Why we should call the Tacoma Link the ‘Unsound Jurassic Link’

Welcome to Dori’s Feedback Friday feature, where we collect a sampling of comments received over email and Facebook on various topics throughout the week. Want the chance to have your comments included in Feedback Friday? Send your thoughts about any show topics via email or the Dori Monson Facebook page.

Francisco Calderon re-offends

I just turned on the radio and heard you talking about the dude who threw coffee on a toddler. I saw this guy on TV and knew instantly he was the guy who took a swing at my head a few years ago in front of the courthouse where I work. Had it not been for my instinct to duck at the last second, I have no doubt he would have knocked me out cold or even killed me with the blow to my temple. I agree with your view on how trashy the city had become.

– DeeDee in Seattle

Johanknecht allegations

It is vacation employees have earned

Dori, yesterday’s story about the current sheriff letting the undersheriff carry over unused vacation was informative and troubling. However, I did not like the way you characterized King County employees as bilking the taxpayers out of something they have earned, vacation. I am one of those employees. Yes, we get to keep 480 hours of vacation on the books should we not use it; however it is still earned, and just because our contract lets us carry it over does not make us bad guys. I feel that your generalization yesterday vilified us all. I totally agree that what Johanknecht did with Somers was completely wrong and makes us look bad as a department. She was also not smart to document that in an email. I wish you would have focused on her issue and not a sweeping statement about county employees’ vacation policies. If you disagree, go back and listen to the very beginning of your show yesterday. FYI, I can never keep 480 hours of vacation on the books because I actually use it. Keep up the good work!

– County employee in Renton

Was he using work time to campaign? 

If the sheriff had to allow Scott Somers to carry over vacation because he was working on her campaign then the obvious question is — if he wasn’t using vacation to work on her campaign, was he working on her campaign while on duty?

– Jim in Seattle 

Sawant: The council member money can’t buy

Sawant saying she can’t be bought is laughable. She is not accepting the $25 citizen vouchers because if she does, she can’t accept big money. If she really wasn’t bought then she’d take small donations and vouchers from citizens. She needs to go!

– Jason in Seattle

Remembers alleged rapist at Kent SD

Bob Wright had an office across from mine. He always had a group of special education boys in his office; they ate breakfast and lunch, played darts, and other games. The door was usually open but we talked about it all the time that is was weird. He never had any female students. He also worked at an elementary school.

– Anonymous in Kent

Pizza shop owner should have known about ST construction

I happened to catch your interview with the owner of Salamone’s Pizza in Tacoma. I’ve lived a couple of blocks from his place for a number of years. I am not sure how he could not have known about the Sound Link trolley expansion from downtown Tacoma through the Stadium District and beyond. It’s been supported by the city of Tacoma and Pierce County. Sound Transit has been in constant contact with us about it for over a year. His problem is that he has no off-street parking. Neither does The Harvester across the street. It is a bother getting around the construction. It’s clear he doesn’t know much about the details concerning this big project that is affecting his business. He should have already been in contact with Sound Transit about possible remediation, but he seems to prefer being a victim.

As far as this trolley-on-tracks extension, well, most folks and businesses I talk to would have preferred electric trolley buses. They can even be made to look just like a tracked trolley vehicle. But what do we know? Like Seattle’s South Lake Union Trolley, the First Hill line, and other cities with new, old trolley systems, they are a step back to the future. Like the dinosaurs, their time has already come and gone. Maybe we should call this line the Unsound Jurassic Link.

– Thomas in Tacoma