Centennial Table Topics

Table Topic questions are meant to stimulate family and classroom discussion.
Use the questions below after reading,"Doing the dirty work"

The Northwest has always cherished its legacy of natural beauty. Dynamic economic and population growth in the late '40s and '50s took a dramatic toll on the environment. Were you surprised to read about the extent of pollution during the time, with water unsafe for swimming and air dirtier than L.A.'s? Puget Sound population continues to grow. Compare the sources of pollution, then and now. What has changed for the better, and what has become worse? Who or what is in charge of "fixing" it?
Volunteer activists in the Municipal League and the League of Women Voters began a local populist environmental movement in the early part of the decade and the Metro citizens committee took up the banner in mid-decade. What local organizations now deal with environmental issues? Do you participate in any of them? What current regional issues are most in need of long-range planning?
It was difficult to get government agencies from differing jurisdictions to agree on a comprehensive plan. Are environmental issues always ineffective on a piecemeal basis? Metro collaboration on sewage issues has been around for a while now, but can you think of other recent issues where city and county residents disagreed? If county residents impact city facilities, should they be required to help pay for them? What about people who rarely travel to the city?
We are much more aware of environmental impact issues today, both personally and socially. Some say that environmental restrictions have gone too far or become too bureaucratic. Do you agree or think they haven't gone far enough? What ways do you participate personally in environmentally sound practices?
The issue of regional mass transit has been with us since the 1950s, and soon a revised regional light rail transportation plan will come again before the voters. What are the benefits and drawbacks of this plan and do you support it? If not, what is an alternative plan for transportation congestion in our region?
As part of Forward Thrust, voters passed a bond for Kingdome construction in 1968. What other improvements came about due to this campaign? What are some of the arguments in the current debate over the slated construction of a new baseball stadium and the possible construction of a new football stadium?