Council Unveils Competing License Fee Proposals

It’s kind of sad that, so soon after Bridging the Gap, we’re back at it to fund transportation projects.  However, the tab fee should be focused on transit, bike and pedestrian improvements, not 75% roads.  O’Brien and Rasumussen are on the right track with their percentages.  Perhaps Godden has just stopped caring about the environment?

Spending tons on roads and giving transit the shaft? Classy, Godden.

Oops we’re in a recession, can’t spend on transit, gotta build roads! Roads roads roads! Roads are just as good as transit! Put all our bonding capacity into roads!

Really hoping this sudden fascination with pouring all our money into roads goes away.

of course the public follows leadership. good leadership like FDR.  but the leader needs to explain, most of all, and yes, obama is a failure of explanation and story telling.  really, we hae the biggest set of villains since 1929 and he cna’t manage to blame someone to make it all clear to people?  the guy’s anemic when it comes to conflict and fighting.  once you conclude that obama is the one not leading, not telling us the moral story with heros and villains (“the car ran into a ditch” doesn’t really cut it) about why the economy tanked and why tax cuts forthe rich won’t fix it and why slashing democratic programs won’t fix it…the culprit is really more the democratic base for not pushing national democrats to lead.  the GOP isn’t going to do it, and when the problem is obama gives the GOP 98% of what they want, the right is pursuing a successful and artful strategy and tactics.  building on a message pursued for fifty years.  in response, democrats got no message now.  it’s thus irrational for the left to whine about the right.  why would they change?  the key to moving forward is for liberals to stop the blameless approach of “oh he faced really big problems” “oh the voters are irrational” or “oh the economy is like a car running into a ditch.”  stop the weak approach of “of the right plays unfair, we will work to make them play fair.”  the right has had a 50 year strategy to successfully turn the new deal on its head with the small gummint message and poaching many workers thru denying keynesianismand adopting the lie that taxes subtract from the economy so you need to leave rich people with more money so they create jobs.  a lie:  jobs are costs anbd are preprofit and he rich create jobs to make money not because they have leftover profit; they create jobs to get profits and the marginal tax rate has little effect.  
if obama doesn’t fight these lies, the media won’t, and the masses believe them. 
why isn’t obama out there right now in wisconsin pushing the message that democratsw build middle class jobs, they do do it through big government, unions help, cutting government cuts jobs, those lost dollars affect you and your job, it’s a downward spiral of hooverism, we simply need to do the new deal all over again?    because we the base don’t push on him, we keep giving money and support so he’s doing exactly what a gregoire does — talk compassionately but simply carry out the budget math prescribed by the right.  Obama feels no political threat and can get reelected as he supervises declining living standards in our nation.  why would he change?
. 

of course the public follows leadership. good leadership like FDR.  but the leader needs to explain, most of all, and yes, obama is a failure of explanation and story telling.  really, we hae the biggest set of villains since 1929 and he cna’t manage to blame someone to make it all clear to people?  the guy’s anemic when it comes to conflict and fighting.  once you conclude that obama is the one not leading, not telling us the moral story with heros and villains (“the car ran into a ditch” doesn’t really cut it) about why the economy tanked and why tax cuts forthe rich won’t fix it and why slashing democratic programs won’t fix it…the culprit is really more the democratic base for not pushing national democrats to lead.  the GOP isn’t going to do it, and when the problem is obama gives the GOP 98% of what they want, the right is pursuing a successful and artful strategy and tactics.  building on a message pursued for fifty years.  in response, democrats got no message now.  it’s thus irrational for the left to whine about the right.  why would they change?  the key to moving forward is for liberals to stop the blameless approach of “oh he faced really big problems” “oh the voters are irrational” or “oh the economy is like a car running into a ditch.”  stop the weak approach of “of the right plays unfair, we will work to make them play fair.”  the right has had a 50 year strategy to successfully turn the new deal on its head with the small gummint message and poaching many workers thru denying keynesianismand adopting the lie that taxes subtract from the economy so you need to leave rich people with more money so they create jobs.  a lie:  jobs are costs anbd are preprofit and he rich create jobs to make money not because they have leftover profit; they create jobs to get profits and the marginal tax rate has little effect.  
if obama doesn’t fight these lies, the media won’t, and the masses believe them. 
why isn’t obama out there right now in wisconsin pushing the message that democratsw build middle class jobs, they do do it through big government, unions help, cutting government cuts jobs, those lost dollars affect you and your job, it’s a downward spiral of hooverism, we simply need to do the new deal all over again?    because we the base don’t push on him, we keep giving money and support so he’s doing exactly what a gregoire does — talk compassionately but simply carry out the budget math prescribed by the right.  Obama feels no political threat and can get reelected as he supervises declining living standards in our nation.  why would he change?
. 

