Act of God, or act of WSDOT?
Conservative airwaves are growing heavy with fear, as I-912 supporters, less and less sure about their once sure thing, apparently crack under the pressure of a close election. On Friday, the aluminum hat brigade was calling into KVI with complaints that transportation officials were greasing the skids for the anti-roads initiative’s defeat… accusing officials of intentionally knocking traffic lights out of sync to create more congestion, and of putting make-busy road crews back on projects that were finished weeks earlier.
But by Monday morning the conspiracy theorists were out in full force, with Kirby Wilbur actually entertaining the suspicions of callers who claimed that WS DOT had intentionally caused the rock slide that has shut down I-90 near Snoqualmie Pass since early Sunday morning… all as part of a secret campaign to defeat I-912.
Um… really.
Apparently state Secretary of Transportation Doug MacDonald was out there crawling around the slope at 3 AM, planting sticks of dynamite or something. Or perhaps he’s omnipotent. I dunno, but it does seem kind of funny that the same agency that’s supposedly too incompetent to spend our transportation dollars is somehow able to knock the side of a mountain onto a roadway at a moment’s notice.
WSDOT says it might manage to open a lane in each direction as early as tonight, but personally, I hope they take their time until after Tuesday’s election. For as far as I’m concerned, if I-912 passes, why should my tax dollars be used to pay for Kittitas County’s problem?
The falling rocks are an act of God, so the message is clear — God is against I-912! If you vote for I-912, you will go to HELL!!!
Either that or that horrible rotten drought the illegitimate queen was massaging her worry beads about loosened the ground under the rocks when RAIN AND SNOW POURED IN THE MOUNTAINS.
How’s that tsunami warning thing of hers going? We voting that lunacy down with the gas tax?
Idiots.
Goldie wrote: “I dunno, but it does seem kind of funny that the same agency that’s supposedly too incompetent to spend our transportation dollars is somehow able to knock the side of a mountain onto a roadway at a moment’s notice.”
I have a degree in Economics and Finance…I could do a great job spending transportation dollars within budget and a horrible job knocking the side out of a mountian. I don’t see your point. Are you saying that someone that knows how to “knock the side of a mountian onto a roadway” knows how to “spend…transportation dollars?” This doesn’t make sense. I know you use the word “agency” in there…but the criticism is the same. I really don’t think the guys going up to set the charges along I-90 are the same people doing the budget.
AND btw dumb bunny butt – we are in WASHINGTON STATE HELL already, HENCE THE NEED TO VOTE EARLY, VOTE OFTEN AND VOTE YES ON 912.
STARVE THE BEAST AND THE ILLEGITIMATE QUEEN.
WSDOT opened one lane each direction as you posted.
Go ahead and vote yes on 912, you angry government haters. The package actually fixes many of the very projects you roads lovers desire. You are so clouded by your hatred of all things Seattle that you can’t see the whole state needs this balanced package. D’s and R’s all over the state voted for the gas tax.
You want to send some silly misguided message, but all you really will accomplish is to put more money in the pockets of big oil. If you think they will drop prices if the tax comes off, you haven’t been paying attention.
Why do you conservatives hate America so much?
Hey ASS, maybe you can tell me why the schizophrenic trolls think Rossi will beat Gregoire in 2008 when Democrats are fixing the elections? I can’t figure that one on. It seems to me it would have to be either one or the other — either Rossi is going to beat us in 2008, or we’re fixing the elections. Which is it? Can you help me?
Stefan, I know you read this blog, so how about it — if the judge awards you attorney fees and monetary penalties against KCRE, are you going to share the loot with the generous donors who paid for your lawsuit, or keep all the money for yourself?
Everybody knows that rockslides are caused by jews… NO WAIT… blacks… NO WAIT… Dean Logan… NO WAIT… Activist Judges… NO WAIT… our illegitimate guvnor… NO WAIT… Doug McDonald… NO WAIT… Teachers Unions… NO WAIT… The Monorail… NO WAIT… John Kerry’s war record… NO WAIT… Ward Churchill… NO WAIT… Tom Skerrit… NO WAIT… Roger Rabbit… NO WAIT… Ron Sims… NO WAIT… Enviromentalists… NO WAIT… The Proposed Smiking Ban… No wait… no wait… anything else?
The real thing is: the state’s conservatives can’t give a good reason why King County
liberalscitizens should pay for some cousin-fucker’s rural highway, ‘specially if he’s been gladly accepting money from donor counties such as King, Pierce and Snohomish counties for all his road problems.Goldy aka poor Soros
“For as far as I’m concerned, if I-912 passes, why should my tax dollars be used to pay for Kittitas County’s problem?”
