"and so, in MY column,'

"MY admonishment:"

The first job of tne new Legislature is to demonstrate that it can fix the most obvious problems without breaking the bank. That will take up most of this session.

The governor is running for re-election and has to inoculate the voters against the nmotion that she is a tax-and-spend wacko. The Democratic Legislature has a vested interest in her re-election. So that in itself would be a brake on the sweeping changes you say you want, but have failed to enumerate.

That is one reason why Seattle will be getting a nice new Viaduct. But I digress.

Numbers are only numbers and "mandate" means something different to whoever uses it, like "progressive." There's no evidence here, Josh, nor are you likely to provide it, that you are speaking for anyone besides yourself.

Oh, and it's "admonition," not "admonishment."

"and so, in MY column,'

"MY admonishment:"

The first job of tne new Legislature is to demonstrate that it can fix the most obvious problems without breaking the bank. That will take up most of this session.

The governor is running for re-election and has to inoculate the voters against the nmotion that she is a tax-and-spend wacko. The Democratic Legislature has a vested interest in her re-election. So that in itself would be a brake on the sweeping changes you say you want, but have failed to enumerate.

That is one reason why Seattle will be getting a nice new Viaduct. But I digress.

Numbers are only numbers and "mandate" means something different to whoever uses it, like "progressive." There's no evidence here, Josh, nor are you likely to provide it, that you are speaking for anyone besides yourself.

Oh, and it's "admonition," not "admonishment."

"These are mandate numbers. This is a mandate. Use it or lose it."

I guess I miss your point here on the Supreme Court race. How could Owens' re-election possibly bear on what kind of legislation gets introduced this session?

Perhaps you think the legislature should enact some new laws forcing businesses to pay the union dues of employees (or something) because Owens will uphold it? It sounds like you are saying she and her "bretheren" will uphold liberal laws just because the Dems in Olympia want them . . . .

The way it is supposed to work is that judges uphold (or strike down) laws irrespective of which political party controls the executive and/or legislative branches.

So spending $3 billion on a highway that doesn't even come close to making your top four highways in terms of regional significance is how you show you're not a tax-and-spend wacko? Meanwhile, one of the vastly more significant highways, 520, goes without funding. Now that's the kind of fiscal conservatism any highway builder can love.

1. There is a mandate. Yes, disasterous things (like the massive exemptions for certain special interests in B&O taxes) should be fixed.

2. People are sick and tired of intrusive arrogant government. So, this is NOT a license to run roughshod and cram everything down people's throats. Stay the heck out of our bedrooms and get rid of intrusive things, but don't imagine we want nannies.

3. Fiscal discipline is the watchword. And we MEANT it when we said we wanted more education dollars. Excuses won't matter. Just action.

Will, I must have missed that news story. Can you give me a link?

I hope you're sitting down when I break the sad news to you that the money to replace the Viaduct was appropriated in the last session.

Please take a deep breath. The context for this thread is that Josh stated that the Legislature had a mandate. He didn't say to do what. I suggested that the Legislature might find it politic to exercise some fiscal restraint. You brought up spending $3 billion on Highway 99.

I reminded you that the $3 billion had been appropriated in the last session, by -- wait for it -- the previous Legislature.

So any fiscal restraint that this Legislature might exercise will not include that particular $3 billion in any event. In other words, the point that you raised does not apply to this Legislature.

Whether or not the whole viaduct issue is academic is another question altogether, and there is little need to rehash our respective positions here.

Maybe you were sleeping during your civics classes?

Whoever these D House (so-called)leaders are...they should no longer be leading us -- the sorry no ball whimp ass motherfuckers. Geez this pisses me off!

That's what the Republicans in D.C. told themselves in 2000. That's why there's a Dem majority now. I think the voters just said: Use it wisely. Or else.