This WILL be what happens on the loot rail project masquerading as a bridge replacement.

We know that going in.

Larson provides a more local example, but you need look no further than the Sound Transit scam, where those living in the Sound Transit Concentration Camp, voluntarily walked into a gas chamber of a $53 billion dollar scam without reading the fine print (And oh, how they were shocked, SHOCKED, I TELL YA, when they discovered how they were going to PAY for that rip off (massive tab fee and property tax increases) only to discover that, once again, the budget was 10's of billions short ($30 billion? $35 billion? $40 billion?) that Sound Transit KNOWINGLY lied about when it was passed in the first place, which resulted in the State Supreme Court ruling it's perfectly OK for cities, states and candidates to engage in campaign lying)) only to find out it wasn't water coming out of those shower heads.

As sad as that outcome is, that's what THEY voted for.

No one is asking us for this. And no one's asking us because they know what the answer would be and they simply don't care that the people of this region do NOT want their crime train/loot rail project.

Larson says:

The Northwest Nonsense

If you want a quick preview of the multi-billion dollar disaster coming at us if the interstate bridge project actually goes forward
Look no further than ODOT’s Abernethy Bridge Boondoggle near Oregon City.

The Oregon Department of Transportation lied to lawmakers about the cost and the schedule.

ODOT didn’t have the money but went forward with the project anyway. (My comment: Sound familiar? That's precisely what the thugs shilling the CRC/IBR scam want to do to us under the guise of once construction starts, it MUST be finished, no matter HOW long it takes and no matter HOW much it costs!)

I know, it sounds crazy but it has worked for ODOT for a long time and no one ever gets fired.

Today, the project has spent twice the original cost…half a billion dollars…and the bridge is only 70 percent done. Like the kitchen remodel contractor from Hell…telling you your cost has now tripled but your house is already torn apart and your choice is pay up…or live in chaos

But for all that money…now about 800-million…at least it will be finished on time, right?

Wrong.

Originally, contractor Kiewit was supposed to be done by the end of LAST year…which ODOT agreed to extend to October of this year.

Now, Kiewit says they may be done by January of 28…almost two years from now.

But that’s a contractor promise…I wouldn’t exactly take it to the bank.

That’s the Rose City Rap. Join me at noon on KXL for 4 hours of Honestly provocative talk. I’m Lars Larson.
***************************************************
One does wonder why the contracts for that scam... and our own bridge replacement/loot rail scam, didn't/doesn't have contract costs/completion penalties attached.

The absence of those requirements is a license to steal.

And steal they will. And there's nothing we can do about it since government at every level, from state on down, doesn't give a rat's ass what the people of Clark County, who will bear the lion's share of the costs for this rip off, want or don't want.

If they did? We'd have a vote on it.

Like Sound Transit had a vote on their expansion.

And last I looked?

The leftist governments we're cursed with have made it clear that the people they would govern are not nearly as important as the "save them from themselves" agenda.

Here's our future: Sound Transit ridership a 1/3 less than promised.

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Locally, we are suffering from the attempts of the local Downtown Mafia to waste billions of dollars to bring a worthless, outmoded, unwanted transportation system into Vancouver that THEY won't have to pay for, also known as light rail.

Now, here's what we have to expect.

They will lie about the costs.

They will lie about the ridership.

And, of course, THEY won't be paying for it; WE will.

The most recent case in point? Sound Transit.

Billions have been wasted. Billions more WILL be wasted.

And the ridership figures promised to "justify" this horrific waste?

Not even close.

Light rail misses 2009 ridership target by wide margin

According to Sound Transit’s ridership figures from its first six months of operation, the initial light rail segment between downtown Seattle and the airport carried an average of 14,806 trips per weekday.

The following table summarizes the average number of weekday trips by month since the line opened in July.

	Average trips per weekday, 2009
Month
July	13,769
Aug	14,931
Sept	14,905
Oct	16,192
Nov	14,399
Dec	14,639
Six Month Average	14,806

But Sound Transit has projected ridership would be much higher. With the opening of the airport segment in December, Sound Transit officials promised light rail would carry an average of 21,000 riders per weekday. Yet average ridership by the end of the year (December) was only 14,639 trips per weekday. That is 31.3 percent less than what Sound Transit officials said it would be.

Even if you only count the average weekday ridership since the airport segment opened on December 19^th (eight days) it still only carried 16,809 trips per weekday, which is 20 percent less than what Sound Transit officials promised.

Either way, Sound Transit officials failed to deliver their promised ridership projections for 2009, and not by just a little but by a wide margin (20-30%). Officials will probably point to the economy as the reason for chewing into their higher estimate. But the region has been in a recession for about two years and as you can see from this press release in July, Sound Transit still promised 21,000 trips as recently as five months ago!

Here is the full ridership report obtained by the Seattle Times.

This is OUR future.

Remember, folks, there is absolutely no need to replace the I-5 bridge, period. EXCEPT.... to use it as a way to bring loot rail into Clark County.

So, there you have it. This is our future... a future of lies and waste, because, well, after all, our State Supreme Court has already ruled that it's perfectly OK for state and local offices to lie to get us to vote "yes" and then change everything but keep the money.

The jacking of our gas tax with the subsequent 40% reduction in projects... AFTER it passed... the 21 miles of loot rail in King County that was supposed to cost $2.2 billion... but now is 14 miles at a cost of over $4 billion... with billions left to spend.

This is how our government does business.

Makes me feel proud to be an American.
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Fortunately, things are looking worse for the Cowlitz Criminal Casino

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It sure seems like that organized crime enterprise known as the Cowlitz Megacasino is circling the drain.

Exactly as it should be.

An article in our local paper lays out their well-deserved pain.... but in their idiotic attempt to get someone... anyone to buy their swindle sheet (This story was emailed to me, anyway), they kept this story off the web site. This one came out on Sunday.

Casinos generally are getting hammered across the planet. Fortunately for us, that includes the Mohegan Sun, the folks who were supposed to write the checks for this economic black hole here in SW Washington.

To call the Mohegans incompetent is to do a disservice to the word. They signed such a lousy agreement for management that the people running the casino are now pulling more money out then the Tribe itself. And there's trouble in Mohegan City... the kind of trouble I like to see.

