Robert Whale’s article (“City scouts alternatives to $20 car tab”, Aug. 11, Auburn Reporter) really sums up the problem with funding street repairs. It is a matter of wants or needs.

Our mayor and City Council want more spent on parks, city-wide street lighting and public art. While all of those are admirable projects, our streets continue to deteriorate, and it appears that the necessary funds to repair them is being allocated to other items.

To add another financial burden on vehicle owners after the almost legal method used by Sound Transit would unfairly place further burden on residents. All this would contribute to making Auburn a less desirable place to live.

I believe that the mayor and council should have a series of meetings with the finance director to determine why public works has not been budgeted fully to deal with this issue. Our streets did not get in this condition overnight. They have been let go over a period of years, and it seems the answer is always the same: just ask the residents to pay more.

That is not a viable solution.

– William McCready