When I read about the plans by the Kirkland City Council to purchase the Eastside Rail Corridor for use as a bicycle/walking path, I had two thoughts.

My first thought was similar to that expressed by several letter-writers praising the city for having the foresight to preserve this right-of-way for the benefit of Kirkland citizens and Eastside King County residents.

My second thought was somewhat along the lines expressed by Mr. Bob Style in his recent letter.

Given the current economic uncertainty affecting the nation’s cities and its citizens, I would hope that the council would go beyond the “due diligence” outlined in the Dec. 5 memorandum to Kurt Triplett and presented at the Dec. 12 council meeting, and prioritize the expenditure of the estimated $5 million acquisition cost along with the many vital services the city is obligated to perform within a finite budget (one need only take a leisurely drive through the city to appreciate the need for corrective action to maintain and/or repair its deteriorating road surfaces).

Ironically, the Dec. 30 issue of the Wall Street Journal included an article describing the financial dilemma currently facing the City of University Place as a consequence of its failure to “live within its means,” a concept that too many governmental entities seem unable to grasp.

I encourage all Kirkland citizens to read the Dec. 5 memorandum report, with particular attention to the speculative nature of the funding sources.

Let’s hope that our city fathers exercise more commonsense when prioritizing this expenditure than the example set by the “geniuses” in our federal and state legislatures.

Nelson Main, Kirkland