It’s an easy cause and effect to blame the Tea Party, but the fact is the debt was created long before the Tea Party came on the scene. The balance sheet of the US would make most third world countries crap their pants. The only reason the US hasn’t defaulted on the debt already is because we can print our own money. Wouldn’t this mean that we essentially have defaulted if we can’t pay our debt unless we print money to pay it?

If you want to let media do your thinking for you then blame the Tea Party all you want. The fact is that Reps and Dem’s and those that voted for them because they promised short term solutions are to blame.

At this point, who is to blame isn’t the biggest problem. The question that needs to be asked is “What do we have to do to right the ship?” The answers to this question aren’t easy, at all.

It’s an easy cause and effect to blame the Tea Party, but the fact is the debt was created long before the Tea Party came on the scene. The balance sheet of the US would make most third world countries crap their pants. The only reason the US hasn’t defaulted on the debt already is because we can print our own money. Wouldn’t this mean that we essentially have defaulted if we can’t pay our debt unless we print money to pay it?

If you want to let media do your thinking for you then blame the Tea Party all you want. The fact is that Reps and Dem’s and those that voted for them because they promised short term solutions are to blame.

At this point, who is to blame isn’t the biggest problem. The question that needs to be asked is “What do we have to do to right the ship?” The answers to this question aren’t easy, at all.

If that were true, US bond rating would have been downgraded when the debt was created, not when a bunch of loons held our government hostage. Who to blame is important, because they should be removed from office. Ironic that they want to cut government and just made everything the government does more expensive.

By the way, is Fizz now a hybrid “report the news/opine on the events” vehicle now? Items 2 and 3, and also item 5 from Friday have blatant slants to them.

Could one of the moderators please address this? I am confused on the direction that Fizz is going. If it is a vehicle to express one’s opinions, I think it should have an author credited for these opinions, otherwise it seems it would be a convenient to hide from taking responsibility.

I don’t think which direction it goes is the issue. I think it’s position should be clear to the readers.

The answer, at least according to the Congressional Budget Office’s projections, is simple. Let the Bush tax cuts for the top 1% expire, and the deficit disappears in a decade.

What you are saying makes sense in theory only. These same rating agencies rated the mortgage crap Wall Street issued as stellar. The fact is that the rating agencies are a joke and have no real credibility.

What you are saying makes sense in theory only. These same rating agencies rated the mortgage crap Wall Street issued as stellar. The fact is that the rating agencies are a joke and have no real credibility.

this just goes to show that S&P is willing to pimp out there services and be influenced by things other than credit worthiness…be it to big banks or TEA Party (Libertarian) directors from within.

yes, the failure of obama to confront the right and make tax hikes part of the compromise is what led the rating agencies to say our system is failing to address our debt.

the tea party is winning in their plan to bring down obama.  his giving in to them helps them.  this is part of the true right wing corporate elite’s plan to make the american economy go downhill — while reaping more of a share for themselves, very much like a third world nation, or how tony soprano treated that guy with the sporting goods store.

destroy social security and medicare…more profits and more scam opportunities for wall street.

oh wait, obama is friends with wall street….hmm……

yes, the failure of obama to confront the right and make tax hikes part of the compromise is what led the rating agencies to say our system is failing to address our debt.

the tea party is winning in their plan to bring down obama.  his giving in to them helps them.  this is part of the true right wing corporate elite’s plan to make the american economy go downhill — while reaping more of a share for themselves, very much like a third world nation, or how tony soprano treated that guy with the sporting goods store.

destroy social security and medicare…more profits and more scam opportunities for wall street.

oh wait, obama is friends with wall street….hmm……

Vulcan is the main beneficiary of the transit funding in the project as proposed.  Almost all of the money would go to planning a SLUT expansion.

