Bridge Vote Not Needed

Sun., Oct. 17, 1999

By Rebecca Nappi rebeccan@spokesman.com (509) 459-5496

Bridges are often used as metaphors of connection among people, neighborhoods and communities. Unfortunately, the proposed Lincoln Street bridge project has produced little connection among anyone.

Initiative 98-4, on the city of Spokane ballot Nov. 2, is one more battle in the war between those who want the bridge built and those who don’t. The initiative would amend the city charter to require a vote of the people before any new vehicular bridge can be built across the Spokane River “central falls” area between the Monroe Street and Division Street bridges. Its goal is to put an end to the Lincoln Street bridge project. Those behind the initiative say they also are trying to protect the falls and river gorge in Spokane’s core. And they want voters to have the final say on a project that’s now in limbo.

The Lincoln Street bridge project has been a flawed one, but the initiative is not a correction of past problems. It’s really just one more attempt to micromanage government by those disenchanted with it. The initiative undermines the principle of representative government. Voters elect officials they trust to make the nitty-gritty decisions about infrastructure concerns, such as bridges. Public input is important, but the initiative ignores the fact that 4,000 hours of citizen input have already gone into this project.

Initiative 98-4 is too narrow, focused on one controversy that won’t be easily solved. We recommend a vote against it.

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