I just have to go back to yesterday’s article in the Seattle Times: “Who’ll be to blame if viaduct, 520 bridge collapse?” Some of the comments are truly stunning.
Gov. Christine Gregoire said state engineers told her the viaduct probably would have collapsed if the 2001 Nisqually earthquake had lasted 15 more seconds.
Since that quake, the viaduct has shifted more than four inches. If it moves much more, the state plans to shut it down.
Um… just to be clear, by “shifted more than four inches”, what they mean is that it has started tipping over towards the waterfront by four inches. And the tilt is increasing at a rate of about an inch a year.
“Our best advice is to get off it five minutes before the next quake,” state Department of Transportation spokeswoman Linda Mullen quipped earlier this year.
Laughing yet?
“It’s not a little problem, it’s not a maybe problem,” said Mark Hallenbeck, director of the Washington State Transportation Center at the University of Washington. “The viaduct is just a question of when. If you’re on the lower level when it goes down, you’re dead.”
I’m guessing being on the top deck ain’t too safe either.
Gregoire says every political leader should be losing sleep over the state’s long-neglected bridges. “There’s no question in my mind
Notice how passing a gas tax increase is never for union payoffs and political favors. No…..certainly not!! It’s……..It’s………..It’s for the children!! [classic Democrat BS]
I don’t get it. If it is that dangerous, put it at the top of the priority list. Cut out all the nonsense of carpool lanes, bike lanes, highway beautification, etc. Fix the viaduct. Or tear it down.
If it collapses, the fault is of the Transporation Director, the Governor and the Legislature for not putting it as a priority. Don’t dare blame the electorate because they ask these fools to do their job.
Rossi has more to gain than most of us by speaking out: peace of mind and a clear conscience.
That’s assuming Rossi’s conscience works that way. More likely it’s tuned to what will satisfy his base.
This is so serious. I live about fifty ft. away from the viaduct, just before it goes in the tunnel. If this thing goes down with people on it, they’re dead. If the seawall goes too, the integrity of the waterfront will be seriously impacted. Econonmically, it will ruin Seattle. Which will make an econonmic recovery statewide impossible, due to the fact that Seattle/King County create a large percentage of the state’s jobs. Whether it’s a rebuild or a tunnel, Seattle needs to get this project going, which means the state has understand the viaduct’s value to the region.
Janet S @2,
Have you read the transportation bill?! That was the whole point… it prioritized projects by safety! And I-912 supporters are complaining that the bill doesn’t pour enough new concrete!
The state did its fucking job! It prioritized the projects… it passed the bill… it funded it. And if I-912 passes and the delay ends up killing people, don’t you dare blame Olympia, because people like you will be responsible for being so shortsighted and hateful that you’d choose petty political payback over the lives of your fellow citizens.
Gregoire, Rossi, Dan Evans, Slade Gorton, Gary Locke, all of them should be speaking up here. We have an opportunity to prevent a huge calamity and we can’t let mindless anti-tax rhetoric prevail.
BTW, Goldy, I wrote you in for Sheriff today. Good luck.
Listen you fucks…UNION MEMBERS ARE YOUR NEIGHBORS! They are your friends and your neighbors and your businesses’ customers…your fellow church members and your childrens’ friend’s MOMS and DADS!
The “UNION” is NOT some monolithic corporation. It is PEOPLE. People who deservs a living wage. What do you assholes have against a man or woman being able to support their families? To have health insurance? To have a pension…like your FOLKS had.
What a bunch of selfish fucking economically illiterate morons.
“If it is that dangerous, put it at the top of the priority list.”
It is that dangerous, and it is at the top of the priority list, along with a slate of other safety improvements . . . that’s what the new gas tax money is paying for. I-912 would take away that money, and effectively tell WSDOT not to try to save lives. There’s no sugar-coating it.
6
You dont get it do you. Stop spending the money you already have and will get in the future without the gas tax and fix it. We can build the bus,car and bike lanes later. Is this so hard to figure out.
Rufus,
You can talk till you are blue and the face and it will not matter to this group.
