Mike Lindblom in today's Seattle Times:

With the Highway 99 tunnel project two years behind schedule, a top Republican lawmaker says he’ll resist a proposal to pay another $17 million, to keep transit buses moving through the construction zone. That’s a cost overrun Seattle should eat, as far as Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama, is concerned.... Five years, ago, pro-tunnel Gov. Chris Gregoire famously sparred about the overruns clause with anti-tunnel Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, whose questions she dismissed as “hypotheticals.” McGinn said the language put Seattle on the hook. But Gregoire, then-Attorney General Rob McKenna and Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes said the stick-it-to-Seattle language—included to placate some tunnel opponents from outside the city—would not be enforceable. One reason is that the tunnel construction contract is between the state and private contractors, and is not city-funded. However, bus money is outside the contract and subject to legislative tinkering.

First: No one could've predicted.

Second: If the city council had any sense of shame—if it had any sense at all—it would appoint Mike McGinn to fill out the rest of Sally Clark's term. You know: Mike McGinn, that guy who was right about the tunnel all along? That guy who tried to warn us? That guy? The city council isn't going to appoint McGinn, of course, because he'll never be forgiven for being right. But here's hoping McGinn runs for city council.