Posted Fri, Mar 30, 9:59 a.m.

The Afforadable Care Act is complex. So correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is that a catastrophic plan will be available along with the four others (Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum) for purchase in the state exchange. It will be available in the individual/family market to those up ...

Posted Thu, Mar 29, 10:22 a.m.

I hope I speak for most Crosscut readers, who cherish the free expression online journalism allows, when I suggest that commentators refrain from off-subject, ad hominem attacks directed at authors. The Crosscut editor might want to remind all of us that without adherence to some basic rules of debate, civic ...

Posted Tue, Mar 27, 9:30 a.m.

Sometimes issues and voters at the "margin" make a big difference: 2004 Washington State General Election for Governor Results after 2 recounts and a court decision: Christine Gregoire (D) 1,373,361 Dino Rossi (R) 1,373,288 Margin 133

Posted Tue, Mar 13, 7:35 a.m.

Pythagoras makes an excellent case that the state's leading businesses need to help lead an effort to restructure the state's tax system for the benefit of all. This has been an ongoing theme in previous articles, as it will be in future articles, by this author. See for example: http://crosscut.com/2012/01/04/social-services/21750/Unkindest-cuts-in-Olympia:-Kate-s-story/

Posted Mon, Mar 5, 3:48 p.m.

As a follower of and participant in state politics for longer than I want to admit, I find it a little difficult to read much into two disparate events – Rep. Dick’s retirement and Olympia’s current budget brouhaha. Political shifts are generally gradual, and when changes do occur they are ...

Posted Fri, Mar 2, 10:41 a.m.

Senator Snowe did occasionally show some independence from partisan orthodoxy, but not on health care reform. She voted nay along with all Republican senators when the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed the Senate 60-39-1.

Posted Wed, Feb 29, 7:38 a.m.

bkochis: A very good question. A lot of smart people missed the breadth and depth of the housing crisis. Our state forecasters saw it coming but were predicting a short-term problem. This is what the ERFC November 2007 quarterly forecast had to say: "Housing remains the biggest drag on growth ...

Posted Tue, Jan 24, 12:11 p.m.

Footnote to the Red Scare: The UW was infected by the Canwell committee right into the mid 1950's. In 1955 UW President Schmitz decided that Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer was a subversive risk and should not be allowed to speak on campus. There were loud protests from faculty and students. ...

Posted Wed, Jan 18, 6:28 a.m.

Several commentators raise important issues that I hope to address in a future analysis of the state's budget growth. crankyoldlady's comment on the sales tax also is on point. It suggests that the regressivity measure designed by the Institute on Taxation & Economic Policy is based on a household budget ...

Posted Wed, Jan 4, 9:30 p.m.

PJS: Spending in fact is not going up. I refer you to the governor's supplemental operating budget which would cut $2 billion from the biennial operating budget that the legislature adopted last May in order to match spending with declining revenues. See: http://www.ofm.wa.gov/budget12/default.asp

Posted Tue, Dec 13, 8:29 p.m.

The wildcard in the governor's race will be the Supreme Court's ruling on the constitutionality of the health insurance purchase mandate in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare). Inslee is a sure winner if the court lets it stand.

Posted Fri, Dec 2, 6:31 a.m.

For anyone who is optimistic about large sums of federal money for local rail projects, I refer you to the following: The Highway Trust Fund and Paying for Highways Statement of Joseph Kile, CBO Assistant Director for Microeconomic Studies before the Committee on Finance, United States Senate, May 17, 2011 ...

Posted Thu, Dec 1, 3:18 p.m.

crossrip: You really need to check the facts about federal financing. What you are decribing is old money and old projects already in the pipeline, like Houston. The federal gas tax revenue that funds highways and transit is shrinking just as state gas tax revenue is, a result of the ...

Posted Thu, Dec 1, 12:39 p.m.

The author might have provided some context. Mr. Van Dyk’s Crosscut article commented on a Facebook post by Keith Kyle, a business analyst at Sound Transit and a Ballard resident, who thinks there should be a “Ballard Spur” from the Link LRT station in the U District to downtown Ballard. ...

Posted Thu, Oct 27, 9:35 p.m.

Mr. Borokowski raises a good question, one that Occupy Seattle will presumably answer at some point. It is their list of "demands", not this person's. If they decide that the list is a waste of time, which they very well could, then it might constitute an expression of "grievances" that ...

Posted Mon, Sep 26, 9:29 a.m.

"One thing Obama and his advisers apparently do not recognize: A majority of voters, of all income levels, do not like punish-the-rich policies. Most still hold to the American dream that their children should have the chance to become rich in the future." Poll: Most Americans Want Tax Cuts for ...

Posted Tue, Sep 13, 10:20 a.m.

Technical footnote: Several U.S. nuclear plants have moved to dry cask storage. The Columbia Generating Plant at Hanford is one. Dry cask storage involves surface storage (following an initial period in a spent fuel pool) in large steel cylinders cooled by convective inert gas and air circulation. Some nuclear waste ...

Posted Mon, Sep 12, 8:54 a.m.

O.K I'll take the bait. Mr. Valdez says that the abundant space available for residential development as indicated in the city's numbers is "scattered across Ballard". Wrong. The numbers are for the designated Ballard Urban Center that is centered at Market Street and 22nd NW, and that runs about one-half ...

Posted Thu, Sep 8, 10:15 a.m.

The example cited by crankyoldlady - a farmer who wanted to feed his family - has a problem. The farmer in question actually was growing more wheat than was allocated for the purpose of feeding livestock and poultry, and thereby indirectly affecting the national price of wheat that the government ...

Posted Wed, Sep 7, 2:41 p.m.

“Now, when truly challenged, Obama has a chance to rise above the indifferent first years of his presidency to make the remainder of 2011 and 2012 truly productive years of leadership.” Indifferent (adj): 1. Having no particular interest or concern; apathetic (indifferent to the suffering of others). 2. Having no ...

Posted Wed, Aug 31, 8:25 a.m.

The one tribal health center I'm familar with on the Shoalwater Bay Reservation in Tokeland, Washington, serves all people with private insurance plans as well as Medicaid. Go to: http://www.shoalwaterbay-nsn.gov/

Posted Wed, Aug 24, 1:45 p.m.

Now that the author has finished his reading, he might want to go outside and look around his city. He could start with downtown Ballard near Market Street which has seen phenomenal growth and densification in the last decade in what was formerly a commercial area filled largely with new ...

Posted Fri, Aug 19, 1:13 p.m.