The bottom line is that if this were such an emergency (hey isn’t this what the enmergency clause is actaually all about – but how about the additional 80 measures that got slipped into the cluase on that same night?), Queen Christine would have moved on the issue as oppossed to create a sales pitch.
The Gas tax, is exactly that. “If you don’t spend this money now, you’ll spend ten times as much plus, have to pick up bodies of your children later” is what is coming out of Olympia. However, if you’ll notice, these great cost cutting solutions that were proposed on the eve of the emergency cluase (How many mid level managers was that?) have yet to be enacted.
Does the AWN & 520 Bridge need to be repaired/replaced? The answer is obvioulsly yes.
Has our democratic state government done anything, beyond apporaching the tax payers to dig deeper, to address this? Not a fucking thing.
So Goldy, you friggin hack, stop grovelling for Dino Rossi to pay attention to you. If you want to act like a fucking Child, I’d just as well hear of your pathetic ass, sitting in a corner, holding your breath until you turn blue.
One more thing:
Why do you think this skank is screaming for an investigation into price gouging?
It’s simple, someone got to her easy mark before she could. She’s terrified at the thought that with the rapid increase in gas prices no-one in the right mind would support her raping the tax payers of this state just a little more… and she’s right.
The gas tax is gone and with that is her whole game plan on revenue generation.
Basically, she is fucked.
If you pass I-912 and repeal the gas tax, there is no money to build a new viaduct and 520. It’s as simple as that. If you took every dollar currently slated to build (or just stripe) bus lanes, HOV (I assume that’s what RUFUS means by “car”) lanes and bike lanes, you wouldn’t even get started on the AWV. WSDOT spends less than $300 million a year on all highway construction: safety improvements, widening, new lanes, etc. They don’t have the ability to magically conjure up billions more dollars for major projects. You can’t have something for nothing. That’s what you don’t seem to get.
The state is far better off this year (on all levels) than the years before. The difference? An all democratic leglislature and governor. Unemployment down, revenues up, services up, transportation problems addressed….
Let’s keep it rolling!
rujax @ 5;
What a plight and curtious opening line you start with. Way to endear your Union Members to others.
I-912 does not necessarly repeal the the Viaduct. If the legislature (who are elected by us to represent us) Feel it is a priority. Money in the 2005-2007 Transit Budget under HB 6103 still exist.
I-912 would repeal the 9.5 cent tax increase on gasoline only. It does not repeal the vehicle weight fees, it does not repeal the diesel fuel increast (roughly 20% of fuel consumed in WA), it does not repeal the 28 cent tax previously existing on fuel. If/When (whatever) I-912 passes, HB 6103 will still provide over $4 billion in new transportion revenue. That is substantially less than the $8.5 billion, but money will still exist for the most important projects.
The non-fuel based fees (e.g. weight fees) was designated for mass transit projects and studies (mostly), but it is by no mean constitutionally mandated to. In the 2006 Session, the legislature will have the opportunity to address (if needed) any loss of revenue under HB 6103.
So to say this initiative will cause a catastrophy is to to simple. The truth is that if the legislature fails to act and direct the available funds to this project (taking for granted that it is needed: that could be another debate), then it is the elected officials (who make 30K taxpayer dollars each a year to work parttime) who carry the burden. Not a real estate agent from Samammish.
Prr; I voted for Dino. I will again. I don’t approve of what Gov. Gregoire has done and I don’t think she is effectively leading the state.
But please reframe from calling her vicious names. (e.g. skank)
It reflects poorly on you, republicans, Dino supporters and the current American political climate in general.
Why don’t we work together on coming to the left-wing blogs and raising the level of discourse?
Besides, if you made that statement in Dino’s presents, I promise you would receive critisism from him. As would any of you leftsiders would be correct by Gov. Gregoire for personally attacking Dino Rossi.
Raising the level GOOD, lowering it BAD!!!
prr rants, “if this were such an emergency . . . [Governor] Christine [Gregoire] would have moved on the issue . . . .”
Perhaps you missed the news Friday that that’s exactly what she’s doing. She gave Nickels a curt message to stop futzing with the Monorail and either hurry up and raise money for his tunnel or get out of the way and let Viaduct reconstruction get going. But then, you wouldn’t want to know about things that make her look good. Sorry about that.
prr then claims, “these great cost cutting solutions that were proposed on the eve of the emergency cluase (How many mid level managers was that?) have yet to be enacted.”
