Ferry proposal an "unpleasant surprise"

Maxwell said, "I expect the state to assign a level of service and level of budget and that's what I would do here." He said the proposal was a 'red herring" which would 'create a broader discussion of what the state government" should be doing.

"A fix will need to come from the state legislature," rather than from the 9 counties which are not ready to fund a ferry system.

“Rather than patch together funding for the ferries for another 2 years and subject ferry riders and communities to more uncertainty, I believe it is time to take bold action so the system is sustainable, safe and accessible,” Gregoire said, in announcing the proposal to create a regional transportation district with the 9 Puget Sound counties.

The ferry system has lost more than $1.2 billion in funding since 1999 when voters repealed the motor vehicle excise tax, or MVET, with Initiative 695. The proposed change would shift the burden of supporting the ferry system from the state to the counties around Puget Sound.

State Senator Kevin Ranker also chimed in following the proposal, saying, "I believe that we are one state united in commerce, recreation, and trade. I do not believe that regionalizing our transportation system will help us emerge stronger and more united from this recession."