I’m confused. With the defeat of Kirkland’s Prop. 1, you state the city will have $2.2 million less in revenue to spend in 2010. Now, is that $2.2 million less than the 2009 budget, or $2.2 million less in wishful thinking on the council’s part, believing voters would approve the issue for the next budget cycle? No matter what, it might be in the new council members’ interest to look at the percentage of citizens who voted against the measure, 60 percent, and possibly read into those numbers the mood of voters opposing the measure and the tax levels in the city. Many of us are tired of being taxed for every whim of the council’s view of what the city should be. Many of us find it necessary to attempt to maintain our standard of living on decreasing dollars, while the council tries to pass taxes so they don’t need to make adjustments. Taxpayers look in every direction, city county, state and federal to discover more and more taxes being piled on. Voters are beginning to wise up. I hope that the “we are returning to civility” quote (Nov. 11 issue), from Ms. McBride includes listening to the mood of voters.

Rolf Ausen, Kirkland