Dude, you are so not paying attention. 1,000 state middle-management jobs were eliminated from Gregoire’s March 2005 budget by her order. It’s done.
“Has our democratic state government done anything, beyond apporaching the tax payers to dig deeper, to address this?”
Um, you’re just grousing now. The state has been working on the AWV to keep it upright, has been planning in detail for its replacement, and budgeting to know how much money that will take. The only thing left is to raise the money and build the thing. Lose your false outrage over having to spend money to build a bridge.
“skank”
You seem to be offended enough when people disdain the President, even when they don’t use nasty terms like that. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander; have some respect for your elected leaders. And grow up.
There are over 274 transportation projects statewide that will become “iffy” if I-912 passes. The Viaduct and the 520 bridge are two of them. The list includes projects that will make the roads more safe and projects that will make traffic flow better along with the Viaduct and the 520 bridge.
P.I.E. is suggesting that legislators from all over the state might agree to spend all of the tax increase I-912 doesn’t touch on Seattle’s Viaduct and its 520 bridge and let other projects wait. Fat chance.
The end result of passage of I912 is simply more dithering and higher costs for projects that we need to fix roads that are broken (or about to break) and begin to keep up with our growth.
P.I.E. also fails to mention that another initiative is on file to repeal the weight fees he says we can count on.
Dino could do us all a favor by opposing I 912 but he won’t. The reason he won’t has nothing to do with the safety of the roads, the competitiveness of the state’s economy, saving taxpayers money or reducing our commutes. He won’t oppose I 912 because it is not in his personal political interest and he doesn’t have to. Which is fine. But also worthy of criticism.
It does not repeal the vehicle weight fees,
Go regular guy P.I.E! Rumour has it that Timmy Eyman has his eyes set on the weight fees.
David
How much in Revunue does the department each year and then state that 300 million as a percentage of the total revenue. Dont play games now… you seem smart enough to do this.
16
correction… “revenue does the department collect”
10
David– We need independant audits performed on WSDOT along with all State government agencies. Increase Taxes before independant audits…forgetaboutit.
a. Obvious and odius to use Katrina for divisive partisan politics (ie Dems saying this is like a levee)
b. How about Gregoire/dems saying 1/2 of Viaduct from explicit cuts in goofball stuff or frankly regular stuff (that’s what the tax is doing to me, taking money I had earmarked for something else).
If you want a bridge, do what Locke did: give the contractor the right to collect fees and let the contractor build it. Tacoma Narrows, an aging structure with two lanes each direction, is being supplemented by a new bridge and approach work so there will now be two lanes in each direction, artwork, bicycle and pedestrian lanes, art work, and did I mention TWO ACTUAL LANES FOR TRAFFIC. And all for a lousy Six bucks if you actually use it.
Goldy; give it up…
you say “a moderate quake will make it collapse and kill thousands…”
You are lying through your teeth, unless of course “moderate quake is like a 7.5”
(ps, its not fact, its theory/conjecture)
@14 and @15
Which one is it, is an initiative filed to repeal the weight fees or is Tim Eyman eyeing it? Which one is it, cause it aint both!
What is that initiative number anyway?
Again, HB 6103 allots roughly $500 million to each (AVW and 520). After the repeal that would allow for another $3 billion to be sent on those projects most need.
Thor, I do agree with you in part. I would phrase it differently. The repeal will not leave enough money to hand out all the pork needed to get enough votes.
Again, blame that on our sworn public officials. Why do you refuse to hold the legislature accountible for showing leadership on this? WE PAY THEM TO DEAL WITH THIS. How much money are you paying Dino Rossi in 2005?
In all seriousness;
Lets assume I-912 passes, what you then do if you feel strongly this project needs to be done, is you organize in leg districts which have democrats who did not vote for HB 6103 and republicans that did. You call, write letters show up during session and ask for 5 minutes while the walk to there cars for lunch and you let them know these projects need to stay.
