Sound Politics: The mayor who just doesn't know when to stop

February 14, 2007

The mayor who just doesn't know when to stop

Seattle Times: "Defiant Nickels promises to campaign hard for a tunnel"

Nickels said he would spend every possible moment campaigning against a new viaduct and for a tunnel before the March 13 all-mail election.

Geez what a waste. In an earlier Times article today:

Nickels has argued that a tunnel would create open space and reduce noise along Elliott Bay.

Seattle already has lots of open space -- including the one between Nickels' ears. And if he wants to reduce noise he should just shut up about the stupid tunnel that isn't going to happen.

Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at February 14, 2007 04:17 PM | Email This

Comments

1. No one could have said better than you said about the open space between Nickels' ears and noise reduction.

Well said. If only anyone could knock (literally, and probably with something like a sledge hammer) some sense into him! Sheesh!

Posted by: DopioLover (was C. Oh) on February 14, 2007 04:06 PM

2. Jeez, Nuckels must be desparate to erect this taxpayer-funded monument to himself!

Let's review. The primary purpose of replacing the viaduct is to move traffic (people and goods) through an industrial part of the city. The downscaled "less costly" tunnel would have far less traffic capacity than a replacement viaduct at a far higher cost. So all the extra money he proposes to spend would go to secondary purposes (ie open space, noise reduction) in a part of town that no one could get to when the tunnel gets all backed up.

I think Nuckels needs to find a different hobby.

Posted by: starboardhelm on February 14, 2007 04:48 PM

3. I think it is time to keep an eye on Nickels expenditures in his office to make sure that he is not using his office, or it's resources, to campaign for the tunnel that even the Democrat Legislature has said is off the table.

Posted by: TrueSoldier on February 14, 2007 05:21 PM

4. Hello Helloo Knock Knock, anyone home inside that Mayor's labotomy.

If you want to see why Chopp, the DOT and even Queen Christine said no, his mini mouse tunnel has no room for driver error. Now if an accident happens, which will be very often I suspect, how will emergency vehicles get to the accident in any form of time, and how will the unlucky occupants get out of the way of further injury.

Here is a tunnel like Mayor Billions is planning, and an aftermath of what happens in those tunnels.

It's worth a watch before another vote or Billions flow into this nightmare.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEkvgrUHtNI&eurl=

Posted by: GS on February 14, 2007 05:53 PM

5. Someone should come up with a picture of Nickles sitting on the floor pouting with his arms crossed across his chest like a four year old with the caption *I want a Tunnel*.

Posted by: Janet on February 14, 2007 06:29 PM

6. Feet stomping

Posted by: gs on February 14, 2007 07:10 PM

7. Do a Public Records Request on all Nickels Expense Reports, Calendars, Phone Records, Cell Phone Records, etc. etc.....Just to let him know you are paying attention.

Posted by: Mr. Cynical on February 14, 2007 08:31 PM

8. He was stupider in the 'nineties. That's when GN "figured out" Sound Transit.

Posted by: 'nuff said on February 14, 2007 09:22 PM

9. Even in the face of enormous opposition from all sides, Greg Nickels must still be trying hard to please the developers to whom he promised prime waterfront views. What else could explain his refusal to let go of a plan that is so financially unworkable and disruptive as to leave Seattle harmed.

We'd all love to build a shiny happy Utopian world, where all of the traffic was underground and everything just sparkled. But it's only in cartoons that can be done with out enormous costs.

This is the Monorail Twilight Zone.

Posted by: Jeff B. on February 14, 2007 11:09 PM

10. Defiant Nickels promises to campaign hard for a tunnel

Excerpt: Nickels said he would spend every possible moment campaigning against a new viaduct and for a tunnel before the March 13 all-mail election.

Campaign harder

IMHO, that would be in violation of RCW 42.52.180 Use of public resources for political campaigns.

Posted by: Janet on February 14, 2007 11:29 PM

11. Janet, that would be a good thing actually. If all his time were spent kicking a dead horse, he would have no time left for dreaming up new utopian crap.

His legacy will be his stuborn nature, and maybe that dead horse could gallop him outta town.

On an elevated structure of course.

Posted by: GS on February 14, 2007 11:52 PM

12. A thought last night at 2 a.m..

Ugly? So we want to replace ugly with views? Why isn't that money the City wants to waste spent on beautifying really ugly parts of Seattle? The viaduct fits in quite nicely, thank you.

Posted by: swatter on February 15, 2007 06:44 AM

13. For Janet @ #5: Not exactly a pouting picture, but perhaps entertaining...

http://www.airfoil.net/blog/index.php/2007/01/17/10

Posted by: airfoil on February 15, 2007 07:51 AM

14.
Hit Nickels in the head with a sledge hammer and he would just orgasm.

Posted by: NW Denizen on February 15, 2007 07:55 AM