Comments

1
Fuck you, McGinn. The biggest impediment to light rail in Seattle was when you and your spandex weenies voted down the RTID in 2007. Don't think we haven't forgotten that.
2
McGinn just got my vote.
3
...and Murray goes down.

Whatever philosophical nits you can still pick, the fight over sub-area equity is effectively over and McGinn won. How can you argue against the historic results? Like @2, I already know which way I'm voting.
4
Word up. I really like a having a mayor who can lay out a substantive, policy-driven smackdown.
5
Ouch. Someone just got bitch-slapped.
6
Add 15 years to that 2016 date for when those lines would actually open. We need a Seattle only vote for those and we need it before then. McGinn initially said exactly that, but then like everything else he tried to do, he failed.

Fuck we won't even have ST2 done before middle of the next decade.
7
I had no idea Murray was such a douchebag when it comes to transit. He just lost my vote. How can any serious candidate running for mayor of Seattle be this out of touch?
8
I guess we're supposed to trust the expert on "local political bar fights." McGinn sounds scared shitless.
9
Not to get TOO Murray-hating up in here, but did you guys see the deal with Pugel's press conference last night about a 27 year old training video (in terrible taste)? I think the tenor of the comments from the various candidates as well as homelessness advocates says quite a bit:

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Seattle-…

McGinn's office issued a boilerplate appropriate response. Staadecker and Burgess made similarly appropriate comments. Advocates expressed their dismay as well as their appreciation.

Murray pushed his campaign's default McGinn attack.

It seems like they're pushing for an aggressive high profile week, but for the life of me I can't understand their judgment on this one.
10
Right on.
11
popcorn dot jay pee gee!
12
Ed Murray has been waging war on Sound Transit for years. His attack on sub-area equity would be a nuclear bomb politically. Support around the region and in Olympia for more transit funding would vanish and Seattle would be totally fucked. This is far more reckless and destructive than anything we've seen from the current mayor or any other in recent memory. Glad to see McGinn slap this down hard.
13
Mr. McGinn, you're a much better writer than Mr. Murray. I'll give you that.
14
@12 Seattle wouldn't be fucked if we had some leaders with some damn backbone and an ability to actually fight for the City in Olympia. We are the biggest City in the state and the fact that our transit needs are held hostage to people in the suburbs is silly.

I'd much rather have a mayor that is willing to take some risks than one that acts like taking 4 years to get approval for a study is some major fucking accomplishment. Sound Transit blew him off and he backed down.
15
Did Ed Murray give us Rodney Tom?
16
@6 The issue is that Seattle isn't allowed to tax ourselves enough to build transit. The state has the power to limit how much we can tax ourselves, and has locked us down*. Who had the power to allow us to tax ourselves for transit? Murray.

* Which is the result from some interesting politics. If Seattle is allowed to tax ourselves for our own needs, we'll need the state less. But as the economic powerhouse for the state, they need to be the primary suck of our tax dollars to pay for all of their rural subsidies.
17
@16
I think it's a stretch to say that Murray "had the power" to grant authority. He's not dictator of the legislature, and it's not like there's an ST funding bill that he's killed or voted against.

That said, he hasn't exactly set the place on fire trying to get an ST funding bill through the legislature, either.
18
@16 I am certainly not a huge Murray fan for that very reason. We have not done a very good job of electing people willing to fight for the City on transit.

They need our votes in addition to our taxes. If we can get our local routes built with local funding and quickly, then we may not support ST3 in the numbers needed to pass it. I certainly don't blame Sound Transit or other electeds for standing up for their interests, I just wish we had the same locally.
19
Who is giving Ed Murray such bad advice? And why is he taking it?

20
Close only counts in horseshoes! I want a Mayor who can actually deliver more transit - not "get us closer".
If McGinn is so right, why is he so defensive?
21
Substance of his issue aside, it appears McGinn still hasn't learned anything about diplomacy. Rants like this get him nowhere. He sounds just like some of our more petulant blog commenters.

We need to elect a mayor who knows how to play well with others. Adults in the room, please.
22
Downtown to Eastside is the only one that makes sense. We have a growing number of people who live in Seattle, but commute to Kirkland, Redmond and Bellevue.