Fast forward 150 years. The LDS church is far more progressive on the issue of immigration than either of the gentleman running for president who embrace the faith. See The Utah Compact at: http://www.theutahcompact.com/

Posted Fri, Aug 12, 11:55 a.m.

We owe the author our thanks for a very comprehensive and timely review of a major problem that our City’s elected officials have long failed to adequately address. Infrastructure maintenance isn’t a sexy subject, but it can be very costly when ignored. One can only hope that the current candidates ...

Posted Mon, Jul 18, 12:32 p.m.

The 2011 Legislature passed a bill (SB 5233) that includes a tax increment financing program. I would be interested in knowing whether this legislation is what Mr. Bozeman was looking for. And if not, what more does he think needs to be done. And from those who oppose TIF, what ...

Posted Fri, Jul 8, 10:21 a.m.

“…our state has in the past far outpaced the mainstream in taxes…imposed on businesses.” Several organizations study and compare state business taxes. The Tax Foundation which hews a conservative line on fiscal policies (it endorsed the Ryan plan) does an annual report entitled the State Business Tax Climate Index. The ...

Posted Wed, Jun 15, 10:19 a.m.

The author keeps returning to a simplistic theme: density will cure light rail’s ridership problem and decision makers are not providing it. I’m doubtful that any amount of factual evidence will change the author’s subjective opinion that “The problem in Seattle and elsewhere is that local electeds are failing to ...

Posted Thu, Jun 2, 2:40 p.m.

In running for and winning election, Hizzoner was obviously tapping into the deep green roots of the Seattle psyche: From the Goals Statements of the Seattle 2000 Commission, May 19, 1973: MORE AND BETTER BICYCLING! Seattle should acknowledge and facilitate bicycling as a means of mobility for the City: Bikeways ...

Posted Wed, Jun 1, 9:25 a.m.

A wildcard that may influence voters is the central waterfront revitalization plan that is premised on removal of the viaduct. The plan's chief architect recently presented some tentative "big ideas" that would reconnect the city to the bay and the western views. Although the plan is not scheduled for delivery ...

Posted Fri, May 27, 11:43 a.m.

In response to mikegjames and dualoperative: The Washington State Department of Revenue lists in its report “Tax Exemptions 2008” the Motion Picture Competitiveness Program (RCW 82.04.4489) under “Credits” against the Business and Occupation Tax. See page 151 in: http://dor.wa.gov/Content/AboutUs/StatisticsAndReports/2008/Tax_Exemptions_2008/Default.aspx Persons (businesses) that make cash contributions to WashingtonFilmWorks (WFW) may claim ...

Posted Fri, May 6, 10:37 a.m.

If it makes sense to require a legislative super majority vote on tax increases (and tax break closures), perhaps we should be logically consistent and apply the same rule to all legislation that increases the out-of-pocket expenditures of a sizeable number of us. Clearly, legislative budgets that redistribute existing tax ...

Posted Wed, May 4, 12:59 p.m.

It's important to keep in mind that Detroit, which is in the business of selling cars (back in the business, some would say), is not exactly sitting on its hands. Ten or so years ago the auto companies complained that they had wrung the last bit of efficiency out of ...

Posted Mon, May 2, 3:59 p.m.

As the author indicates, the state capital budget (and the transportation budget as well) reflects our willingness to invest in the state's future via its infrastructure. So, having called legislators back to resolve budget issues, this is one area where Governor Gregoire can apply her negotiating skills to help iron ...

Posted Thu, Apr 21, 8:39 a.m.

It might be appropriate to cut our legislators a little slack in these tough fiscal times. Some reasons: 1)Differences between House and Senate budgets levels aren't large, but they treat several social safety net programs differently and this requires negotiation. 2)Many of the cuts that total $5 billion require careful ...

Posted Mon, Apr 11, 2:41 p.m.

Fact check: The Gates Committee recommended that the “pyramiding” problem associated with professional services and other inputs to business activity taxed under the B & O tax be addressed through a revenue neutral value added tax that replaces the B & O. They termed this a “major replacement” alternative. As ...

Posted Fri, Mar 18, 11:25 a.m.

Seattle is not exactly in density stasis as a cursory review of data and a visual inspection of neighborhood change indicates. Since 1990 the city has grown by 92,410 residents or 18%. To accommodate the increase and a decreasing household size, there has been a steady growth of housing units ...

Posted Mon, Feb 28, 12:10 p.m.

This is a thoughtful article. I hope it prompts the discussion to continue with less heat and some needed depth. So let’s find out why most of our police officers live outside the city. People have good reasons for choosing their abode and a survey of officers might tell us. ...

Posted Tue, Feb 22, 10:01 a.m.

It’s important to think clearly about public debt. State and local government debt itself is neither good nor bad. It may be excessive or even unnecessary. But the question of how public projects are funded needs to be distinguished from the question of what should be built. Obviously public borrowing ...

Posted Fri, Feb 11, 1:42 p.m.

"What’s left of his (Obama's) progressive agenda lies in ruins". I guess that means a progressive agenda doesn't include: regulating the reckless behavior of capitalism that almost brought down the global economy, STARTing down the path to a world without nuclear weapons, and recognizing that sexual orientation is not a ...

Posted Mon, Jan 17, 10:46 a.m.

No analysis of the urban land use/transportation conundrum is complete if it ignores the constellation of trips to nonwork locations, which comprise about 80 percent of all personal travel. Co-location of residences, services, and transit nodes may reduce personal vehicle travel for some, but it won’t for a large majority ...

Posted Tue, Jan 11, 4:05 p.m.

Sometimes, when bad events unfold, it may be best at first to consider the individual parts before trying to make cause-effect connections. In this case the parts seem to be mental illness, gun violence, and political speech. Each alone has aspects that need attention. When does it become apparent that ...

Posted Wed, Dec 15, 3:51 p.m.

According to the WTO, the global market for fossil fuels is huge and growing, with insatiable appetites in both developed and developing nations. Given the tendency for these resources to be concentrated and away from the big markets, the percent of all the coal, oil, and gas that's actually consumed ...

Posted Wed, Dec 8, 9:59 a.m.

The governor should convene a special session with the state's business leadership and key legislators to discuss the budget problem and how it can be managed without impairing the economy and the education system that is crucial to our economic future. The business community should be represented by both sides ...

Posted Fri, Dec 3, 11:58 a.m.

Let’s not rush to judgment. The author’s right about the need to look for ways to boost the state’s economy. So there’s nothing wrong with discussing the ideas he has suggested, even if they’ve been rejected previously. With one important caveat: there needs to be a thorough analysis of the ...

