My congratulations to the Whidbey News-Times for the roll-around-on-the-floor-comic article, “Tourism Bill: $31 Million.” Jessie Stensland certainly has the comic touch.

Just imagine Oak Harbor City Council paying someone $48,000 to come up with novel ways to increase the value of the East Pioneer Way property. The best way to deal with that problem, of course, is to barricade the East Pioneer Way shopping area at either end and declare it a shopping mall. People flock to malls. Maybe add a lighted arch at either end, with statues on top.

The consultant’s solution, naturally, includes completely destroying the largest open space in Oak Harbor, and certainly the prettiest park. The delightful open area is to be filled with various junk.

Best of all, the sewage treatment plant is to be eliminated with no provision for treating our sewage. Just dump it into the bay. Won’t cost anything that way.

And the city council is to pay for this by kiting checks for $31 million. More, more Jessie. Perhaps in your next article, you could turn city council members into gibbering monkeys. 

John Adams

Oak Harbor