Since Metro has spent tens of millions on Rapid Ride that goes from Ballard to DT, West Seattle to DT and Redmond to DT Bellevue and it hasnt made a dent in the travel times. I say we stop pouring money into those corridors and construct a light rail that runs along 520 from Redmond to Husky Stadium.
23
So, you McGinnistas want to keep sub-area equity to keep our regional partners happy, but in the same breath you want a Seattle-only vote? You can't have it both ways. McGinn promised a Seattle-only light rail vote within a year after he got elected. Did it happen? No!
24
@17 I'll admit to a little rhetoric with the "had the power" claim, but if the chair of the state transportation committee isn't the person with the most power to allow us to tax ourselves for transit, who is*? The buck has to stop somewhere.

* Ok, probably the chair of Ways and Means, I don't have the civics background to know for sure.
25
@21: For a city situated in a state that is frequently hostile to our local interests, I will take a little fire in the belly over diplomacy.

You've got my vote Mr. Mayor. Keep it up!
26
@24 He hasn't been chair of transportation for quite some time, certainly since ST2 passed and ST3 became an issue at all. That was Mary Margaret Haugen.
27
Here's the bottom-line on ending sub-area equity. It's not about Seattle vs everyone else. It's about giving the ST Board the ability to form an ST3 package that prioritizes light rail, commuter rail, and express bus investements where they make the most sense to serve the most people. The package should NOT be formed based on artificial geographic lines as it would have to be if sub-area equity continues in ST3. What most of you aren't getting is that Seattle will come out on top for light rail - this means more light rail in Seattle - with the appropriate additional investments elsewhere in the region. It's not all about Seattle, but Seattle will benefit more without sub-area equity than with it. A Seattle-only approach that McGinn pushes would be way more harmful to regionalism than ending a bad policy. After all, how does a Seattle-only approach help the thousands of Seattlites who commute to the Eastside or to Boeing every day! Just because you like McGinn and his ineffective approach, doesn't mean you should defend a bad policy.
28
@19 hits it smack on.

@21 seems clueless about how things actually get done in Seattle, and thinks we live in Narnia.

@22 seems not to get that whining won't get you money from Seattle pocketses, no, my preciousssss.

@24 ouch. wow. body blow. Although, actually, the Rules Committee has all the power. But most people don't know that.
29
@27 I've lived near here or in Seattle for a few decades.

It is ALWAYS about Everyone Else versus Seattle.

Always. True in the 70s, True in the 80s, True in the 90s, True this century.
30
@26 Great point. And it made me look up where he's been since. 2011-2012: Chair of the Ways & Means Committee. The other place the buck stops.
31
Man, I love (most) Slog comments. Even some from the Murray apologists here. Any chance we can get a candidate debate/forum where all they do is post comments and @reply to each other?
32
Murray will get ST3 on the ballot in 2016 and get more light rail for Seattle and the region. McGinn won't. Murray has the track record of sucess in overcoming large politcal obstacles. McGinn doesn't. McGinn makes promises and can't deliver. He is so ineffective that he can't even get the city council on board with his plans - Ship Canal and Eastlake. How will he ever actually deliver real transit for Seattle if he doesn't have the political chops to bring the city council along, let alone other partners. If you want to do more than just 'plan' for transit expansion, Murray is your guy.
33
I think I can smell McGinn pooping his pants again, realizing that his internal polling is showing EVERYONE hates him. Having his wacky lackies post blogs on issues they don't even understand. Murray vs McGinn is going to be the clear lineup and I can't wait to see it.
34
@27 I think we'd all love for Olympia to lavish cash on Seattle. But as long as Seattle represents just 9% of the overall state population it ain't gonna happen without the support of at least some of the other 91%. Murray doesn't get that. McGinn does.