Posted Wed, Dec 1, 3:14 p.m.

While I agree with the general premise, that global mega cities are where the action should be to reduce fossil fuel dependence, it's also important to go beyond the Shanghai expo's glitz (and hype) to see if China is really setting a good example. Unfortunately, the numbers say it isn't ...

Posted Tue, Nov 30, 2:49 p.m.

My, oh, my, what a dustup. But missing from this let's "restore the public's trust" discussion is the private sector's responsibility to show some leadership. In disposing of I-1098, business leaders loudly beat the "you can't trust government with your money" drum, thereby contributing to the public's reluctance to consider ...

Posted Fri, Nov 26, 5 p.m.

No Label is on target when it points to rampant hyper-partisanship as an impediment to problem solving. Whether it can be overcome with a centrist movement remains problematic when one reflects on the past lack of success of similar movements. Even more doubtful is the idea that NL is about ...

Posted Mon, Nov 22, 9:05 a.m.

It’s difficult to believe the fight over the New START treaty is really about money for weapons modernization. If it was then one would expect Sen. Kyl to name his price, which he hasn’t. And it would be equally hard to pin it on lack of verification, another big issue ...

Posted Fri, Nov 19, 10:28 a.m.

From The Experts Speak – The Definitive Compendium of Authoritative Misinformation – Chapter on Psephology, or the Science of Election Predictions: “Mr. Lincoln is already beaten. He cannot be reelected.” - Horace Greeley (Editor of New York Tribune), August 14, 1894 “Fifty Political Experts Unanimously Predict a Dewey Victory” - ...

Posted Tue, Nov 16, 4:18 p.m.

“Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts.” - Daniel Patrick Moynihan Fact or Opinion?: Public sector employees earn more than private sector employees doing similar work. See http://www.slge.org/vertical/Sites/%7bA260E1DF-5AEE-459D-84C4-876EFE1E4032%7d/uploads/%7b03E820E8-F0F9-472F-98E2-F0AE1166D116%7d.PDF: Out of Balance? Comparing Public and Private Sector Compensation over 20 Years Keith ...

Posted Tue, Nov 16, 2:20 p.m.

Some commissions work well and others do not. The commission created by the state legislature to review tax expenditures appears to have been designed to please too many constituencies, and not to quickly get to the heart of the matter – to identify tax “incentives” that siphon away revenue that ...

Posted Fri, Nov 12, 9:05 a.m.

T.M.Sell: The Fiscal Commission's recommendations, which have yet to be finalized, need to be read from end to end. I agree that tax reductions, especially at the high end are unlikely to trickle down. But the Commission is also suggesting tax increases (gas tax) and the elimination of the mortgage ...

Posted Mon, Nov 8, 2:41 p.m.

It will take more than the President’s debating skills to reenergize his base and shift the political winds that blew last Tuesday. The times seem to demand a new paradigm for getting to the bottom line. The challenge for Obama is to show how he can pursue an agenda that ...

Posted Thu, Nov 4, 4:58 p.m.

Thanks to Harris Meyer for the Orzag piece reference. It succinctly explains why the health care reform law puts us on the road to cost containment at the same time it expands coverage and denies insurance companies the ability to discrimate for purposes of profit. What I find appalling is ...

Posted Mon, Nov 1, 4:43 p.m.

You may not have taken into account the GOTV effort mounted by state Democrats and other blue groups. As my grandnephew would say: it's awesome.

Posted Thu, Oct 28, 10:40 a.m.

Credit the Seattle Times for the needle’s tilt into the red zone. This one has been playing out since July 1 when the paper started its crusade against I-1098 even before petition signatures were submitted. Its opposition to a state income tax, which borders on obsession, has produced ten (and ...

Posted Mon, Oct 18, 5 p.m.

A major post-election challenge, beyond the problems of tax policy and spending control, is the imperative to grow the economy and put people back to work. This, IMO, should be our biggest concern. There has been no cooperation, only obfuscation, from congressional Republicans to the somewhat tentative attempts by the ...

Posted Fri, Oct 15, 2:52 p.m.

The McIlwain conjecture: If high earners have to pay a state income tax, some of the smart people who want to create or at least work on the Next Big Thing will just leave — or won't come here in the first place. As the article’s author points out, this ...

Posted Tue, Oct 12, 11:48 a.m.

Do I understand correctly that the tax in question is 2 cents on a bottle of soda costing $1.50? If so, it doesn't seem that this is going to register with the consumer and reduce sales. Perhaps the real concern is that "taxes are being used intelligently", whatever that means.

Posted Wed, Oct 6, 5:04 p.m.

Others have commented appropriately on the improbability of centrism as a guiding philosophy at any level over the long term. No one dissected the concept of a metro-scale nonpartisan urban party akin to CHECC. An interesting idea worthy of some discussion but equally problematic if the goal is to scale ...

Posted Thu, Sep 2, 3 p.m.

An important wild card in any analysis of US foreign policy, especially as it relates to conflict zones, is the role of development. Support for development and all it entails is increasingly becoming the third leg of our foreign policy along with defense and diplomacy. The Obama administration, from the ...

Posted Tue, Aug 24, 12:22 p.m.

A good analysis, not found elsewhere in this media desert. Keep them coming. And include a focus on the fact that I-1098 is based on adjusted gross income under the federal tax code. Anyone with money can buy the best tax advice available to reduce that amount to a minimum.

Posted Mon, Aug 23, 11:53 a.m.

All of this is interesting but rather academic. It’s basically water over the dam. What the Link performance numbers could help tell us is how to improve the efficacy and cost-efficiency of future regional transportation investments, whether roadway or transit alternatives, and the best choice among them for various routes. ...

Posted Fri, Aug 20, 1:20 p.m.

Thanks for the link. If you go to it you find this statement: The Washington Department of Ecology is taking a leading role in the state’s efforts to combat climate change. Visit Ecology’s Climate Change Web site to learn more. If you go to the Partnership's "Initial Strategic Priorities" document ...

Posted Fri, Aug 20, 12:28 p.m.

FACT CHECK Illegal immigrants in WA: 136,000, or 2 per 100 people in total state population of 6.7 million (est. from 2000 Census) http://www.statemaster.com/graph/peo_est_num_of_ill_imm-people-estimated-number-illegal-immigrants The Pew Hispanic Center puts it at 200,000 to 250,000 http://pewhispanic.org/files/reports/44.pdf Total in decline: was 12.5 m, now 11 m I.e. Illegal immigrants will not contribute ...

