March 13, 2008
That Yawning Gap You See...
...is not just the pothole growing on I-5, it's the stunning leadership void in Olympia on seemingly all matters related to transportation.
It's not just that critical Puget Sound area transportation projects are being left unaddressed or mired in never-ending rounds of discussions and planning. It's that basic infrastructure is being neglected too.
Posted by Eric Earling at March 13, 2008
07:25 PM | Email This
1. While King County gets tile lined freeways on Mercer Island, 20 years ago, I-5 through Lewis County, a well known conservative and independent area, is still a four lane parking lot at peak travel times.
And I doubt if Republicans would do any different.
2. Well, at least they gave their friends at the WEA a With these people, it's always about paying their campaign donors off, and never about what's good for the entire state's basic needs such as roads, etc.
3. Seems to me that the "tax and spend" areas would get the more spendy transportation improvements - while those areas that stand for limited taxation would rightly expect more limited spending on transportation projects.
Why shouldn't it be that way?
Wouldn't it be wrong for it to be otherwise?
4. Maybe, but if Dino Rossi keeps being the invisible candidate - this won't shake many people. The MSM certainly won't headline this story. It will take a spokes person campaigning for a high level position to bring this to people's attention.
Most people would blame it on the Republicans or Tim Eyman because of the messages MSM subliminally sends the dumbed down public. That's the perception and in politics, perception is reality.
5. #2 s/b "gave their friends at the WEA a raise"
6. The Democrat Leadership in this state are the reason that transportation is at the bottom of the list of all spending. And I would bet when the economy tanks and We have a big deficit it is the one department that will have the biggest cuts.
My observations since I moved to this state that necessities are neglected like Roads, and Parks. And the leadership be it County or State will want to increase taxes to fund any fixes.
DOT pays into the General fund 300 Million dollars in sales tax. So It is one of the biggest sources of income for the state. Instead of common sense like No sales tax on State Projects Democrats demand it it prevents many projects from being funded like Road Repairs. 300 Million may not seem like a lot but it sure could start paying a portion of the backlog on Maintenance that has taken place.
Republicans can do better if they were not RHINO's. Conservatives believe in core expenditures before any social program spending. Why do you think Democrat liberals get elected. They Believe in Socialism. Social programs before any core items. Unless they can get a big cut of the pie for their special interests.
Many Republicans I have met have liberal ideas and go with the Democrats to give them cover from the political questionable bills. I can not understand it but I see it on bill after questionable bill. I consider those Republicans to be Democrats because they fight for democratic bills. If you want liberal policies you are a democrat. You want to bankrupt the State you are Liberal. 33% increase in State Spending over the past 4 years. I know my salary did not increase like that. Liberals spend until they bankrupt the county or state Look at Michigan prime example. They will do the same here. and when the tough decisions have to be made Republicans can be blamed for cutting funding for the Children and the Elderly. Even though neither were touched to put them back in power after the tough decisions are made.
Democrats are gutless and want concesses to make any decision. Look at the delays on transportation. Democrats claim it is an emergency but only to get more tax revenue so they can spend more money. Remember no solution unless they can get large increases in taxes voted by the people.
7.
Wait...Paula Hammond's "priority" was "rusty hulls" on the ferries used by a few hundred people.
But somehow, I-5, used by HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of personal cars and commerical vehicles escaped her notice and is put on the back burner.
Where do these people come from ?!
8. John:
It's because of the left's pathological hatred of cars.
9. Its amusing that liberals call themselves "progressives" when Washington is one of the most backward states in America. What other state would operate a fleet of 80 year old ferries in the 21st Century? Or not even do basic maintenance on bridges and roads? Recently it was revealed the State Department of Transportation has never had a maintenance plan for anything. Who operates like that? Progressives do.
10. #1 The area you're referring to is being focused on this year. A big contract for a re-do of that whole area was bid last week and is being awarded to lowest bidder, Scarsella Bros. Work will be started this year but whole project will probably span at least two years. :)
11. The contract you refer to goes from Maytown to the north Lewis County line and stops.
The freeway is three lanes from Cowlitz County to the south, also right up to the county line, where it changes back to two.