Fess up and tell us the total tax bill you pay the state, oh selfish one. I guess you never had the experience during the formative years of learning that “there’s no I in team”. That’s the underpinning of government and the reason many of us do pay one hell of a lot in taxes year after year.
If it’s as small an amount as I suspect, you could pay for about half a stripe on a dirt road so quit your whining. I bet the value of all the free limo rides you get from Mr. Sims and the time spent by his staff helping you with your pathetic “scoops” would cancel out your total lifetime tax bill.
Conveniently you have never mentioned the dedicated road tax revenue that will still pour in if 912 passes. Close to $4 billion if I recall correctly. 912 ony wipes out the gas tax, not the rest of the new taxes which account for this $4 billion. If you, Doug MCdonald, or the gov had any scruples you’d acknowledge that $4 billion can build a lot of roads. Not on your agenda, I guess. Especially the scruples part.
Her’s the link stating that the rock slope was scheduled for work this spring:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.c.....de08m.html
Actually, the amount of money that will still “pour in” if I-912 passes is $3 billion over 16 years not $4 billion. You can easily look it up. But theres a good chance it won’t “pour in” because it looks like there might be another Tim Eyman initiative in the works to repeal those fees and set license tabs at $30 again. So if voters support 912 they will probably support another $30 tab initiative too, which leaves — nothing! Except for a 9 1/2 cent tax on diesel fuel.
The rockslide happened on the exact same section of I-90 that would be moved out of the way of several slide areas and widened to six lanes in a $379 million project approved by the 2005 legislature. That money goes away in I-912 passes.
Belltowner @ 8:
Nice!!! My sentiments exactly! The wingnuts’ favorite targets.
Reply to 4
We already know you Republican cheaters vote more than once, no need to brag about it.
Dear Red States…
We’ve decided we’re leaving. We intend to form our own country, and
we’re taking the other Blue States with us.
In case you aren’t aware, that includes Hawaii, Oregon,Washington,
Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and all the Northeast. We
believe this split will be beneficial to the nation, and especially
to the people of the new country of New California.
To sum up briefly: You get Texas, Oklahoma and all the slave states.
We get stem cell research and the best beaches. We get Elliot
Spitzer. You get Ken Lay.
We get the Statue of Liberty. You get Dollywood.
We get Intel and Microsoft. You get WorldCom.
We get Harvard. You get Ole’ Miss.
We get 85 percent of America’s venture capital and entrepreneurs. You
get Alabama.
We get two-thirds of the tax revenue, you get to make the red states
pay their fair share.
Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22 percent lower than the
Christian Coalition’s, we get a bunch of happy families. You get a
bunch of single moms.
Please be aware that Nuevo California will be pro-choice and
anti-war, and we’re going to want all our citizens back from Iraq at
once. If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals. They have
kids they’re apparently willing to send to their deaths for no
purpose, and they don’t care if you don’t show pictures of their
children’s caskets coming home. We do wish you success in Iraq, and
hope that the WMDs turn up, but we’re not willing to spend our
resources in Bush’s Quagmire.
With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control of 80 percent
of the country’s fresh water, more than 90 percent of the pineapple
and lettuce, 92 percent of the nation’s fresh fruit, 95 percent of
America’s quality wines (you can serve French wines at state dinners)
90 percent of all cheese, 90 percent of the high tech industry, most
of the U.S. low-sulfur coal, all living redwoods, sequoias and
condors, all the Ivy and Seven Sister schools, plus Harvard, Yale,
Stanford, Cal Tech and MIT.
With the Red States, on the other hand, you will have to cope with 88
percent of all obese Americans (and their projected health care
costs), 92 percent of all U.S. mosquitoes, nearly 100 percent of the
tornadoes, 90 percent of the hurricanes, 99 percent of all Southern
Baptists, virtually 100 percent of all televangelists, Rush Limbaugh,
Bob Jones University, Clemson and the University of Georgia.
We get Hollywood and Yosemite, thank you.
Additionally, 38 percent of those in the Red states believe Jonah was
actually swallowed by a whale, 62 percent believe life is sacred
unless we’re discussing the death penalty or gun laws, 44 percent say
that evolution is only a theory, 53 percent that Saddam was involved
in 9/11 and 61 percent of you crazy b*****ds believe you are people
with higher morals then we lefties.