Reports have it that the driving force who stood to make millions off his "tribe," the casino developer, may never complete recover from his latest adventure. The Carcieri decision, which keeps tribes not recognized in 1934 from having land put into trust, has delivered a mighty blow to the prospective absentee landowners from California, Connecticut and the Puget Sound area who expected to screw us and suck hundreds of millions out of our local economy... even though they lied through their teeth and told us that the decision would have no effect on the outcome.

Now, they play a different tune.

Early on, tribal shill Phil Harju tried to get anyone who would listen to actually believe that Carcieri made no difference.

Now, he's finally grappling with reality. The article says:

If that bill (The so-called "Carcieri Fix") isn't passed, the casino plan may fall apart.

"We don't have any money to spend on lobbyists or any of that stuff," tribal spokesman Phil Harju (Who took over from multiple-restraining-order-by-women David Barnett, casino developer as chief mouthpiece)

FINALLY acknowledging what I wrote at the time.

With the default of Foxwoods (Literally, just down the street from the Mohegan Sun) the writing is on the wall. According to the article:

The Mohegans, in fact, have written off $8.6 million (of $28.7 million wasted so far) a third of their investment so far, on the expectation that the whole deal could fall through."

In addition, the Mohegans are popping the Cowlitz a paltry (and whopping) 15% interest rate for a $10 million, 1 year loan given out last September.

Yes, things look extremely bleak for those shilling this blight on our community.

And it couldn't happen to a nicer group.
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What do Stacy Sellers and Jaime Herrera have in common?

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Who here isn't familiar with the Sellers debacle?

Sellers, who, at the time was mayor of Washougal, felt compelled to go to Vegas on "official business." While she was there, she decided that the taxpayers of the city of Washougal should pay for her alcohol, and some high priced meals.

Stacy Sellers is having a tough week. Perhaps she deserves one, since, according to the local version of Pravda, Sellars charged, among other things, a "...$57 'surf and turf' dinner. An $88 bottle of wine. A $72 bill at the Eye Candy Lounge & Bar." while on some sort of "official trip" to Vegas.... although why a trip to Vegas for the mayor of Washougal would be official is, perhaps, a subject for another post. (Take some time and run a google search on the "Eye Candy Lounge & Bar" for pictures of others engaging in some distinctly "non-mayor" like activities. I guess what happens in Vegas is reported in the Columbian.)

Just yesterday, KOIN 6 reported on Brian Baird's abuse of the travel system where he decided he needed to spend a fortune to go on vacations masquerading as a "fact finding trip," a trip that a local travel agent booked for roughly one half the cost charged by Baird.

Erstwhile political opportunist Jamie Herrera seems to share the traits of both Baird and Sellers.

In August of 05, Herrera went on one of these "fact finding trips" to Spokane, where Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rogers (R-WA05) maintains a district office.

Instead of sending one of her own staffers already in Spokane for this "fact finding," McMorris-Rogers instead seems to have sent Herrera. That sending Herrera was apparently a complete waste of money is a subject for another post. That issue aside, here is the rather disturbing travel voucher, filled out by Herrera and signed off on by her boss and mentor, Congresswoman McMorris-Rogers.



Now, the questionable aspect of this trip aside, where the main issue of concern for me comes to the fore is here:

Somehow, Herrera managed to spend $475.48 for meals on a 3 day trip to Spokane... and her boss, McMorris-Rogers, approved that cost!

Are you kidding me?

I used to LIVE in Spokane. That much money would feed a family of four for three weeks, and Herrera went through that BY HERSELF, in THREE DAYS?

Shades of Stacy Sellers.

And, just like Jon Russell, who approved Seller's charges since he was in overwatch of the credit cards for Washougal, McMorris Rogers approved this outrageous charge paid for by the taxpayers of the United States.

It seems to me that Sellers and Baird and Herrera are all the same... and Russell and McMorris-Rogers blow off this kind of stuff all the time.

As for me, I don't want any of them either in my government... or in elective office.

Because if any of them gave a damn about us... we wouldn't have heard about any of this.

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Many thanks to senate democrats for helping to bury the next several generations in even MORE debt:

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I just makes me feel warm and tingly all over that the socialists are bankrupting us.

December 13, 2009

Senate approves government funding bill

Posted: December 13th, 2009 03:28 PM ET

Washington (CNN) - The U.S. Senate on Sunday approved $447 billion in spending for several Cabinet departments and other agencies for the 2010 budget year - money needed to fund the federal government after the coming week.

On a mostly partisan vote of 57-35, the Senate approved the compromise omnibus spending plan worked out with the House, which passed it last week. The measure now goes to President Barack Obama to be signed into law to succeed the previous funding resolution that expires December 18.

The vote occurred in an unusual Sunday session as the Senate worked for the second consecutive weekend in a push by the Democratic leadership to complete work on a sweeping health care bill and also get the appropriations bill passed.

The omnibus bill, which combines six separate appropriations measures, provides money for for non-defense government agencies including the departments of Transportation, State Department, Veterans Affairs, Commerce and Justice for the fiscal year that started October 1.

A separate defense spending bill is expected to be considered later this week.

More

Once again, I have to disagree with Don Brunell, President of AWB.

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Brunell is an interesting guy.

Most recently, he parachuted in to tell US that WE need to get screwed for billions on a project we DON'T need, and DON'T want.

He does represent the Association of Washington Business. But his lies about the bridge project make anything he writes automatically suspect. Reading Brunell talk about government is like reading Goebbels talking about the Greater Reich.

He told us here:

Washington View: There are no easy budget choices for Gregoire, Legislature.

Of course he's wrong. Dead wrong.

Once government recalls who they work FOR, the rest is easy.

Here's the list of cuts:

Eliminate pay raises.

Eliminate step increases.

Reduce budgets and staffing levels back to 2004 levels.

Those who remain after the cuts can always quit, right? I mean, where do they have to go?

And, of course, we can start at the very top. In ONE YEAR (2005), both the governor and lieutenant governor's offices increased THEIR budgets on the order of 37%.

There's nothing "daunting" about it.

Close up The Mansion. Get rid of the vehicles and staff. Move into a 2 bedroom apartment. After all, isn't that what Governor Moonbeam did when he ran that tiny state of California?

Unlike the empty-suited, Anti-American racist bigot in the White House who throws these massive parties EVERY WEEK, put the entirety of government on an austerity budget.

The moron running our government has screwed us for a minimum of $30 billion on the Chrysler/GM bail out... a bail out that shouldn't EVER have happened, but a bail out necessary to pay off his union masters.

