Traffic Initiative lets residents say no to bad projects

I've read with interest the numerous arguments against June's Traffic Congestion Initiative. However, every argument is spurious.

First, the initiative is obviously not really about traffic. It is the public's vehicle to halt a senseless project- - the construction of a second Home Depot in Thousand Oaks. The initiative is simply a tactic to prevent our city from approving an absurd project. It's our means to a desirable end.

It's immaterial that the Do-it Center started the initiative. The project makes no sense on its face. Actually, the traffic initiative is an excellent way for us to prevent future indefensible projects.

Let's examine the logic used by the new Home Depot's proponents.

The first argument is increased sales tax revenue. Nonsense. The second Home Depot will cannibalize sales from the Newbury Park Home Depot. If the new Home Depot isn't built, consumers east of Newbury Park will drive the few extra miles to the existing store, just as they do now. So with the new store, Home Depot's sales tax payments remain unchanged.

There are, of course, the lost sales of Home Depot's competitors, but this decrease is offset by the incremental sales at the new Home Depot.

Furthermore, virtually no new sales will come from customers living east of Thousand Oaks. If such customers are attracted to a Home Depot, they surely would drive the few extra miles to the existing Newbury Park store.

So, with a new Home Depot, total sales tax revenues will remain essentially the same. However, these revenues will increase if the old Kmart site was occupied by needed businesses that bring in new revenues.

The second argument is that the new Home Depot will pay substantial property taxes. However, the same property taxes would be paid if other businesses occupied the site. Again, no financial benefit to our city.

The third argument is that another Home Depot is desirable. The existing Newbury Park store is so enormous that search parties are dispatched to rescue lost customers. We need another Home Depot like we need another McDonald's.

The initiative provides us a way to protect ourselves from our logic-challenged politicians. Mark Wallis Thousand Oaks