Posted Thu, Aug 19, 8:28 p.m.

When the history of the Obama presidency is written it’s likely that it will catalog the number and diversity of major issues that were either already queued up or were engaged within a few months. Without assigning importance or fussing over semantics, here’s a quick list: Immediate US financial crisis ...

Posted Tue, Jul 6, 8:32 a.m.

Murphy warned, "It will take more than nine years [of BTG] to eliminate the backlog" of deferred maintenance. Sheridan wrote, inadequate funding means that current rates of SDOT pavement repairs can’t keep up with the rate of pavement decay. Taken together, these two statements should give Seattle taxpayers pause. They ...

Posted Wed, Jun 23, 4:19 p.m.

The reference mhays provided is useful but it unfortunately doesn't suggest a huge energy efficiency advantage for buses. Check Table 1.1. Transit buses show an average of 32.5 passenger-miles/gal compared to 43.8 for the average car trip. Even a SOV trip comes in at a close 27.7 Light rail, commuter ...

Posted Wed, Jun 23, 10:35 a.m.

Parking policy is a worthy subject of more study, something Seattle and the region (Puget Sound Regional Council) have looked at from a congestion management perspective. But reality can prove to be a little complicated. Take parking in the Seattle CBD. The PSRC's last inventory (2004) found 53,000 stalls of ...

Posted Mon, Jun 7, 3:09 p.m.

There’s nothing wrong or unusual about the use of incentives by local government. The range is currently large, from Ron Sims health care premium reductions for county employees who stay fit to payments to employers who participate in the state’s commute trip reduction program. Every situation is obviously different and ...

Posted Thu, Jun 3, 9:39 a.m.

MarkSJohnson is exactly right. Is the tea party message consistent and plausible? Do it's leaders understand how this democracy works, and do they have ideas for improving it or just tearing it down? Only in-depth probing will tell. Perhaps Profesor Gatil's students can follow-up with interviews of its leaders. In ...

Posted Mon, Apr 26, 12:14 p.m.

Re: “Camel’s nose” argument. Who’s to worry when we have the Eyman initiative mill protecting us. I’m serious.

Posted Fri, Apr 23, 3 p.m.

The fate of I-1077 may be in the hands of the state’s small business sector. Companies that employ less than 50 people make up about 85 percent of the state’s businesses and account for 40 percent of all state employment. In previous attempts to abolish or reduce the B & ...

Posted Wed, Apr 21, 10:29 a.m.

When a "public affairs consultant", whether Republican or Democrat, writes a piece that predicts election results, one is led to wonder if he is working for any of the candidates he discusses. So, in the interest of full disclosure, are you Mr. Vance?

Posted Tue, Apr 20, 4:59 p.m.

The cars of the future are likely to be plug-in electrics supplied by nuclear power stations.

Posted Tue, Apr 20, 2:53 p.m.

Southbound I-5 out of downtown Seattle provides a lesson for would-be pundits of regional land use and transportation planning beginning at around 3 pm every weekday. The lesson continues as one travels in his SOV/SUV to Tacoma and even points further South. Traffic in that direction starts to build and ...

Posted Thu, Apr 8, 8:46 a.m.

The headline writer for this piece should be taken to the woodshed. The US and its administration has not been dozing on any of these key international issues. One can quibble about the effectiveness on some, but not about the energy the President and his delegates have shown on all ...

Posted Tue, Mar 23, 9:46 a.m.

When the final and complete analysis of this historic reform is written it is sure to include the story of the nuns vs. the bishops. What could have caused Rep. Stupak's reversal other than the voices of the thousands of catholic nuns who, unlike the church hierarchy, understand the need ...

Posted Mon, Mar 22, 9:39 a.m.

All of the legal niceties aside – do we really want to live in a society that forces an average citizen to consider the need to make a judgment call when she sees someone packing a pistol in public? Do we individually want to be forced to decide whether this ...

Posted Wed, Mar 10, 8:02 p.m.

Van Dyke: "Of course politics has changed since the 1960s and the drive toward civil rights and Great Society legislation. But, if you think the environment was less partisan then on sensitive issues, think again. The sruggle over civil rights issues---as exemplified by the filibuster against the 1964 Civil Rights ...

Posted Wed, Mar 10, 10:11 a.m.

To equate the civil rights struggle of the 1950’s and 60’s to the health care reform efforts of today is to compare apples with oranges. The social and political contexts were and are hugely different. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was shaped as much by the events in the ...

Posted Wed, Mar 3, 1:58 p.m.

As an information consumer who doesn't have all day to bop around the many internet sources you've recommended, what are the three or four that can be depended on to give a regular, objective, and informed analysis of important national and international issues? And could perhaps the new on-line media ...

Posted Thu, Feb 25, 9:45 a.m.

If Mayor McGinn wants to zero out the City’s carbon emissions, he needs a new environmental advisor, preferably someone not from the Sierra Club. And he should watch the complete video of Gates’ TED presentation, and do this before sitting down with Ballmer. Light rail isn’t a good answer to ...

Posted Wed, Feb 17, 11:09 a.m.

Come on now Crosscut editor. If you aren't going to run an objective political analysis, please provide some balance with one from a bona fide Democrat.

Posted Wed, Feb 10, 11:53 a.m.

The author suggests that tax cuts would stimulate innovations leading to energy efficiency and less carbon emissions. He doesn’t say what taxes should be cut nor does he indicate whether current preferential tax rates and exemptions are not effective. The state offers several substantial tax exemptions that target alternative energy ...

Posted Thu, Jan 28, 8:52 p.m.

I prefer objective, in-depth economic analysis to the ratings seekers at CNN. Maybe you should too. Start with the November 20, 2009 NYT: "Much federal infrastructure money has gone not to new job-creating projects but to finance existing plans, which otherwise would be unaffordable to states. So the stimulus has ...

Posted Thu, Jan 28, 10:54 a.m.

Van Dyke: He also made the dubious claim that his stimulus package had kept "2 million working who would otherwise have been unemployed." So what is the correct number? Are you suggesting it's possible to spend $787 billion and not affect employment? Did it all fall through the cracks or ...

Posted Mon, Jan 25, 10:04 a.m.

Knee-jerk? Hardly. The Mayor’s seawall proposal is a carefully calculated move to separate funding for the waterfront makeover into two big pieces. By putting the seawall ballot measure out there first, the Mayor and his one Council supporter are betting that the voters will find that their pockets do have ...

Posted Mon, Dec 7, 8:27 a.m.

