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Once again, the oh-so progressive, oh-so enlightened Seattle City Council is showing the rest of the country what not to do. The idealistic leftists who control the Council are wasting millions of hard-earned taxpayer dollars in failed attempts to solve problems the Council members created.

All this is turning Seattle into the poster city for the failure of Big Government. The city best known for fish markets, coffee stores, rain and flannel-wearing musicians is now becoming legendary for its incompetent leadership and its financial boondoggles.

The latest example of Seattle senselessness is the Council’s costly and deeply flawed efforts to get more people riding public transportation and bicycles. Other than spending lots of money, this effort isn’t accomplishing anything.

Seattle was one of the first cities to get electric streetcars in the U.S., with the first electric car entering service in 1889. With over a century of experience, you would think the city would know how to handle public transit. Not so. Taxpayers are paying a big price for the incompetence of city officials.

The public transportation system in Seattle is a mess. Construction costs for new and upgraded streetcar and light rail lines are skyrocketing well above estimated costs.

One of the more unbelievable mistakes made was the purchase of 10 new streetcars last fall. Apparently, when the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) ordered the cars no one thought to check the measurements.

The order was placed for street cars that are likely too big for the tracks and the maintenance barn. The project is already $50 million over budget, not including the $52 million it cost for the 10 cars that may be useless. How has no one been fired for this?

Not only is Seattle having problems with its streetcar projects, but its bike lane experiment has also been an unmitigated financial disaster. In 2015, Seattle voters approved a $930 million transportation tax to fund something called called “Move Seattle.”

The nearly $1 billion initiative made bold promises, while increasing average property taxes by $275. One of the bold promises was 50 miles of bike lanes.

Many voiced concerns about the price tag of the ambitious project. After looking at the most recent costs of the bike lanes, their concerns were clearly warranted.

The city’s initial budget estimated $854,000 per mile for construction of the bike lanes and greenways. Incredibly, so far stretches of the bike lanes are costing over 1,000 percent more than expected.

The bike lane on Seventh Avenue clocks in at $13 million per mile, while the Second Avenue lane is $12 million per mile. At this rate, the bike lanes alone will cost more than the entire Move Seattle project.

Of course, no one has been held accountable for the cost overrun, as this is Seattle, where mistakes get people promoted.

Knowing all this, the Seattle City Council still voted to push more bike lane policies. On Monday, a resolution passed calling for SDOT to make sure bike lanes are connected, meaning yet more construction.

I’m not sure what is more infuriating – the fact that a bike lane project that didn’t connect all the lanes was approved in the first place, or that after monumental cost overruns the City Council’s answer was to spend yet more money.

What is truly amazing is that Seattle is trying to increase the number of bicyclists on the street at the same time it wants to increase the streetcar and light rail lines. As any cyclist can attest, rail lines and bicycle tires are a dangerous mix. Expanding both is sure to lead to more accidents.

Seattle and Sound Transit are already being sued for the tragic death of Desiree McCloud. The young woman was in a bike lane when her tire got caught in the train track, causing a horrific crash. McCloud was hospitalized and later died of her injuries.

With its spendthrift and clueless way, the Seattle City Council is showing all Americans the importance of voting in local elections. Too many us of neglect to do this, focusing on elections for president, national and statewide offices.

Local government is closest to the people and in many ways can have the most direct impact on our lives. In Seattle, big-spending liberals trying to fulfill their dreams are creating nightmares for the people of the city.

AZGrizFan wrote:This is RICH:

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2018/07/ ... rails.html

Man, y'all are some stupid motherfuckers up there, cleetus....

Once again, the oh-so progressive, oh-so enlightened Seattle City Council is showing the rest of the country what not to do. The idealistic leftists who control the Council are wasting millions of hard-earned taxpayer dollars in failed attempts to solve problems the Council members created.

All this is turning Seattle into the poster city for the failure of Big Government. The city best known for fish markets, coffee stores, rain and flannel-wearing musicians is now becoming legendary for its incompetent leadership and its financial boondoggles.

The latest example of Seattle senselessness is the Council’s costly and deeply flawed efforts to get more people riding public transportation and bicycles. Other than spending lots of money, this effort isn’t accomplishing anything.

Seattle was one of the first cities to get electric streetcars in the U.S., with the first electric car entering service in 1889. With over a century of experience, you would think the city would know how to handle public transit. Not so. Taxpayers are paying a big price for the incompetence of city officials.

The public transportation system in Seattle is a mess. Construction costs for new and upgraded streetcar and light rail lines are skyrocketing well above estimated costs.

One of the more unbelievable mistakes made was the purchase of 10 new streetcars last fall. Apparently, when the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) ordered the cars no one thought to check the measurements.

