Rossi takes transportation kickoff train to Sultan

SULTAN - Unlike his earlier stop in Bellevue that was heavy on the press and the details, Dino Rossi's visit to Sultan this afternoon had the feeling of a small town campaign meet and greet despite the fact that it was stop two on his three-city transportation plan kickoff.

Rossi greets supporters in Sultan

About two dozen supporters joined the local press corps to hear the highlights of Rossi's new transportation plan, and the Republican candidate was glad to oblige. The event, held at an outdoor covered pavilion, was dampened by chilly weather, intermittent rain, and two loud, whistling trains that came through town just fifty yards away from the venue next to Highway 2.

"I love Sultan," Rossi said with a laugh when the first train came by.

His salvos on doing away with construction taxes on road projects, restoring salmon habitat and spending $600 million to fix US- 2 received the loudest cheers from the two dozen or so folks in the audience.

Rossi was joined in his speech by Tom Cock, whose 17-year old son was killed in an accident on Highway 2 a year ago. Cock spoke of a legacy that Washington can create based on making sure that our highways are safe, and that people shouldn't mind waiting an extra two minutes in congestion if it means putting transportation money into safety first.

Not just for Cock and Rossi, highway safety on the Stevens Pass route was a big issue for those on hand.

"This road is so unsafe, we never drive out here without feeling like we're taking our life in our hand," said Laura Christiansen of Everett, who is also "sick and tired" of sitting in traffic on 405.

Steve Salaburu, a Monroe insurance agent, agrees. "Just talk to any of my clients or anybody who uses Highway 2, and they'll tell you its just getting more difficult as time goes on and something needs to be done.