Joel Connelly bemoans the surfeit of "vision" over reason that seems to infest local politics, and most recently regarding the Viaduct:
[Former Gov. Dan] Evans, a tunnel backer, delivered an Olympian observation on KPLU radio last month, declaring, "30 years from now, you will not remember how much it cost."Oh yeah? Evans was governor in the 1970s when the state signed off on construction of five Washington Public Power Supply System nuclear plants. Cost estimates skyrocketed from $4.1 billion to $23.9 billion. Only one reactor was ever completed.
Northwest ratepayers spent 30 years paying for two abandoned, half-built reactors. The other two "dry holes" triggered the biggest municipal bond default in U.S. history.
Such things happen when our public officials indulge in "vision" but can't see in front of their own feet.
Dan, you are an engineer, what about the retrofit?
Posted by: swatter on March 5, 2007 03:27 PMO.K. now what has become of this list? All of this list - 100% of this list - each and every project on this list. Evans has absolutely no credibility on issues such as this.
Posted by: JDH on March 5, 2007 03:38 PMOh, yeah - right. Connelly can't mention them.
SMP paid big money to the PI for "informational advertisements." That paid for Connelly's salary in 2002-2005.
And now Sound Transit owns Connelly (and the staff and editors at the PI and the Times). ST is paying the daily papers millions for good ink, and to look the other way while it rips off the public.
That's why you don't know how much tax ST now intends to collect to finish up Phase I. ST is paying the dailies not to let you know.
Posted by: forrest hilliyard on March 5, 2007 03:39 PMAnd this is news?
Posted by: Rey Smith on March 5, 2007 03:44 PM"So--would YOU do this---does this make sense for YOUR home business or YOUR money?!"
("...then why are we asking the State to do something?!")
Posted by: jimmie-howya-doin on March 5, 2007 04:03 PMThe nine miscreants on the State Supreme Court have a different kind of "vision" problem. Their vision gets REALLY cloudy when it comes time to read the briefs of citizens suing local governments.
Turns out those nine have such a tough time reading what citizens are claiming, they just like to go ahead and invent lame arguments instead. That way, they can write strongly-worded opinions to dismiss citizens' claims.
Given the time and 3 Mile Island I wouldn't be too surprized if that was big part of the problem.
Its not that the technology wasn't well known at the time. I can't see the engineers missing the basic costs by that much.
Of course there was the oil embargo hyper-inflation then as well.
As it turns out, even at the higher price, we would now have extra power to sell to California, Oregon and Nevada.
Posted by: deadwood on March 5, 2007 05:19 PMGov. Evans until I see some restraint and responsibility in Olympia SHUT THE F**** UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: JCM on March 5, 2007 05:47 PMThe high school I went to is being replaced. They will open the new one less than forty years after the original one was brand new.
WPPSS. Kingdome. Monorail, Sound Transit, Key Arena. School buildings that can't last more than 35 years or so.
It seems that the One thing our government is good at is spending our money. Getting actual value for our money doesn't seem to be high on the list.
Posted by: SouthernRoots on March 5, 2007 05:56 PMSadly, Evans is a dreamer with his head in the clouds....or some other dark, dank place!!
Posted by: Mr. Cynical on March 5, 2007 05:59 PMInstead of the 'vision' of a picture-postcard waterfront (with a screen carefully pulled over the deliberately induced traffic chaos of the impractical 'surface street' option), Connelly pees in the punchbowl of the oh-so-urban aesthetes who can't see any further than that 'vision'.
Workers can't drive to work? Let 'em sprout wings and fly like fairies? Connelly for once rubs those elite noses in rude reality. Want taxpaying workers who make more than minimum-wage tourist pluckers? Then leave some industrial jobs on the waterfront, and let the elites go to Disneyland for their fantasies.
Posted by: Hank Bradley on March 5, 2007 06:10 PMWhat happened to him?
Posted by: Shaun on March 5, 2007 07:58 PMThe viaduct and tunnel circus is the most precious political entertainment we will ever be lucky enough to enjoy. Providing the current scenario holds. No decisions.
What more could one ask for? Environmentalist against environmentalist, developer against developer, commuter against commuter, lesser seattles against lesser seattles, governor against mayor, councilmember against mayor, councilmember against governor and on and on.
Emergency!, emergency!, doom!, doom!
Meanwhile, traffic is flowing nicely along the existing viaduct.
And will for years to come if a few corner braces and spackle are applied.
You can't make sh*t like this up Bart.
It's like a "FARCICAL 3-ACT MINI-DRAMA" with a whole bunch of very bad actors.
The answer of our problems is that more people need to leave Seattle and the Puget Sound. Reducing our population to 1 million even and shaving off the 0.8 million influxers since 2000 would be the best policy decision ever.
Plus, it would be to the great benefit of those 0.8 Million...right now there are bargain homes in great little cities like Lexington, KY and Birmingham, AL. Get out now while the getting is good!
I thought he died of shame after the Mumia Commencement Address.
Posted by: Rey Smith on March 6, 2007 01:58 PMa) blind?
b) nuts?
c) a squirrel?
d) a vision-impaired spayed squirrel?
e) all of the above?
2. Can we put this question on the next WASL?
Posted by: Rey Smith on March 6, 2007 03:48 PM