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Monday, August 29, 2005

Scary Water

Posted by on August 29 at 11:30 AM

With all the talk of flooding and storm surges in New Orleans, it seems an appropriate time to bring up my recent argument with Alfred “The Professor” Runte, PhD, one of three no-chance candidates for mayor who the Stranger endorsement team had the pleasure of interviewing last Friday.

It’s safe to say I did not expect to be debating the likelihood of tsunamis in Puget Sound with Dr. Runte, but there I was, telling him I was very skeptical that a huge tsunami could even occur in the inland waters of Puget Sound, much less be used as a threat to justify his rather bold Viaduct plan (which involves running light rail over the Viaduct).

Dr. Runte, who says he is such a political threat to Mayor Nickels that the mayor can feel The Professor “breathing down his neck,” promptly emailed me after the interview:

Subject: Tsunamis

Dear Eli,
I very much enjoyed meeting you and your colleagues today.  You are a spirited and committed group.  Meanwhile, I have just Googled “Puget Sound and Tsunami,” and been advised of 27,000 “hits.”  One of the first appears below.  Mayor Nickels may not care about this research; I do.  I listen to scientists, not just developers.   I would hope The Stranger would do the same.   A journalist has the same obligation not to be dismissive before every source has been explored and heard.   As I said, this is the Old Professor talking, but I cut my teeth where you are today. 
 
I am copying this to Gene Hoglund, of Magnolia, who set me straight about tsunamis.  I am sure you can expect a “wave” of information back…

Mr. Hoglund did indeed hit me with a wave of tsunami information, and I now hereby relent. A tsunami is possible in Puget Sound. Although I am still not convinced that, as Hoglund alleges, there is a tsunami “cover-up” being perpetrated by various city departments.