OK, so if city council thought we'd go broke paying for a monorail for 20 years, and they want to put the whole city on the line for a Streetcar for a Billionaire, given that the Underwater Tunnel for Mayor Gridlock will cost TEN TIMES the cost of the monorail, who's willing to pay the THOUSANDS of DOLLARS a YEAR in taxes to build any of these vanity projects?

And why did we NEVER get to vote on this Streetcar for Billionaires in the first place?

Um, Erica, let me introduce myself. My name is Michael Mann.

I would like to propose that any cost overruns be paid for by auctioning off cubic centimeters of Greg Nickels's flesh, cut out with a grapefruit knife. If there's not enough to meet demand, use some of Paul Allen's too.

ERICA BARNETT Wrote:
"Yesterday, council newcomer Sally Clark (reportedly operating under Jan Drago’s tutelage) proposed an amendment to council legislation approving the mayor’s South Lake Union streetcar."

Now isn't that the reason young Ms. Clark was selected as a city council member by the other city coucil members....because she represents the interests of the other council members and and not the citizens we expect her to represent?

---Jensen

Just what do you glum and gloom folks want to do with this city?

Piss and moan and complain - Good, God, the landowners in the Street Car service area voted 25 million of their OWN property taxes for this. Giant LID, not just Allen.

Sally is going to be her own person. I saw her voting against Drago ysterday on a gas station zoning for Safeway.

Is this a bunch of sexist anti Lesbian macho boy pigs?

When it comes to brains - Sally has more than the rest of the council together.

Her politial future will be unlimited. First woman Mayor in a long time? Congress? County Exec?

She has that talent - Jensen, you are snide and rude. Oh, but you think you are so cool. Just what do you support? Run you candidate against
Sally in the coming election - give it a try.

The "Landowners" voting - it's by tract, and Paul Allen owns more than 90 percent of the tracts, therefore he gets 90 percent of the votes.

The only vote that counts in a democracy is a vote of the citizens.

if you don't like it, move to Iraq.

Bob says "Is this a bunch of sexist anti Lesbian macho boy pigs?"

Nope. Just plain old vanilla boy pig here.

Seriously, how can you argue with someone who accuses people who don't like the streetcar of being anti LESBIAN? Is it a lesbian streetcar? I don't understand.

Jan Drago always votes as a corporate whore, and especially when it entails taxpayer welfare for Paul Allen in South Lake Union. It's worth noting--and possibly worth reporting in The Stranger--that Allen's corporate welfare lobbying staff is headed by Dan McGrady, Drago's longtime assistant and hatchet man who Allen hired straight out of her office.

The comment about Sally being a Lesbian and who has problems with that - was directed to Jensen.

He seems to think she is a pawn of some type. Chosen as a rubber mat. To service other council members and - I guess some larger corporate agenda - on and on...

She is not. Where did he get this idea? Her resume was gold. She beat 99 other people, remember. An open process. Remember.

If you decide you don't like her after a few months - vote against her.

She is a rising star. And her neighborhood stuff is a real ace in this town. Second only to Conlin.

BOB Wrote:
"Sally is going to be her own person."

Glad to here that, Bob. Do let us know when this happens, won't you, Bob?

By the way, Bob. Please let us know, now that the citzenry of this city is financially on the hook for the project's build out, just how will the maintenance and operating costs be paid? By METRO, Bob? What about the projects that were going to be funded by the special transportation fund which will now go unfunded due to the fund being raided to pay for this project?

Perhaps you might consider walking from Westlake to Mercer, Bob. I did last weekend and it took me a little over ten minutes. $50+ million on tracking and cars...which could be easily and inexpensively serviced by an electric bus...to replace a 10+ minute walk? Are you serious, Bob?

Give us all a break, Bob. This is pure vanity. It's Disneyland in its conception and thinking and has nothing to do with providing this city with intelligent transportation design and implementation.

Bob, don't you now think it's about time you should seriously reconsider your support of Clark?

Lastly, I am for district representaton on the
city council, Bob. I want a council member to work for me and not against me.

---Jensen

For the record, Disneyland has better mass transit options than Seattle.

Jensen - I like having 9 council members working for me.

What you describe is something akin to a feudal state. Sorry the ward system has not served Chciago well.

You do remeber that voters have turned that down several times.

Cling on Jensen, cling on. Keep the past alive.

You sound like a Licata clone. Just say no.......play to the lesser Seattle of lore and yore.

Accuse others of the bad solution and propose nothing of your own - I have grown tired of that old canard.

BOB Wrote:
"What you describe is something akin to a feudal state."

Well jeez, Bob. It sure seems to work
okay for the Washington state legislature, King County Council and the US Congress....some might consider the current US Congress feudel or perhaps futile. What am I missing here?

---Jensen

I have known Sally for many years and hold her in high regard, but this is a real disappointment - and a piss poor harbinger of things to come.

Posted by fnarf - March 28, 2006 03:12 PM>>