Posted Sat, Jun 18, 10:33 a.m.

No mention of the Port's new-engine requirement? No mention of their old-truck scrapping program? Talk about an egregiously unbalanced article. The stench of the Teamsters is all over these front groups. Just like the anti-WalMart groups trying to convince you it's a horrible company that abuses its employees - EVERY ...

Posted Thu, Apr 28, 9:37 p.m.

"[is it] fair for those who own property adjacent to a 100-year-old-plus railroad to object if the railroad's owner decides to run more trains. “That's a fair argument,” concedes Jeff Brewster, communications director for the city of Lakewood." Gee, d'ya think? As for Mr. Anderson, a person who doesn't even ...

Posted Fri, Mar 4, 9:16 a.m.

The movie was brilliant and Portman, perfect. My wife and I turned to each other at the end and said at the same time, "wow." Our expectations had been tempered by reading so many reviews beforehand pointing out this or that purported flaw. All missed the point and failed to ...

Posted Fri, Mar 4, 9:07 a.m.

There is a common thread in every one of the departures: managerial incompetence. Not academic performance or really anything involving teaching per se. So we don't need a visionary or PR genius, I'd simply like to see a superintendent who is a competent large-organization leader, able to manage budgets, assess ...

Posted Thu, Mar 3, 7:48 a.m.

As usual, basic economics eludes environmentalists. Building or not building this port will have zero - none - nada - impact on Chinese demand for coal, which at the margins is independent of supply. It'll keep going through BC, or through new ports in Mexico or elsewhere. Not to compete ...

Posted Fri, Feb 25, 8:07 a.m.

Correction, meant to say "net positive for overall emissions" above. Moving to low-sulfur coal avoids the devastating environmental effects - like acid rain - of high-sulfur coal. The way to improve China's carbon emissions is to encourage high-efficiency plants (which they're doing with their new plants) and international pressure to ...

Posted Fri, Feb 25, 7:56 a.m.

Hasselman has poor command of basic facts. "The primary constraint is transportation.... They can't ship this stuff to Texas” at a profit. “I don't even think they can ship it to California” Wrong. Powder River coal has long served huge power plants in Texas, Illinois and Alabama. http://www.rmel.org/assets/0/72/82/96/9862/9938/556b2888-ef83-4e32-a8ce-72403bdc7d11.pdf And as ...

Posted Sun, Feb 6, 10:28 p.m.

Wells wrote "my charges against the bored tunnel are alarmist" I think we can all agree on that. Thanks for your candor.

Posted Fri, Feb 4, 4:28 p.m.

It does - thanks to both Joe and Doug.

Posted Fri, Feb 4, 10:10 a.m.

Doug, interesting post with some thought-provoking points. However, you stated "On the Washington state Amtrak Cascades, ridership for 2010 is probably in the area of 600,000." Per the Sue Frause article you link to, it was actually 838,251, up 10% from 761,610 in 2009, confirmed on WSDOT's site. So you're ...

Posted Sat, Jan 22, 11:02 a.m.

LOL. Although that was actually a repair contractor who failed to close the pontoon hatches before the storm...

Posted Fri, Jan 21, 2:25 p.m.

Freight goes unmentioned, again. Here's a thought, stop kicking small shortlines like Ballard Terminal and the proposed Redmond operation in the teeth. One freightcar carries the same tonnage of 4 semi's and takes them off the road, with a bonus of much less emissions end-to-end.

Posted Fri, Jan 21, 2:15 p.m.

This is a not-remotely-historic firetrap and seismic risk. Tear it down before someone gets hurt. Good grief.

Posted Fri, Jan 21, 2:13 p.m.

Williams death was a tragedy, and I am convinced Birk overreacted. Watching the squadcar video broke my heart. But this is exactly the kind of letter that encourages people not to take Native Americans seriously. There is no question Amherst hated Native Americans and at least discussed the possibility of ...

Posted Fri, Jan 21, 8:19 a.m.

"having a freight train run in your backyard is not acceptable for downtown residents" But the 4 semi trucks that each railcar replaces IS acceptable. Mm, ok. "I guess railroads hold so much power they are kept exempt from the clean-air regs that apply to all other modes." Entirely incorrect. ...

Posted Tue, Jan 18, 5:54 p.m.

lorenbliss wrote "it's obviously open season on bohemians here too – the impending destruction of 619 Western cunningly disguised as a pro-transit measure, thereby guaranteed to serve local Ruling Class interests" Did bohemians build 619 Western? Oh wait, that was capitalism. Bohemia must be where economic logic goes to die.

Posted Tue, Jan 18, 3:04 p.m.

"If an old Denny's on Queen Anne is historically significant, why not the 619 Western?" I think you meant the old Denny's in Ballard. It was torn down. 619 Western has the historical significance of a petrified turd, and is a firetrap and seismic risk to boot. It should be ...

Posted Tue, Jan 18, 10:22 a.m.

Strange, I don't recall the virulent anti-Reagan rhetoric of the Left being blamed for John Hinckley shooting Reagan.

Posted Tue, Jan 18, 10:18 a.m.

P.S. by these same arguments, weren't Democrats morally implicated in John Hinckley's shooting of Reagan? Anyone who lived through that era knows the rhetoric was certainly virulent at the time, Reagan was accused of hatred, racism and everything short of clubbing baby seals.

Posted Tue, Jan 18, 10:11 a.m.

"to avoid any responsibility, is really shameful.... they are morally implicated" Sad to see a Reverend spewing so much hatred. And he fails to mention the Daily Kos also targeted Giffords angrily, and the DNCC used bullseyes on their campaign map against Republicans. To be clear: if you're using this ...

Posted Mon, Jan 17, 11:11 p.m.

The building is a decrepit deathtrap, at great risk of fire and/or seismic collapse. And it's as historically significant as a petrified turd. Just watch out for fires that look a little too convenient - Google "polson building arson"

Posted Thu, Dec 23, 8:44 a.m.

Take a look at the PSP orgchart: http://www.psp.wa.gov/downloads/org_chart_2010_update9_15_10.pdf Who ARE all these people and what do they DO??? Nice website, but no mission, no metrics, no measurement, no accountability. Blow it up, or turn it into a 3-person public outreach unit of DOE, because there is value in "rolling up" ...