Mr. Berger needs to get out and about a little more. In addition to jets, java, and computer code, Seattle has quietly made a name for itself in global health and has become a recognized preeminent center working to find solutions to many of the world's most lethal diseases. And ...

Posted Wed, Nov 11, 8:40 a.m.

14. Ask Drago what she thinks of Butterworth's advice.

Posted Wed, Nov 4, 9:39 a.m.

Doing away with the B & O tax is easier said than done. At both the state and local (Seattle) level that tax is almost 20% of government revenues. A more likely possibility is to replace it with a fairer tax on business that reflects net profits rather than gross ...

Posted Wed, Nov 4, 9:03 a.m.

The old adage that hindsight is 20-20 would seem to apply. Would it not be better to look to the future? One future possibility is that the machinists, engineers, and managers who work on and supervise the first 787 line will see that it is in their long-term interest (as ...

Posted Wed, Oct 21, 9:13 a.m.

Wait to vote? No need. This election is over. Mr. McGinn has not only flipped, he's flopped. His big issue is toast. He thought he could woe voters on the grounds that the City's penchant for revisiting decisions would sell. Nine people close to the voters thought otherwise. A candidate ...

Posted Fri, Oct 2, 9:52 a.m.

The writer, as many before him, invokes Portland as a model Seattle might emulate. Given large geographical and topographical differences, meaningful comparisons of roadway systems in the Portland and Seattle metro areas can only be made with the coarsest of measures. Yet Portland and Seattle have some clear distinguishing characteristics, ...

Posted Fri, Sep 25, 7:44 a.m.

A "conviction politician" would first ask what all residents can afford, including folks with fewer financial resources than most Sierra Club members, before proposing more rail transit, taking over the city's school system, and building a redundant public broadband network.

Posted Wed, Sep 23, 9:43 a.m.

The reconciliation process allows budget-related bills to be considered without threat of filibuster. The Senate is considering using it to pass a health care reform bill without sufficient R votes to reach 60. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconciliation_(U.S._Congress).

Posted Thu, Sep 17, 8:09 a.m.

If the choice is between tone or substance, I would choose substance. McGinn seems to think we are still living in the pre-meltdown economic bubble and can afford everything: light rail everywhere, redundant public broadband service, a city-operated school system. This when the city is facing a significant long-term budget ...

Posted Thu, Sep 10, 9:09 a.m.

No critique of sea level rise and other global warming impacts are useful unless made in the context of rich versus poor differences. This piece fails that test. This is a global issue. The level of Puget Sound may not rise enough to have more than a minor effect and ...

Posted Tue, Sep 1, 8:16 a.m.

So why not start a draft campaign for one of the council wannabees to step up?

Posted Wed, Aug 26, 9:03 a.m.

This piece reminds us that it's important to see the lighter side in the serious subject of politics. But it does take more than a pretty (or pretty awful) face to lead a city. So if hair is the subject, how about a close inspection of McGinn's hair-brained schemes to ...

Posted Fri, Aug 21, 9 a.m.

Now that the primary smoke (blown by candidates and interest groups) has cleared, perhaps the lackadaisical media will explore some of the over-the-top campaign promises of the winners. For starters, here’s one of Mr. McGinn’s that needs dissection: “TECHNOLOGY: Seattle needs to upgrade its Internet infrastructure to faster fiber optic ...

Posted Thu, Jul 23, 9:04 a.m.

What ever happened to Mr. McGinn's proposal that the city should take over the school district? Isn't leadership (Obama style) about having good ideas and moving them to fruition?

Posted Tue, Jul 21, 2:37 p.m.

14. Wear down the citzenry with multiple elections financed by deep-pocket consultants and corporations who stand to profit from the project; use the promise of federal construction funds to hide the true life-cycle costs, the big majority of which will be paid by local taxpayers to subsidize the system's operation; ...

Posted Mon, Jul 20, 4:43 p.m.

This is a bill that has yet to go through the Senate mill, where I'm sure "substantive details" will be considered. Perhaps you think that nothing is better than somethng that is short of perfection? And that Obama should go to Copenhagen empty-handed? And show me a perfect piece of ...

Posted Mon, Jul 20, 1:17 p.m.

There are some things that are more important than the next election. Like establishing US leadership in the race to control global warming after eight plus years of denial and obfuscation. The world is watching and waiting, and is expecting the US delegation to arrive in Copenhagen in December with ...

Posted Fri, Jul 17, 12:40 p.m.

It always helps to start a discussion about taxes (or a tax initiative) with some objective background information - numbers that establish the context. The last available data (2006) for Washington State's property tax collections per capita ranking among all states puts us squarely in the middle - 25th of ...

Posted Wed, Jun 3, 8:17 a.m.

Nice idea for a mayoral campaign: "100 Great Ideas for Seattle." What are yours? I'll settle for 10.

Posted Thu, May 28, 12:36 p.m.

Rather than burning mental energy trying to solve tough problems and fighting the administration's and congressional Democrat's "radical ideas", there is a much easier way as pointed out by the Republican Party's leading spokesperson. Sit back and bet on failure. As Rush said: "I hope he (referring to Obama) fails." ...

Posted Tue, May 19, 4:29 p.m.

A better data set to track is the total ridership (boardings) for all the transit agencies - Metro, Pierce, Snohomish, Everett, along with Sound Transit - that serve roughly the same area as ST. This would take into account ST's regional service changes that over time tend to eat into ...

Posted Thu, May 14, 9:31 a.m.

Ron Sims could have rescued his bus system had he actively campaigned against last years's transit (mostly rail) ballot measure. Instead, he quietly signaled his opposition. So now we are being taxed for a system that won't return any benefits for another 15 years, if even then. Let's hope his ...

Posted Thu, Apr 23, 10:38 a.m.

Memo to the author and the nervous Nellie Democrat pols he worries about: What the President has done is start discussions on the big issues that determine our economic fate. Health care, education, and energy (and global warming) together are a large part of the federal budget and private spending ...

Posted Wed, Apr 22, 8:08 a.m.

Here's another option: Drago could run for mayor of Bremerton and Cary Bozeman, the areas's roving mayor (Bellevue and Bremerton) could run for mayor of Seattle. They could support each other. Bozeman has many ideas for fixing Seattle (see April 18, Seattle Times), and Drago could bring her passion for ...

Posted Thu, Mar 12, 1:47 p.m.

One way to see the cyclical nature of Washington's revenue is to compare our total state/local tax collections per $1000 of personal income with the same numbers for the nation (all 50 states). The Department of Revenue does this annually. However, because of the lag in collecting all data it's ...