Call the WSLC and see what they plan to do, maybe you can join the effort. Call AWB or NFIB, see if they have any plans for transit improvements you may like.
Or another option is to keep blaming a guy who might or might not be on a ballot as soon as 2008. Let me know which one works better.
Personally;
I have not totally decided how I am voting on I-912. Currently I am leaning for it.
The reason being, we need a huge overhaul in how we fund transportation. Relying on a fuel tax when our main goal should be to reduce fuel consumption is at it root, counter productive.
If I-912 passes, we will have an opportunity to openly and candidally dicuss new ideas and create a funding system more inline with the long-term goals of transit.
If it fails, I fear we will continue for another 10 years with the status quo. The legislature will move this to the back burner, and nothing more will come of it.
I understand the need for infrastructural improvements as we shift to an increasingly globally competetive economy and we as a state become even more dependent on trade and international commerce. But we have an opportunity in front of us to fix a problem for 40 years instead of 4. Lets take it for what it is.
It’s called the one-two punch of wingnut fanaticsm regular guy! Read about it here. See the section “Looking Ahead”
Perhaps more accurately it’s a boot being ground continuously in the face of this state’s economy.
Hey Rujax: Let’s talk about unions. I have a family member who works at Ford. I live near a Boeing plant. I see dems Boeing peeples on strike. They claim they want a good wage and good benefits. I see them asking for free things my wife pays for in her union contract. I see them driving their foreign made cars to and from the plant. So why should I be so gung ho about their union position and wanting the airlines to buy American if they drive foreign cars. I have no respect for the Boeing union workers!!!!!
Regarding the tax initiative, I have decided to support it. Why? Simple You all hate it. No it’s more than that. We looked at the evidence Goldy placed for WSDOT projects. I thought many people in the know said the original project costs for many of those projects was much lower than printed in the document. If that’s true, then WSDOT is NOT the great panacea of spending efficiency. That bit of information opened my eyes to this issue. I realize there is always some budget creep. I have mamnged departments before so I understand about changes. So as I stated before when real independent audits are done and they can show me da money, I’ll support a road tax increase. Shit, if they created a toll road with the Car Pass system on the east coast I’d use that road so I could fly around this cesspool called Seattle.
25
This article is informative. I know I will be voting for that Tim Eyeman initiative in 2006. Wait, the initiative will have to pass first. Clueless do you want to wager whether Tim’s initiative will pass in 2006? Talk about your SUCKER BET!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Clueless @ 25;
Thank you for posting that article (I suggest all read it);
“A (November) 2006 Initiative. Not on this ballot, not gathering signatures, no language submitted to the Sec. of State. So we can sit back and see what Tim Eyman might do, or the legislature can gather the political fortitude to bring us a new deal.
A major place both Democrats and Republicans have dropped the ball is by not giving Tim Eyman a seat at the table for a transit funding discussion. I don’t agree with him on everything, I do on some, but obviously a lot of people listen to him. If Eyman supported a new funding deal, the public would be more likely to buy off on it. He is an opinion maker, whether you like him or not, and the legislature should try working with him.
The politics of personal destruction works on Reps., too.
Scoop please, Goldy!
Doofus @ 25
Eyman’s work with the gambling industry was a real winner as well.
So Doofus do you drive? How much did you pay for gas say 18 months ago vs. now? And you still have a problem with 9.5 cents over THREE years?
Regular Guy P.I.E.:
If Tim Eyman wants a seat at the table, he should run for office.
Viaduct schmiaduct, Goldy. You just hate America, Jesus and George Bush. You think rich developers will give Queen Gregoire a cut on all the money they make and she will give you appoint you to some cushy payola government job.
Thank you for proving my point Clueless;
Shut out all who we do not agree with. You can hate Eyman all you want, but facts are facts. And the fact is that a large percentage of the population trust him when it comes to govenment spending, accountability, and transportation funding. You ignore him, knock yourself out, or you can look at what a valuable asset he could be to making the public buy off on a new transit funding plan.
Do you really thing Roosevelt was on fire about partnering with Stalin against Hitler? NO, but WWII would not have been won otherwise. That should make you happy, I compared Gov. Gregoire to Roosevelt and Eyman to Stalin. You should like that! For the record, our funding problem is Hitler.