Transit includes buses. Buses travel on — wait for it — roads. Roads are in disrepair and need to be maintained.  Quit pretending that is not the case. Nobody is advocating building new highways with this money, just trying to maintain what we have. When your bicycle hits a pothole, you’ll know what I mean.

Jimu,

Fizz, which has been running since Jan. ’09, was originally billed as “Caffeinated News & Gossip.” It has always been—and remains—a catch all for little scoops, commentary, gossip, rumors, interesting links, and straight accounts.

Too bad buses won’t use the tunnel.

ALL of any car tab revenue should be spent on roads.  There is a backlog of maintenance on Seattle city streets of hundreds of millions of dollars.  What better way to pay for those road repairs than car tabs?  Let motorists pay for streets, and let transit users pay for their own transit.  Let bicyclists pay for their own bike lanes.

Why should transit users continually get to freeload on other people’s taxes?  When are transit users going to start paying their own way?

Obama = Carter

Nice intentions, poor execution,

The problem isn’t so much the percentages as it is the duration. If it’s only 8 years and one can’t use it to back bonds, as the Fizz item claims, then you can’t build any new rail projects at all. And we need them badly. Maintaining roads is good and that will happen too, but there isn’t much capacity left on them. Seattle’s future includes rail.

Apparently regressive taxes are ok when they are on evil automobiles. City halls need to add a other tax to perform it’s most basic function is just more evidence that city hall can’t manage the city. While they built shrines for city employees to to work in, libraries with locked doors, stadiums we didn’t ask for, and a fancy emergency management center, they let the infrastucture go to shit.

On point:

“For those who’ve run out of ’08 hope, that creepy reality about Obama hero worship is something to consider.”

This is one of the dumber things Publicola has written, and that’s saying something.

But don’t busses use the roads too?  How about bikes? 

“Roads” aren’t just for cars/trucks. 

Transit or bike funding doesn’t include money for pavement restoration.

agreed this is getting crazy and is why I will vote against all 3 and advise others to do so. all these bikers are not poor and can afford to pay taxes on their hobbies….

transit users need to start paying more also, and the contract in the ride free zones needs to be undone.

How so RyanGrant?

Yesterday’s editorial read like it was written by someone who was disappointed in Superman. That one line undermined the writer’s credibility. And it also highlighted an important part of the storyline here: Many of us weren’t ready to follow wherever the President led. Obama wasn’t handed a blank check. He was put in a position to do the Democrats bidding in DC. And he hasn’t done a good job fighting the fight.

perhapes you are out of touch to most of the people who actually work in this city…. not that it matters becuase you raise it $80 people will just take the risk of not getting new tabs.

and why dont you ever seem to push for higher fees for transit or tabs for bikes. one of the reasons are system is failing is becuase faggot’s like you are using the tax/govermental system to punish people and things you don’t like and reward people/things you do like.

No, and once U-link is built, they won’t be using the downtown transit tunnel either. They also won’t be using the BNSF/Amtrak/Sounder tunnel beneath downtown either.

Transit is set up to serve the downtown core, so why would you want busses to bypass that area of the city by using the tunnel?  What would be the benefit?

Busses will exit SR-99 at the portals to serve downtown.   

No, and once U-link is built, they won’t be using the downtown transit tunnel either. They also won’t be using the BNSF/Amtrak/Sounder tunnel beneath downtown either.

Transit is set up to serve the downtown core, so why would you want busses to bypass that area of the city by using the tunnel?  What would be the benefit?

Busses will exit SR-99 at the portals to serve downtown.   

carter was more compititnt.. too bad he went all anti semitic though

carter was more compititnt.. too bad he went all anti semitic though

yep the only people this will hurt is minorities and labor especially in south seattle. this tab won’t touch the people who can afford to pay or use but dont pay at all, the rich new urbanist “progressives” who live on capital hill, queen ann, ballard, Fremon/Wallingford/Greenlake, and the U (also where the majority of the out of touch commentators and readers of this sight reside.)

yep the only people this will hurt is minorities and labor especially in south seattle. this tab won’t touch the people who can afford to pay or use but dont pay at all, the rich new urbanist “progressives” who live on capital hill, queen ann, ballard, Fremon/Wallingford/Greenlake, and the U (also where the majority of the out of touch commentators and readers of this sight reside.)