Posted Thu, Mar 12, 10:42 a.m.

Speaking from some experience with previous state ballot measures that addressed tax system reform, it’s important to be very clear from the getgo what the objective is: to raise more revenue immediately to offset the next biennium’s budget deficit, to reduce the cyclical swings in tax revenues, to improve the ...

Posted Mon, Mar 9, 8:51 a.m.

The City's budget needs to be scrubbed for programs that are not essential when citizens are in a world of hurt. The city's TV channel is one example. It's working - perhaps too well. It has won national awards as the best public access channel. But it's gone beyond providing ...

Posted Thu, Mar 5, 8:58 a.m.

Could it be that Team Obama wants the focus to be on tax reductions for the middle class and not tax increases until the economy recovers? Could it be that transportation is just one among a number of spending programs that create jobs and had to compete with education, health ...

Posted Thu, Feb 26, 9:53 a.m.

Is it realistic to believe that any Commerce secretary, Democrat or Republican, is going to lead the charge to a post-consumer economy? Is it not principally the job of civil society -- proponents of voluntary simplicity, walkability, locovorism, slow food, and the rest -- to convince the vast majority? And ...

Posted Tue, Feb 24, 12:24 p.m.

And fiscal prudence means understanding that there is a finite and shrinking amount of fiscal and political capital, and that we should use it wisely for the most beneficial outcomes. That should be a key tenant of smart growth, including transit-oriented development.

Posted Tue, Feb 24, 11:52 a.m.

It’s important to focus on what his bill is ostensibly about: reducing our collective carbon footprint and global warming. Its title, “An Act Relating to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through land use and transportation requirements,” implies that it will. The proof, of course, is in the pudding. The proponents of ...

Posted Mon, Feb 23, 10:21 a.m.

Much food for thought. Too much to digest in even a Town Hall discussion. Time again for an organized and on-going public discussion/debate? A Seattle 2050?

Posted Fri, Feb 20, 9:44 a.m.

Let’s get beyond the ad hominem attacks to more important matters. HB 1490 raises an important legislative process issue: what level of government can best determine specific local land use standards? The drafters of the Growth Management Act decided it was better to leave these determinations to local governments. They ...

Posted Thu, Feb 19, 12:12 p.m.

It's more than "ending programs that are not working". The City's budget needs to be scrubbed for programs that are not essential when citizens are in a world of hurt. The city's TV channel is one example. It's working - perhaps too well. It has won national awards as the ...

Posted Mon, Feb 16, 10:16 a.m.

Mr.Van Dyk, Why more of the same superficial analysis? Most objective observers have concluded that the Republicans weren’t interested in a bi-partisan stimulus. See the Los Angeles Times report on page A3 of today’s Seattle Times. An excerpt: “In effect, the Republicans took a precarious gambit: By unflinchingly opposing a ...

Posted Fri, Feb 6, 1:02 p.m.

Mr. Van Dyk, I withdraw all of my nasty aspersions, and defer to Paul Krugman. His article (On the Edge) in today's NYT nails the Republican's machinations on the stimulus plan much better than I did. But I do appreciate that a Nobel winning economist reaches the same conclusion regarding ...

Posted Fri, Feb 6, 10:20 a.m.

Mr. Van Dyk, Why don't you spend an equal amount of time and verbiage critiquing the hostile partisan environment President Obama finds himself in? Some of us (perhaps naively) expected that the GOP's trouncing would lead to real bipartisan cooperation. What we see instead, in spite of Obama's reaching out ...

Posted Mon, Feb 2, 10 a.m.

It may be true that in the short term finding money for specific road projects, including major repairs to existing highways and city streets, is going to dominate the transportation debate. But in the next 20 years this region, it is estimated, will add one million residents. Their transportation patterns, ...

Posted Tue, Jan 27, 9:15 a.m.

"Money for family planning and education aid, for example, may be meritorious, but it has nothing to do with jump starting the economy and creating jobs." Does this mean that family planning counselors and teachers, unlike say cement masons, do not constitute real jobs?

Posted Mon, Jan 26, 8:02 p.m.

Dear Ms. Eddy, It appears that you've thrown in the towel on transportation governance. Sound Transit, the 1000 pound gorilla, is always going to be around protecting its prerogatives. And it got stronger with the passage of Prop. 1. But at the same time, the context under which it and ...

Posted Mon, Jan 26, 3:39 p.m.

The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. If Ms. Eddy is a great leader on regional transportation,what is the number of her bill to reform transportation governance? How many cosponsors does it carry among regional legislators? Who refused to sign on so that we will know if our ...

Posted Mon, Jan 26, 2:11 p.m.

Message to Ms. Eddy: "It's funny (in an ironic way) that the issue of governance is revived just when I'd given up on it -- at least for the current session." I'm told that you are a state legislator and member of the transportation committee. But this is hard to ...

Posted Wed, Jan 21, 10:45 a.m.

"Will our Democrats fight for free trade?" Is it possible that Democrats are taking a cautious approach to new trade agreements and liberalized trading rules because Republican economic policies generally have had an enormous negative impact on working Americans? As Mr. Vance I'm sure would acknowledge, successful politics requires its ...

Posted Fri, Jan 16, 7:56 a.m.

But where is Drago on another important transportation project that has been largely ignored: bringing back Seattle's cable cars? How are we supposed to navigate the hills of downtown? Not in a streetcar. One could have a coronary. And think of the economic benefits -- we would compete much better ...

Posted Thu, Jan 15, 9:30 a.m.

I find it hard to decipher the author’s message. Is it that non-native “hybrids” are environmentally destructive? Is it that growing hybrids will encourage more arsons? Is it that we (government) should restrict tree farming, even on fallow land, to native species? It would seem that better advice is: caveat ...

Posted Wed, Jan 14, 1:20 p.m.

"Why not allow some neutral party, such as the League of Women Voters, to select serious critics of a proposed policy to debate with city spokespersons?" Debates would help. But to be valuable they would need a very informed as well as neutral moderator. Otherwise, critics of one policy choice ...

Posted Mon, Jan 12, 10:05 p.m.

As I understand Mr. Richards' piece, his point is not just about an on-line paper (which the P-I and Times currently produce), but a totally new paperless presentation using a digital reader, perhaps on a plastic sheet that mimics a newspaper page by being thin, flexible, and potentially just as ...

Posted Fri, Jan 2, 2:06 p.m.

