Have you noticed there are no Republicans involved in the Alaskan Way Viaduct discussion? The Real Republicans cheer because there will be no Republicans to blame when the project goes monstrously over budget.
If Republicans had any say we could have asked the larger question: when most cars are just passing through, why route them along the waterfront?
Who dictated that the waterfront route be the only solution - was it the "Lesser Seattle" crowd? Are they the same folks who built the Convention Center over Interstate 5?
Democrats are now promoting an idea that Kemper Freeman has pitched for years: add lanes with a deep bore tunnel under Downtown. Freeman endured years of ridicule from Democrats and their mainstream media pals for promoting additional car lanes.
The deep bore tunnel is a common sense solution to a real problem. We should have fiercely defended Freeman's tunnel but I hardly heard a peep from the Real Republicans.
Congress is handing out money like Seafair Pirates throwing candy at a kiddie's parade. Our Democrat delegation should team up with Big Labor and Obama to throw a few tens of billions of highway dollars our way.
Here is where my vision differs from Freeman's. Instead of complimenting I-5 let's replace it.
First, we start at the mouth of the express lanes near Northgate and drill under the Ship Canal to the Interstate 90 Connection. Our very own "Big Dig." If the Bostonians think that we are simply finishing our end of I-90, they might be on our side. Continue the lanes to Spokane Street.
Second, name the tunnel Interstate 5 and turn the old surface street into a 40 MPH boulevard. This will greatly reduce highway noise through our neighborhoods. As an added benefit, the 43rd legislative district can claim that Interstate 5 no longer runs through our district, which will win over the urban NIMBYs.
Third, bulldoze the old viaduct and turn Alaska way into a Boulevard between the West Seattle Bridge and the Battery Street Tunnel. We can add roundabouts and bicycle lanes for the Neo Europeans (full disclosure: I ride a bicycle). Build roundabouts on the southern end big enough to handle heavy truck traffic.
The best part of this plan is the payment schedule. We can pay back the debt with a handful of the new billion dollar bills that the Treasury will start printing soon. The way Congress is running things we will need billion dollar bills for coffee money.