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Larry Phillips Seizes State Transportation Budget as Campaign Issue

News   March 31, 2009 at 4:26 pm Josh Feit

King County Council Member Larry Phillips called the House transportation budget “unacceptable.”

Phillips, a Sound Transit Board Member (and candidate for King County Executive), has been on fire for the last few days about the Senate transportation budget because it did not include about $30 million to prep I-90 for light rail.

The House transportation budget has him even more upset.

In another one of this week’s “I Hate the budget in Olympia” press releases (most of them coming from social service non-profits), Phillips leveled the House version of the transportation budget on three counts today.

1) Just like the Senate version, it doesn’t provide promised-funding for I-90

But additionally:

2) It snuffs out Sound Transit grants totaling $21 million for hybrid buses, commuter rail, and HOV lanes.

3) (And this is the infuriating one for Phillips): It puts off the light rail project until legislators do an “asset assessment study”—a new prerequisite that prevents the governor and Sound Transit from signing off on the project until legislators determine how much I-90 is worth.

Says Phillips:

“It is unacceptable that the House budget includes a proviso that prevents the state from signing the East Link light rail environmental impact statement or negotiating with Sound Transit over use of the I-90 center roadway for light rail. This proviso must be removed, and light rail must be allowed to move forward without delays that drive up costs and keep commuters stuck in traffic.

“It’s time for state legislators to wake up to the will of the people and make a real commitment to transit funding.”

This last line about “the will of the people” is surely directed at House Transportation Chair Rep. Judy Clibborn (D-41, Mercer Island) whose district voted overwhelmingly for Sound Transit last November.

And more: It’s a dig at Sen. Fred Jarrett (D-41, Mercer Island, Bellevue) a member of the Senate transportation committee who’s also running for King County Executive.

Jarrett has defended the Senate transportation budget by arguing that the state and Sound Transit still need to negotiate the right of way on I-90. Phillips adamantly maintains that those negotiations have already taken place.

Clibborn was not available for a comment today.


  • Robert Cruickshank

    This doesn’t make sense. Why isn’t Phillips running against Frank Chopp if he’s angry about the transportation budget?

    The events of the last month or so make it pretty damn clear to me that the problems in Washington State lay in Olympia. All these people running for Seattle mayor or King County executive are missing the point entirely – if Olympia Democrats are going to govern like Republicans, then there is precious little that anyone in the executive offices of Seattle or King County can do to improve their budgets and local economies.

    Either Phillips or Constantine or McGinn need to challenge Chopp. Taking out Frank Chopp. The #1 task of Seattle Democrats ought to be the removal of Chopp from office, and the organizing of a progressive slate of candidates to hit targeted seats – Haugen, Prentice, perhaps Jarrett – in 2010.

    I don’t know much about Spokane politics, but even a slightly credible primary challenger to Lisa Brown might be useful as well.

    Until Olympia is dealt with, Washington Democrats, progressives, schools, cities, counties, and transit agencies are going to be sacrificed so that Chopp and a few cronies can appease suburban Republicans.

  • Robert Cruickshank

    This doesn’t make sense. Why isn’t Phillips running against Frank Chopp if he’s angry about the transportation budget?

    The events of the last month or so make it pretty damn clear to me that the problems in Washington State lay in Olympia. All these people running for Seattle mayor or King County executive are missing the point entirely – if Olympia Democrats are going to govern like Republicans, then there is precious little that anyone in the executive offices of Seattle or King County can do to improve their budgets and local economies.

    Either Phillips or Constantine or McGinn need to challenge Chopp. Taking out Frank Chopp. The #1 task of Seattle Democrats ought to be the removal of Chopp from office, and the organizing of a progressive slate of candidates to hit targeted seats – Haugen, Prentice, perhaps Jarrett – in 2010.

    I don’t know much about Spokane politics, but even a slightly credible primary challenger to Lisa Brown might be useful as well.

    Until Olympia is dealt with, Washington Democrats, progressives, schools, cities, counties, and transit agencies are going to be sacrificed so that Chopp and a few cronies can appease suburban Republicans.

  • Robert Cruickshank

    This doesn’t make sense. Why isn’t Phillips running against Frank Chopp if he’s angry about the transportation budget?

    The events of the last month or so make it pretty damn clear to me that the problems in Washington State lay in Olympia. All these people running for Seattle mayor or King County executive are missing the point entirely – if Olympia Democrats are going to govern like Republicans, then there is precious little that anyone in the executive offices of Seattle or King County can do to improve their budgets and local economies.

    Either Phillips or Constantine or McGinn need to challenge Chopp. Taking out Frank Chopp. The #1 task of Seattle Democrats ought to be the removal of Chopp from office, and the organizing of a progressive slate of candidates to hit targeted seats – Haugen, Prentice, perhaps Jarrett – in 2010.

    I don’t know much about Spokane politics, but even a slightly credible primary challenger to Lisa Brown might be useful as well.

    Until Olympia is dealt with, Washington Democrats, progressives, schools, cities, counties, and transit agencies are going to be sacrificed so that Chopp and a few cronies can appease suburban Republicans.

  • J.R.

    None of those three candidates (Constantine, McGinn and Phillips) live in Chopp’s legislative district.

  • J.R.

    None of those three candidates (Constantine, McGinn and Phillips) live in Chopp’s legislative district.

  • J.R.

    None of those three candidates (Constantine, McGinn and Phillips) live in Chopp’s legislative district.

  • Robert Cruickshank

    They can move.

  • Robert Cruickshank

    They can move.

  • Robert Cruickshank

    They can move.

  • morgan

    McGinn is running for mayor of seattle.

    http://mcginnformayor.com/
    http://welikemike.ning.com/

  • morgan

    McGinn is running for mayor of seattle.

    http://mcginnformayor.com/
    http://welikemike.ning.com/

  • morgan

    McGinn is running for mayor of seattle.

    http://mcginnformayor.com/
    http://welikemike.ning.com/

  • Deb Eddy

    I’m happy that you figured out what was at the core of all this hoo-hah over the center lanes and etc.

    It was overblown drama, could’ve been “fixed” different ways, different times, but that wouldn’t have taken advantage of the opportunity for Larry to trash Fred.

    Good on you, for figuring that one out.

  • Deb Eddy

    I’m happy that you figured out what was at the core of all this hoo-hah over the center lanes and etc.

    It was overblown drama, could’ve been “fixed” different ways, different times, but that wouldn’t have taken advantage of the opportunity for Larry to trash Fred.

    Good on you, for figuring that one out.

  • Deb Eddy

    I’m happy that you figured out what was at the core of all this hoo-hah over the center lanes and etc.

    It was overblown drama, could’ve been “fixed” different ways, different times, but that wouldn’t have taken advantage of the opportunity for Larry to trash Fred.

    Good on you, for figuring that one out.