To slow Seattle down, I think all local mossbacks should generate as much misinformation about our terrible weather as we can get away with. For starters, how about letting it be known that the City is thinking about using coffee grounds to break up the snow and ice when the ...

Posted Tue, Dec 30, 12:04 p.m.

"Our tax policies are regressive. Our education policies are Neanderthal — they are dismally failing our kids at all levels. The ineptness of leadership that leads to governance-by-Eyman-initiative is unconscionable." Couldn't agree more. But to translate hand-wringing into solutions require some specificity. Such as: - The legislature, with the help ...

Posted Sat, Dec 27, 10:18 a.m.

Here's some advice for all Republicans, Northwest and elsewhere, in this holiday season and into the new year: go offline in a corner somewhere and figure out your future as the conservative party. Make sure you address what "a broad movement that translates to politics: free markets, strong local communities, ...

Posted Tue, Dec 16, 11:32 a.m.

And the best way to get an "objective analysis" is to require that all large public works projects involve a thorough review by a team of outside experts who have no vested interest in the outcome and bring a range of professional experience to the table. Their contribution should be ...

Posted Mon, Nov 24, 12:13 p.m.

Merge Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities creating one department that manages and delivers electric, water, sewer, and solid waste services. Energy and water are increasingly seen as interdependent resources given concerns about global warming and its impact on snowpack and stream run-off that supplies most of the city's ...

Posted Wed, Nov 19, 11:16 a.m.

Notice that Mr. Carlson doesn't mention the two Republicans who won their state wide races - Sec. of State Sam Reed and Attorney General Rob McKenna. Both substantially increased their margin of victory compared to 2004. Both are clearly closer to the political mainstream and outside the loud mouth fringe ...

Posted Mon, Nov 17, 11:04 a.m.

Nice idea -- if one is interested in symbolic value. Unfortunately, even our bloated federal government is not a major consumer of small vehicles. In 2007, according to the General Service Administration, all federal agencies owned just 230,000 passenger vehicles. This compares to about 10,000,000 produced by the Big 3. ...

Posted Thu, Nov 6, 10:04 a.m.

Some important stories won't be found on the campaign bus. They're out there waiting for enterprising reporters (and their editors), who seem to have been in short supply this political season, to do some in-depth analysis. They were given ample opportunity in the presidential race. Examples: "The surge is working", ...

Posted Mon, Nov 3, 9:09 a.m.

Sarah would do her party a favor by going back to college for the next four years and picking up an international studies degree with a minor in english. You betcha.

Posted Mon, Oct 27, 12:17 p.m.

Apparently dbreneman hasn't tuned in to the Governor's race. In the last debate, Gregoire said emphatically that she doesn't support a state income tax. Now I disagree with her on that, a position she's taken since her first election for Governor, but I believe her. There simply is no "current ...

Posted Mon, Oct 27, 8:31 a.m.

Ted Van Dyk is obviously correct on the fiscal facts facing the next Governor. Neither Gregoire or Rossi will be able to pursue "big new spending and tax-cut initiatives." But it's hard to believe that Gregoire will be able to convince the legislature to enact big new tax increases to ...

Posted Thu, Oct 23, 11:53 a.m.

Here's one reason we need more buses soon: Transit ridership numbers are obviously driven in large part by general population growth. The State's Office of Financial Management has estimated growth for King County, with 1997 as the base year: 2007 13.1% 2008 14.5% 2010 17.5% 2015 23.3% 2020 28.0% It ...

Posted Mon, Oct 13, 11:06 a.m.

Cut Them Both a Little Slack: "On the political front, both Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain have avoided until now offering comprehensive plans of their own to revive financial markets and the economy. Both continue to offer spending programs and tax cuts which have absolutely no realistic chance of ...

Posted Thu, Sep 11, 9:43 p.m.

RE: Transparency before Density: mhays wrote: "I'm sure a lot of people do as you say, but in fact you'd also find a large number of developers and architects living in Downtown Seattle, many times what the odds might suggest." That may be true, and there is one sure way ...

Posted Thu, Sep 11, 9 a.m.

Transparency before density: A few years ago a Canadian land use planner and academic decided to take an introspective look at the density choices his professional colleagues made in their own living patterns. What he found was rather revealing: most opted for large houses on big lots. And when they ...

Posted Tue, Sep 2, 11:13 a.m.

3Ps cost more: Mr. Rosenberg and the Discovery Institute need to explain why the Tacoma Narrows bridge project isn't an acceptable funding model for other major transportation projects. It was being pushed seven years ago by powerful interests as a necessary public-private partnership project to be financed and built by ...

Posted Thu, Aug 21, 1:03 p.m.

Initiative process isn't going away, so let's improve it: We can grouse all we want about how some folks use and misuse initiatives, but short of a constitutional amendment (which the legislature is unlikely to touch just as it won't touch some issues that become initiatives), initiatives are here to ...

Posted Sat, Aug 2, 1:53 p.m.

Better references needed.: The references mhays posted that supposedly prove walkability reduces obesity lack credibility. Only the first comes close, but it hasn't yet been published. It is actually for a news article that doesn't indicate whether the study controlled for other likely causual factors such as income. The second ...

Posted Thu, Jul 31, 9:05 a.m.

Walkability? Bring it on!: I'm really looking forward to the day my Seattle neighborhood becomes "walkable". Hopefully Starbucks will still be around so that I can take the elevator down to the street from my "affordable" apartment in the newly densified up-scale zone and walk over to have my favorite ...

Posted Tue, Jul 15, 8:01 p.m.

Round 3: Mr. Schiendelman: Thanks for the references. I reviewed the last reference first, all 40 pages, since it was the most recent (2007) and it summarizes previous studies and hypotheses, including those of Jane Jacobs, who you also cited. You need to carefully read this reference and compare it ...

Posted Tue, Jul 15, 2:24 p.m.

Prove it: Mr. Schiendelman: If random encounters (say at the corner Tulley's) between innovators and investers are significant drivers of urban economic success, then someone should have documented this amazing way to build our economy. And we should use the evidence to design our land use code and transportation plans. ...

Posted Tue, Jul 15, 1:15 p.m.

Urban myths abound: Ben Schiendelman says: "Fundamentally, cities develop to take in raw materials of every kind, then to add value by combining them into more specialized goods. Originally this meant iron ore, coal, and wood shaped into products and buildings. Now it also means software, genetic sequences, and circuitry. ...

Posted Thu, Jul 3, 3:43 p.m.

Planning for 100 years out: a long stretch: It's commendable that someone is thinking about this region's future beyond a few short years or even a few decades. The GMA was premised on plans that would look just 20-30 years out, and would be regularly updated based on experience and ...