@20, Sound Transit wasn't planning to even study more rail lines in Seattle until the '20s. That would mean nothing new would be getting built until the late '20s or the early '30s. McGinn got that timeline moved up by almost a decade. That was possible only by getting other ST board members to agree. Murray couldn't have done that.
35
Good points @34
36
Mike, you are a liar about the arena, and everyone who knows it will be voting.
37
junipero @12 nailed it: Ed Murray has been waging war on Sound Transit for years.

The only difference between Ed Murray and the anti-rail King County politicians like Jim Horn who preceded him is that Murray has to veil his war under a layer of subterfuge. The simple fact that this proposal came from Ed Murray is all I need to know about it. It's like an energy proposal coming from Dick Cheney.

George H. Ruth @8: I guess we're supposed to trust the expert on "local political bar fights." McGinn sounds scared shitless.

George H. Ruth, it was so nice of you to sign up to comment on Slog yesterday just to start defending Ed Murray. You seem to be one of these people who make these comments with such a know-it-all swagger, and yet your comments are utterly devoid of any substance. If the best you've got is that McGinn is "scared shitless," why not just start going "nah-nah, nah-nah-nah?" Or better yet, why not consider not saying anything at all?
38
"@27 I think we'd all love for Olympia to lavish cash on Seattle. But as long as Seattle represents just 9% of the overall state population it ain't gonna happen without the support of at least some of the other 91%. Murray doesn't get that. McGinn does."

LOLOLOL

Just speechless. Yes, McGinn is the one who understands state politics. Not the guy who was unanimously picked by his peers in the STATE Senate to lead the party. How you McGinn lackeys think you're making real points is beyond comprehension.
39
@31 there's a three-district event coming up with all the candidates, think it's at Hamilton Middle School.
40
@37 You seem to have myself and Murray confused with grkle and McGinn.
41
I knew it was only a matter of time until the Stranger gave the Fuckwit-in-Chief his own column.
42
@38,

If Ed Murray is such a wizard in Olympia, where's my stable Metro funding? Where's ST3 authorization? In fact, what significant pro-transit measure has passed out of the legislature since ST was formed SIXTEEN YEARS AGO?
43
Get shit done @32: Murray will get ST3 on the ballot in 2016 and get more light rail for Seattle and the region.

Again, great to see these new commenters showing up on this blog just to defend Ed Murray for a few hours. But "Get shit done," you must think the rest of us have a short memory. This was the same Ed Murray who tried to decouple ST2 from a roads package and at the same time keep ST2 from building across I-90. So he was trying to rip the guts out from Sound Transit expansion under the guise of supporting it. And this is the same Ed Murray who slipped into some MVET legislation a "can't be used on monorail" clause. You think we've forgotten these things?

The only way Ed Murray will champion getting ST3 on the ballot in 2016 is if that can be a vehicle for killing off light rail expansion.

Get shit done, if that's what you want, fine. But come out and say it then. It's OK. Being anti-light rail is nothing to be ashamed of. Don't try to fool us the way your boss has been trying all these years.

And I'm a private citizen who has nothing to do with the McGinn campaign.
44
Murray won't make it out of the primary.
45
The issue is that Seattle isn't allowed to tax ourselves enough to build transit. The state has the power to limit how much we can tax ourselves, and has locked us down

How quickly the fuckwits forget about Mayor Fuckwit's $60 car tab fee. You know, the one that the voters of Seattle told Mayor Fuckwit to shove up his fuckwit ass? We can tax ourselves, but we don't want to, because we don't trust his slimy, corrupt, New York ass.
46
Any debate over transit with Ed Murray and his minions has a certain kabuki quality to it. Both sides are trying to outdo each other over who's more pro-transit, and yet everyone in the know knows that for Murray and friends this is just a ruse.

Ed Murray is to mass transit as "Jews for Jesus" is to Judaism.
47
Sub Area Equity is a stupid plan brought to life by an anti-rail Republican.

Money should be dispersed to where it is needed and most effective, not kept where it came from.

Have we learned nothing from Occupy and the 1%?

Thank you Sen. Murray for calling it what it is, even if it is not politically advisable to do so. You have my vote.
48
@47 The funny thing is that I think both sides would agree that's how things should be. But looking at the numbers Seattle has only 1/3 of the population of King County, let alone the entire ST area. Politicians vote with their constituents' interests, and would be completely justified in screwing Seattle and pulling all new work to the suburbs.

