As voters and citizens and taxpayers, it is vitally important that we pay attention to politics at a local level and make sure that we are well-informed on local issues and that we make a point of using that information to vote for candidates and issues that have a profound influence on our everyday life.

I had a chance to chat at length with Anthony Murrietta who is running for Federal Way City Council Position 2. It was refreshing to find out that we had similar concerns about the traffic problems confronting Federal Way and the enormous number of empty storefronts in this city that are not producing tax revenues and jobs.

Mr. Murrietta has solid, concrete solutions for both of these problems.

He has observed that customers of the once-flourishing businesses locally have been lured away to other venues, such as in the city of Tukwila, where they do not have to struggle with erratic traffic flow, including plenty of stand-still traffic wasting gas and adding more CO2 to our atmosphere, to places where they can conduct business in a brief manner, something which essential for today’s time-stressed consumer who may be working two or three jobs, has a family to take care of, and a great desire to conserve both time and energy, including the rising costs of keeping gas in their vehicles.

Murrietta is well-informed about the issues of working people and he has observed that Tukwila has a well-coordinated traffic system which utilizes synchronized lights and a centrally located computerized traffic signal system to monitor and control the traffic signals within the city. This system communicates with each signalized intersection frequently to monitor their operational status, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, using dedicated data quality phone lines. This ensures the smooth, quick movement of traffic, making it easier for busy working people to get to where they want to be without wasting time, energy and gasoline, extremely costly items in these busy, stressful times.

Easier access to shopping venues would ensure their survival in Federal Way and give our city more revenues in sales taxes and the jobs of people who would have money to spend in these venues.

Murrietta is talking about real solutions for real problems. He is not filled with unrealistic theories about “rebranding” and “marketing a city image”. The problem is not marketing and branding but the real problem of traffic flow and convenience for our citizens and taxpayers and workers.

I voted for Murrietta because he deals with the world in a real and solid and concrete way, not with airy theories about creating “atmospheres”. Enough with the atmospheres already, let’s get down to earth and face the real problems.

Karen Hedwig Backman, Federal Way