has a deficit of $9 million over the next two years. Then, for Pete’s sake, what are they thinking? It’s a no-brainer to us sensible folks. Oops! I forgot, the council “prefers to go with their own opinion rather than that of the uninformed public.” (Quote from one of the council members.)

Don Dennis said it all in his letter Nov. 13. Whether the dollars come from the city or the state, it is all our money — the citizens of Federal Way and Washington.

Sheryl Nevers, Federal Way