Cascadia Report

Category: Politics

  • Cost of delaying Seattle transport fixes keeps rising

    The cost of delaying Seattle-area transportation improvements continues to rise, with new estimates for a series of road projects adding to the existing price of lost time and inefficiency.

    Cost of transport delays rises; by Senate Democratic CaucusOverall road-project costs are likely to rise 20 percent from current estimates, former state Senate transportation head Jim Horn told The Seattle Times. The same story says material costs alone increased 8 percent a year from 2001 to 2005.

    The new estimates, which are supposed to be officially unveiled in coming weeks, complicate planning for a package of transit and roads to be sent to voters in the three Seattle-area counties next fall. Some officials are already talking about trimming the budget and looking for alternatives.

    No one should be surprised by the higher costs. One study found that congestion costs an average of $620 per person per year, counting fuel and lost productivity. While region has pondered which projects to build and how to pay for them, borrowing costs and commodities prices kept rising.

    The solution may be more projects, not fewer. More congestion pricing on roads would raise funds and help smoothe demand while expanded transit would provide alternatives to those roads.

  • Business struggles for stance on Oregon tax plan

    Business groups in Oregon are struggling to find a common position on a proposed increase in corporate taxes.

    Gov. Ted Kulongoski suggested about $300 million in additional taxes to fund basic education, health care and other state programs. Oregon reportedly has the highest personal income taxes in the nation, but corporations pay less than 5 percent of the state budget, the smallest share of any state, according to The Oregonian.

    The question is whether Republicans, who last month lost control of the legislature for the first time since 1989, are willing to end a 20-year trend of tax cuts. Business groups appear divided on the issue. Nike spokesperson Julia Brim-Edwards told The Oregonian that the company supports a tax increase because it would fund investments to make Oregon a better place to live and work.

  • New transport head key to regional fixes

    The new leader of the House transportation committee may boost chances for improvement in the Seattle area’s transportation network.

    Rep. Judy Clibborn (41st, Mercer Island) supports long-term transportation investment, for example by voting for a 9.5 cent increase in state gas taxes in 2005 to pay for statewide road and rail projects. During an earlier session she told me via email that, if she had her way, she would raise gas taxes by 20 cents or more in order to finish the projects the region needs. She also supported the idea of widespread congestion pricing.

    Most reports about the appointment focus on how Clibborn opposes replacing Seattle’s waterfront viaduct freeway with a tunnel. She was one of 30 Democrats who signed a letter to the governor stating the obvious — that the state can’t afford the project and still build rail and replace the 520 bridge. The letter was written by House Speaker Frank Chopp, who happens to control appointments in the House and supports a penny-wise, pound-foolish rebuilding of the viaduct.

    But Clibborn’s appointment may make a surface-and-transit replacement for the viaduct possible. She replaces Ed Murray, who is moving to the state Senate and recently penned his own letter to the governor urging a look at the cost and traffic implications of a surface package. When the rebuild-versus-tunnel debate bogs down, let’s hope Clibborn can help steer the toward the the surface option as part of a regional fix .

  • Many questions for Canada’s new Liberal leader

    Canada’s Liberal Party named a new leader who it hopes will help it take power in a nationwide election next year. Whether the choice will pay off isn’t clear — and most U.S. media didn’t bother to even hazard a guess.

    Most U.S. newspapers covered the election of Montreal academic Stephane Dion with a few words from a newswire. The Seattle Times gave it three digest paragraphs (below a train accident in India).

    In the only full story in a major paper, The Washington Post credited the former environment minister’s pledge to work on “sustainable development” for his win. The Liberals oppose the ruling party’s reluctance on global warming issues and its conservative social and fiscal policies, such as cuts to government programs.

    In addition to the environment, Dion made vague pledges to fight for economic prosperity, social justice and environmental sustainability, according to the CBC’s account of his press conference.

    Closer to home, The Tyee pointed out that Dion is a well-connected Liberal who won the backing of the powers that be in British Columbia. The next several months will reveal what Dion can do with the win.

  • Canada’s weekend election and Cascadia

    A month after a pivotal election in the U.S., now it’s Canada’s turn.

    Canada’s Liberal Party will elect a leader this weekend to help it rebuild nationwide support amid increasing questions about how united the country should be. The election has been a distraction from economic reform, environmental policy and other issues, but the outcome could have an impact a range of issues affecting British Columbia and economic relations with its U.S. neighbors. Historically the Liberal Party leader has gone on to be Canada’s prime minister.

    Debate began last week when a leadership candidates suggested that Quebec is a separate nation within Canada, a claim that set off much navel-gazing and raised questions about the status of B.C., Alberta and native groups. Reportedly among the top issues for B.C. delegates at the party conference this weekend are health care reform and conservation measures.

