Spokane-area leaders should be open to learning from the high-utilizer initiative used by Seattle's prosecuting attorney's office and its partners to reduce crime and restore order to its downtown core.
Thinning, brush clearing, removing dead, down, diseased and dying trees makes sense and provides the necessary revenue to restore forest health. It makes sense to recover economic value as a preventive measure to reduce wildfire risks.
As lawmakers head into the final half of the legislative session, they have some big decisions to make. Do they take a middle road and keep costs under control, or do they increase taxes and add new burdens on employers and families?
