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You wouldn’t know it from looking at the Seattle Monorail Project’s website, but apparently, the Monorail is dead:

The City Council today yanked its support for the Seattle Monorail, dealing a blow that council members declared would kill the embattled transit project.

In a unanimous vote, the nine-member council passed a resolution saying the city will deny street-use permits for the monorail’s proposed 14-mile Green Line.

A unanimous vote.

While the pragmatist in me agrees with the Council’s decision, I can’t help but feel wistful for what might have been. The Monorail was a bold, outrageous and exciting dream, and as columnist Danny Westneat poignantly observes in today’s Seattle Times: “Cities would wither without dreamers.”

And so rather than mourn the death of the Monorail, I’ve decided to celebrate the imagination and passion of the dreamers who envisioned it, by proposing a truly unique elevated transit vision of my own: The Seattle Rollercoaster Project.

Of course, it will take a couple hundred million dollars to determine the final route and design, but I’m guessing existing elevations would surely support a gravity-powered track along the West Seattle to downtown portion of the SMP’s proposed Green Line… and unlike the Monorail, the SRP would rely on a tried and true rail technology that has been widely used in thousands of locations for over 100 years.

Still, all transit technologies have their plusses and minuses. On the plus side, the SRP could potentially speed passengers from West Seattle to the downtown waterfront in under a minute… depending on the number of loop-the-loops and hair-raising, hairpin turns. On the minus side, the return trip back up the long, rickety, chain-driven ramp could take well over an hour, and the open-air cars aren’t well suited towards our rainy clime. (And of course, the biggest drawback is that you have to be taller than Mickey to ride.)

But in a city where voters have four times approved an elevated rail system based on Disneyland technology, why not just choose the most popular amusement park ride of them all? I’ve never seen anybody zig-zag through a 45-minute line with two, screaming, sugar-jacked kids in tow, just to ride a city bus… but a rollercoaster would virtually guarantee ridership, even under the worst conditions. Indeed, no transportation alternative is more likely to coax Seattlites out of their precious cars and onto public transit than the SRP.

But why stop there when we can truly turn Seattle into the most magical place on earth? We could recreate the pioneer days of the original “Skid Row” by building a giant flume ride down Yesler! And don’t tear down that Viaduct, when with few modifications we could transform it into a frighteningly realistic knockoff of the “Earthquake” ride at Universal Studios!

Yes, all it takes to solve our region’s transportation needs is a little imagination and a dream.

Or, barring that… I suppose we could settle for a coherent, multi-modal regional strategy, and a boring transportation package that tediously prioritizes fixing and replacing the decaying infrastructure we already have.

Still, that rollercoaster sure would be fun.

As disappointing as last November’s elections were for progressives nationwide, the 2004 election season wasn’t all gloom and doom. The emerging grassroots fundraising prowess of organizations like MoveOn promises to put progressive candidates and causes on a competitive — if not equal — financial footing, while the sudden and growing dominance of the progressive blogosphere shows signs of undermining the institutional advantage enjoyed by the right-wing media echo chamber. Together, both these developments bode well for our ability to clearly communicate the progressive message in future campaigns.

But when we look back a decade from now, I’m guessing that the day Progressive Majority set up shop in Washington state will stand out as the most significant recent development in state and local politics.

Some people may find it hard to get excited about the mundane task of recruiting, training and supporting new candidates for “down ballot” races, but these oft overlooked local offices are the minor leagues from which future political all-stars will arise. If we want to eventually take back Congress and shift the nation towards a progressive agenda, then we need to establish progressive majorities at the local level, throughout the state, where we can develop and nurture new leadership for the 21st century. This is PM’s nuts-and-bolts’ mission… and it is one it is executing exceedingly well.

In an email yesterday, PM’s Washington State Director, Dean Nielsen touts the organization’s impressive success in Tuesday’s primary. Out of over 100 recruitment meetings, PM winnowed their 2005 endorsements to 20 key races… and of the 9 candidates appearing on the primary ballot, 8 will move on to the general election.

