August 11, 2005
Die, Monorail, Die
Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, in one of his first sensible acts in years, handed the Seattle Monorail Project an ultimatum: file a ballot initiative for voters to approve more funding and/or changes to the project by September 15, or dissolve the agency. The latest poll shows that
37 percent of respondents wish to continue the project, and 56 percent would end it.
Hopefully, this debacle is finally about to end.
Meanwhile, be sure to support the candidacy of Jim Nobles for Monorail Board. He's committed to dissolving the agency, as is Beth Goldberg who is running for the other seat. You can hear the web audio version of yesterday's KUOW The Conversation, featuring all of the Monorail candidates.
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at August 11, 2005
10:49 AM | Email This
1. I gleened this from the Seattle Times article:
"The business groups' poll, conducted by Peter Hart of Washington, D.C., found that only 34 percent of 503 respondents had confidence in the monorail board.
Last night, Stockmeyer suggested adding to the ballot a measure that would let the public elect the majority of SMP board members; seven of nine now are appointed by the mayor, the City Council and the board itself."
Seven of the board members are appointed? This project was doomed from the beginning. First the momorail needs to be killed, then Ron Sims need to be voted out of office.
2. Sorry about that non-related call for King Ron to be ousted as well. The City Council and Mayor should be partly held accountable for this mess, as well as the board of the monorail project - not Ron Sims. He has enought stuff to answer for already.
3. How many financial dikes and dams must burst (like the monorail) and drown citizens downstream before the likes of the mayor "snap into action?"
They are still arguing that the dam is 'partially standing' and therefore useful.
Imagine these guys in our missle defense arena--"Hey--that's an incoming warhead--you think they are SERIOUS?!--We can't ask the warhead if it is an illegal alien--call the ACLU, quickly!"
4. just reading this blog and the posts related to this monodebacle, that project needs to die. hopefully you will be able to declare its death soon enough.
jimmie, as for the reference to missile defense, i think if a missile were incoming, everybody involved would say something like "hey, we don't have the incoming coordinates like we did in all of those tests, and even then, those tests failed!"
5. I like the idea of an expanded monorail, but I knew they would screw it up with committees. They are trying please EVERYONE, and make it a commuter train. They overpromised, will underdeliver, and will overcharge.
I have said for years that they should have added a little section every year and expanded to a new section of the city, and in the last 40 years they could have had monorails running everywhere for pennies by comparison to todays costs. I would much prefer to take the monorail to Seatac or a Mariner Game than sit in traffic, but these committees want to figure out how to get me to and from work which will never happen. Realistically it is a tourist attraction that will work for some of our residents to commute as well.
6. So what is the next thing? How to we get people in and out of Seattle without a car? I am in the U-District at The Cafe Racer and dreading the idea of driving/parking downtown. Wouldn't it be nice to catch the "insert transit system here" downtown. Much better than waiting for the bus that never comes, is late, or meanders all over town.
7. Hizzoner should walk the walk, not just talk the talk. In his letter he takes monorail to task, and demands they put it to a vote to raise taxes to pay for what was promised to the voters, or let the voters approve a scaled-back plan. Hey, big guy, how about giving the voters the same choices on your porker of an agency, Sound Transit. Why not give voters a chance to shut it down? S.T. has cut back on what it promised, and it is costing far more than what was approved. Too bad if the tide of public sentiment has turned against train projects. Let the voters decide if they still want to pay taxes for Sound Transit as well.
8. This is a classic case of the "professional" bureaucrats milking a dead-horse absolutely to death. These parasites will try to suck every drop of taxpayer money out of this thing they can before it is officially buried.
More and more of our so-called "leaders", that is Elected Officials accountable to us (the VOTERS) are so incompetent and operate in fear of these bureaucrats. They are "bobbleheads" incapable of making a decision to save tax dollars NOW. The final accounting of this mess and a follow-up audit will reveal massive unproductive, unnecessary spending. Watch.
9. I'm new to Washington state and unfamiliar with the monorail funding? Will they be asking for state money for funding? If so, is the election for the monorail board open state-wide? Just wondering if the gas tax hike might be furnishng some of the funds.
10. Good lord, finally. I hope the thing dies soon.
11. Typical Nickels. He made his ultimatum in the most politically safe way possible and only after testing the wind all summer.
If he had a noodle, and had even the slightest concern for Seattle taxpayers, he'd have demanded the stupid project be shut down.
12. Tweedle Dee the Mayor is looking for any excuse to get the project started so that the taxpayers will be on the hook forever. He will surely call up every excuse in the book as to why we should continue, such as it will reduce the commute, help the environment, employ his big donor buddies, blah, blah, blah. Barf.
In case he hasn't noticed, downtown Seattle has problems mass transit is not going to solve. As long as he continues to pander to the "homeless" and the socialists, the situation is just going to get worse. Hopefully the roar from John Q Public will finally kill the monorail for good. Sheesh!!
13. Tom, In answer to your questions:
1. No, the initiative for the no-no-rail specified that funding would be levied against Seattle residents exclusively.
2. No-no-rail board is a Seattle area election.
3. No, gas tax revenues aren't supposed to go to the no-no-rail.
14. I wonder if they have figured out a way that they can cancel the monorail project, but still collect the taxes. "Yes we have cancelled this terrible fiasco, but unfortunatly we have no way to stop collecting the scheduled taxes for the next 7 years. These funds will just go into the general fund. We have done a great job looking after your best interest."
15. I reall would like to see this disaster put out of its misery!!!
16. I don't get why voter denied ball parks are built despite the voters wishes but voter supported monorail has to be voted on again and again? Why can't politicians give the people what they want? They'll all be replaced if they don't start listening to the people who they are supposed to work for and represent.