1 man is dead. Another is charged with murder. Where was WSP during wild road rage chase?
Road rage
The question I haven’t seen raised anywhere in the aftermath of the 27-mile road rage incident that ended with the shooting death of one of the drivers is: Where was the Washington State Patrol that entire time?
There was plenty of time to pull them over in Tacoma before the Narrows Bridge, and even more time as they chased each other through Gig Harbor, weaving in and out of lanes to pull in front of each other.
Had the WSP intervened and pulled those two combatants over to the side of the road, Patrick Weems would still be alive, and it’s possible that the gun and ammo Mark Keith Smith apparently carried inside his backpack would’ve been discovered if not seized.
Ironically, while no WSP units were in sight during that 27-mile road rage battle, multiple WSP cruisers were lined up along the roadway in Gorst after the shooting. I’d like to hear WSP explain all that.
Rick Lear, Port Orchard
Election endorsements
As my husband and I try to be good voting citizens, researching the local candidates can be daunting and unsatisfying — trying to get information other than candidate statements. We get impressions from those knocking on our door, reading the voters’ pamphlet and news stories, but what has been very helpful are The News Tribune Editorial Board’s endorsements.
We find your interviews provide more one-on-one, face-to-face results and we appreciate the explanations you provide for both endorsing and not endorsing any particular candidate.
This added layer of information is helpful, even if at any given time we may not always agree with your choices. It provides depth to our voting process.
Thank you for providing a valuable community service.
Mary Anderson, Tacoma
Discovering Tacoma
Having grown up in the Seattle area in the 1950s and ‘60s, I was used to hearing the city of Tacoma disparaged. “The aroma of Tacoma” was a common taunt. How times have changed!
In 2018, my son joined Symphony Tacoma. My husband and I started making trips south from our home on Whidbey Island to attend concerts at the historic Pantages Theater. We have found the orchestra to be a group of a very high caliber and the programming to be excellent, a mixture of the traditional and the new and cutting edge.
At the same time, we discovered that we enjoy Tacoma so much that we now make a weekend of it when we go. There are so many fine restaurants, intriguing little shops, parks, museums and all manner of cultural events to explore.
Tacoma has arrived. It is a destination city, to be sure. Congratulations, Tacoma, and thank you!
Rebecca Lowe, Langley
Tacoma candidates
There are three outstanding candidates who are running for Tacoma City Council and the Port of Tacoma who would help Tacoma and the Port tackle their most pressing issues: Kristina Walker, Chris Van Vechten and Kristina Ang.
All three are highly educated and experienced. Ang and Van Vechten are attorneys, which would be a great benefit to the City Council and Port. In addition to their advanced education, all three candidates have diverse life experience which would be a great benefit to the city. I note that all three candidates have received an endorsement from the Editorial Board of The News Tribune, which has vetted the candidates.
Tacoma has suffered significant setbacks in the last few years on a number of issues such as housing affordability, crime and homelessness. The Port of Tacoma has its own challenges. The future of these entities will improve to the extent the city and Port step back and implement the policies and best practices of similarly situated cities and ports.
Erik Bjornson, Tacoma