Partisanship, blogging, complaining, and spinning are great and all, but someone better start talking about some really solutions to these problems or we are in a world of hurt.
“If not us, who? If not now, when?” – Ronald W. Reagon (1980 Inagural Address)
If this AWV is that seriously flawed, I’m sure our neighbors the Labor Unions (as rujax calls them our neighbors)….will HAPPILY waive prevailing wage and even donate their time to fix the AWV. Why that is the “neighborly” thing to do, isn’t it rujax?? Neighborly?? Rujax?? WAKE UP FUCKHEAD!!!
And why on earth would Tim run for office?
He would take a quarter million a year pay cut, have to stand election, wear a tie instead of a t-shirt/gorilla suit, etc…
Tim gets to work his pet issues and push his policies without any of the crap part of being a politician. He would be insane to run for office. He carries more clout in this state that any of the elected officials.
Rufas @ 18, Performance audits have been performed at DOT by Audites office for 7 or 8 years.
Pat–
The problem is the SCOPE of those so-called Performance Audits. Trust me, they aren’t of the scope or independence to make any reasonable person comfortable.
P.I.E. @ 24: “we need a huge overhaul in how we fund transportation. Relying on a fuel tax when our main goal should be to reduce fuel consumption is at it root, counter productive.”
No, it’s not. It’s logical any way you look at it. First, the gas tax is essentially a user fee. Use the roads more = use more gas = pay more for the roads you’re using. Even though it is somewhat regressive (because almost everyone drives a certain amount regardless of income), that’s an economically ideal tax structure. The amount of money collected for roads is directly proportional to the amount of driving (i.e., wear) on the roads! Second, to the extent that fuel consumption is elastic, higher fuel taxes = higher fuel prices = disincentive to buy fuel = incentive to reduce fuel consumption. That’s not counterproductive, it’s exactly the right effect. It also has the side effect of encouraging people to purchase more fuel-efficient cars.
I appreciate your desire to rethink our transportation funding and spending priorities, but I-912 is not the way to go about it. 912 itself would have the counterproductive effect you’re thinking of.
“If I-912 passes, we will have an opportunity to openly and candidally dicuss new ideas and create a funding system more inline with the long-term goals of transit. . . . If it fails, I fear we will continue for another 10 years with the status quo. The legislature will move this to the back burner, and nothing more will come of it.”
I hate to burst your bubble, but that’s not how things will pan out in Olympia. Lawmakers stuck their necks out to pass the new gas tax (raising it from historically low levels) in order to make desperately needed fixes and improvements in our state highways. And they’re seeing a knee-jerk anti-tax backlash that’s poised to cut off their necks now that they’ve stuck them out. If I-912 passes, they aren’t going to be interested in exploring new ways to raise taxes for roads, let alone transit; they hear the people saying this is the wrong priority, so they will keep their hands off this hot potato. I-912 will send transportation to the back burner—lawmakers will not be interested in getting burned twice (and possibly being voted out of office).
This is deadly serious stuff. I-912 is not about new ideas and new funding mechanisms and new emphasis on transit (you must be kidding about that). It’s about saying “NO”. Nothing more. Most of the opposition seems to be people who 1) think, mistakenly, that the state government is awash in money and has no accountability (hogwash), 2) live outside King County and don’t approve of money going to major projects there (even though for decades King County taxpayers have subsidized transportation projects East of the Cascades and across the state), 3) want to see concrete poured for new general-purpose lanes everywhere, regardless of safety priorities, and despise any funding package that includes money for mass transit, and/or 4) want to ‘stick it’ to the Democratic governor, out of spite. If you think those sentiments are going to lead to new, enlightened transportation thinking upon passage of I-912, you really should re-think things. I-912 isn’t going to ‘send the message’ you think it will. If you want to send a message, start writing and SEND A MESSAGE to your legislators! Don’t kill the funding for crucial transportation projects.
“I understand the need for infrastructural improvements as we shift to an increasingly globally competetive economy and we as a state become even more dependent on trade and international commerce.”
