King County's leap into the ferry business makes sense politically, maintaining a passenger-only service being abandoned by the state. The big winner is King County Councilmember Dow Constantine, whose district includes West Seattle and Vashon Island. But from one perspective, this news is a head slapper. In 2002, King County said it didn't have enough money to adequately maintain its parks. And a year ago, it didn't have enough money for $5 million in needed improvements to the King County Sheriff's office. That was then. Now the county is taking on a new role, providing ferry service on routes serving Vashon and points on Lake Washington. Some routes are just "demonstration projects." First year's cost is $18 million, financed at least in part by new taxes, according to the Seattle Times. For commuters lucky enough to find the service and price attractive, it's a winner. And certainly, it's a Miracle on James Street that the county no longer puts on the poor mouth, at least today, for now, on this topic.