The city council just approved a $1.45 million loan to keep the South Lake Union streetcar up and running, but also passed an amendment by Nick Licata (no fan of the streetcar or any of Mayor Greg Nickels's plans in South Lake Union, for that matter) requiring the city to at least consider other ways of funding the streetcar in the future, including a business improvement area. (The basic idea behind a BIA is that business owners in the area pay for improvements that benefit them, like the streetcar, through additional taxes).

Licata initially proposed requiring the mayor to come up with legislation to pay for any future funding shortfalls, but got shot down. Even his watered-down proposal ran into opposition, from Jan Drago, Jean Godden, and Richard McIver (who ultimately voted against the loan too). "Overall, [we approved] an endless bucket of money," Licata says. "All I was saying was, at least look at a BIA as a solution. And it took half an hour just to pass that simple amendment."

The loan ultimately passed 8-1, with McIver dissenting