The order was placed for street cars that are likely too big for the tracks and the maintenance barn. The project is already $50 million over budget, not including the $52 million it cost for the 10 cars that may be useless. How has no one been fired for this?

Not only is Seattle having problems with its streetcar projects, but its bike lane experiment has also been an unmitigated financial disaster. In 2015, Seattle voters approved a $930 million transportation tax to fund something called called “Move Seattle.”

The nearly $1 billion initiative made bold promises, while increasing average property taxes by $275. One of the bold promises was 50 miles of bike lanes.

Many voiced concerns about the price tag of the ambitious project. After looking at the most recent costs of the bike lanes, their concerns were clearly warranted.

The city’s initial budget estimated $854,000 per mile for construction of the bike lanes and greenways. Incredibly, so far stretches of the bike lanes are costing over 1,000 percent more than expected.

The bike lane on Seventh Avenue clocks in at $13 million per mile, while the Second Avenue lane is $12 million per mile. At this rate, the bike lanes alone will cost more than the entire Move Seattle project.

Of course, no one has been held accountable for the cost overrun, as this is Seattle, where mistakes get people promoted.

Knowing all this, the Seattle City Council still voted to push more bike lane policies. On Monday, a resolution passed calling for SDOT to make sure bike lanes are connected, meaning yet more construction.

I’m not sure what is more infuriating – the fact that a bike lane project that didn’t connect all the lanes was approved in the first place, or that after monumental cost overruns the City Council’s answer was to spend yet more money.

What is truly amazing is that Seattle is trying to increase the number of bicyclists on the street at the same time it wants to increase the streetcar and light rail lines. As any cyclist can attest, rail lines and bicycle tires are a dangerous mix. Expanding both is sure to lead to more accidents.

Seattle and Sound Transit are already being sued for the tragic death of Desiree McCloud. The young woman was in a bike lane when her tire got caught in the train track, causing a horrific crash. McCloud was hospitalized and later died of her injuries.

With its spendthrift and clueless way, the Seattle City Council is showing all Americans the importance of voting in local elections. Too many us of neglect to do this, focusing on elections for president, national and statewide offices.

Local government is closest to the people and in many ways can have the most direct impact on our lives. In Seattle, big-spending liberals trying to fulfill their dreams are creating nightmares for the people of the city.

Chizzang wrote:

AZGrizFan wrote:This is RICH:

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2018/07/ ... rails.html

Man, y'all are some stupid motherfuckers up there, cleetus....

There's only about 75% misinformation in the article which is not bad for a Fox News Opinion piece...

Yes they ordered the wrong cars which are being exchanged
The manufacturer confirmed the measurements and the order so there's that
which is why they're getting new cars

So much of the article is just absolute nonsense it's hard to even know where to begin

He's fascinated by cost over runs and bike lanes
which might make you wonder if he's ever left his basement

Name a city wide project in any city that didn't have cost over runs
It's like reporting the sky is blue
and the bike lane expansion is based on citizens requesting more bike lanes

Seattle is booming
and the growing pains are real - and the people of Seattle want everything

Col Hogan wrote:

Chizzang wrote:
There's only about 75% misinformation in the article which is not bad for a Fox News Opinion piece...

Yes they ordered the wrong cars which are being exchanged
The manufacturer confirmed the measurements and the order so there's that
which is why they're getting new cars

So much of the article is just absolute nonsense it's hard to even know where to begin

He's fascinated by cost over runs and bike lanes
which might make you wonder if he's ever left his basement

Name a city wide project in any city that didn't have cost over runs
It's like reporting the sky is blue
and the bike lane expansion is based on citizens requesting more bike lanes

Seattle is booming
and the growing pains are real - and the people of Seattle want everything

So, you have no problem with consistent cost over-runs on goverment projects???

You believe that cost over-runs are not newsworthy, since “It’s like reporting the sky is blue” ???


I’ll file that info away for future use, especially when a defense program has a cost over-run...

∞∞∞ wrote:Seattle reinvented itself from a low-skill manufacturing/port city (with one dominant company) to a diversified mixture of high-skill, high-pay tech jobs...while still keeping manufacturers around.

It's a great blueprint of how to adapt to competing in the 21st century.

AZGrizFan wrote:$13 million per mile.

For a bike lane.

Think about that for just a minute.

Is that motherfucker paved in gold bars?

Chizzang wrote: Look I get it... Conservatives hate Seattle
Which is really too bad because I'm able to love Dallas and Fort Worth
Which are hated by liberals

and none of it makes any sense

Chizzang wrote:

AZGrizFan wrote:$13 million per mile.

For a bike lane.

Think about that for just a minute.

Is that motherfucker paved in gold bars?

