http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2009/07/10/ag-rob-mckenna-gabs-with-bloggers Comments On: AG Rob McKenna Gabs with Bloggers by Dominic Holden en-us Copyright 2009 The Stranger. All rights reserved. This RSS file is offered to individuals, The Stranger readers, and non-commercial organizations only. Any commercial websites wishing to use this RSS file, please contact The Stranger. webmaster@thestranger.com (The Stranger Webmaster) Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:01 -0800 Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:45:00 -0800 Foundation http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss

Posted by abc]]> Sat, 11 Jul 2009 22:32:42 -0700 The Stranger
I suggest you do the same.
Posted by Citizen R]]> Sat, 11 Jul 2009 21:55:35 -0700 The Stranger
The tunnel is now $2 billion

From Nov. 2001:Some opponents are contemplating legal action to block the project. But King County Councilman Rob McKenna, R-Bellevue, one of the two "no" votes, predicted the line will be built.

The $2.1 billion project still must secure $500 million in needed federal funding. (project is now at $2.8 billion)

And Sound Transit must negotiate a new agreement with King County to run trains through the county-owned downtown Seattle bus tunnel.

"They're hurdles," McKenna said, "but they're hurdles the agency can overcome."


Posted by abc]]> Sat, 11 Jul 2009 21:37:26 -0700 The Stranger Actually the price went up substantially from 2001 but why deal with details.

Did Mckenna actually suggest the project should be killed or did he suggest that since the project was so different than what we voted for, perhaps more evaluation and honesty should be used?

Oh and BTW you're the one that brought up ST.
Posted by abc]]> Sat, 11 Jul 2009 21:04:28 -0700 The Stranger
Oh yes, we could build exclusive new lanes for buses and HOVs, for so-called Bus Rapid Transit, but then the costs would be in the same stratosphere as light rail.

Rob McKenna's "solution" was to simply kill the project and with it the agency. His vision of the future was all negative.

And it amazes me to STILL hear whining about Sound Transit's cost estimating problems from TEN YEARS AGO! Wake up! The region's voters gave Sound Transit a large Vote of Confidence last November.

Why? Because Sound Transit fixed its problems -- in November 2001 the board adopted a budget and schedule for the initial segment of Link light rail, the one that opens next weekend -- ON TIME AND ON BUDGET. Most people recognize success when they see it, instead of living in the past. They've moved on, and gave Sound Transit their blessing to build more light rail transit.
Posted by Citizen R]]> Sat, 11 Jul 2009 19:17:18 -0700 The Stranger Posted by BombasticMO]]> Sat, 11 Jul 2009 09:34:27 -0700 The Stranger
Go back and read the pre Tuck Wilson statements by ST and their board members. I think Tuck's words were something like - this time we added up ALL the numbers in the spreadsheet and we are $1.2 billion over budget.

Spending $7 billion, not counting finance charges, to get from Sea-Tac to Roosevelt 10 years late could be reasonably argued to be a bad investment.

McKenna was the only one that spoke the truth about what was happening. Should he have just gone along with lies being told because light rail at any cost is a good thing?
Posted by abc]]> Sat, 11 Jul 2009 07:19:35 -0700 The Stranger
McKenna worked very hard, in concert with East Side highway interests, to destroy the light rail project and leave the entire region with only bus transit.

Thankfully, he failed.
Posted by Citizen R]]> Fri, 10 Jul 2009 23:35:24 -0700 The Stranger Posted by Urgutha Forka]]> Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:01:02 -0700 The Stranger