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The first online-only news site in state history to get media credentials to cover the state capitol and Seattle city hall, PubliCola has been called a “must-read” by the Seattle Post Intelligencer and a hot “New Media Mover and Shaker” by Seattle Magazine—which also cited our own Erica C. Barnett as the city's No. 1 news nerd.

Council Moves Tunnel Referendum Forward

2011 Election   May 23, 2011 at 3:46 pm Erica C. Barnett

Despite momentary rumblings that the city council would consider alternatives to a referendum on a portion of legislation adopting agreements between the city and state on the deep-bore tunnel today (the council has the authority to put an alternative proposal, or proposals, on the ballot alongside the referendum, which a King County Superior Court judge ruled last week was eligible for the ballot), council members voted unanimously today to place the tunnel referendum on the August ballot. The judge’s order Friday compelled them to do so, but a competing measure—such as an up or down vote on the surface/transit alternative—could have confused voters, council members feared.

Although council president Richard Conlin said he had heard that “an appeal has been filed” to stop the tunnel referendum, both Protect Seattle Now, the pro-tunnel campaign, and the state department of transportation both said they had not yet filed an appeal. Both groups have 30 days to do so.

Refusing to quit while he was ahead, Conlin also took the opportunity of today’s vote to note tersely that tunnel opponents, who have claimed repeatedly that they’ve collected the signatures of 29,000 Seattle residents. probably only collected “closer to 19,000″ valid signatures, given that of the total, “at least a couple thousand of those folks were duplicate signatures, another 3,000 didn’t live in Seattle, and another couple thousand were not registerd voters.”


  • Peter

    Love the picture of Conlin with a giant fish, great work. 

  • Scatinitiative

    What is this about the signatures – quibbling - all that matters is the number of valid signatures on both I-101 and Referendum 1 – the threshold that both had to meet and did meet.  Between the two it adds up to 37,000 valid signaturs.  Like this nit picking saved face – not.   

  • http://manywordsforrain.blogspot.com/ Mr Baker

    So, if it doesn’t matter then why did you combine two different signature gathering efforts to make your point?

  • Jakers

    When polled against the tunnel and a viaduct rebuilt, the surface/option got on 22%, leaving 78% against it. Now if you look at in regards to both R-1 and I-101 (like you combine them above), that is 156% against surface/transit.

  • Big Jim Slade

    Yay! A pointless advisory vote at public expense that will have zero influence on the final outcome!

    Hooray Seattle Process!

  • tvguide

    KC Superior Court isn’t really capable of dealing with an issue of this legal and political complexity.  It will go to State Appeals or Supreme Court before it is resolved.  I’m not saying that I know what the outcome will be, but there is still some legal process to navigate before this is resolved.

  • Wilbur

    Build it. It’s a compromise plan: 4 car lanes instead of the present of like 6,and get’s rid of blighty turn offs. It opens up the Waterfront for those not creating noise driving above it now.

  • Wilbur

    Build it. It’s a compromise plan: 4 car lanes instead of the present of like 6,and get’s rid of blighty turn offs. It opens up the Waterfront for those not creating noise driving above it now.

  • repete

    Conlin is warped.  He says
    putting the surface option on the ballot would “confuse voters,” when putting
    anything on a ballot that has not been fully characterized creates a confused
    ballot, not confused voters.  Of one
    thing there is no confusion.  Our current
    conundrum was caused by City and State politicians and
    government employees cynically, disingenuously, working behind closed
    doors.  Whether you are an anti-tunnel type,
    or a just do something type, you should smell the stink of bad government.

  • repete

    Conlin is warped.  He says
    putting the surface option on the ballot would “confuse voters,” when putting
    anything on a ballot that has not been fully characterized creates a confused
    ballot, not confused voters.  Of one
    thing there is no confusion.  Our current
    conundrum was caused by City and State politicians and
    government employees cynically, disingenuously, working behind closed
    doors.  Whether you are an anti-tunnel type,
    or a just do something type, you should smell the stink of bad government.

  • repete

    Conlin is warped.  He says
    putting the surface option on the ballot would “confuse voters,” when putting
    anything on a ballot that has not been fully characterized creates a confused
    ballot, not confused voters.  Of one
    thing there is no confusion.  Our current
    conundrum was caused by City and State politicians and
    government employees cynically, disingenuously, working behind closed
    doors.  Whether you are an anti-tunnel type,
    or a just do something type, you should smell the stink of bad government.

  • Wilbur

    We have one of the most spectacular shore sites in the world. It naturally lends itself to people going to and fro it in an East-West direction. This was cut off originally by rail, eventually by auto thru traffic.This is why only tourists who dont know better walk amidst the deafening roar under the cars. We could all thrive in our common front yard….imagine all the taxes to be made from  presently non-existent relaxation/social/recreation activity. Imagine.Drive…through a tunnel…thrive w/friends and family on our common Waterfront.It’s meant to be more than a concrete Indy 500.