So, unlike Mr. Brunell, I say the budget choices really ARE easy:

Remember WHO YOU WORK FOR. And then, reduce pay, benefits and workers enough to fill the gap, while cutting your own budgets at least the 37 percent figure to set the example and lead the way.

Unlike Emperor Empty Suit, who parties and golfs while the rest of us suffer, our government can act. It can stop being about pay offs, and it can START being about fair governance.

And what's so hard about that?
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Global warming? I got your "global warming" hanging.

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I just want to duct tap the mouth of that proud American who emits 20 times or more the average in pollution with HIS "carbon foot print" that you or I emit, because, after all, when you're a lying leftist scumbag making tens of millions off your lies... well, that's just fricking different.

It was ate degrees out here this morning. Or is that plate?

Nah, it's really EIGHT fricking degrees out as I write this.

It was so cold yesterday that we had a HOT water line freeze.

Does anyone here believe the organized crime, sucking tens of billions of dollars out of our wallets to further their lies and line their pockets?

The Email scam killed the deal for me. And soon, "global warming" and it's practitioners will be relegated to the junk heap of history, just like their "an ice age is coming!" forerunners.

Billions and billions wasted on an unsupportable political scam... a scam that gullible leftists STILL hitch their wagons to.
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The second wave? Yet another Mom refuses to deploy, using a child as an excuse.

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Earlier, a coward by the name of Lisa Pagan scammed her way out of deploying with her unit, using her children as an excuse.

Ms. Pagan, who somehow apparently received an Honorable Discharge for her cowardice, used the following as her excuse:

The reason for the discharge will be that she doesn't have, and cannot have, an adequate family care for her two young children, he said.

That's a lie, of course. Pagan has a husband; he certainly could have decided to care for her two children precisely like he decided not to.

So, Pagan screwed us over. At the time, I remarked as to how stupid it was for the Army to allow this coward to use her children as an excuse to avoid doing her duty, a duty we taxpayers paid to train her for; a duty the Army expected her to do; a duty she just decided she wasn't going to do.

My concern was that once this decision was made, precedent was set.

So, in the end, Pagan's actions here not only screw the people of this country... but they screw the man or woman who has to take her place... and who will live up to their commitment to the United States.

We can now reasonably expect many, many more to follow the path blazed by this enterprising young woman who made a decision that she did not want to live up to her commitment, and then found a way to make it happen.

Surprisingly to me, there wasn't a rush of men and women with kids using the same dodge to avoid their responsibilities. But it was inevitable that SOME would, because they saw Pagan get away with it, to include training and full VA benefits, causing them to figure, eh, what the hell... let's give it a shot. What have I got to lose?

So, here we have an Army cook, Spc. Alexis Hutchinson, 21; who decided to have, and keep, a child on her own, and then use that child as an excuse to avoid her deployment.

The article describing all of this contains nothing that would justify her nondeployment. She knows who the child's father is; he could easily be forced to assume responsibility for the child. It also fails to mention Pagan's successful scam. But can there be any doubt this gambit by Hutchinson was not influenced by Pagan?

At this point, Hutchinson is being threatened with years in prison and a Dishonorable Discharge.

Does anyone believe that anything close to that would happen with the Empty Suit in office? I don't.

The Pagan Precedent has been set. And there is little doubt THIS outcome will be the same.
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Local loot rail fans, here's the future for us: Sound Transit - $3.1 BILLION DOLLARS LESS THAN PLANNED TO BE COLLECTED.

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That's right, folks. Like the rest of the lies from Loot Rail fans, our closest massive waste of money in Seattle is coming in a mere $3.1 BILLION dollars short on their budget.

Sales and car tab taxes, tab taxes that have driven renewal costs to absurd levels, will have to be jacked up even HIGHER because of these lying scum.

And we're going to be facing the same thing here in EVERY respect.

That $4 BILLION waste of money for a bridge we don't want or need... a bridge that's entire reason for being replaced is ONLY to get loot rail into Vancouver? Figure on at least TWICE that much.

And who is going to make up for the shortfall? Talk about income redistribution.

And the money making quote in this article?Among the consequences:

Future light-rail lines will need to adhere to low-cost, simple designs, agency managers said. No cuts in service were suggested at Sound Transit's board meeting Thursday.

OK... I'll bite: THESE MORONS ARE FACING A $3.1 BILLION DEFICIT. WHY THE HELL WEREN'T "CUTS" SUGGESTED?

This is yet another in the series of reasons why I-1033 MUST be approved. Out of control spending and waste by out of control government bureaucrats and elected officials who simply DON'T CARE since it's not their money.

These people lied about how much their absurd level of taxes and fees for a worthless, obsolete, unneeded and unwanted transportation system that only amounts to bus replacements for the view who have an astounding amount sucked out of OUR pockets for THEIR transportation needs.

Disgusting... and a total rip off.

They tell us they only plan to waste $4 BILLION on this steaming pile.

Don't believe them. Don't believe them because the number of times these kinds of projects skyrocket over budget in comparison to the number of times they come in under the number they promise is geometrically higher.

Between this kind of swindle and the empty suited, anti-American racist bigot actually ACCEPTING the Noble Piss Prize, I have rarely been more disgusted with my government.

More on light rail: here's how Seattle voters got ripped off... and how they'll do the same to us for loot rail around here.

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Does anyone doubt that if loot rail hadn't been invented, we would NOT have wasted over $100 million on bogus, pre-ordained-outcome studies with worthless, pre-ordained results?

The entire purpose for this nonsensical, massive, colossal waste of billions is to get loot rail over the new, not-needed-or-wanted worthless bridge replacement. No loot rail... no new bridge.

Unfortunately, what we have is a political leadership in the pockets of local unions and party hacks... and all concerned lack the guts to admit the obvious: the bridge replacement is a scam to get loot rail into Clark County.

Period.

Well, we have a template of how those sorts of things are done in this state... how the voters are lied to, abused and ripped off. Does anyone here remotely believe that this toilet project will turn out differently? And it's what happened in Seattle:

Comments 6 Recommend 0

Light Rail not quite what voters were promised

01:26 PM PDT on Friday, July 17, 2009

By ALLEN SCHAUFFLER / KING 5 News

KING

Sound Transit light rail

SEATTLE - If you want a new way to get to Tukwila, or get out of Tukwila, this is your big weekend.

