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Sadly, that’s essentially the rationale that many tunnel supporters are now falling back on. You see, if the State can’t have it’s way and get a tunnel, then it’s gonna take its $2.2 billion and go home. How pathetically embarrassing to all involved that the political relationship between the City and State has devolved to such a disfunctional level. Especially when the stakes are so high. (I’m still waiting to hear how spending billions on an underground freeway bypass for cars can possibly comply with the State law mandating a 50 percent reduction in vehicle miles traveled by 2050.)
The buzz on the tunnel has been buzzing loudly in recent days, and that can only be good news for the McGinn campaign. Here, McGinn responds to the charge that Seattle’s tax burden would be the same whether we got a the tunnel or the surface/transit option. Tunnel facts.com has an excellent summary.
Meanwhile, if the deep-bore tunnel happens, Joe Mallahan wants you to know that he’s got you covered:
“The next mayor of Seattle is someone who’s going to be responsible for making sure the project comes in on time and on budget. And I think a person with business experience is the type of person to get that accomplished. “
Got that? Because Mallahan possesses the superpowers granted only to wealthy business executives, as Mayor he would take charge and micro-manage the Washington Department of Transportation to make damn sure there were no cost overruns. You’d think given the legacy of first “MBA President,” that asking people to put their faith in a guy to efficiently run government just because he made a lot of money in the private sector might be a dubious campaign strategy.  Alas, the myth of the market still holds a tight grip on popular consciousness even in the most liberal of American cities.