Posted Mon, Jun 9, 7:58 p.m.

It helps to read: kieth says: "My guess is that the "embodied costs" are reasonably well reflected in resettlement, demolition and disposal costs." Rather than guess, why not read Rypkema's remarks that Knute Berger provides a link to? Rypkema lays out the economic costs to society that are not usually ...

Posted Fri, May 30, 11:33 a.m.

Forget footprints and focus on specific actions: As the study indicates, measuring carbon footprints is a problematic exercise. Too many assumptions and approximations are required, just to give a few cities questionable bragging rights. The real challenge is to measure the atmospheric carbon impacts of on-going urban development, including projects ...

Posted Tue, May 13, 9:49 a.m.

Bring back the cable cars: Why do we let the other city by a bay attract zillions of tourists and their dollars when we could easily compete? Since streetcars are at best amenities and not mass transportation systems (and becoming commonplace across the country as an urban disease akin to ...

Posted Fri, May 9, 10:49 a.m.

On epiphanies and where we can send the bottled water: A couple years ago the Seattle Planning and Development Department held a series of presentations by experts who told us how we could become a greener city. At one I attended, free bottles of water were given to the crowd. ...

Posted Fri, Mar 21, 10:07 a.m.

Only a symptom: The Mayor's pothole campaign is clearly an effort to divert our attention from a deeper -- and far bigger -- problem. For years the City's elected leadership has neglected basic street maintenance and repair. The 2006 property tax levy to fund street maintenance, transit improvements, and bike ...

Posted Tue, Feb 12, 9:33 a.m.

Conspiracy theories live on: Lyndon LaRouche? I thought he had died in prison after being convicted of bilking gullible seniors out of their life savings. Perhaps, as with most conspiracy theoreticians, his disciples carry on even after the originator's demise.

Posted Tue, Jan 22, 10:49 a.m.

A modest proposal for win-win: Here's a suggestion to legislators who have been, and will continue to be, "rattled" when not on some rare occasions helped by Tim Eyman: don't wait for the inevitable signature gathering success and election campaign, address his proposals as soon as they are filed and ...

Posted Fri, Dec 28, 12:16 p.m.

Centrism could be a fatal disease: Is a government rooted in pro-business centrism that is given an occasional "populist" nudge from Tim Eyman the ticket to a better future for a growing state? Doubtful. Centrists are by nature cautious. Their proposals will look to short term fixes at the expense ...

Posted Thu, Dec 13, 4:09 p.m.

The rest of the story: We tend to ignore how much our lifestyles have changed in the last four decades. Lifestyles reflect relative wealth, and wealth in turn inspires more lifestyle changing invention and innovation. And our lifestyles dictate where we want to go, how we get there, and the ...

Posted Tue, Nov 13, 3:57 p.m.

Needed: reliable information: We are too diverse and independent minded to accept a transportation/land use czar. But we do need to be better informed before we vote. That has been at the heart of the thumbs up, thumbs down history of recent ballot measures. Prop. 1 was a classic example: ...

Posted Tue, Oct 2, 10:23 a.m.

More at stake than polar bears and whales: If indeed 25 percent of the World's yet to be discovered oil and gas lies under the Arctic Sea, what does that portend for efforts to rein in global warming? Environmentalists concerned about the Arctic should be talking about demand management, i.e. ...

Posted Tue, Sep 18, 9:45 a.m.

Fat people need appropriate housing: Let's not stop with bussing as a solution to this major social problem. City leaders and planners should require that upscale neighborhoods include a reasonable percentage of skinny houses. These would be just as affordable as bigger houses in neighborhoods where obesity is rampant, but ...

Posted Fri, Aug 31, 11:13 a.m.

More research needed to find the true causes of obesity: If obesity is related to social equity and class, is it not likely that wealthy people are more able to afford memberships at health clubs, visit spas, and take sking vacations? So is perhaps the most important direct relationship their ...

Posted Fri, Aug 17, 7:12 p.m.

sightline's dated studies: Eric de Place, Sightline Institute: "Somewhat easier to digest perhaps, we produced four two-page fact sheets on the main links between sprawl and health (car crashes, obesity/activity, air quality, and social relationships). They're pretty readable, and if you want to dig in a bit more, they also ...

Posted Fri, Aug 17, 2:55 p.m.

Here's a study: Since mhays failed to provide any evidence in the form of research that links health to urban form, here's a recent one from my collection (I follow the research literature closely): Fat City: Questioning the Relationship Between Urban Sprawl and Obesity Jean Eid, University of Toronto Henry ...

Posted Fri, Aug 17, 12:11 p.m.

What studies?: mhays: "studies are piling up saying urbanites tend to be healthier, even accounting for age, poverty, and so on." Please cite the studies.

Posted Fri, Aug 17, 9:39 a.m.

Let's get real!: Brewster: "does walkability work? Sightline cites research showing that residents of compact areas (homes mixed with stores and services, and a street network designed for walking and strolling) are less likely to be obese, suffer fewer chronic illnesses, and may breathe cleaner air than suburbanites by being ...

Posted Wed, Jul 25, 7:40 p.m.

Missing the Point - Take 2: Who should be responsible for the carbon analysis? An important question. Members of the public who suggest alternative transportation investments? If so, then anyone who thinks there might be a better altenative would be required to hire an expensive consultant to do the analysis. ...

Posted Wed, Jul 25, 3:33 p.m.

Missing the point: Have some commentators misssed the basic point of Mr. Bundy's piece? He seems to be saying that if we really want to fix the pressing problem of global warming, and if we believe that transportation investments can contribute, then we should be interested in energy inputs and ...

Posted Wed, Jun 20, 9:50 p.m.

RE: There is no Silver Bullet: It's important to base these discussions on the best facts available. It is simply inaccurate to say "I can buy a ticket to fly to California for a couple hundred bucks, because the government is subsidising the entire air traffic control system, paying for ...

Posted Wed, Jun 20, 1:14 p.m.

RE: re urban livability...: Indeed, it would seem that a general concept such as "urban livability" ultimately must be defined through the eyes of the beholder. But whose eyes do we choose? My property's value has gone up for 20 straight years, so my "livability" has improved considerably according to ...

Posted Wed, Jun 20, 12:02 p.m.

Definitions are important: If one goal of transportation investments is to improve "urban livability" it would be helpful to have a definition of that term. Then we could judge whether the benefits of the investment are commensurate with the costs. Anyone want to venture a definition?