Believe it or not, there will be light rail trains rolling through Seattle starting Saturday. This has been a long time coming. We voted on this back in 1995 and it was defeated, then again on a slimmed down version in 1996, which passed. Now, 13 years later, we will be able to use 14 miles of track and 12 Link stations spread from downtown, through the south end, almost all the way to Sea-Tac Airport.

Related Content

Light rail officially launches Saturday

Sound Transit: LINK Light Rail

Light Rail - Opening Weekend Events (pdf)

Light Rail - About the Opening Weekend

Seattle Times: Basics of light rail

Light Rail - Fares

Light Rail - Bikes

Light Rail - How To Ride

Light Rail - Schedule

Follow KING 5 on Twitter

Follow NWCN on Twitter

Pretty nice. But 13 years ago we voted on a ten-year plan that promised a lot more track and a lot more stations and a much smaller price tag. 25 miles and 26 stations for $1.8 billion. That was what voters were told they would get in terms of light rail if they passed "Sound Move," the regional transit plan which included billions more for express bus service, HOV lanes, commuter rail expansion and many more transit improvements.

Now, we'll pay another $1.9 billion to run tracks up to Capitol Hill and out to the University of Washington. And the "Sound Transit 2" measure which passed last fall will add 36 more miles of line, putting back in play many of those earlier, disappearing miles and stations. The price tag on those light rail extensions and many more transit improvements is more than $17 billion.

Enjoy the ride. Which, for the next two days at least, will be free.

Thanks to the Columbian and Lou Brancaccio for strengthening opposition to the massive waste of money known as the I-5 Bridge replacement.

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I've got to admit I was stunned and amazed. The Columbian has provided, literally, millions of dollars worth of in-kind advertising in the form of fake polls and "articles" in support of ramming this despicable project down our collective throats.

Yet, yesterday's article (with the obvious title, answered "yes") "$4 billion: Too much for this?" provided any sane, unbiased individual with all of the facts needed to condemn the idea of replacing the I-5 Bridge for the purpose of getting light rail into Vancouver.

What the article proved to me is that we don't need to replace the bridge. Period. And for that, I do have to thank Brancaccio for providing all the reasons needed to trash this project, even though it means we will have already wasted in excess of $140,000,000 in taxpayer money for the nonsensical stack of paper that failed to address what really needs to happen here... the development of a new bridge elsewhere.

Wagner on the current bridge:

Wagner said he has no doubts the existing crossings are safe, so much so that he drives and cycles across the spans without hesitation.

"If we don't have an earthquake of any magnitude, those two bridges are going to stay there until something hits them," he said.

First and foremost: Wagner tells us that the current bridge is SAFE. Get that? SAFE. That is a lack of SAFETY has no place in the replacement discussion.

He expresses concern about earthquakes... but then says nothing about the easiest, simplest, fastest, cheapest solution: retrofit.

And, of course, the type of earthquake he envisions could well flatten a new bridge as well, since the new bridge provides no guarantees, meaning that all our $4 billion... or $5 billion or $6 billion (These projects ALWAYS cost MUCH more than they say, and the cost overruns are ALWAYS huge...) only gets us a CHANCE at a better earthquake response. I'm not willing to spend BILLIONS on a chance... especially when the real reason is to bring light rail into Vancouver.

Second: Wagner tells us, “The existing spans, opened in 1917 and 1958, are structurally sound.”

That is, the bridge isn't falling down any time real soon. Further, there was nothing here about retro-fitting the current bridge to make it more able to withstand the earthquakes light rail fans use to hide the real reason for this bridge.

Third: Wagner tells us that even when constructed,

“…during a 3 hour stretch of southbound morning commute, traffic would crawl along at 10mph or slower across the replacement bridge through Hayden Island and portions of north Portland.”

So... we're going to spend an unknown number of BILLIONS of dollars for this?

Fourth: "We have a bridge that's functioning, maybe not as good as we would like, but it's there, it's safe, it's open, the freeway's moving,"

These are ALL reasons NOT to build this horrific waste of money.

What they are, are reasons to build an ADDITIONAL bridge SOME WHERE ELSE.

I am not concerned with the excuses or legalities of finding ways and reasons not to ask us if we want this proven-to-be-unneeded bridge.

Morally and ethically, if not any other way, the reason to get our permission FIRST is clear: this thing will suck as much as $100,000,000 per year out of our local economy and away from many families that simply will not be able to afford this massively unneeded project.

I get why this interview didn't take place with, say, a Pollard. No politician shilling this thing wants to eat their own words in the next election... and they will.

NOTHING provided in this interview even BEGINS to justify this massive expense. When Wagner says: "The two sides of the river have to come together on what's going to happen," he's lying. What he SHOULD say is that the 35 or 40 self-appointed people who want to ram this thing down our throats without a vote are agreeing on the execution... kind of like saying "we'll go with a hanging, instead of a firing squad."

When Wagner says: "And on the Clark County side, while there is growing support for light rail," he's lying AGAIN.

With each of the many stabbings, shootings, robberies and massive expenses of Max, if anything, support for light rail is completely down the toilet. And he offers nothing to back this assertion.
Unfortunately, reading these obvious falsities shows that Mr. Wagner is delusional. He's spun this as positively as he could because he personally stands to benefit from this project.

What he thinks about voting on this is completely irrelevant. As a bureaucrat, Wagner can feel free to ignore us as he marches forward doing everything he can to make this happen. But interviewing THIS guy?

Besides shooting this project in the foot... what more did that accomplish?

So, I do appreciate Mr. Brancaccio's article, although I'm mystified as to why he would print something that confirms the position of many bridge opponents while weakening the position of the loot rail scammers, including himself, that have, while simultaneously providing literally millions in in-kind coverage, including using fake polls, to support this massive, colossal, utter waste of taxpayer resources.

$4 billion: Too much for this?

Bridge official says discussions now under way to pare massive project

Saturday, May 16 3:03 p.m.

BY JEFFREY MIZE
COLUMBIAN STAFF WRITER

There may not be enough money to build a bridge, freeway and transit project costing $4 billion or more, the top state transportation official in Southwest Washington told The Columbian.

Planners and engineers already are looking to slash costs on the multibillion-dollar Columbia River Crossing project, even while the community continues to haggle over bridge design and other sticking points, said Don Wagner, the Washington State Department of Transportation's regional administrator.

Possible cuts include delaying one or more of the interchange projects and slicing off a bridge lane in each direction, he said.