Do you? More importantly, do you realize how crucial this funding is to those infrastructural improvements? Plenty of I-912 backers think the money can come out of thin air if we roll back the gas tax. Fat chance.
“we have an opportunity in front of us to fix a problem for 40 years instead of 4.”
I-912 solves no problem, let alone solving any problem for 40 years. If we defeat I-912 and fix the most pressing safety needs, we can address transportation funding and priorities, and the proper balance and integration between freeways and transit, without the specter of collapsing (and sinking) bridges hanging over us. New proposals are likely to get a much warmer reception in the legislature (and WSDOT, and the Governor’s office, and the public) if we can get to fixing our worst problems and take a step back from the edge of the precipice we’re on, so we can look toward the future.
P.I.E. @ 34: “Tim gets to work his pet issues and push his policies without any of the crap part of being a politician. He would be insane to run for office.”
That much is true. If Tim were an elected representative, he’d actually have to make tough choices, instead of saying we can just cut taxes and the rest will sort itself out. He’s not a politician . . . he’s a salesman. And everyone likes the product (lower taxes!!!) he’s usually selling, so there’s no surprise he has some popularity. But you don’t hire a salesman to solve problems.
Historical note for P.I.E. @ 33: “‘If not us, who? If not now, when?’ – Ronald W. Reagon (1980 Inagural Address)”
The original quote is from the famous Jewish scholar Hillel in the first century BCE:
Mishnah [Talmud], tractate Pirkei Avot (‘Ethics of the Fathers’)
Damn, David you are good with history trivia, but sometimes your politics scares us on the right. How about that other thread?
I disagree that I-912 solves no problem. It solves one major glaring problem. The need to declare emergencies when there are none. Otherwise, let the people vote. It reminds me about some politicians who claim that they were sent there do perform their constituents bidding. But the special interest groups got hold of them and they lost their first priority. The people revolted and came up with a new master plan, not involving their elected leader. Hence we have I-912. I still have a bet on the table for Goldy to consider.
Pud, I-912 does nothing about lawmakers’ annoying habit of declaring legislation ’emergency’ legislation (which makes the law come into effect faster). Nada. Zip. You want to solve that issue, tackle it directly. Not by stopping WSDOT from fixing roads.
Incidentally, I don’t see that there’s anything preventing you (and the rest of ‘the people’) from voting on this. Quit whining about non-issues.
And finally, we have the world’s best representative democracy; if you don’t like what your representative is doing, vote him or her out! But before you do, take a closer look: The bipartisan majority that passed this year’s transportation bill (and the gas tax to pay for those safety projects) was acting on behalf of their constituents, to save their—our—lives and keep our economy running smoothly. Those aren’t “special interest” agenda items. Do you really think that fixing dangerous sections of highway (the projects this tax is paying for) is bad policy??? If you do, then you are truly insane.
Rufus @ 18 – I agree with the whole idea of an audit of all the state agencies. Unfortunately, that would turn into a gigantic boondoggle that would never truly end.
Take a look at how money gets moved into the General Fund and then gets moved out of it for funding our legislator’s pet projects.
David – I think you’ve hit the spot on 37 and 38.
Comment on #5 by Rujax…Just because your mom needs a pimp…doesn’t mean I do. If unions are so great…why have a closed shop? Let the worker think for themselves. Today you have to be anti-union to be pro worker. The good reasons for unions to exist have been codified into law now. They are outdated and actually hurt the people the pretend to serve, ie. 40 hr work week. Tell me what the union has done for you which justifies the $100 per month dues? I’d reather have the extra $1,200 per year. That’s one month’s worth of bills and a mortgage payment. Wouldn’t it be nice if the union would have let me keep what I earned instead of throwing it into the Kerry campaign? Proud FORMER member of UFCU local 44.
Oh ya, I worked for the UFCW for 7 years…you know what I have to show for it…A pension that will pay me $75 per month when I’m 65. That’s 35 years from now…$75 will buy a loaf of bread then. Glad the Union didn’t give me the option of investing in a 401(k) like the company’s non-union employees got to do. I didn’t need that 3% match.
Mark D
5,Rujax…let’s pretend we are all [everyone of us!] in a union. Then we could all “shake down” each other!!
