Supremes to Monorail: Drop Dead

"High court allows measure to recall monorail onto Seattle ballot":

The "Monorail Recall" initiative in Seattle will be allowed onto the ballot by the state Supreme Court.

A court commissioner this afternoon decided against giving the Seattle Monorail Project the emergency hearing it requested this week. The monorail agency wanted to halt Initiative 83 before it hit the ballot.

The One-Track Minds are unable to cope:

City Council members are scheduled to consider the proposed ballot placement tomorrow. Six of the nine members have said in interviews or public meetings this summer they would not obstruct the initiative if the courts deemed it legal.

Council president Jan Drago had no immediate comment when told about the latest ruling, saying she would first consult with attorneys.

There's nothing to consult about. The Council is obligated to place the initiative on the ballot [see Seattle City Charter, Article IV], but the Drago Lady seems desperate to come up with a way to quash the recall. She should be terrified of a Monorail revote. She's up for re-election in 2005 and has bet too much of her political capital on the success of the project. The more she digs in her heels to try to prevent the people from expressing themselves at the ballot box, the more certain her defeat next year. But why should I give her free political advice? Good riddance to her.

UPDATE: The City Council recognized their unavoidable obligation and today voted, albeit reluctantly, to place the Monorail Recall Initiative (I-83) on the November ballot.

Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Monorail is still shut down indefinitely due to mechanical breakdowns. I'll keep you posted.

Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at September 15, 2004 09:59 PM | Email This