"Just like most of us in the real world, we dream about the car we want," Wagner said in a wide-ranging interview last week. "And at some point, stark reality says, 'Huh. I dream about it, but I don't have quite enough money to get it all today. Maybe I need to take off a few of the options off of this car.' And we are starting those conversations right now."

Wagner said he doesn't believe it's politically possible to replace the Interstate 5 Bridge without extending light rail into Vancouver and predicted the crossing project
would be on "life support" if voters shoot down a light-rail measure.

Despite those looming obstacles, there are benefits to replacing the I-5 Bridge, namely a 70 percent to 90 percent easing of congestion at one of the region's most notorious bottlenecks, Wagner said.

Money remains a constant consideration. Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski has suggested the region might be looking to build too much. Last month, Kulongoski used a similar car analogy, saying that "some of us like to go into the Maserati dealership" but "there is always the day of reckoning."

Wagner, however, declined to call the crossing project a Maserati or even a Cadillac.

"What we have out there is a good solid Chevy, with a few extra options on it right now," he said.

Removing a bridge lane — a significant revision given the heated battle that occurred earlier this year to get both sides of the river to back a bridge with six lanes in each direction — would save roughly $150 million, Wagner said.

Between $200 million to $300 million could be trimmed from the budget if overhauling the state Highway 500 interchange was delayed, and another $400 million to $500 million could be saved if the Marine Drive interchange in Oregon wasn't rebuilt, he said.

"There would be a lot of unhappy campers, people saying, 'But I thought I would get this?'" Wagner said. "But it would be a safe structure; it would be a functional approach. It would include proper tie-ins of all the interchanges. They just wouldn't have as many lanes on them. You might have to wait in line to get onto the freeway."

Saving another $750 million by killing light rail isn't going to happen, Wagner said.

"The two sides of the river have to come together on what's going to happen," he said. "And on the Clark County side, while there is growing support for light rail, I am going to stop way short of saying that everybody likes light rail because I've certainly had enough people tell me that they don't like light rail.

"But our side of the river seems to be one that says, 'Look, we have to have highway improvements out there or we don't have a project.' On the Oregon side of the river, it's really pretty close to just the opposite. If they don't have light rail, they have no reason to be at the table. And this project can't be built without money coming from both states."

Public vote

Although there is no requirement for a public vote on either building a replacement bridge or imposing tolls that could cost commuters more than $1,000 a year, a vote will be needed on one or more aspects of light rail.

More:

Surprise! While the REST of the business community suffers, the Columbian (among others) scam a tax cut for newspapers.

Last February, word leaked out that the newspapers around here were making an effort to scam special consideration from the legislature, because, well, they're newspapers.

I challenged that assertion; the people of this state should not be tasked with being forced to support an outmoded, obsolete business model when we're not being given any choice in the matter.

Since democrats control the government of this state, and since newspapers in this state endorse in elections like the democrat party was paying them, however, I should have known that the dumb asses in the legislature would sell us out to give their buddies a tax cut... while ignoring the rest of us in small business as our revenues plunge and we ALL suffer.

I guess it pays to know people... right?

"Blethen (Of the Seattle Times) said he understands that lawmakers may wonder why newspapers should get tax relief when other businesses are hurting.

"The answer is the unique role of newspapers," he said. "The unique role that they play in society and the unique role that they play in our self-government and the unique role they play in binding and creating community."

That's a crock, of course. In the age of the internet, no one cares except the unions that
print the papers and the leftists using them as democrat party organs.

Well, the d's delivered the pay offs in spades... so, assuming our own waste of wood pulp hasn't managed to go out of business by November, next year, we can expect yet another round of leg-humping for the left.

After all, the democrats bought them, fair and square.



Wash. gov OKs tax cut for newspapers

Tuesday, May 12 7:45 p.m.

Gov. Chris Gregoire has approved a tax break for the state's troubled newspaper industry.

The new law gives newspaper printers and publishers a 40 percent cut in the state's main business tax. The discounted rate mirrors breaks given in years past to the Boeing Co. and the timber industry.

Newspapers across the country have resorted to layoffs and other cost-cutting moves to deal with a wounded business model and a recession-fueled drop in advertising.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer printed its final edition earlier this year and was converted to an Internet-only publication with a much-reduced staff.

Thoughts on Specter's defecation.

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So, Arlen Specter has formalized what we all already knew: that he is a democrat.

This is a move of self-preservation. The polls showed him to be road kill in Pennsylvania in '10. Like many politicians of all stripes, he would sell his children to be elected and re-elected.

Specter had the opportunity to stop President Obama from burying us under a heap of debt that generations will not be capable of paying. His rank hypocrisy (Specter attempted a rule change after Jim Jeffords (who is he? Where is he now?) that would stop the very thing he's doing during a senator's term) is based on ideological cowardice... and the idea that the GOP had somehow "moved away from him" is enough to make a sane person blow chunks.

For a coward, this move is inevitable. Earlier, I advocated that our new GOP leader, Micheal Steele, actually expel that waste of skin... and take the other two with him (Snowe and Collins) Had he done that, the result would have been the same, but the GOP would have controlled the circumstances and the message. Now, the shoe is on the other foot... we've arrived at that point, but we got there through Specter's cowardly convenience.

Among other accomplishments, Specter "forced the military to purchase a less-effective personal decontamination substance and system than another available process that the military actually wants; a system less effective because it is a non-chemical agent neutralizing form of charcoal as opposed to a chemical-agent neutralizing lotion;" (Specter only brecieved $47,000 in campaign contributions for that bit of perfidy)

Whether Specter votes with the majority as an alleged Republican or he votes with them as a part of the socialist cabal running (Or is it "ruining?") this country makes no difference. Now, at least, we can count on that particular leftist to vote leftist instead of guessing as to which way his particular wind blows. With any luck at all, Tweedle Dumb (Collins) and Tweedle Dumber (Snowe) will go with him.

None of them will be missed.

Specter to switch to democrats.

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As a traitor to everything Republican, to have this scuzball finally formalize his treason only results in a "yawn" and a "don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out." As one of the morons that caved on the porkulus bill, he helped bury us in trillions of debt by supporting the empty suits programs to pay off his political supporters.

Now, he formalizes his betrayal. And he deserves everything he gets as a result.

Like most "moderates," (See Sam Reed) to actually be a member of the GOP is to do more than have an "R" after your name.

