Cool.

Best Mayor ever!

Why is it that McGinn won't do a goddamned thing about police brutality, but can manage to find his balls when it comes to the tunnel?

Single-issue politicians don't supply good governance. McGinn needs to pull his head out of his ass.

*guffaw*

Good for him.

Tunnel supporters will certainly refuse to answer any of the voters' questions on this matter and be fluffed by the road warrior crowd, but whatever, there's an election coming up and after the mishandling of the police force and a continued sagging economy, we might have an entirely different elected landscape soon enough.

@2,

Yeah I too find it very disturbing how he sits on his hands when it comes to SPD being hit with scandal after scandal, but spends, what appears to be, alot of time and resources to block the tunnel when its painfully obviously his veto will be overwritten. I mean he even held a press conference to do this, such a waste of time when he knows he's out numbered.

Go to hell McGinn. You are disgrace to this city. You say you are protecting the citizens of Seattle about cost over runs on this project but when looking at the proposal the bulk of cost over runs come from delays and legal expenses. So, you want to garuentee cost over runs by a veto and public vote? You are so fucking worthless. Oh yeah, and what do you have to say about this gem...

"If I'm elected mayor, although I disagree with this decision, it will be my job to uphold and execute this agreement," (McGinn) said. "It is not the mayor's job to withhold the cooperation of city government in executing this agreement."

Fucking liar.

How about protecting the citizens from real problems such as high unemployment, an out of control police department, falling property values, the homeless, etc. Yet you feel the need to waste all yours and out time fighting a battle that has been solved. WTF?!?
Worst...
Mayor...
EVER!!!

@2,@5 - technically, that is Council's problem - since they're the ones negotiating with the Guild and not mandating civilian oversight with teeth.

I just was thinking about how fun it's going to be to put signs on the "suicide fences" approaching the Deathly Barrows Tunnel.

It's like they were made for protest signs using metal filament zip cords and to have flares hang from them and LED strobes.

@4: You can hope that election cycles will change the landscape, but I think you and others have badly misread the electorate.

Go over to Publicola, a blog not particularly frequented by "road warriors", Manchurians, or Chamber of Commerce cogs, and notice how many "Likes" pro and anti tunnel postings have. No barrier to entry, just click the button (and yes, IP hags can hack this) and yet pro DBT typically outnumbers anti DBT votes around two to one.

So sure, let's have a meaningless referendum (or two) about a ship that has sailed. I think the results will surprise you.

@6: He also said "I will not stop asking the tough questions nor will I ever stop standing up for Seattle's interests in this process."

Why hasn't the cost overrun provision been repealed? We were told last year, we were told this year, in both cases, the Council ceased lobbying and all legislators "opposed" to cost overruns ceased their moves against it -- meanwhile, proponents and many others are saying they will enforce the provision one way or another. Why are they accelerating the move (and subsequent breakup) of the artists at 619 Western? Why haven't they addressed the federal governments concerns in a timely manner (or provided a timeline for their anticipated answer?)?

They have not upheld their duty to the citizens of the City of Seattle. This is unacceptable.

And another thing....
Why is it the Slog is so anti Highway 99 tunnel but pro Link Light Rail tunnel to the U District? Another DEEP BORE TUNNEL that costs more then Highway 99 but will carry thousands and thousands less?!?
You guys are as clueless as our Mayor.

@8: Unsurprisingly I do visit PubliCola frequently.

Environmental types have lamented that a small and dedicated group of pro-road wonks has taken over the conversation there, and it's true.

Moreover, if you want to take news website comments at face value, let's just say that McCain should have won in Seattle in a landslide in 2008.

@10: You're a moron.

The combined bore of the U-Link project is smaller than that of the proposed DBT. The U-Link project was also delayed (currently at 9 years and 11 months, maybe more) due to difficult engineering and cost overruns. Use of the U-Link tunnel will see 39,000 boardings at two new stations, comparable to the anticipated 45,000 total trips under required tolling conditions in the DBT.

Voters were faced with numerous attempts to kill Link via attempts at filing for various petitions and initiatives, strangling at the legislative level and attempted lawsuits; none of them got off the ground.

If we applied our experiences with U-Link to the DBT, the project would be delayed, cost more, be rerouted and would face the risk of a public vote. ... so far we've got the vote part coming.

@9 Problem is he keeps asking questions that have been answered over and over again and doesn't excuse the fact he told a bald face lie two weeks before the election to get in office.

Every legal expert including the state's attorney general says that provision isn't enforceable. The reason it hasn't been removed is due to state constructional provisions regarding legislation. It was put in by a d-bag rural republitard trying to make a name for themselves and nothing more.

This project has hardly been accelerated. In 11 days will be the 10th anniversary of the Nisqually Quake. 10 YEARS! It's time to end it and finish what should have been done a long time ago. Just ask the people of New Orleans and Oakland what happens when you don't maintain infrastructure.

"@10: You're a moron."

You stay classy Baconcat! I shouldn't expect any less from a McGinn supporter though.

what @12 said. Kal-El2K for the Moron Of The Century win.

We are nearly $1 billion short on commitments to this tunnel project, and if any of those commitments fails to materialize this tunnel project will be a failure. If so-called "Tunnel + Transit" folks can't meet those commitments, then I applaud the Mayor and Councilmember O'Brien for standing up and calling B.S. on these agreements.

*guffaw*

@13: I'm sorry, but what is the answer on cost overruns? They say "they won't happen" but have not provided a substantial body of evidence to the contrary. What about removing the cost overrun provision? Never tackled. What about enforcement? Legislators rebuffed claims that it's unenforceable in numerous instances (even Democrats; for the record, the overrun provision was put in by Frank Chopp and Rep. Kastama D-Puyallup is the main proponent of making sure it's enforced one way or another).

@14 Stay classy? Okay:

Go to hell McGinn. You are disgrace to this city. You say you are protecting the citizens of Seattle about cost over runs on this project but when looking at the proposal the bulk of cost over runs come from delays and legal expenses. So, you want to garuentee cost over runs by a veto and public vote? You are so fucking worthless. Oh yeah, and what do you have to say about this gem...

Fucking liar.

Should I believe this to be typical of a tunnel fanatic?

What I don't understand, after the vote against the income tax, and after laying on the 2/3rds vote for budget increases (for a 3rd or 4th time), nowhere am I hearing the voices of Fiscal Conservatives from outside of Seattle condemning this fiasco just for the very thought that someone outside of Seattle would have to pay for the thing.

I mean, support it or not, there seems to be absolute silence from all the people who normally call for cutting some 1 million dollar lib program for studying frogs under water towers.

Yet, here we have a really, really obvious case that stands to end up bilking the whole state for "cost overruns" in the billions -- and not a peep.

The tunnel truly is...the elephant in the room.

Blah, blah, blah, state highway, blah, blah, blah, state contract, blah blah blah.

Blah blah blah two federal EPA hearings blah blah blah three federal EIS hearings blah blah blah no funding ...

Where's the money to pay for this project? It's $700billion short today, and the leg is intent on paying no more than their current commitment.

The tunnel is a lame way to move traffic - and it kills the town. Look at San Fransisco - there are better ways to move cars that promote neighborhood development at a much lower infrastructure cost. Whatever else is going on, on this issue, the mayor has it right.