The only way around this would have to be a specific requirement in the bill to spend suburban money on Seattle projects. And good luck passing that in our anti-tax, anti-Seattle state.
49
So, hey, when do we get the Bowtie view? Or did I miss that?
50
AmandaLynn @47, OK, time to take the truth serum. Please tell us.

Are you for or against bringing Sound Transit 3 to the ballot in 2016?

Are you for or against including in ST3 a second north-south light rail trunk between downtown and Ballard?

How do you expect that to happen politically without sub-area equity?
51
Get shit done, George H. Ruth, AmandaLynn

What do all these commenters have in common? They all suddenly showed up yesterday just to start defending Ed Murray's latest maneuver to sabotage Sound Transit. They're like the new "Gay Dude for Romney." Remember him?

All I can say is, this mayor's race is going to be fertile territory for new Slog accounts.
52
I want a mayor who isn't sarcastic and juvenile. "Look in the mirror". Next, we'll get more playground debate tactics like "everybody thinks so" and "your mamma wears combat boots".
53
@42, how about the 2003 and 2005 transportation packages? There hadn't been new money for transit at the state level for thirty years - Murray helped make it happen. Murray has been working to get transit money since before McGinn was involved in politics at all.
54
@53,

Hmm, the 2003 package:
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/Funding…
$3.7 billion for the highway system, some fraction of $200 million for Amtrak Cascades. No local transit.

The 2005 package:
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/Funding…
$7 billion for highways, $95 million for Cascades. No local transit.

Not much of a transit game-changer!
55
Hey, slog programmer, whoever you are, you know what would be a great feature? A little flag by newly-signed-up accounts. That would make it more obvious that "George H. Ruth" and "AmandaLynn" are the fresh new voices that they are (and appear only to be concerned with cheering on Ed Murray).
56
Ugh, I take back what I said about Slog comments. Though I still love the idea of a forum where all the candidates are commenters.

FYI @40, I've been reading for years and commenting occasionally for quite awhile (as unregistered, but usually under grkle). It's true, I DID finally register recently (got tired of my comments being hidden). Thanks for taking a swipe at me as a sidestep to a swipe at you, though. Keep it classy.

And yes, I'm definitely a fan of Mayor McGinn. I like to think that doesn't disqualify my opinion, however. I'm sure many others feel similarly, regardless of where they direct their support.
57
Wow, Unbrainwashed @45.

The mayor doesn't put ballot measures before the people. The City Council does.
58
Our friendly STBers (Ben, Martin, Matt) have offered much of the most substantive comments on this post. I hope everyone takes this as a reminder that SeattleTransitBlog is essential reading for anyone on here that is truly invested in workable transit solutions for the region. I'm not affiliated, just a fan.
59
I'm happy to see a substantive debate on issues.

And, I'm happy Ed Murray is taking policy positions that can be analyzed. I disagree with his position on this one as I think it is either politically naive or a cover that allows him to claim transit support while understanding that it would accomplish nothing.

BUT…Mr. Murray (and Sandeep! Hey! ;-) it's 2013. We're well beyond the game of having staffers create phony accounts to support a candidates position. That will fail badly.
60
Go back to Long Island you fat, bearded antifreedom piece of human garbage, your kind is not welcome in the west.

Though I do think light rail is a good idea
61
Gotta love this: McGinn (15%) and Murray (9%). Tweedledeefuckwit vs. Tweedledumb fuckwit.
62
@22: You are an idiot who has no grasp on how transit works. Rapid Ride is well known by everyone to be the same turd with more polish. West Seattle to Downtown is one of the worst commutes in the entire region.
63
I want to see transit votes on the ballot that will require direct contributions from renters, based on the value of the property they occupy.
64
I don't see how anyone with half an understanding of regional transit issues or politics could think that removing subarea equity will mean MORE money being spent in Seattle. Are the suburbs who out vote us just going to give us their money out of the goodness of their hearts? When has this EVER happened in our area? I have yet to see Murray or any of his sock puppets on here make an attempt to explain that leap.
65
Give 'em hell, Mike!
66
Confidential to Ed Murray: You mess with the Unicorn you get the HORN!!!