It is going to be awsome the day you and your faggy life partner get hate crimmed by some minorities in  Kent or some other exurb of seattle.

hence vote no on the measures and advise others too as well. … that is always a option

hence vote no on the measures and advise others too as well. … that is always a option

the writer of that peice would has no objective thought what so ever and would of probably given Obama a hand and blow job like any teenage girl back in 2008… and if he looks at all endangerd in 2012 he will be back on his knees faster then any of those teenage girls

How much did drivers pay the city to purchase the property the streets sit on? You add up all that area and start making the drivers pay property tax on it and I’ll go along with your idea of fairness.

@michaeljmaddux:disqus , on the one hand, Bridging the Gap is funding exactly the kinds of projects that Seattleites voted for. (Like all those bike lanes that people now blame the Mayor for.) On the other hand, a significant chunk of the money is going to fill the large shortfall in general funding due to the recession.

@f22d8a2815eb4c1b479f68be625b56a5:disqus is right that there is a huge backlog of maintenance — about $600 million. However, transit plays a key role in reducing traffic on our roads and improving their capacity to move people and goods through a given corridor. If he didn’t hate buses so much, perhaps he’d see how transit benefits our transportation system overall.

Publicola now tolerates hate speech and those who endorse hate crimes. Wonder which rival news outlet will be the first to point this out to the rest of the city.

Tolerate it?  Hell, they participate in it.  See their “why does the Tea Party hate America” line.

Tolerate it?  Hell, they participate in it.  See their “why does the Tea Party hate America” line.

BS. 

BS. 

Except Rasmussen’s plan starves the Transit Master Plan – the TMP is looking at whether it’s rail, BRT or bus that will work best for our corridors. We’ve been waiting too long for new transit in Ballard and other neighborhoods. Rasmussen’s plan would just kick the can down the road further.

so does slog what is your point?

There is no property tax on public property. 

Is there property tax being paid on City Hall?

Is there property tax paid on the Seattle Center?

Is there poperty tax paid on Magnusun Park?

Is there property tax paid on the Arboretum?

Is there property tax paid on Discovery Park?

Is there property tax paid on the Burke Gilman trail?

Streets are public property.  There is no property tax on public property.

Does Metro pay property tax on their bus barns, and park-and-ride lots?

If land has to be bought to build roads, the cost of the land is part of the cost of the roads, and is paid for by motorists, just as the concrete and asphalt for the roads is.

Rail should be paid for by the people who ride the trains — not by motorists.

Transit also plays a key part in crushing the pavement many of these streets were not designed for.

Exactly…in other words, drivers are freeloading by using roads and hardly paying for their full/true costs. Roads are paid for exclusively by gas taxes and car tabs, so why should transit not get to have tax revenue from non-transit sources? If government would just privatize the roads, then we could really cut your taxes and shrink the size of government!!

It’s propbably be designed for it, but transit requires higher cost construction and more frequent maintenance.

And libraries should be paid for only be readers.

And fire stations only by those who have fires or heart attacks.

And police only by those who get robbed, etc.

And schools only by those with children.

And hospitals only by those who get sick.

We live in a community. Look it up. Your perspective (“each person for themself!”) is selfish and will destroy our ability to have viable community services. Including, ultimately, your precious roads and car infrastructure which have been so heavily subsidized by the community.

The name of the Bill is Take money from the hard working families and gives it to Vulcan– In the name of license fee increase for transportation projects.  Democrat, All they do is to take money from the hard working families and give it to their donors in the name of public projects. I am tired of this game. BECAUSE OF YOUR CURRUPT SYSTEM — WE ARE BROKE; WE HAVE NO MORE MONEY TO GIVE,   SORRYYYYYY

And then sit in traffic, like everyone else avoiding the tolls.

Roads are necessary but not sufficient for transit (and bikes). Without capital and operating $ for the buses/trains/trolleys, the roads are useless for transit. Similar with bikes; if we don’t spend some $ (minimal in the overall picture of highway and road infrastructure) to accommodate bikes and peds, we won’t have as many riding or walking. And we’ll also reap a lower quality of life in our neighborhoods.

Drivers are paying for the roads.  It is bus riders who are freeloading by not paying for the roads, or the operating costs or capitol costs of their buses.

If there were no roads, then the private property in this area would be worth almost nothing.  Roads add immense value to private property along the roads.  People don’t pay much for property with no access from roads.  Therefore, without roads, the revenue from private property taxes would fall immensely.  Roads increase the revenue from property taxes because roads make private property much more valuable.