I'm sure Specter will get his 30 pieces of silver and like his historical fore runner, Benedict Arnold, he will be consigned to the footnote of history he so richly deserves.

Arlan , you were always A DEMOCRAT. Now, your civil union is complete.

Scumbag.

Politics & Government

Sources: Sen. Specter intends to switch parties

Several officials say veteran Republican Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania intends to switch parties, advancing his own hopes of winning a new term next year while pushing Democrats one step closer to a 60-vote filibuster-resistant majority.

By DAVID ESPO

AP Special Correspondent

WASHINGTON —

Several officials say veteran Republican Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania intends to switch parties, advancing his own hopes of winning a new term next year while pushing Democrats one step closer to a 60-vote filibuster-resistant majority.

The sources said an announcement could come later in the day - or Wednesday. The officials who provided the information did so on condition of anonymity, saying they were not authorized to discuss his plans.

Specter is a 79-year-old veteran of five Senate terms, and one of only a handful of moderate Republicans left in Congress in a party made up largely of conservatives.

Copyright © 2009 The Seattle Times Company

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TRB: Typical RINO (Republican-In-Name-Only) Behavior...not that the Republicans are anything to celebrate about these days. Sooner or later, the... Posted on April 28, 2009 at 9:21 AM by Robert E. Lee. Jump to comment

Compelling column by Danny Westneat: Tunnel's cost may fool us all, or they all lie about project costs.

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There is a case involving the many lies related to costs about Sound Transit and the unbelievably expensive and unnecessary light rail project infesting Seattle.

In a moment of candor, Sound Transit announced that the completion of the project would do absolutely nothing to impact congestion.

That is, once this multi-billion dollar project is completed, it will make no difference to anyone, since most riding that system will have just shifted over from the bus routes they're already riding... and those driving cars will not see any difference.

That, of course, begs the issue: why are they building it? Further, why does it cost almost twice as much for roughly half the distance promised?

Some objected to this. After all, the approval provided by the people for Sound Transit talked about something on the order of $2.2 BILLION for 21 miles, instead of the $4 BILLION for the 14 miles they're getting.

Our State Supreme Court has ruled that lying municipalities are perfectly OK; much like they have ruled the "Liar Law" unconstitutional, removing any incentive for campaigning politicians to tell the truth... as if lies during or discovered after a campaign as part of the campaign should not matter as to the outcomes.

Here, locally, we're confronted with the same issues when it comes to the moronic idea of replacing our I-5 Bridge.

We've been lied to as to what the replacement bridge will accomplish (Which, when built, strangely reminiscent of Sound Transit, will have accomplished absolutely nothing as to the primary concern of reducing congestion) We've been lied to as to the reasons to replace the bridge (The bridge works perfectly fine; but it cannot carry light rail as currently configured. Essentially, those obsessed with light rail are willing to spend $4 BILLION of our money to the tune of at least $100,000,000 yearly in tolls sucked out of our economy locally, only so they could get the public outbreak of a Herpes-like loot rail system started in the Vancouver area, so their fetish is served at public expense.) and, no doubt, we have been lied to as to the costs.

Precisely like Sound Transit, completion of the light rail and bridge project will accomplish absolutely nothing in the areas of congestion or freight mobility. It WILL, however, pay political interests, primarily unions; it will keep people employed; which is not something that government should be doing; and it will provide Vancouver with yet another unwanted and unneeded pamphlet cover at the expense of billions of dollars wasted... and wasted without even giving us the courtesy of asking us first, but the arrogance of the scum behind this project knows no bounds.

Westneat's column provides a dandy explanation as to the most likely reasons. And those reasons, strangely compelling as they are, seem to mirror out situation down here to a "t."

Columnists

Danny Westneat
Tunnel's cost may fool us all
A professor at Oxford University in England has done a compelling series of studies trying to get at why big public-works projects such as bridges, tunnels and light-rail systems almost always turn out to be far more costly than estimated.

Danny Westneat

Seattle Times Staff Columnist

Danny Westneat
Seattle Times staff columnist
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Danny Westneat's columns via RSS

"We don't envision any cost overruns on this project." — Pearse Edwards, spokesman for Gov. Chris Gregoire

"The way I see it, I don't think we're going to have overruns." — State House Transportation Chairwoman Judy Clibborn

"There won't be any cost overruns." — State Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond

These people are all talking about the tunnel to be drilled beneath downtown Seattle, as a replacement for the creaky Alaskan Way Viaduct. How would you characterize their statements? Informed? Promotional? Utopian? Foolish?

A new body of social-science research about the psychology of public-works projects suggests a more pointed set of words may apply. Deluded. Deceptive.

Or: Lying.

That last one is such a loaded charge that I want to be clear: The research is not specific to these public officials, or to our struggle to figure out what to do with the aging viaduct.

But a professor at Oxford University in England has done a compelling series of studies trying to get at why big public-works projects such as bridges, tunnels and light-rail systems almost always turn out to be far more costly than estimated.

"It cannot be explained by error," sums up one of his papers, matter-of-factly. "It is best explained by strategic misrepresentation — that is, lying."

The professor, Bent Flyvbjerg (pronounced flew-byair), has become a flash point in civic-planning circles. Some think he's a rock star; others say his analysis is too cynical.

It started seven years ago, when he published the first large study of cost overruns in 258 mega-transportation projects. He found that nine out of 10 came in over budget, and that the average cost overrun was nearly 30 percent. Rail systems had an average cost escalation of 45 percent.

Our own Sound Transit light-rail system was not included in the study, but it fits the profile. Its budget soared by more than 100 percent, forcing planners to halve the length of the rail line. The shortened line opens this summer.

What's so controversial about Flyvbjerg's research is not his documenting cost overruns. It's his effort to show why public projects are so chronically out of whack.

It's not technical challenges or complexity or bad luck, he asserts. If that were so, you'd get more variation in how it all turns out. He concludes the backers of these projects suffer from two main maladies.

One is "delusional optimism" — they want it so badly, they can't see its flaws. I know about this firsthand from when I supported the monorail.

The second is worse: They knowingly are lying to the public.

"Delusion and Deception in Large Infrastructure Projects," was the title of Flyvbjerg's most recent paper, published in January. He details through interviews with public officials how the pressure to get a project approved politically and under construction almost invariably leads to deception — a lowballing of costs and an exaggeration of benefits.

Which brings me back to our viaduct-replacing tunnel.