Dave Somers for Snohomish County Council faced a spirited Democratic primary between himself and Steven Hobbs, a 33-year-old veteran who was supported by some of the more centrist Democratic leaders. Somers defeated Hobbs 64% to 35%.

Fred Chang for Port Orchard City Council was the largest vote getter in this three-way primary, garnering 48% against the former mayor and an incumbent.

Liz Loomis is in a tough race for re-election to the Snohomish City Council. While she received the most votes, 46%, in a three-way primary, she will be running against a fellow council member who gave up his safe seat to run against her.

Lawrence Molloy for Seattle Port Commission came in second place in the three way primary, even though he did not spend any money on voter contact, choosing instead to save it for the general election versus conservative Jack Creighton III, the son of the former Weyerhauser CEO.

Pete Coates, who heads the Seattle/King County Building and Construction Trades Council, lost his five way primary for Seattle Port Commission.

Rockey Marshall appears to have made it through his 7-way primary for Yakima City Council with nearly 20% of the vote. The most conservative candidate garnered nearly 43% of the vote; however, he was the only conservative in the race. Progressive Majority members played a key role in this race by funding Rockey’s GOTV program that appears to have put him over the top.

Michelle Sandoval, running for re-election to the Port Townsend City Council against two competitors, received 46% and will advance to the general.

Judy Woods will face off against conservative former State Rep. Suzette Cooke for Kent Mayor. She pulled more votes than two incumbent Kent City Council members, Bruce White and Les Thomas, who were also running for the seat.

Helen McGovern received a majority of the votes in her race for Lakewood City Council. She faces Lisa Ikeda, a member of a conservative anti-tax group, in the general election.

All these candidates need your support in the November election, as does PM for it’s tireless efforts to change the face of Washington politics, one candidate at a time.

Last night I projected that Carolyn Edmonds would take the lead over Bob Ferguson once today’s batch of absentee ballots were counted. Um… man am I glad I added the following caveat:

Still, in Ferguson’s favor, projections like this turned out to be a complete and utter load of crap during the first count in last November’s gubernatorial race.

As it turned out, Ferguson expanded his lead to 134 votes, taking a 9583 to 9449 advantage. Oops.

I have been researching the engineering reports on the Alaska Way Viaduct, the 520 floating bridge, and other fast deteriorating bridges and structures in WA state… and the more I learn, the more frightened I get. It will not require a major earthquake or other natural disaster to bring down some of these structures: one of our run-of-the-mill, winter wind storms could easily sink the 520 bridge, while the Viaduct is slowly toppling over onto the waterfront, all on its lonesome. And yet, one of the typically smug taunts I routinely get from I-912 proponents whenever I raise these issues is, “If it’s so dangerous, why is it still open to traffic?”

Hmm.

And so I would like to make an appeal to any attorneys in my audience, or other concerned citizens willing to contribute materially or financially, to join me in suing WSDOT and other responsible public agencies to immediately shut down the Viaduct, the 520 bridge and other structures that present an imminent danger to public safety. Really.

I suppose there are some in this region who simply do not believe that these structures are unsafe, or who are willing to gamble that “the big one” won’t strike during their lifetime, or at least, when they or their loved ones are traversing one of these hazardous roads. It is human nature to procrastinate in the face of possible, yet uncertain, deadly disasters (hence, New Orleans inadequate levees.) But how many voters are willing to cancel or delay the state transportation improvement package when faced with the imminent threat of adding an hour or more to their daily commute… each way?

If the Viaduct closes, it will not only spill traffic onto the surface streets, but onto an already congested I-5… which will in turn push traffic onto the even more congested I-405. And if the 520 bridge closes, I-90 will crawl to a virtual standstill for much of the day. Close them both at the same time, and… well… good luck to those regularly commuting across or around Lake Washington.

Don’t get me wrong; this is not just some Machiavellian ploy. These roads really are that unsafe, and if the only alternative is inaction, we would be doing a public service by shutting them down. But in the weeks leading up to the vote on I-912, something needs to be done to drive home to voters the truly dangerous state of our decaying infrastructure… and I’m not afraid to be the one cutting the reality check.