12. Still 'a well known conservative and independent area' don't you think. :)
13. Expecting socialists to manage disappoints, always. Remember Russia, China and Cuba. They were models of socialism. Get a clue the democratic socialist support one thing and one thing only at all costs, their power base. Anything else simply doesn't matter.
And the republicans wanting to be liked by the socialists are equally foolish.
Our ruin is folk that return self center power freaks to office.
14. Funny how they get in front of the camera talking about transportation but behind the scenes they take care of the real villians. What did the florists ever do to them?(SB6799) And "cigarette ignition propensity"? Pretty big words for the small minds in Olympia.
15. I just moved from flyover country, Wichita KS. And you know it is the same there. The roads, bridges and the like are ignored as well. The common thread is Democraps are in power as well. Trees good people bad rules the roost. Money for capitol improvements is not a priority, not much is. The potholes are so deep they speak Chinese.
So I have come to the conclusion that BOTH parties are one of the same full of s**t and will say anything for your money and nothing will get better period.........
16. Yeah, I was in it last night. I was thinking as I was crawling along..."if our politicians had to drive in this every day, they'd do something about it". Voila! Let's move the State Capital to DOWNTOWN SEATTLE, at least temporarily until they do something about congestion.
17. I wonder if that could be done by initiative. Wouldn't Democrats love that! There you go TIM E. Go for it!
18. Progressives do not care about roads because roads do not fit two of their mantras:
1) Roads potentially represent a good investment in transportation because they carry people, good and services. Mass Transit is a secondary system at a massive cost that does not provide any capacity for goods or services. That's appealing to the Progressives because it provides a whole new level of bureacracy, government job base, spending, and union contracts to be handed out to cronies. Roads don't provide much in the way of expansion, and that violates the Progressive law of government ever growing, ever expanding and ever providing favors to an elite Democrat Oligarchical Class wanting leverage.
2) Roads don't fit the environmental agenda. Even if one finds benefit in not using the massive amounts of energy required to build and run a separate transit system. Or even if autos are changed to a different technology that is supposedly more green, the enviro-Progressive alignment will not be satisfied. Because the mantra is actually to regress mankind, even though it is colored in politically correct language. They want less of everything. Less people, less technology, less "impact" etc. Humans don't have a place in a Progressive mantra. And that follows because the collective supplants the individual in Progressive ideology. At some point, it becomes more about the will of the state, even if that will is to eliminate some of the individuals that make up the collective.
And roads don't even have place in the mythos and emotion of collective ideology. Progressives are caught up in Huxley's Brave New World where sex is consequence free, pleasure is constant, and transport is provided to the masses.
Too bad for Progressives that regardless of their schemes and dreams, the real world is and always will be made up of individuals who make choices that provide them with the most flexibility and benefit. And the auto is integral part of that freedom and flexibility, and it won't be going away anytime soon.
19. Did you see the front page of the Times today? To paraphrase, the legislators were saying that if they actually do something they might lose their jobs, so their strategy is to do as little as possible. Of course, the Times put a positive spin on it. Words fail me.
20. Just testing. My comments won't post for some reason.
21. David @6 is correct-o-mundo as usual. Recall that it was R votes in the state legislature that passed the nickel gas tax. That was a long term effort from the days of Gary Locke, who tried to get a gas tax hike (but failed) by peeling off lib Republicans like Eugene Prince, who was rewarded with a silcone implant in his pension, i.e., a seat on the WSLCB.
Most of the prominent R's are big gov't conservatives. Chris Vance, Slade Gorton, Dave Reichert, and Jane Hague come to mind. The two parties in this state are really a) the Dems, along with their yapping R chihuahua on a leash; and b) the initiative party, led by Tim Eyman, the true oppostion party.
22. Nice gut shot russell. Wish I'd have said it.