News May 14, 2014 at 4:00 am

Mayor Ed Murray's Networked, Pugilistic Approach to Politics Is Winning

Dow Constantine, Ed Murray, Tom Rasmussen, and Tim Burgess. (Not shown in actual order of bossness.) Ansel Herz

Comments

1
Ed Murray is a toxic, narcissistic whiner. He threw a tantrum because he hates Ben so much that he couldn't handle Schiendelman getting attention. Do we really have 15/16ths left to endure of Murray's term?
2
Ego Wars: Murray vs. Schiendelman

Murray 1
Schiendelman 0
3
I suspect that the anonymous poster in SLOG who most hates Ben is Ed Murray himself. I hope his handlers are successful in their goals of keeping him of the Internets.
4
That is helpful to know that Ed Murray thinks regressive taxes are not regressive when used to provide government services that poor people sometimes use. It explains a lot about how we got the most regressive state tax system out of all 50 states.

I support this initiative because it looks like the best we can get right now. But they better expect to pay for Bridging the Gap renewal by raising car tabs too. Because that is mostly car stuff right?
5
P.S. I cop that I just made two opposing arguments. Maybe need to think this through a bit more.
6
Car tabs are regressive, yes, bu in general auto drivers should be contributing more than others for public transit, so this is on the right track. An MVET based on car value would be better, and a fee based on Vehicle Miles Travelled would be even better. Eventually we'll need as ll of the, but for now, tab fees aren't a horrible option.
7
I'm waiting for them to get a vote to raise taxes in Seattle and then go ahead as planned to cut the bus service in my neighborhood in West Seattle because everyone here should just walk a 300 foot high hill to get to the remaining "high density" lines.

You'll note they're not mentioning how much of the cuts will still happen if the vote passes. Given their priorities of funding regional transit with city taxes rather than maintaining bus service to the lower density city neighborhoods. I suspect West Seattle is once again screwed.
8
global warming seems regressive

if we want to reduce global warming we want to reduce car use. buses aren't cooler than cars so that reduction will have to b coercive

big gas tax, big junk food tax, big soda pop tax would b regressive taxes reducing more regressive externalities

besides, consumption is most of GDP so that's where a lot of revenue is to b had
9
PLEASE, everyone----stop the runaway insanity of oil and coal trains through Washington State!

If we truly want to drastically reduce carbon emissions---DESPITE all the sugar-coated propoagandic bullshit spewed by corporate dick-sucker Doug Eriksen, Big Oil, Big Coal, and the "Coal is Our Future And You Will All Die En Masse And Like It Because WE Said So" Chinese government, we must demand a moratorium of all coal and crude oil exports by rail and shipping.

Dangerous fracked Bakka crude shale oil and coal are not--nor should they be, the future of the United States in addressing fuel efficiency.
10
@9: Okay. I know my previously stated comment is a bit off the immediate subject of the City of Seattle's preserving its needed Metro services, which I agree is important. But I had to say what I had to say.
Governor Jay Inslee's executive order on addressing climate change is a good start back in the right direction in slowing global warming.
11
Over 2,000 King County employees make six figures; is that why they want a tax increase?

http://mynorthwest.com/76/2492060/Over-2…
12
#11, King County employees include engineers, doctors, and many other tech-related jobs that damn well should be paid $100K and above. You come across as jealous and resentful that others have achieved a certain amount of success.
13
Hey, I voted yes on Prop 1 which was about as regressive as it gets on car drivers because in some circumstances paying a regressive tax is worth the benefit. In fact I support the fact that in the absence of a state income tax that we use sales tax to fund public education and social programs. The mere fact that a tax is regressive shouldn't mean that it's not worth the cost. I don't think progressives in this state are suddenly not progressive because we have to use a sales tax. Of course we would support an income tax, but where that isn't possible we make do with what we've got.
14
Meanwhile, in London, there has been a ten year record of using congestion pricing to fund public transit -- and it is wildly successful.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-londo…

As true progressive and former mayor Ken Livingstone who introduced the program said, it is mostly due to "political cowardice" that more cities other than Milan and Stockholm have used the same successful strategy as London.

This would even be MORE progressive than property taxes -- and more fair. Automobiles would pay a fee to come into downtown Seattle during business hours and those fees can then be targeted for use with King County Metro.

I don't understand why this policy isn't up for debate in Seattle, why transportation advocates don't even seem to even know about it as it is never mentioned.
16
It's a union bluff. Metro was never and is not going to cut anything. This is why unions should only be for the private sector--conflict of interest.

Please wait...

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