No doubt a successful lawsuit would deliver a huge blow to our regional economy, but I have talked to several elected officials who would privately welcome somebody taking such a politically untenable action. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina our collective paralysis is unconscionable, and anybody who understands the engineering reports understands the moral imperative to act now.

The 520 bridge is brittle and crumbling, its pontoons springing leaks faster than they can be patched up. The Viaduct’s columns rest on unstable soil, and no amount of reinforcement can keep it from falling over. These and other structures are public hazards that need to be replaced immediately, or removed entirely… and I intend to make my case in a court of law.

I have neither the legal training nor the financial resources to pursue this on my own, so if you can substantially contribute money or legal expertise, or know of others who can, please drop me an email. I hope to file suit by early October, and if I can generate enough interest to proceed, I will open a “legal offense fund” so that others may contribute according to their means.

Of course, none of this would be necessary if Republican “leaders” like Dino Rossi would take a responsible, public stance on this dire issue, persuading their core constituents to vote no on the foolishly obstructionist I-912. But barring such an uncharacteristic fit of candor, I will be forced to follow the only lead Rossi has ever given the people of this state, and turn to the courts to achieve an objective I might not be able win at the polls.

A SurveyUSA poll commissioned by KING-TV has some interesting numbers about several of the state-wide initiatives on the November ballot:

		Yes	No	Undecided
	I-912	52%	41%	7%
	I-901	67%	32%	1%
	I-900	45%	48%	6%

I-912 would repeal the state transportation improvement package, I-901 would ban smoking in public buildings and vehicles, and I-900 is Tim Eyman’s superfluous performance audits initiative. Of course, everybody expects I-901 to pass by a large margin, but I was pleasantly surprised by the relative weakness of both I-912 and I-900.

That I-912 is only polling at 52% just 7 weeks out from the election proves that this incredibly short-sighted initiative is beatable, and should encourage opponents to spend whatever is necessary to defeat it. Anybody who still thinks I-912 is a sure thing, is kidding themselves. Voters may not like higher taxes, but the more they understand what they’ll lose by passing the initiative, the less attractive it looks.

As for the over-reaching I-900, it looks like Eyman’s comeback initiative may fall short after all… a particularly amusing prospect considering it’s drawn no organized opposition. I think it is quite possible that the reference to the sales tax in the ballot title might actually confuse voters into thinking this is a tax increase… thus hoisting Timmy on his own anti-tax petard. I’d say the closeness of this poll would portend an election night drama… that is, if anybody actually cared about I-900 besides me and Timmy.

In any case, I’m liking these numbers.

King County Elections just posted an update, including a batch of late arriving absentee ballots, and Carolyn Edmonds has closed the gap on Bob Ferguson to a mere 25 votes. Ferguson now leads 8093 (49.97%) to 8068 (49.81%).

The county received 27,000 absentee ballots today, and these numbers represent all the ballots they had on hand. According to Elections spokesperson Bobbie Egan, they will continue to receive ballots through next Tuesday, so it is “impossible to determine” how many might be outstanding. Edmonds did substantially better amongst absentee voters than at the polls, so it is still possible she could take the lead some time over the next week.

UPDATE:
I think I misunderstood Bobbie. From the KCRE website:

King County Elections today counted 53,068 additional ballots […] Ballots counted through today include those received through Election Day.

I think that means that today’s update does not include the 27,000 ballots received today. Assuming the rest of the absentee ballots break similarly to those already counted, Edmonds will likely win by a margin that should survive a recount.

UPDATE, UPDATE:
I just did a little math, and it turns out that Edmonds continued to garner 54% of the late absentees counted today, just as she had with the early absentees counted on election night. Since there’s no reason to suspect that these trends will reverse themselves, it looks like Edmonds is headed to victory.

The 3515 new votes added to this afternoon’s tally represent about 6.6% of the 53,068 total new ballots countywide. Thus, extrapolating from previous returns, Edmonds would open up about a 120-vote margin on the strength of the 27,000 absentees that arrived today. It now seems likely that she’ll win by a large enough margin to avoid an automatic recount.