If roads were privately owned, then buses would have to pay a whole lot to use them, because buses cause a lot of damage to roads.  As it is now, buses don’t pay anything to use roads (they don’t pay gas tax, mvet for example), including toll roads.

None of which is paid for from transit fares.

So, you want somebody else to pay for you food?  You want somebody else to pay for your housing?  You want somebody else to pay for your clothes?  You wan’t somebody else to pay your electric bill, your water bill, your garbage collection bill?

You want to live in a socialist society?  That has been tried many times.

Whenever I have gone to a hospital, I have paid my own hospital bills.

Children are not expected to pay their own way.  But, adults are being expected to pay more and more of their own education costs — tuition at universities is going up and tax subsidies going down.

Fire and Police services are basically insurance — everyone pays a premium (in these cases taxes) and you get the service when you need it.  But those are unexpected and can not be planned for. 

Transit use is certainly nothing like having your home catch fire, or getting robbed.  Or, do you think it is? 

I own a car, live in the city, and make about 15k a year.  I’m poor as shit.  I support an $80 car tab fee.  

It hurts more because it’s an all at once sum, and I’d much prefer we got rid of Eyman’s BS tab fee and could go back to charging based on a cars value.  My beat up 1998 Saturn sure as hell isn’t worth much.

But it’s still a good thing.  Goldy on Slog ran the numbers and showed that when you divide the $80 over the cost of a year, even adding in gas, you’re still paying less per trip than a $2.50 bus fee.  

And all you car owners will get places you need to go faster the more people we get out of their cars and put on buses or bike lanes.

im sure you are. but how much do your parents make and help you while your in your avant garde phase of being a hip city girl

Why would busses do that?

Busses would use the HOV off-ramp lane, and feed into the peak-hour transit only lanes on Alaskan Way.

You should learn a bit about the project before you post…

Why would busses do that?

Busses would use the HOV off-ramp lane, and feed into the peak-hour transit only lanes on Alaskan Way.

You should learn a bit about the project before you post…

“you want somebody else to pay for you food?”

No, but some cannot afford to eat well and they should be helped by the community. Also, you are aware that we are subsidizing food production heavily, aren’t you? Like the Second Bacon Syphon and Col. Basin Project, farm subsidies, tax breaks, etc.

“You want somebody else to
pay for your housing?”

No, but same as with food. Also, you are aware that home ownership is heavily subsidized by tax policies (mortgage interest deduction), especially for the middle and upper classes?

“You want somebody else to pay for your clothes?”

No, but same story. And you are aware that cotton and clothing are, like food, heavily subsidized and also cheap by being made largely by exploited poor people, largely in third world countries?

“You wan’t somebody else to pay your electric bill, your water bill, your
garbage collection bill?” No, but all essential utilities should have provisions to help out the poor who don’t make enough to pay for them.

“You want to live in a socialist society?” Yes, like Scandinavia (Sweden ranks highest), and to a lesser extent, Britain, Ireland, Germany, etc. The more we focus on things instead of relationships, the unhappier we get. You think it’s a coincidence that our civic life has gotten nastier by the year as our maldistribution of wealth and income gets worse and the economy goes off a cliff? Check out http://www.happyplanetindex.org/ and similar sites. (I’m surprised that Latin America rates so well, but not at how low U.S. scores are.)

Transit is not identical to fire service and other community “insurance” services, but so what? The point is that we are interdependent, not a bunch of Islands (“No man is an Island, entire of itself…”). Socialism is not a dirty word, especially not when combined with democracy.

“you want somebody else to pay for you food?”

No, but some cannot afford to eat well and they should be helped by the community. Also, you are aware that we are subsidizing food production heavily, aren’t you? Like the Second Bacon Syphon and Col. Basin Project, farm subsidies, tax breaks, etc.

“You want somebody else to
pay for your housing?”

No, but same as with food. Also, you are aware that home ownership is heavily subsidized by tax policies (mortgage interest deduction), especially for the middle and upper classes?

“You want somebody else to pay for your clothes?”

No, but same story. And you are aware that cotton and clothing are, like food, heavily subsidized and also cheap by being made largely by exploited poor people, largely in third world countries?

“You wan’t somebody else to pay your electric bill, your water bill, your
garbage collection bill?” No, but all essential utilities should have provisions to help out the poor who don’t make enough to pay for them.

