This Washington
Microsoft's Brad Smith on Ballmer and the B7 Light Rail Line
In addition to the questions I asked Microsoft VP Brad Smith that got noted in today's Fizz, I also asked him about the recent poll
from Glassdoor.com which showed Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer with poor approval ratings among Microsoft employees. Ballmer, Glassdoor.com reported, was at 29 percent.
At first, I wasn't sure if Smith understood my question. He went into a lecture about the current transitional phase of the computing industry and how TVs were becoming computers. Looking for some clarity on what he was talking about, I asked if he meant that the current flux in the industry explained the ebbing confidence in Ballmer.
"I don't think there's a lack of confidence inside Microsoft," he said.
I also asked if Microsoft had a position in the standoff between the Bellevue City Council and Sound Transit over a preferred light rail route.
B7, the alternative preferred by a majority of the Bellevue council, would run along an abandoned BNSF right-of-way just east of I-405, traveling across the Mercer Slough wetland and bypassing most jobs and residences in the area, as well as the existing South Bellevue park and ride. Sound Transit prefers a more direct, less expensive route that will pick up passengers from the existing Bellevue park and ride and serve south Bellevue.
Sound Transit's less expensive route would allow for a $300 million tunnel through downtown Bellevue, which both sides want, while the council's option would actually drive up costs by $150 million, making the tunnel impossible to fund.
Smith cited a letter he recently signed off on to the Bellevue council demanding that they come to an agreement with Sound Transit and move forward with light rail. While that doesn't overtly read like an endorsement either way, it's a nod to Sound Transit's position because the council's option—with the added costs and unproven route—needs more study and planning.
Referring to a recent study that shot down the council's route and frowning on the council's delays, the letter, also signed by Boeing, states:
At first, I wasn't sure if Smith understood my question. He went into a lecture about the current transitional phase of the computing industry and how TVs were becoming computers. Looking for some clarity on what he was talking about, I asked if he meant that the current flux in the industry explained the ebbing confidence in Ballmer.
"I don't think there's a lack of confidence inside Microsoft," he said.
I also asked if Microsoft had a position in the standoff between the Bellevue City Council and Sound Transit over a preferred light rail route.
B7, the alternative preferred by a majority of the Bellevue council, would run along an abandoned BNSF right-of-way just east of I-405, traveling across the Mercer Slough wetland and bypassing most jobs and residences in the area, as well as the existing South Bellevue park and ride. Sound Transit prefers a more direct, less expensive route that will pick up passengers from the existing Bellevue park and ride and serve south Bellevue.
Sound Transit's less expensive route would allow for a $300 million tunnel through downtown Bellevue, which both sides want, while the council's option would actually drive up costs by $150 million, making the tunnel impossible to fund.
Smith cited a letter he recently signed off on to the Bellevue council demanding that they come to an agreement with Sound Transit and move forward with light rail. While that doesn't overtly read like an endorsement either way, it's a nod to Sound Transit's position because the council's option—with the added costs and unproven route—needs more study and planning.
Referring to a recent study that shot down the council's route and frowning on the council's delays, the letter, also signed by Boeing, states:
We believe that extensive planning by Sound Transit and the recent analysis from the City of Bellevue's study provide sufficient information to form the basis for an agreement with Sound Transit on a preferred alignment through Bellevue. So we ask that the City focus its efforts on mitigation of impacts and the identification of a funding plan for the tunnel alternative through downtown.
We are concerned that the current disagreements between the City of Bellevue and Sound Transit will further delay the region gaining the benefits of this vital project and inevitably increase costs at a time when public dollars are extremely tight and should be used as efficiently as possible.