Still, in Ferguson’s favor, projections like this turned out to be a complete and utter load of crap during the first count in last November’s gubernatorial race.

From: Reed, Sam [Sec. of State]
Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 200511:03 AM
To: Logan, Dean
Cc: [County Auditors]
Subject: King County Election Goes Well

Dean —

Congratulations on a very smooth election. Based on the calls I received alone, I know you were in a pressure cooker being scrutinized, analyzed and second-guessed throughout the election. It’s very impressive how well you and your crew executed it.

With a few minor glitches here and there around the state, the election went well everywhere. What a relief! It reafirms what exceptional leadership we have in the County Auditors’ offices throughout the state.

Onward and upward!

— Sam

Other than the stunning defeat of HA favorite son Richard Pope, yesterday’s primary election in King County pretty much went as expected. In nearly every nonpartisan race, the pre-primary favorites captured the top two spots, and there were no upsets in the partisan races. Indeed, yesterday’s only real drama was generated by the closely fought Ferguson-Edmonds race, where Carolyn Edmonds still has a shot at closing Bob Ferguson’s 308-vote lead once all the late absentee ballots are counted.

But the real election news is that there was no real election news regarding the primary’s conduct. No scandals, no significant glitches, and as Evergreen Freedom Foundation (EFF) observers reported, “no major smoking guns.” By 9:30 p.m. last night, Sims staffers were downright cheerful at reports from the polling places and the elections center. In fact, the election went so smoothly that the EFF’s Jonathan Bechtle was reduced to complaining that this one didn’t count.

“There may not be a problem this time, but that’s because (the primary) is so small. If we had another major election like last year, I think we’d have the same problems again.”

Hmm. Can’t question scholarship like that… the EFF is a think tank after all. Well, at least Bechtle wasn’t just flinging vague, unsupported accusations. No, that job was left to KCGOP Chairman Michael Young:

“There has already been evidence that the absentee ballot process was not conducted correctly. So we are very sensitive as to whether those ballots are coming from the person who they say they are.”

And your “evidence” of this misconduct is where, Michael? Oh… it’s up your ass, you say? Well, yank it out, wipe off the shit, and let’s have a look-see.

Even David Irons’ webmaster — reporting on his first day as a novice poll worker — was reduced to nitpicking, glumly concluding that “the day mostly went okay.” I suppose by that he was referring to his own nefarious efforts to double vote:

“… one vote (my own!) [was] counted more than once.”

Don’t worry Stefan, now that you’ve admitted your crime, I’m sure Norm Maleng will go easy on you. In fact, considering my dead-on legal analysis of Dino Rossi’s doomed election contest, you may want to hire me as an advisor to your legal team. (I strongly urge an insanity defense.)

So the biggest contest yesterday was the election itself, and the GOP’s pathetic efforts to spin it. Well, the results are in, and I’d say it was huge victory for big “D” and little “d” democrats alike.

According to a high ranking GOP insider, the Irons campaign and the KCGOP phone banks were burning up the lines this week, asking Republican voters to take the Democratic ballot and vote against Ron Sims. This has apparently pissed off a couple Republican candidates, who are seeing their numbers deflated in today’s primary.

Hmm. I suppose the strategy is to try to build up the false impression that Sims is in trouble. If you ask me, it’s Irons who is in trouble if he’s stooping to petty, pointless tricks like this.

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

The latest SurveyUSA poll shows a dramatic rise in Gov. Christine Gregoire’s approval ratings: 45% approve, 49% disapprove. That’s a huge improvement from the 38%-52% she polled shortly after Dino Rossi’s election contest was dismissed “with prejudice.”

It seems that the more voters get to know Gov. Gregoire, the more they like her… and the further we get away from the election contest, the less voters blame her for the controversy. Eleven governors now have worse approval differentials, including such GOP notables as CA Gov. Arnold Schwartzenegger and NY Gov. George Pataki. (And Gregoire polls a helluva lot better than of our failed President.)