By the way, we’re taking the good pot, too. You can have that dirt
weed they grow in Mexico.
Peace out,
Blue States
—
Preston Porter
@11
King County currently exports $127 million a year of gas taxes to the welfare, um, I mean Rossi counties.
If 912 passes, how long do you think it’ll take for its supporters to bitch about the consequences of their choice? I think about 5 minutes.
You gotta laugh at Gregoire…
She disappears for almost the entire I-912 Campaign….and jumps in when a rockslide hits. Is she trying to convince us that the rockslide would have been prevented if taxpayers weren’t so greedy??? If only Gregoire had a couple BILLION per year more that this would never happen???
I’ll bet most sane people are questioning why….with all the monitoring, this “weak spot” in I-90 wasn’t discovered before this mess???
I wish I could get one of those rocks for my yard now that there is a good myth surrounding them. Would make good conversation for years.
Jimmy, I’m sure the state will take some $$$ for the rocks. They need all the $$$ they can get, because they are so poor. Just ask Rupert “Truth Teller” Wabbet.
Any asshole who believes that WSDOT would intentionally cause a rock slide deserves to be drawn and quartered. The previous “minor” slide in Snoqualmie Pass back in September — which no doubt you’ve completely forgotten about unless you think it was an early salvo in the campaign against 912 — killed one of my work colleagues, along with two of her friends.
Thankfully, this one didn’t hurt anything except the road surface and the ability for vehicles to cross the pass.
Nin—
So your point is…..????
The rockslide is caused by us not paying enough taxes???
Is that it???
That’s what Gregoire says.
I can’t help laugh at the predictability LEFTIST PINHEADS exhibit at every single disaster to try and get us to raise taxes…or give more money away.
Pavlov would be proud of you CLOWNS!
Cyn @ 22 Yeah… who would ever think that acting like adults and wanting to pay to do basic upkeep on our roads would be a good idea? Go figure, you build a road and then you actually have to pay money – MONEY! – to keep it in good condition.
Nah, we live in Nevernever Land where you don’t have to pay taxes to build and mainting roads. You conservatives are such children.
Nin—
FYI….we already do pay taxes…..one of the highest GasTaxes in the Country.
I guess you forgot that, huh??
Why don’t we start by ending prevailing wage and a bunch of other “feather-bedding” by unions and State Bureaucrats that escalate the costs of all these highways projects.
And let’s eliminate SALES TAX on them too!
And let’s eliminate the duplicitousness of excessive environmental review where they add unnecessarily to the cost.
And NO< I did not say end ALL environmental review....I just say streamline it. Nin....one of your plethera of problems is you can only see BUSINESS AS USUAL. You are unable or unwilling to look first at all the costs added to these projects FIRST. Highway money for the Arts????? WTF!!!!!!!! Do everything possible on the cost side........then look for more money. You CLOWNS only know one side of the equation....MORE TAXES!
Actually, didn’t Karl Rove make the rocks slide…………
Belltowner@8: you forgot to blame the Masons!
mr. Irrelevant@24
that’s what we’d call… a lie.
Thats also what we call “What happens when Mr. Irrelevant opens his mouth.”
You should join the reality-based economy, buddy!
Washington farms and businesses have lost millions in the past few days because of the I-90 shutdown. 912 would cut funding for projects that will keep I-90 open despite rock and snow slides.
Why do Republicans hate Washington businesses and farmers so much?
I have an idea that will keep the likes of Ms. Chickenhawk happy, since she is complaining about our high gas tax rate. But since we all agree that we need to spend more on transportation, and since the likes of Ms. Chickenhawk always forget that unlike other states we fund transportation almost solely out of gas tax revenue, we will have to replace the loss revenue with some sort of other tax. Idealy, one that is related to transportation.
So, how bout we tax Motor Vehicles at 2% of their value each year when you renew your tabs? This should be the perfect conservative tax, as you completely control how much you pay. Don’t want to pay for transit or roads, want to stick it to the Democrats, fine, just go and buy an old Yugo, and your taxes would be tiny. If you have money to burn, go buy your gas guzzling Humvee. The amount of tax you pay is entirely within your control. How could a conservative be against that?
This is such an obvious solution, I expect that after 912 is defeated, that John Carlson and Kirby Wilbur will stand up and anounce their new campaign, the “Majority of Voters for Efficient Taxation” initiative. For once, Carlson and Wilbur could provide a “stick it to the Government” initiative that makes the likes of Ms. Chickenhawk et al. happy, and also provide good government/social policy. Now that would be a site to be seen.