Now that Washington voters have seen how Republicans run the nation’s disaster response, do you really think they’ll let Republicans run our state’s transportation policies?
I predict the Party of No will strike out in November.
No policies, No solutions, No brains — just No, No, No taxes.
I am continually surprised by what sounds like ignorance to me coming from some people who are supporters of I-912.
First, aren’t you all referring to SB 6103 and not HB 6103? I can’t find and HB 6103 anywhere on teh legslature’s site for this biennium, but SB 6103 funds our transportation improvements with a gas tax.
Second, SB 6103 does not provide $500 million for the viaduct, it provides $2 billion. And this is, you realize, to fix a structure that is being stressed daily beyond its design lmits and which was damaged in an earlier earthquake.
Third, where would you cut $2 billion from other projects in our state budget to pay for the AWV in the absence of the new tax revenue? It’s a $12 billion budget. How would you cut 16% of all state programs and reallocate it to repairing the viaduct, presumably without reducing teh qualtiy of education in the state? And if you DID cut 16% of state programs, how would you justify your re-election?
Roger;
Now that we’ve seen how Dems handle Disasters at Governor and Mayoral level, isn’t it time to elect a Republican who can get things done?
Thomas @ 13!
Hear Hear!
Better off now that Stefan has uncovered MASSIVE ELECTION FRAUD!
Goldy and others:
Again, you’re beating a dead-horse issue here. Who the hell cares whats Rossi’s opinion is? With all that’s going on in our world today; I think this topic should be way down the list to waste time and energy on a topic that you will most likely never get an answer too. Thanks.
chuck @ 46: Thanks. (I assume you’re refrerring to what’s now posts 41 and 42.)
Curtis Love: my bad, the version of the transit budget that passed did originate in the senate. The house amended in a good percentage of the bill, the senate ratified the house changes. So technically, the bill in 2nd Engrossed Senate Substatute Bill 6103 or 2ESSB 6103 or SB 6103 for short. not HB 6103.
David;
IF this is not to late (oh well, if it is)
Go back to one of my original post on this thread that says “Lets assume I-912 passes” as in for the sake of argument. I never stated that I-912 provides the opportunities.
Assuming it passes, where are we? We have a transit budget that is at least $5 billion underfunded. Now what do we do? Again, assume 912 passes, if it does not then all these threads are irrelevant and we are right back where we are.
One side says this leaves as awaiting a disaster. Maybe, maybe not, (when God or Miss Cleo desided to post hear and let us know the future, then we will have a definitive answer on that, till then we are all guessing)
The other side says make do with what the state has or we don’t need any of this. That is probably not realistic either.
Since assuming I-912 has passed, both of those options we are at now stink.
A third choice does exist. Since obviously the constituency does not have any faith in Olympia to spend dollars correctly, we need to bring a new option to the table. This is the opportunity I am speaking of. Which is a biproduct or unintended consequence of I-912.
The other option is to ignore/wait for the disaster and do whatever we can to preemtiviely assign the blame to the otherside.
In the end, you are probably right. Olympia may lack the stomach to show leadership if I-912 passes, but unlike you I am not willing to give them a free pass on that.
Call Frank Chopp and Lisa Brown. Call Bill Finkbinder and Richard DeBolt. Send email, show up during session or assembly weekend. And if they don’t show the leadership, boot them out.
If any Legislature is reading this: if you can not show leadership on this and do what is right for that state, please do the honorable thing and come 2006, do not put you name back on the ballot and help to find a replacement for you that can. You all face a lot of pressure from different groups. No shame in not being able to handle that, I doubt most of us could, but do the right thing, not the politically savvy thing for once.
Last paragraph in 56 should be to any Legislator not Legislature
The sky is falling! The sky is falling, said chicken little!
Maybe you’ll get lucky and Rossi will die in the quake! Maybe by some chance he’ll be the only one squashed by the viaduct…
Hell… We can dream…
Scoop please, Goldy.
The Seattle Times Backyard Blog is up and I was asked to join in this election season. My first post, arguing against I-912 lays out the bones of why I think the state needs to put up with a few…