I’m guessing Gov. Gregoire’s rising popularity might wipe some smugness off the faces of the Republican faithful who were counting on last year’s election controversy to sweep them into power.

The Seattle chapter of Drinking Liberally meets tonight (and every Tuesday), 8PM at the Montlake Ale House, 2307 24th Avenue E.

We’ll twist the barkeep’s arm into tuning in the election results, and Nick plans to bring his laptop for up-to-the-minute results. I may stop by another election night gathering first, but I’ll definitely be there.

I suppose I should have posted my endorsements before most people voted… but then I’ve never claimed to be as responsible, forward thinking and independent conservative as say… the Seattle Times editorial board. (Tip to future candidates: the secret to gaining the Times’ endorsement is to rail against the estate tax and shoot a few dogs.)

Anyway… for what it’s worth, here are my choices in a handful of contested races. Ignore them if you choose… just get out there and vote.

King County Council District 1: Carolyn Edmunds

I know I probably should like Bob Ferguson, what with all his grassroots, door-belling, bus riding, status quo stomping, gosh darn hard-workin’-guy style of politics… but I don’t. Where others see a refreshing independent voice, I see a calculating, ambitious politician, carefully cultivating his contrarian reputation.

Carolyn Edmunds, on the other hand, is a Democrat, with an established record and strong connections to community groups throughout her district. The way I look at it, outside of District 1 there’s going to be four Democrats and four Republicans on the council. Elect Edmunds and you give the D’s a reliable 5-4 majority. Elect Ferguson and he becomes an unpredictable swing vote.

For my peace of mind, vote for Edmunds.

King County Council District 9: Steve Hammond

Devout Democrat as I am, if I lived in District 9 I’d be grabbing a Republican ballot and casting my vote for Steve Hammond. Not that I like Hammond’s politics… he’s an arch-Conservative Christian preacher with an overbearing, holier-than-thou demeanor and a complete and utter lack of political nuance. But he is what he is, and pretty honestly represents his district.

On the other hand, who the hell knows who Raymond Shaw Reagan Dunn really is? He’s been running like an arch-Conservative Christian preacher with an overbearing, holier-than-thou demeanor and a complete and utter lack of political nuance… but it just comes across as so much grandstanding. I think he made a miscalculation running towards the right, as first impressions count. Republicans need to run towards the middle to win broadly in King County and WA state, and while he likely has the money, the consultants, and the name to overcome these early missteps, I think we’ll all be better off if this GOP golden boy learns a few lessons from stumbling early.

Clearly, a mere council seat is beneath a man of such lofty political pedigree, so we might as well give it to a candidate who genuinely sees the council as an opportunity to serve his community (however misguided his politics), rather than just as a springboard to higher office. Vote for Steve Hammond.

Seattle City Council, Position 2: Richard Conlin

I dunno… I’m just not feeling that “throw the bum out” spirit this year. Conlin’s not given me any reason to dump him, and his opponents haven’t given me any reason to give them a try… and then the Times sealed the deal by endorsing Paige Miller. Vote for Richard Conlin.

Seattle City Council, Position 4: Linda Averill

Fuck The Stranger! I mean really… fuck them! I was so absolutely sure that I would be the only person to the right of Trotsky’s ghost endorsing Linda Averill… and then those cirrhotic fuckers at The Stranger steal my thunder. Well fuck them.

Why Averill? Well mostly I just wanted to piss off my righty trolls by endorsing the only Freedom Socialist Party candidate on the ballot. And… well… The Stranger actually makes some good points in her defense. (But fuck them anyway.) But if you really can’t bring yourself to vote for Averill, I’d just like to remind you that Casey Corr was once an editorial writer for the Times. Need I say more?

Seattle City Council, Position 8: Dwight Pelz

I know I said I don’t have that “throw the bum out” spirit, and I really don’t want to throw out Richard McIver… but damn it, the Council needs an asshole like Dwight Pelz to get in Greg Nickels’ face from time to time. (And Dwight… I mean “asshole” in the best sense of the word.) Truth is, I really haven’t made up my mind on this race yet, and just want to see Pelz and McIver face off in the general election. So whatever you do, don’t vote for Robert Rosencrantz.