I have no idea if planners there have underestimated the cost of that tunnel. Some projects do come in on budget. We likely won't know for a year or more.

I do think it's suspicious that this same tunnel was rejected in December by a stakeholder advisory committee on account of it being way too expensive.

Only to have the costs then shrink (!) by $400 million, arriving at a size that happily fits the state's pre-existing budget.

Many aspects of the new tunnel seem to jibe, generically, with Flyvbjerg's recipe for a boondoggle. It has been minimally engineered. It has boosters spinning for it, in this case a Seattle think tank, the Discovery Institute. And there is extreme political pressure — or exhaustion — after eight years of dithering and delay.

Flyvbjerg chronicles many types of public deception, from the hard sell to the noble lie. Still, he has no example that tops a public official making a promise as categorical and unknowable as: "There will be no cost overruns."

Nobody seems to believe that pledge, even as they repeat it. Last week, the Legislature passed an amendment to put all cost overruns for this tunnel onto the property owners of Seattle. The project wouldn't pass without it, they said out of one side of their mouths. But don't worry, there won't actually be any overruns, they said out of the other.

I think they know this tunnel is going to cost more, probably far more. But everyone is sick of talking about it. I know I am. That they've finally made any choice at all seems like a victory.

Flyvbjerg says that's the way it often goes. He also has all sorts of ideas for how to make this process more honest and accurate, most involving outside scrutiny. Suffice to say, that route would drive up the estimated costs of most projects dramatically.

I wondered, when I read them: If we knew the truth, would we accomplish anything at all?

Or is it better to be lied to?

Danny Westneat's column appears Wednesday and Sunday. Reach him at 206-464-2086 or dwestneat@seattletimes.com.

Copyright © 2009 The Seattle Times Company

The Cowlitz-Clark County MOU dies a properly horrific death. Part Deux - Maybe we're getting scammed.

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So... does tomorrow's agreement scam us?

Upon further review, there sure is a lot of verbiage in the "rescission agreement" when all it SHOULD say, if anything, is that the MOU is null and void, and we're dropping the appeal of the Growth Management Hearing Board.

Instead, there's a whole bunch of back-handed, Stuart-sponsored scammery going on.

The question is this: why?

What does this phrase mean?

“Whereas, in a letter of February 5, 2008 to the Department of Interior, the County notified the Department that the aforementioned Tribal Ordinances are consistent with and based upon the Tribe’s obligations in the 2004 MOU, that such Ordinances establish an irrevocable limited waiver of sovereign immunity by the Tribe in favor of the County for enforcement of the Ordinances, and that the County’s future decisions and actions on matters relating to the proposed trust lands will rely on the Tribe’s promises contained in those Ordinances. . . .”

This seems to me to be quite the scam. And a law school graduate like Steve Stuart should know that.

The question for me is this: why?

WHY does the county have to "rely on the Tribe's promises contained in those Ordinances?"

Seems to me that the MOU is dead as a doornail. Why doesn't the county just hose off the fire and call in the dogs? Seems to me that this isn't what it appears

Why is all this other language necessary?

Why is Stuart pulling this scam on us? I mean, I KNOW that he's owned by casino interests and all that. But does he think we're idiots?

Here's a concept: Force welfare recipients to take drug tests and limit their lottery winnings.

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I'm sure that liberal haters would disagree. After all, it's NEVER a welfare recipient's fault that they're actually ON welfare, and we should be grateful for the opportunity to shovel billions of dollars down that particular rat hole.

As something of a fiscal conservative, I take the opposite view: since the vast majority of these recipients of our largess are in their situation because of decisions THEY made, THEY should actually be grateful they were born into a society that gives a damn enough to keep them from starving.

As a society, we've made the decision that there are certain items welfare recipients cannot buy with our money: alcohol comes to mind.

That is, they can't buy it at a store with their welfare card, or food stamps.

Well guess what?

If they've got money from ANYWHERE to buy booze, beer or drugs, then they shouldn't get a DIME in welfare.

If they've got the money to buy lottery tickets, then they shouldn't get a DIME in welfare.

Ideally, welfare is a temporary state (Aside from the empty suit's efforts to make it permanent)

It even USED to be call TANF, or "Temporary Aid for Needy Families.") (It still may be, but given The One's PC bent lately, it's liable to be called "Permanent Gifting for Misunderstood Cash Recipients" or some such nonsense.) so, the ideas here are, allegedly, two-fold:

First, that this aid is temporary, until such time as the recipient gets:

Second, a job.

How likely is it that someone doing drugs will get, or keep, a job?

And why would any welfare recipient believe they have enough money to buy lottery tickets?

A West Virginia Delegate to their House of Delegates, Craig Blair, has opened up his own website, the aptly named http://www.notwithmytaxdollars.com/ that HE'S paying for out of his own pocket, explains it all on the drug issue.

Question: Is this bill constitutional and does it violate my Fourth Amendment Rights?

Answer: In examining the Constitutionality of random drug testing for public assistant recipients, it is important to remember that the U.S. Supreme Court has not addressed this issue directly. The Supreme Court has heard matters regarding suspicionless drug tests in other settings, but the test for determining the Constitutionality of such tests all falls on the reasons behind the testing, or more specifically, the “compelling state interest.” It would be premature and improper to extrapolate all previous rulings to the random drug testing system established in this bill.

Any time the government, or any agent thereof, conducts a search, such as a drug test, the search must be examined in the context of our Fourth Amendment privacy protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. Considering there are no criminal implications in this bill, the Supreme Court would most likely question the search’s reasonableness. A search is “reasonable” when supported by “special needs” beyond the normal need for law enforcement. In the most recent cases before the Supreme Court regarding suspicionless searches (i.e. random drug tests) the Court has held that public schools have the right to test athletes and participants of extracurricular activities because the public school’s custodial and educational duties, a finding of individual suspicion was not necessary. Arguably, the State has a compelling interest in curbing the drug use of citizens in general, maximizing the benefit of every dollar expended, and specifically, deterring drug use of persons receiving public assistance, because (a) the State cannot rationally justify the incompatible policies of criminally policing drug use while simultaneously providing money for persons to purchase drugs, and (b) the preeminent interest of protecting low-income families from the ravages of addiction and abuse.

