Jolt
Morning Jolt: Tom Rasmussen Hires Powerhouse Transportation Lobbyist
Early winner for today: City council member Tom Rasmussen.
Rasmussen just hired Bill LaBorde, policy director for the Transportation Choices Coalition.
LaBorde was a powerhouse in Olympia during the 2009 session---lobbying to integrate climate considerations into state transportation planning, pushing for transit-oriented development regulations, and supporting more equitable funding of roads and transit. This past year, he moved up to Washington, D.C., where he pushed TCC's agenda to the state delegation to accelerate transit construction and lobbied for light-rail funding.
Why the shift? LaBorde tells PubliCola he's been working more and more on city policy "but I didn't feel I had enough time to give to it" at TCC, "and the more Tom and I talked, the more appealing it became."
LaBorde was a big support of Mayor Mike McGinn during last year's election; in his new role, he'll be advising Rasmussen on issues like the deep-bore tunnel, on which McGinn and Rasmussen strongly disagree.
LaBorde isn't just a pushy transit wonk; he's a serious expert on green policy, who will raise the IQ of the entire second floor, not just Rasmussen's office.
Rasmussen just hired Bill LaBorde, policy director for the Transportation Choices Coalition.
LaBorde was a powerhouse in Olympia during the 2009 session---lobbying to integrate climate considerations into state transportation planning, pushing for transit-oriented development regulations, and supporting more equitable funding of roads and transit. This past year, he moved up to Washington, D.C., where he pushed TCC's agenda to the state delegation to accelerate transit construction and lobbied for light-rail funding.
Why the shift? LaBorde tells PubliCola he's been working more and more on city policy "but I didn't feel I had enough time to give to it" at TCC, "and the more Tom and I talked, the more appealing it became."
LaBorde was a big support of Mayor Mike McGinn during last year's election; in his new role, he'll be advising Rasmussen on issues like the deep-bore tunnel, on which McGinn and Rasmussen strongly disagree.
LaBorde isn't just a pushy transit wonk; he's a serious expert on green policy, who will raise the IQ of the entire second floor, not just Rasmussen's office.