McGinn is the shit, that is the most substantive response from a sitting mayor I've ever read. Murray picked the wrong fight with the wrong guy.

And GOD DAMN! I LOVE having a tough acting/ talking mayor that don't back down from a fight, especially in Seattle, a city filled with passive-aggressive politically correct jack offs.

And no, I ain't from the east coast, I'm from right fucking here, born and raised.
67
He makes a good argument. He already had my vote, but it's nice to see him stand up for the transit users like myself who depend on this vital service.
68
@42 Martin Duke - points so good it bears repeating:
If Ed Murray is such a wizard in Olympia, where's my stable Metro funding? Where's ST3 authorization? In fact, what significant pro-transit measure has passed out of the legislature since ST was formed SIXTEEN YEARS AGO?
69
@55 for the SLOG Needs To Identify AstroTurf Accounts win.
70
No one gives a fuck who you think wins things Will
71
Sounds to me like you and Murray are exaggerating your differences in an attempt to attract votes. Nothing like a big election-year spat over the details of how to accomplish a goal you both support, eh?
72
wtf (who the --) would ever vote for McGinn?
73
Still fucking hate McGinn. The jackass who can't seem to stop his shit police department from murdering citizens for no reason. Just remember, Ian Birk, once Satterberg loses HIS job, the new guy may still decide to come after you. MURDER has no statute of limitations. And McGinn can't 'mayor' is was out of a paper bag. It it doesn't have to do with bikes or trees, he's brain-dead, doesn't have a clue. He can keep you from using a plastic bag because some whale picked up a bunch in it's gut from travel around the planet (I'm sure the whale ONLY collected those bags in Puget Sound, right? Dead-stop thinking. Why don't you ban the other items found it it's belly, like golf balls and tees, or medical waste, or sweats?), but he can't stop 'his' cops from beating and murdering people for no reason. Big stuff, can't do shit about. Petty small stuff, oh, he can MAYBE handle that.
74
Wow, 74 posts.

Amazing how much astroturf you can buy and all the suburbanites who envy Seatttle.
75
anybody in here believe both candidates are qualified, have merits, and aren't fuckwits?

Right, didn't think so.
76
In the meantime, while politicians fight over this, West Seattle is the orphan of the transit system. A one-hour trip on two buses or 1 bus and link rail, paying fares for both should be an embarrassment to any politician.
77
@33 (JohnFB)
I think I can smell McGinn pooping his pants again, realizing that his internal polling is showing EVERYONE hates him. Having his wacky lackies post blogs on issues they don't even understand. Murray vs McGinn is going to be the clear lineup and I can't wait to see it.
How's the TEA? Is your BAG holding out?

Listen, John, your kind of silly Ayn Rand nuttyness is dying out. The "Press" has already stopped paying attention to you (except for Fox News), and when the "Press" walks away, the politicians will follow.

So when I see you next, *yes*, I would like fries with the meal, and hold the sauce on the burger. Chop-chop...
78
@74 (Will in Seattle)
Amazing how much Astroturf you can buy and all the suburbanites who envy Seatttle.
I find it festinating how intolerant the Tea Baggers are of other people's opinions. One would think that a minority group would have some appreciation for the expression of free speech.

But of course, Tea Baggists are by definition hypocrites.
79
Rail makes sense in some ares and not in others. It's cost-effective in some places, but not all. Any responsible public administrator knows it's in our best interest to ask critical questions. Don't fault Murray for that.

McGinn is not the only environmentalist running for Mayor or the only supporter of transportation options. Steinbrueck, Murray and Burgess have track records on this. I would support the candidate who has a record of critical thinking and analysis, not those who test political wind first, ala McGinn.
80
McGinn's not an environmentalist by any possible accurate understanding of the term. His policies and their implementation have been aggressively anti-environment. His Seattle fuckwit supporters refuse to ever look at the facts, and repeat whatever seems comfortable to them.

Please wait...

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