I read in the paper the other day that our State Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen was making the Keystone to Port Townsend ferry a priority.

There has been lots of news about the need for new ferry boats. The ones now in use being 80 years old, which in itself is borderline irresponsibility. We always hear there are no funds for new boat construction. I was wondering why the state government would put in a highway system to bring the state together, and then not fund it or save money for construction of new and more efficient ferries that were designed for the traffic of today?

In the long run it would have saved we the taxpayers money. Please note I have used the word “save.” If saving is good for the common folk to fulfill their dreams, why isn’t government doing the same?

Government should change the spend word to the save word -— they both start with “s”. Remember SA comes before SP. This shouldn’t be too much of a burden for those in charge.

I would hope that Mary Margaret, head of the Senate Transportation Committee, would quit making excuses. After a long career in government she should know better, or are these careers just for the sake of a career?

I think it is time for the voting public of this state to wake up and take a long hard look at the efficiency or lack thereof, in our state government.

Gene A. Skallerud

Oak Harbor