  • Seattle study finds that tolls work

    Widespread use of toll roads could cut traffic congestion, according to an eight-month study of drivers in the Seattle area.

    Tolls, especially at peak times, are key to funding new projects and making transit economically viable. But don’t expect them soon. The head of the state Transportation Commission told the Seattle Times that the area has too little experience with tolls and the public won’t accept them. “The politics of that is just too tough,” said Richard Ford, commission chairman.

    In the study, drivers’ dashboards were fitted with electronic devices that tracked their travel, and they were charged virtual tolls ranging from five to 50 cents a mile, according to the paper. Charges were deducted from accounts of between $600 and $3,000 set up for each driver and participants could keep whatever money was left at the end of the experiment. About 80 percent of participants drove less or changed routes and travel times to avoid the highest tolls.

    But incoming state Sen. Ed Murray of Seattle, who chairs the House Transportation Committee, said there is already widespread opposition to tolls, even to fund projects like replacing a floating bridge. “This isn’t Amsterdam — this is the West,” he said. “One of the things we have to understand is whether the culture for this (tolls) exists here,” he added. “It doesn’t now. It don’t think that’s going to be easy to overcome.”

  • New Alaska pipeline to impact Cascadia business

    Here’s another impact of the U.S. elections: plans for a new natural gas pipeline from Alaska may stall, potentially costing Cascadia business.

    At issue is a plan where Alaska’s taxpayers to would buy 20 percent of a $22 billion proposed pipeline from the northern part of the state through Canada to the U.S. Midwest. The construction project — considered one of the biggest ever — could supply years of staging business in B.C. and Washington, as well as give a boost to Seattle’s Alaska Airlines and the rest of the travel industry.

    The project’s fate is unclear since the Nov. 7 election, when Alaskans tossed out Gov. Frank Murkowski — who pushed the plan — in favor of political unknown Sarah Palin, the Republican mayor of a small town. Democratic former Gov. Tony Knowles was the favorite of big business because of his oil-friendly history. Palin has criticized many details negotiated by Murkowski and is set to reconsider the plan when she takes office on Dec. 4.

  • Two reasons why Burner lost Democratic landslide

    Democrat Darcy Burner publicly conceded today to Rep. Dave Reichert after the latest round of ballots showed that he won narrow reelection.

    There are at least two explanations for Burner’s loss. Some voters likely were turned off by the way she turned almost every public pronouncement into a party-line critique of the Bush Administration’s policies. Voters want to trust candidates — especially in moderate district like Washington’s 8th — so personality trumps well-rehearsed talking points.

    Burner was the only Democrat to challenge Reichert, a former sheriff, well before the anti-Republican wave began to swell. But her lack of political experience was Reichert’s best asset. Jim Brunner has an account of Burner’s press conference today on a Seattle Times blog.

  • Cascadia getting new clout in D.C.

    During this year’s campaign, Bremerton Congressman Norm Dicks, who first went to Capitol Hill in 1976, told everyone he could that he wanted a Democratic victory so he would finally be called “Mr. Chairman.”

    Washington, Oregon representatives gain clout in D.C.He’s likely to get his wish when Democrats take control of Congress in January. The sea change will give more clout to Washington, where both senators and seven of nine representatives are Democrats, and to Oregon, where one senator and four of five representatives are Democrats.

    The federal deficit, spending in Iraq and pressure to live up to campaign pledges of fiscal restraint will limit the spoils. Still, Dicks (WA, 6th), who will chair the subcommittee that controls funding for the EPA and Interior department, has said funding cleanup of Puget Sound is a top priority. Even if funds are limited, at least the region’s representatives will be at the table to do the carving.

    Here’s a summary of likely key leadership positions, according to multiple local reports:

    Sen. Patty Murray: Appropriations subcommittee on transportation.

    Sen. Maria Cantwell: Commerce subcommittee on fisheries and Coast Guard.

    Sen. Ron Wyden: Energy and Natural Resources subcommittee on forestry.

    Rep. Jim McDermott: Ways and Means subcommittee dealing with health care.

    Rep. Norm Dicks: Appropriations subcommittee for the EPA and Department of the Interior.

    Rep. Peter DeFazio: Transportation Committee’s surface transportation subcommittee.

    Rep. David Wu: Science Committee’s subcommittee on environment, technology and standards.

  • Dems pressed to flex new power in Olympia

    The first reports are in of the challenge Washington Democrats face with their strengthened majorities in Olympia.

    Democrats likely have a 31-18 seat majority in the state Senate and a 62-36 split in the state House. The danger is that they will raise taxes and increase spending, courting a backlash against Gov. Chris Gregoire in 2008. From The Seattle Times:

    The wish list that interest groups want Democrats to deliver next year includes salary increases for teachers and state workers, better access to health care, a boost in funding for public schools, paid family leave and a ban on a toxic flame retardant present in televisions, computers and other consumer products.