2012 Election
Democrat Inslee: Let's Build It
Apparently Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob McKenna didn't get the "We Built It" memo.
It's probably not hard to deduce that we thought Republican Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna had a better performance in Wednesday night's gubernatorial debate than his rival, former Democratic US Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA, 1).
But Inslee did have one outstanding moment that's worth pointing out.
Fielding what appeared to be a provincial Vancouver politics question about the $3.02 billion Columbia River Crossing project—a bridge connecting downtown Vancouver to Portland that's supposed to include 2.9 miles of light rail with four stations in Vancouver—Inslee first re-framed the question, saying, "this is not just a southwest Washington imperative, this is not just a Washington imperative, it is a national imperative for the economic well being of this country." Then he made this forthright statement: "We are going to have to have leadership that will make sure that we get this light rail built."
There are a couple of important things about Inslee's statement, both politically and conceptually.
For starters, Insled responded after McKenna, who went first and did not mention light rail. After Inslee brought it to the forefront, McKenna was allowed a quick rejoinder and put a wet blanket on the light rail component: "Light rail is an important point for Oregon, for sure—they're the ones who are demanding it—but it's not clear that it's a priority for Washington commuters and taxpayers," he said.
He added that a November ballot measure would provide more clarity. (The November ballot measure isn't focused on light rail, it's about bus rapid transit, with a smaller light rail planning component.)
Then it was Inslee's turn again. And he went for it: "You know, this is what it comes [down to]. Leaders sometimes have to talk about difficult issues. We all have our favorite modes of transportation and light rail is not universally accepted, but we'll need to find consensus on light rail. I hope to work with the community to develop that consensus."
Not only did Inslee draw a stark contrast to McKenna's coy antipathy toward light rail, but he himself put his neck out for it, demonstrating his desire to lead and spelling out what his priorities are.
There's also $1.25 billion in federal money that's riding on light rail being part of the project; without light rail, Inslee stressed, we wouldn't get the money (and wouldn't be able to build the bridge project).
It was hard to ignore the discrepancy: Republicans in Tampa were chanting "We built it." But here in Washington State, the GOP candidate for governor was saying, "we need to slow down and make sure we've got a plan that's financially sustainable."
Meanwhile, stumping for a plan that would serve six million light rail boardings a year with a $1.25 billion assist from the feds, the Democrat was thinking in bigger terms.
It's probably not hard to deduce that we thought Republican Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna had a better performance in Wednesday night's gubernatorial debate than his rival, former Democratic US Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA, 1).
But Inslee did have one outstanding moment that's worth pointing out.
Fielding what appeared to be a provincial Vancouver politics question about the $3.02 billion Columbia River Crossing project—a bridge connecting downtown Vancouver to Portland that's supposed to include 2.9 miles of light rail with four stations in Vancouver—Inslee first re-framed the question, saying, "this is not just a southwest Washington imperative, this is not just a Washington imperative, it is a national imperative for the economic well being of this country." Then he made this forthright statement: "We are going to have to have leadership that will make sure that we get this light rail built."
There are a couple of important things about Inslee's statement, both politically and conceptually.
For starters, Insled responded after McKenna, who went first and did not mention light rail. After Inslee brought it to the forefront, McKenna was allowed a quick rejoinder and put a wet blanket on the light rail component: "Light rail is an important point for Oregon, for sure—they're the ones who are demanding it—but it's not clear that it's a priority for Washington commuters and taxpayers," he said.
He added that a November ballot measure would provide more clarity. (The November ballot measure isn't focused on light rail, it's about bus rapid transit, with a smaller light rail planning component.)
Then it was Inslee's turn again. And he went for it: "You know, this is what it comes [down to]. Leaders sometimes have to talk about difficult issues. We all have our favorite modes of transportation and light rail is not universally accepted, but we'll need to find consensus on light rail. I hope to work with the community to develop that consensus."
Not only did Inslee draw a stark contrast to McKenna's coy antipathy toward light rail, but he himself put his neck out for it, demonstrating his desire to lead and spelling out what his priorities are.
There's also $1.25 billion in federal money that's riding on light rail being part of the project; without light rail, Inslee stressed, we wouldn't get the money (and wouldn't be able to build the bridge project).
It was hard to ignore the discrepancy: Republicans in Tampa were chanting "We built it." But here in Washington State, the GOP candidate for governor was saying, "we need to slow down and make sure we've got a plan that's financially sustainable."
Meanwhile, stumping for a plan that would serve six million light rail boardings a year with a $1.25 billion assist from the feds, the Democrat was thinking in bigger terms.
