(Editor's Note: The following letter was sent to King County Councilman Larry Phillips, concerning a proposal to charge motorists $20 per vehicle to maintain Metro Transit bus service. A copy of the letter was sent to the Times/News.)

This penalty fee will actually injure low-income people. My city, Burien, adopted such a fee -- over the 75 percent negative vote of the people (remind you of a stadium or two?).

I have only one vehicle and I work at home, while a new American family in my neighborhood has 4 cars -- every adult works. So, they not only pay 4 times more in absolute dollars than I do -- the proportional penalty is dramatically more.

And to add penalty to penalty, car tab fees are not deductible on federal income taxes -- only the RTA excise tax is. So, these same neighbors pay still more in overall tax burden and get less value. So, why, you might offer, do they have 4 cars for work -- well, perhaps because the mass transit system doesn't support them well, i.e., pizza delivery, house cleaner, newspaper delivery, road flagger.

If support for the transportation system were a property tax, it would affect, most appropriately, those of us who can most afford to pay it. We would also be able to take a federal tax deduction.

No, my dear councilmember, while the intent here is solid, the method is deeply flawed. Do we not already have enough regressive taxes/fees -- awarding the poor in Washington state with the most in public burden.

Stephen Lamphear
Burien