Another chapter in "Profiles in Courage," from and elected who cannot open his mouth without saying how brave he is...

I am voting for a Democrat for President on the wild hope that Sims is named to head a federal agency JUST so we can get some new blood in the Executive's office.

Light rail construction is well under way. The projects are coming in on time, and under budget:

“Ahmad Fazel, Sound Transit's light-rail director, would only say that "we are on track to build this project on time and on budget.”

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002181534_soundbudget16m.html

Clean and roomy service between Downtown and SeaTac Airport will be operating in short order. The agency always receives clean audits, including from State Auditor Brian Sonntag, proving it is under budget. If not lots more in November, then when?

Recently transformed into an environmental leader?

Like when Sims proposed a county office on global warming back in 1987 -- twenty years ago is recent?

He sits on the Sound Transit Board and you're surprised he didn't endorse a no vote? Really?

It is somewhat surprising, I think, considering how many pro-transit, pro-environment leaders and groups have endorsed Prop 1, including King County Democrats, Washington Conservation Voters, and all the County Councilmembers. I agree that Roads and Transit is probably a net loss environmentally, but the fact that Sims didn't endorse it outright really sets him apart. If he had endorsed a "no" vote, I would have falled out of my chair, before getting up and calling him to say "run for governor again."

Are we shocked? Not a bit. Metro has progressively gone down hill since he has been county exec. The only plus they have done is get new buses which are already looking like shit due to minimal maintance.

And when you call his office to ask what plans he has to improve metro service IN SEATTLE, you get no answer.

So something as complicated as the Roads/Transit plan, I am not surprised he has no opinion on.

Damnit. "would have falled out of my chair." Fallen.

Spare us the "Sound Transit is on time and on budget" BS, please - it's 2/3 the system voters were sold 1996 and it won't get to Husky Stadium (let alone the central U-District) until 10 years after the initial promised delivery date.

Ron has peanis envy, I mean transit envy.

Those nice, new, sleek, sexy, fast and reliable light rail trains are going to make his slow, smelly, hot, stuck in traffic buses look bad.

He supported light rail before he went neutral

And he even support many of the same road projects in the Roads and Transit plan, before he neutral it.

Have a look for yourself.

http://www.metrokc.gov/kcdot/solutions/index.cfm

Hopefully Sims is thinking ahead and thinking about congestion pricing as the one of the newspapers suggested this morning.

BTW, as much as I'd like to vote no roads, yes lightrail to send some sort of message, I'm worried that just helps the whole thing pass. I think I'm with the Sierra Club on this.

"Sims has recently transformed himself into an environmental leader."

ECB - Ron Sims was an environmental leader when you were still in diapers riding your little tricycle in the suburbs of Houston, Texas.

Too bad ROn wasn't an environmental leader back when the monorail was still a possibility.

Dan- It must be pointed out that not many environmental leaders were supporting the Monorail. The ones who did were lukewarm at best. Urban designers & planners hated the project.

I completely support HCT in that corridor but that was a bad project. Based on what they were proposing and their budget number it was pretty see the could not deliver much value. By the end we had a single track 5 mile system with stations designs that could best be described as Soviet-like.

Anyway, I digress. Ron was joined by many good, smart people with enviro cred up the ying yang in not supporting the monorail. I wondered how long it would take for a Stranger staffer to whine about the monorail again.

A non-endorsement in this instance is as good as endorsing the opposition. I don't think this will pass without massive cheerleading from local leaders. Sims passing on saying "yea" will contribute to the death of RTID.

@8: You calling Ahmad Fazel, Sound Transit's light-rail director a liar? He says on time and under budget.

@14 - well, the 43rd didn't endorse RTID/ST2 - in fact there were more for the No on RTID/ST2 then there were on the Yes on RTID/ST2.

That sounds like a non-endorsement to me, even if the media isn't reporting it.

Sims just knows that taking a side has the potential to be politically damaging if he ends up on the unpopular or losing side. I think all the context you added was emotional window dressing to the actual situation.

@15 - yup - he's full of it. The light rail project that he says is "on time and on budget" is not the one that was promised to voters in 1996, and it's patently dishonest to pretend that it is.

Remember when ST promised they wouldn't come back to the voters for Phase 2 funding until Phase 1 was up and running? I bet Sims does.

Oh, and if you're going to post a link to a (2+ year old) newspaper article that is supposed to support your argument, it would behoove you to notice inconsequential stuff like the picture caption that read

"The original project, $1 billion over budget and three years behind schedule in 2001, was scaled back and is now on target."

I know, details, details - just vote yes and pray, the boosters say....

The more working class 34th District Democrats endorsed Roads and Transit 86-2.

#20
yeah, but how many actual West Seattleites (and Vashon Islanders) do those 88 34th Dems represent - not many would be my guess. All my neighbors are voting NO and NO and up and down the peninsula I hear the same thing - no more taxes. That's what real working class people are thinking - not RTID/ST2 yes/yes.