Port of Seattle: Molloy, Hara and Pope

No surprise on my first endorsement. Lawrence Molloy is every liberal’s favorite incumbent in this year’s Port Commission elections. The Weekly endorsed him. The Stranger endorsed him. The P-I endorsed him. The Times didn’t. Need I say more? (Plus, I met him last night at the Red Cross fundraiser, and not only is he articulate and knowledgeable, he came across as a nice guy.) Vote for Molloy for Position 1.

Position 3 was a tough one for me. I really, really wanted to endorse Peter Coates, a reform candidate with strong Labor backing… but the pragmatic, good-government Dukakis-Democrat in me thought, gee, I dunno… maybe the Port could use a former City Treasurer and County Auditor like Lloyd Hara. And then the Times ruins everything for me, by endorsing Hara too. Well… screw the Times… I’m voting for Hara anyway.

For Position 4, I’m standing by my man: perennial candidate and HA regular Richard Pope. Sure, Richard’s a little nutty, and he’s probably unqualified for the job, but he’s got a couple good points to make about the Port being a drain on taxpayers, and what the hell… he doesn’t stand a chance of winning anyway. If you really don’t want to throw away your vote, Jack Jolley’s your man… but I’m voting for Richard.

Seattle Popular Monorail Authority: Stockmeyer and Goldberg

The Monorail looks so dead right now, it’s really hard to get too excited over these races, but whoever wins, I think their first act should be to remove the word “Popular” from the authority’s name.

Cleve Stockmeyer is an easy choice for Position 9. Yeah… he wants to build the Monorail, but he’s a pragmatist, a principled good-government activist, and an all around good guy. In the proudest tradition of representative democracy, I trust Cleve to make an informed decision on my behalf.

I’m not so enthusiastic about Beth Goldberg, who is clearly running to kill the Monorail, whatever the circumstances or final proposal. Yet she grudgingly earns my reluctant endorsement because, as her opponent Cindi Laws knows, all us Jews stick together… so I really don’t have a choice. Mazel tov on my endorsement, Beth.

I keep searching for clues as to “Where’s Rossi?” on Initiative 912… but according to Andrew Garber in this morning’s Seattle Times, Dino is clueless:

The campaign, in its polling, found that former Republican gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi could have a significant impact on how people vote if he endorsed or opposed I-912. Rossi said recently he has no position.

No position? Gimme a break. This is a guy who wants to be governor, and he has no position on an initiative that will determine the ability of the state to start addressing its massive transportation infrastructure needs? He has no position on a transportation package that passed both houses of the Legislature with a bipartisan majority, and which is strongly backed by his longtime patrons in the business community? He has no position on an initiative that has been sold by its backers as revenge for Rossi’s loss at the polls and in the courts?

Actually, what he told Garber was that he was not going to take a position, not that he didn’t actually have one, and I really have trouble believing that my friends in the MSM will let Rossi get away with this prevarication. I-912 rode Rossi’s election contest trial onto the ballot, and if he wants to be taken seriously in WA politics, he has an obligation to take a public stance, one way or the other.

In a companion piece, Ralph Thomas raises the ominous question of “Who’ll be to blame if viaduct, 520 bridge collapse?”

Politicians, clerics and ethicists agree we have a moral obligation to fix infrastructure such as highways and levees that we know pose a risk to the public.

But where does that obligation lie?

Well, if I-912 passes due to Rossi’s silence, and the resulting delays result in a catastrophic collapse, I know one person I’m going blame: Dino Rossi.

Just a reminder… tonight I will be co-hosting a Red Cross fundraiser at the home of Jennifer McCausland, 2601 Cascadia Ave. S., in Seattle’s Mt. Baker neighborhood. The event takes place from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

King County Executive Ron Sims will be the guest of honor — it was originally slated to be a campaign fundraiser — and he will be giving a short talk on the region’s disaster preparedness.

This is a great opportunity to meet Ron (and me) while raising money for a very worthy cause… the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Hope to see you all there. Please R.S.V.P.