The Olympia City Council believes a healthy downtown must include wealthy residents.  They plan to increase height limits on downtown waterfront lots to encourage profitable market-rate housing.  New 6th floor condo residents will enjoy breathtaking views while we will enjoy their canyon walls. Besides the gift of three more stories than they currently are allowed to build, developmentalists will get discounts on impact fees for roads and schools.  To further encourage "The Second City Elite" (Olympia consultant's term) to purchase these market-rate condos, for the next 10 years they will pay no city taxes on the value of their buildings.  I'm not kidding.

Who knows what more the City of Olympia, aided by visionary consultants from Bothell, may plan?  Consider,  the rustbuckets that you and I drive tend to make downtown look a little seedy.  How about market-rate BMWs?    Soon all sales of BMWs will be exempt from city sales tax as will fuel and repairs for late model BMW's.  Special zoning for businesses that exclusively park, sell or repair market-rate BMWs could be created in the downtown core and they could be exempt from City business and occupation tax.  Market-rate Volvo, Audi, and Mercedes programs may also be planned.

To reduce traffic congestion, market-rate commuting must also be considered. City parks in the core could be converted to heliports.  Retail areas would be rezoned to allow helicopter fueling and repair hangers.  Finally city noise regulations might be relaxed to further aid market-rate helicopter operation.  The market has no limits.