“You want to live in a socialist society?” Yes, like Scandinavia (Sweden ranks highest), and to a lesser extent, Britain, Ireland, Germany, etc. The more we focus on things instead of relationships, the unhappier we get. You think it’s a coincidence that our civic life has gotten nastier by the year as our maldistribution of wealth and income gets worse and the economy goes off a cliff? Check out http://www.happyplanetindex.org/ and similar sites. (I’m surprised that Latin America rates so well, but not at how low U.S. scores are.)

Transit is not identical to fire service and other community “insurance” services, but so what? The point is that we are interdependent, not a bunch of Islands (“No man is an Island, entire of itself…”). Socialism is not a dirty word, especially not when combined with democracy.

and if they only had to go on Alaskan Way…that would be great. But they don’t. And Tyler’s point about transit getting into and out of the core bus spine on 3rd is still true.

It’s not that simple. The percentages in the VLF proposals from the CTAC folks definitely have bleed-through for different projects; when you repave a major arterial, complete streets means you have to commit funds to pedestrians and bikes and transit. And much of the transit money would logically be spent for things that would speed up transit service, line curb bulbs for in-lane stops, transit signal priority, and so on. The categories aren’t 100%.

I do think it’s a bit hyperbolic (and I’m not Jean Godden fan) to assume she means *new* roads with her proposal. That $600 million backlog Mr. Taylor-Judd refers to contains a tremendous amount of repair for *existing* roads.

I figured someone would say this… I’m certainly not a traffic engineer, but I would have to assume that no matter how much more damage a bus causes on roads that is better than the damage from all the cars a high ridership route replaces.

I appreciate your answering my question. I was unaware of this declaration. I did not see where it was declared as such, but it is possible that I missed it. Like I said, the disclosure is what I’m concerned about.

Monster,

Your comments are getting increasingly personal and hostile. And earlier today, in a comment I had to delete, you told another reader you wished he was the victim of a hate crime.

That is completely unacceptable.

I know you like the angle that your upsetting effete Seattle liberals with your “honest Joe sixpack” talk, but your threatening comments are a cop out and ruin the comments threads.

FWIW: Offline today, a prominent conservative in town complained to me about you. And I’m sure you saw on Friday that Tim Eyman, also a local conservative, took issue with your comments. So, your war on tender liberal sensibilities is not sitting well with conservatives either.

As you know, I like your conservative perspective. And I like that you upend a lot of conventional liberal thinking with sharp insights. But the overt antagonizing and homophobic stuff must stop.

I’m very reluctant to ban people. But you need to respect other people who are here to argue about ideas.

“Whenever I have gone to a hospital, I have paid my own hospital bills.”

Really?! You paid 100% of what it cost to provide you with medical care, did you?

It is true.  Look at the projects recommended by the Transit Master plan.  The highest prioritized and highest cost projects are South Lake Union street car extension projects.

The City is considering adding bus-only lanes from Alaksan Way into the downtown core.  Bus-only lanes could be added at Main, or Washington, Columbia, or Marion/Madison to separate transit from SOV’s.

There are many options create bus-only lanes into downtown within the existing street grid.

I’m not sure why people find this so hard to understand…

It’s kinda hard to win a game of chicken against people who are perfectly willing to drive off the cliff…

You are probably guessing.

Downtown, where the streets have been remade, yes. The eventual remaking of 45th that had waves of rutted blacktop for a few decades, yes. The reworked Greenwood Ave up to 130th, sure, but follow Greenwood all the way up to 145th and you can clearly see the two outer lanes disintegrating, with greater fractures at each bus stop.

It is the intended load that is being exceeded.
Slap your hand 5 time is irritating, stomping on it once with my foot could break a bone.

The rework of 99 in Shoreline is an interesting example of mitigating this impact. It looks like every but stop has a concrete pad for the bus’ at rest weight.

I wish Seattle extended that rebuild down from 145th. Large sections of dedicated bus lanes, proper sidewalks, pretty good thing they are working on.

That’s arguable; anyone who criticizes Israel is accused of being anti-semitic. Using the term “apartheid” was over the line for the sensitivities of the Israelis who know it is close to home. Carter is an ecumenical and liberal christian; it is difficult for me to believe he is “in his heart” anti-semitic.

