So with all the trauma that local ferry riders and visitors have experienced (even a canceled real estate deal), I have to ask: is it appropriate for WSF to ask for more money to provide the same quality of service that we now have? It’s like a bad mechanic promising to charge more money the next time you come to his shop for guaranteed crappy service with a long wait time.

I wouldn’t volunteer money to such an establishment. So it would seem that WSF needs to show how the new money is to be spent, show why the current money is poorly spent and what can we expect to see for the increased revenue. Make them work for it! No one gets a raise without a finance review and a work place review. WSF tries to make our ferry service a for-profit venture, yet our boats go rusty and neglected and our lifeline to the mainland is not operating. WSF wants a profit in hand while necessary maintenance and repairs get the back burner.

To whom does the WSF profit go? That’s public money, which is spent on the state. That money needs to go back to the people from whence it came and maybe next year after some improvements are made, then WFS can ask for a raise. If WFS does not acquiesce to this request in writing, I am sure that protest mobs demanding quality of services while disrupting business are certainly a viable second alternative.

If WFS needs more money, don’t fleece the public for more money. Dip into your all important profit margin instead.

In closing, the staff who operate our derelict vessels are great folks, and through their efforts, they provide a backbone service and lifeline to the outside world. Captains and stewards: we salute you.

David Dunlap

Orcas Island