Stranger endorsements

[R.V. Murphy]

Does anyone have any thoughts on The Stranger political endorsements. It seems a little skitzoid that The Stranger would endorse Nickels (not like he isn't going to win) but endorse candidates to the council who will oppose him. My guess is that the Mayor's worst nightmare would be Conlin and Licata getting re-elected and Pelz and Averill getting elected.

[amyjenniges]

Sure, we're into Nickels' proposals (most of them, at least). But we don't want a council that blindly rubber stamps his ideas. In fact, his ideas could probably be even better if they're vetted by a smart group of city council members who will analyze and debate them to shreds before voting.

Moreover, we hope that smart group of council members will come up with their own kick-ass proposals, instead of spending all of the time reinking their stamps (or not showing up at all (http://www.thestranger.com/blog/archives/2005/09/11-17.php#a001563) ).

[DMS190]

The politics of Nickels' position is just so odd: trying to kill the monorail based on a non-existent finance plan.

And what interests me is The Stranger's vague, casual and seemingly off-hand 'we couldn't care less' response.

[Jimmy Flame]

Maybe one of those city council folks can get through to Nickels about the Viaduct, and social programs... Just drop the mono rail idea already and focus on something that matters. Like preventing a catastrophy (the viaduct), and having programs designed to help people obtain skills. People with skills equal people with jobs, and people with jobs equal a stronger economy. Then worry about the monorail once we take care of everyone (well, I know it'd be immpossible to take care of EVERYONE, but give EVERYONE that option). The worlds not going to end if you can't get downtown 10 minutes faster than normal.

[Rain Monkey]

The monorail issue has little to do with the technology of a single rail. It has everything to do with the pattern of the city government disregarding the expressed will of the voters on issue after issue and on the same issue multiple times. This pattern was evident long before the Mayor stabbed the monorail in the back.

It is truly unfortunate that the press, including the Stranger, helped to create the perception of the Team Nickles steamroller's inevitability leading up to the filing deadline. Seattle needs representative democracy, not paternalistic plutocratic oligarchy, and the technologies will fall into place after that.

The Stranger has no coherent political philosophy. They want what they want and they will endorse any pro- monorail and gay marriage candidate no matter how corrupt.

Is there any doubt that if George W. Bush wanted to build a monorail in Seattle he would produce a financing plan based on a projection of an increase in property values resulting in increased tax revenues producing a surplus so vast that taxes would be cut as construction began? And the Stranger would give two thumbs up to that.

[Gomezticator]

I think the inherent problem with the Monorail is that even though the voters ask for it, it's not the voters who are building it. The planning and building is turned over to the city, and then it's up to them how it's built. We put our money into a project but gave said money to people who had no idea what to do with it.

The Vegas Monorail was built because a sect of casino owners pooled their money and connections to get the thing built. It also benefitted them directly, as foot traffic from casinos miles away were now able to get to their casinos in little time, making them more money.

Who stood to benefit from from the Seattle Monorail? The public?! Get the fuck outta here! And not even the public at large: it wouldn't have benefitted anyone outside of Downtown, Queen Anne, Ballard and West Seattle until 2015. What was in it for the big money interests? Very little, as none of them have any vested interest in Ballard or West Seattle, and it wouldn't bring in any citizens that weren't already coming in by car and bus. Plus it would take money out of the city's coffers better used to, say, fund their own projects. Like Paul Allen's desired SLU trolley and surrounding paradise.

So the big money interests fought to kill it. To them it was a cash leech that did too little for the economy, especially their's. Of course, nearly a billion dollars later it ended up being a cash leech anyway, but had we gone forward it would have leeched anywhere from two to eleven billion dollars more.

That's a terribly pessimist way to look at it, I know, and from a moralistic, social responsibility standpoint it isn't right, but the reality is that the bigwigs are the straw that stirs the big city's drink.

Come up with a plan that makes them money or maintains their share, and they'll get behind it. Easier said than done, but the alternative is to waste time and money on plans that go nowhere.

[DMS190]

"It is truly unfortunate that the press, including the Stranger, helped to create the perception of the Team Nickles steamroller's inevitability leading up to the filing deadline."

I have been puzzled that the Stranger gave Nickels a free ride on his bluff. The whole "deadline' thing was a crock right from the start and it's suspciously odd that this paper just let it fly by and accepted it as legitimate.

[Gomezticator]

You know what the real crock is? That ten years and nearly a billion dollars later, the SMP hasn't produced anything but a limited plan that serves few but would cost anywhere from 2 to 11 billion dollars. No mayor in his right mind should let such bumbling stupidity continue.

[DMS190]

You know what the real crock is? That ten years and nearly a billion dollars later, the SMP hasn't produced anything but a limited plan that serves few but would cost anywhere from 2 to 11 billion dollars. No mayor in his right mind should let such bumbling stupidity continue.

What are you talking about? SMP has only been in existence two years.

[Gomezticator]

Sorry, what I meant is ten years after voting it in, this city still doesn't have a monorail.

[DMS190]

And so you are blaming the current SMP? That makes no sense. The early votes authorized no funds and were fighting uphill against City Hall.

[Gomezticator]

Okay, it's wrong to blame the SMP. But the fact that $750 million and several years later, we have nothing to show for it, is in itself a massive crock.

[DMS190]

The prior poster is lacking in facts and should be ignored.

[Gomezticator]

Okay, neat. What do we have to show for after all these years and all that spent money? Because clearly there's some sort of monorail I'm not seeing along the cityscape. Clearly the city has made some stellar progress towards a monorail system I'm not aware of. Enlighten me.

[DMS190]

I refuse to be drawn into trolling. It would be best if you would please inform yourself of basic facts on the history of the monorail and its various votes, etc etc, Mr. Gomezticator, and then come back and we can have a good discussion.

•••

On a larger subject it is good to see that The Stranger is starting to see through Nickels.

[Gomezticator]

Trolling my arse. We're putting the monorail to a 5th vote, which is 4-5 more votes than most cities put a proposed monorail through before building one. Vegas' monorail disaster aside, other cities have had better success in expanding their mass transit systems. What gives here? If there's a conspiracy that's been running since 1997, who's exactly running it and why? I doubt the same powers that be have been throwing monkey wrenches into the movement since day one.

I was wrong about the SMP existing from day one, and it's been 8 years, not 10. But I think my overall point stands...

November 1997
Elevated Transportation Company (ETC) created by popular vote (Initiative 41) to develop a 40-mile monorail system in Seattle.

2000
ETC funding runs out and organization disbands.

November 2000
Initiative 53 passes directing the ETC to create a plan for a Seattle monorail system before voters.

August 5, 2002
ETC Publishes the Seattle Popular Monorail Plan

November 5, 2002
Citizen Petition #1 passes, creating the Seattle Popular Monorail Authority (commonly known as the Seattle Monorail Project or SMP).

September 16, 2005
Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels pulls city support for the monorail, asking to put the monorail's fate to a November vote.

This timeline leaves out the Monorail Recall initiative that failed recently.

It should not take this long and over $750 million to develop a capable plan for a citywide transit system. Who wanted this to fail and why?