Economic conditions necessitated the recent halt of our efforts to see the Comprehensive Aquatics Plan funded this year, but the news wasn’t easy for any of us.  We thought you would appreciate the supportive words sent to us by many members of the City Council:

"I appreciate your understanding.  Yours are some of the best grassroots lobbying efforts that I’ve seen this year, and I truly hope that we will be able to move forward with this in the near future."  — Tim Burgess

"I appreciate your recognition of our budgetary situation and the difficult choices that are ahead of us.  Your generous decision to postpone your effort on behalf of Project Seattle Pools is commendable. It gives your organization much credibility and it certainly will not be forgotten. We thank you for recognizing the constraints and are grateful that you have taken this action so that others may be served.  It has been a great pleasure to get to know you and your organization and I am optimistic and hopeful that we can work together in the near future."  –Councilmember Jean Godden

"I will build upon your work and seek to further our efforts to improve our pools as well as plan for additional pools when possible in the future.   Right now we are scrambling to feed and house people and keep our commitment to human services programs. Please keep in touch."   — Councilmember Tom Rasmussen

"Thank you for your understanding. Let’s hope that our economy is in a very different place this time next year." – Councilmember Jan Drago

"Thanks very much for this thoughtful and reasonable decision.  I am very sorry that this is the situation, and appreciate how hard you are working on this." –Councilmember Richard Conlin

"I think most people would agree that public swimming pools are an appropriate and desired component of any municipal parks system, and Seattle could no doubt make good use of additional pools.

…  I am very concerned that the Mayor’s proposed budget may well need to be trimmed when we get updated sales tax and business & occupation tax revenue projections.  These two sources provide nearly 40% of our General Fund revenues and are both very sensitive to changes in consumer spending, which appears to be slowing in a significant way.  (We have already seen a huge falloff in real estate excise tax revenue.  A year ago we were projecting that we’d receive $51 million from this source in 2008, but now expect to receive only $33 million.) 

If the updated revenue forecasts do require us to cut from the proposed budget I think we will again be forced to consider reduced library and community center hours.  I’m also concerned about possible voter rejection of the upcoming Parks Levy and how we will find the millions of dollars for necessary seismic and mechanical upgrades to the city-owned Asian Art Museum and Langston Hughes Cultural Arts Center that are included in the levy package. 

…I see both the need and value for more pools, it is simply a question of what we can afford and whether this is the time." — Councilmember Richard J. McIver