Carter was not only competent; I think he is the last president who actually had some decent values and tried to act on them. (I know, can of worms here.)

I support the $80 tab fee if it includes medication for Monster.  He needs to get back on it.

I’m pretty sure that’s if we let ALL the Bush tax cuts expire, not just for the top 1%. I’m in favor of that too, although I think we’d need to wait til we’re better-recovered from the recession before raising tax rates for anything but the top bracket.

I’m pretty sure that’s if we let ALL the Bush tax cuts expire, not just for the top 1%. I’m in favor of that too, although I think we’d need to wait til we’re better-recovered from the recession before raising tax rates for anything but the top bracket.

“increasingly”?

I have a car and buy a bus pass. I’m more than happy to have my tabs pay for road costs and my monthly bus pass pay for mass transit. I don’t think car owners should be expected to pick up the tab for roads, mass transit and bike paths. Spread out the pain and at least attempt to make the users of each pay their own way.

while I support that goal is your math right?

for you I will Josh becuase I feel you and erica are honest and open minded. but for the record  im not part of the local conservative cabal becuase I feel they are out of touch and I could care less about what a local prominent conservative or tim eyeman said largely becuase they are loosers and don’t seem to have a problem with that. 

On a purely practical level, because I don’t make a lot of money, if I have to pay an $80 extra tab fee, then I’ll pay bills and buy groceries only and scale back my spending everywhere else. So whatever I pay on car tabs will be offset by the money I’m not spending to support the local economy. I don’t think this proposal will make the revenue the City Council hopes it will, if it just causes people to scale back their spending elsewhere.

I’m firmly behind the idea of assigning car tab fees solely based on the age of the car — it’s the least regressive.

Citation?

not only that jen it might make people feel they can risk avoid getting the tabs altoghter.

Are you Grover Norquist?

Grover, the biggest funding source for local roads is the property tax. I’m pretty sure everyone pays property tax.

SDOT is now paving bus routes with concrete instead of asphalt, so the problem shouldn’t be so bad, now. Concrete is more expensive, but it lasts longer and doesn’t pothole so easily. A bus also carries way more people than a car.

You should be banned by a moderator for language like that. Hello, Publicola?

That’s why all the proposals include substantial funding for road maintenance.

Last time I rode the light rail it was full of minorities and obviously low-income people from SE Seattle, same with the number 7 bus. Seems like poor people rely on transit and would rather use than buy a car.

You should have banned him the moment he started using homophobic slurs.

It would be way better to pay a percentage, but the legislature won’t allow it. You’ll need to lobby them. This is the best we have right now.

really when I rode it today it was mainly white hipsters.

go wipe your clit zef. why did you change your name. 

how do renters or people living in section 8 housing pay property tax….

Uh, that’s because a line to Ballard has more ridership going through South Lake Union and Fremont than through Interbay.

So I take it you never have to walk anywhere? Do you just teleport from your couch to your car?

In the real world even the most dedicated drivers use sidewalks and sometimes even make trips on foot rather than driving.

So I take it you never have to walk anywhere? Do you just teleport from your couch to your car?

In the real world even the most dedicated drivers use sidewalks and sometimes even make trips on foot rather than driving.

So I take it you never have to walk anywhere? Do you just teleport from your couch to your car?

In the real world even the most dedicated drivers use sidewalks and sometimes even make trips on foot rather than driving.

So I guess we need a shoe tax to pay for sidewalks? After all walking is just a “hobby”

Biking is not a hobby; it’s how I get around. I’ll be happy to pay bike-specific taxes if someone can figure out a fair fare that doesn’t lose money in the collection process.

Same with ride free zone: It was instituted because Seattle and Metro didn’t want fare collections to bog downtown service.

That would require critical thinking skills and a commitment to facts, two things that Erica is perpetually in short supply of.

Maybe that prominent conservative should post here under his own name noting he’s taken offense rather than make a messenger out of you.

It would be so much easier if Monster could just control himself. A major reason this country is going down the tubes is the inability of people to engage in dialogue with others who hold contrary philosophical/political views. I may be a flaming commie liberal rat, but I know that most people are to my right, so I need to convince them issue by policy issue, and most of the time I have to accept that I don’t get all or even most of what I want. Flaming them is not productive. Whether or not I, or the prominent conservative, are openly named is irrelevant to the content and quality of the dialogue.