Second comes the question of an “expectation of privacy.” The average citizen has the greatest expectation of privacy under the Fourth Amendment. Various activities or conditions affect this expectation; for example, prisoners, students and military personnel all have a diminished expectation of privacy. In the recent Supreme Court cases mentioned above, the Court held that students involved in athletics and extra-curricular activities have a diminished expectation of privacy because of the rules, procedures and activities inherent in participation. Similarly, a person accepting public assistance may have a diminished expectation of privacy due to the fact that as a condition precedent to receiving assistance a person must submit to the government private information such as name, address, social security number, income, number of dependents, etc., and this information is checked and rechecked to ensure the eligibility for public assistance. This bill provides no criminal recourse for anyone testing positive for illicit use of controlled substances and ensures the confidentiality of all test results. One could argue that it treads on the Fourth Amendment in the lightest way possible.

Lastly, the Supreme Court will probably require that a drug testing program be “tailored” (possibly narrowly) to fit the State’s “compelling interest.” This bill provides for random testing, and prohibits the use of any other criteria, including but not limited to, suspicion of drug use, previous drug use or criminal conviction for drug use or possession. Again, the results are completely confidential and cannot be distributed to a public or private person or entity. Additionally, following a positive test, the recipient will not lose any benefits until failing a second drug test 30-60 days later. If a person twice fails a drug test and is determined ineligible, the person can reapply in two years. Both of these provisions are aimed at deterring drug use while allowing self-help and providing a remedy, and are less stringent than alternative policies the State could implement in dealing with the dilemma.

Again, the Supreme Court has yet to directly address the issue of drug testing of public assistance recipients which was actually provided for in the Welfare Reform Act of 1996, and the unique nature of the issue would require a specific analysis. The bill has been drafted in a way to navigate the constitutional waters and provide a limited solution to a definitive problem.

More:

There's a bill out there in Tennessee that addresses the lottery ticket issue:


Bill Summary

*HB 0818 by *Campfield. (SB 1240 by *Bunch.)

Lottery, Corporation - As introduced, prohibits certain persons who receive state or federal assistance from being awarded lottery prizes over $600; prohibits persons incarcerated from being awarded lottery prizes. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 51, Part 1.

Fiscal Summary

Decrease State Revenue - $54,000/Human Services Other Fiscal Impact - Decreases net lottery proceeds earmarked for scholarships and grants by an amount estimated to exceed $6,472,500 per year. An increase of after-school funding estimated to be no more than $1,318,500 per year.

Bill Summary

Present law requires that unclaimed lottery prize money be deposited in the after school programs special account; provided, however, that, if the unclaimed prizes in any fiscal year total more than $18,000,000, then the excess accrues to the fund balance of the lottery for education account.

This bill prohibits issuance of lottery prizes in the amount of $600 or more to any person who receives state or federal economic or medical assistance due to indigency and any such prizes otherwise payable to any such persons would be declared unclaimed prizes. The prohibition would not apply to recipients of lottery scholarships or higher education tuition assistance, recipients of benefits from programs administered by the Tennessee housing development agency, and persons receiving other state and federal financial assistance that is not based upon the recipient's indigency.

This bill prohibits convicted criminals who are incarcerated from redeeming winning lottery tickets and any winnings otherwise payable to any such persons would be declared unclaimed prizes.

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Washington State Democrats CONTINUE to rip us off on the gas tax theft: 31 more projects face the axe.

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About 60 seconds after the gas tax package passed, WADOT whacked 30% or so of the project list, having known in advance that dozens of the promised projects would not be built.

They lied to us... and they knew it. In advance. They knew when we took the vote that many of these projects would disappear, and that the much more gullible among us and their useful idiots, the newspapers, would actually support this extortion.

Well, in continuing their rampant fraud, the democrats on the Senate Transportation Committee, Chaired by Mary Margaret Haugen, have made the decision to whack and additional 31 projects PROMISED TO THE VOTERS off the project list... and 19 other projects "outside outside the budget horizon as of last year’s supplemental transportation budget, officials said."

We're told:

The Senate plan also continues paying for about 400 other projects, but the original 16-year gas tax-financed construction plan is now short about $6 billion, due to dropping tax revenue and construction cost inflation, officials said.

That means the money for new projects is now projected to run out in 2015, putting 31 more planned highway projects on a list to be “delayed” pending a new source of money.

“You’ll see in this budget, we’re not able to fully fund any new transportation construction after 2015,” Haugen said.

Examples of the newly shuttered projects were transit and car pool lane improvements to Interstate 90 between Seattle and Bellevue, and a proposed “cross-base” highway in the Tacoma area. That list could change in the future, though, transportation leaders said.
Underlying the newly delayed projects are another 19 that won’t be built before money from the nickel and 9.5-cent gas-tax plans expire. Those 19 projects were outside the budget horizon as of last year’s supplemental transportation budget, officials said.

Odd, isn't it, that apparently the concepts of "...dropping tax revenue and construction cost inflation..." were unknown to those lying to us about all the wonderful benefits we would receive as a result of this rip off. Truthful and ethical planners would have factored these two strange new aspects of fiscal planning into the package and TOLD US THE TRUTH.

But that would have, again, required trust on the part of those who would govern us, and an innate belief that THEIR judgment is NOT superior to ours, and does not supersede ours.

Clearly, like the major tax increase we have confronting us soon, these scum wouldn't know the truth if it bit them in the ass.

Remember this when they come around again real soon, and tell us we have to vote for this, and they REALLY had "no choice" but to screw us.

I'LL believe them... won't you?

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State Senate releases transportation plan

Wednesday, March 25, 2009 7:16 PM PDT

By Curt Woodward
The Associated Press

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OLYMPIA — State senators unveiled a $4.3 billion transportation plan Wednesday that would continue paying for several of the state’s highway mega-projects and purchase four ferries while shelving 31 projects that rely on dwindling gas tax revenue.

The Senate’s Democratic and Republican transportation leaders also called for a study of new ways to bankroll highways, bridges and ferries in the future, as high-efficiency cars and periodically high pump prices drive down state gas tax collections. Various kinds of tolling seemed to be early favorites.

Under the Senate’s proposed transportation budget, a half-dozen major highway projects would continue drawing money based on the project list developed last year. They include the Alaskan Way Viaduct in Seattle, the State Route 520 bridge over Lake Washington, and the State Route 395 North Spokane Corridor.

Some of the policy details of those mega-projects still aren’t settled. For instance, the earthquake-damaged viaduct may be replaced by a tunnel, but that decision still hasn’t been totally finalized. What exactly to do about the 520 bridge is still not fully resolved.

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