Do you actually believe that claim..?

So when they completely reworked Mercer Street it was $13 million for about a mile
but it included sidewalks as well as a full water movement and electrical upgrade and "Bike Lanes"

and they later added Westlake ave. as well and that was closer to $14 Million

Saying bike lanes cost $13 million a mile is like saying it cost $100 K to get my house painted
and then leaving out that it also included a new Kitchen two bathrooms



Look I get it... Conservatives hate Seattle
Which is really too bad because I'm able to love Dallas and Fort Worth
Which are hated by liberals

and none of it makes any sense

Chizzang wrote:Note: Regarding Seattle
The minute me and the girlfriend are done working
We're leaving this madhouse

Seattle and Los Angeles are great places to make money
and they are amazing cities that have a lot to offer rich folks and college students
but they are too busy and too crowded and too expensive to retire in

We'll have a little dumpy house in Palm Springs
and a little dumpy house in Bend Oregon
and probably one in North Carolina so we can visit her family easily

at that point Seattle can go **** itself...

Ivytalk wrote:

Chizzang wrote:Note: Regarding Seattle
The minute me and the girlfriend are done working
We're leaving this madhouse

Seattle and Los Angeles are great places to make money
and they are amazing cities that have a lot to offer rich folks and college students
but they are too busy and too crowded and too expensive to retire in

We'll have a little dumpy house in Palm Springs
and a little dumpy house in Bend Oregon
and probably one in North Carolina so we can visit her family easily

at that point Seattle can go **** itself...

Four houses? Pitchforks, you rich one percent bastage!

Chizzang wrote:

Ivytalk wrote: Four houses? Pitchforks, you rich one percent bastage!

Look I explained this already
Me and my brother and my girlfriend and my parents
all round up our money and buy houses as a group (LLC)



Honestly everybody should be doing this (frankly)
My brother has been extremely helpful in this regard

Chizzang wrote:

Ivytalk wrote: Four houses? Pitchforks, you rich one percent bastage!

Look I explained this already
Me and my brother and my girlfriend and my parents
all round up our money and buy houses as a group (LLC)



Honestly everybody should be doing this (frankly)
My brother has been extremely helpful in this regard

Ivytalk wrote:

Chizzang wrote:
Look I explained this already
Me and my brother and my girlfriend and my parents
all round up our money and buy houses as a group (LLC)



Honestly everybody should be doing this (frankly)
My brother has been extremely helpful in this regard

And you and your GF live in all of them. Hmm..yeah... (Bill Lumbergh)

Chizzang wrote:

Ivytalk wrote: And you and your GF live in all of them. Hmm..yeah... (Bill Lumbergh)

we've got our own room set up in each of them so we can go to any one of them at any time
and my folks have their main place in Montana and have a room set up in Palm Springs

It's not really that complicated...

Houses have these things called "Rooms"
its where you put your clothes and sleep at night - it's pretty new you might want to ask around

CID1990 wrote:

Chizzang wrote:
Look I explained this already
Me and my brother and my girlfriend and my parents
all round up our money and buy houses as a group (LLC)



Honestly everybody should be doing this (frankly)
My brother has been extremely helpful in this regard

I may reach out to you about this some time in the future.

How do you maintain those places when you aren't in them? Are you still doing the Honduran human trafficking thing?

Chizzang wrote:

CID1990 wrote:
I may reach out to you about this some time in the future.

How do you maintain those places when you aren't in them? Are you still doing the Honduran human trafficking thing?

10-4 CID

You can rent them when you're not using them...
That's why we select places like Bend Oregon and Palm Springs



Roatan Honduras is a lovely place...
As a country they provide excellent hospitality service people
who then enjoy having children in the United States

Chizzang wrote:

AZGrizFan wrote:$13 million per mile.

For a bike lane.

Think about that for just a minute.

Is that motherfucker paved in gold bars?

Do you actually believe that claim..?

So when they completely reworked Mercer Street it was $13 million for about a mile
but it included sidewalks as well as a full water movement and electrical upgrade and "Bike Lanes"

and they later added Westlake ave. as well and that was closer to $14 Million

Saying bike lanes cost $13 million a mile is like saying it cost $100 K to get my house painted
and then leaving out that it also included a new Kitchen two bathrooms



Look I get it... Conservatives hate Seattle
Which is really too bad because I'm able to love Dallas and Fort Worth
Which are hated by liberals

and none of it makes any sense

Skjellyfetti wrote:US Deficit Projected to Top $1 Trillion
https://www.wsj.com/articles/deficit-pr ... 1531950742

Skjellyfetti wrote:US Deficit Projected to Top $1 Trillion
https://www.wsj.com/articles/deficit-pr ... 1531950742