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PI: McGinn Ends Year in Better Political Position Than City Council
PI reporter Chris Grygiel wrote a contrarian, but savvy, opinion piece yesterday
explaining why, despite Mayor Mike McGinn's reputation as a political bumbler, the mayor has actually outmaneuvered everyone on the tunnel issue.
I couldn't agree more. In editorial (this one in May) after editorial (this one in July), I wrote the same thing—essentially saying that McGinn has skillfully backed the council (and Seattle's statehouse delegation) into a pro-overruns position.
There is an out for pro-tunnel folks. In that July editorial, I called it the "Joni Earl Position." That is: Even if you're pro-tunnel, acknowledge the problems (like Sound Transit's Earl did with light rail costs), and get serious about watchdogging the project.
State Sen. Ed Murray is staking out this position. At last Thursday's deep bore tunnel debate, Murray, a big tunnel supporter, acknowledged that Seattle was on the hook for cost overruns and pledged to introduce legislation to create a Sound Transit-style oversight committee.
In this morning's Fizz, we asked Murray if he would go a step further and introduce legislation to remove the overruns provision from the enabling legislation (his legislation). He told us he would not—that "the problem is in the house and the mayor needs to find a sponsor there ... if the house doesn't want it, why would I waste our time?"
The governor isn't speaking to him, most of the City Council dislikes him and a good chunk of Seattle sees him as a bicycle-riding obstructionist. So why is Mayor Mike McGinn sitting pretty?
Because he's managed to maneuver Gov. Chris Gregoire and much of the city's political establishment - including just about any potential 2013 challenger - into the unenviable position of basically having promised Jet City residents there will be no problems with a huge transportation project: the tunnel replacement for the Alaskan Way Viaduct.
I couldn't agree more. In editorial (this one in May) after editorial (this one in July), I wrote the same thing—essentially saying that McGinn has skillfully backed the council (and Seattle's statehouse delegation) into a pro-overruns position.
There is an out for pro-tunnel folks. In that July editorial, I called it the "Joni Earl Position." That is: Even if you're pro-tunnel, acknowledge the problems (like Sound Transit's Earl did with light rail costs), and get serious about watchdogging the project.
State Sen. Ed Murray is staking out this position. At last Thursday's deep bore tunnel debate, Murray, a big tunnel supporter, acknowledged that Seattle was on the hook for cost overruns and pledged to introduce legislation to create a Sound Transit-style oversight committee.
In this morning's Fizz, we asked Murray if he would go a step further and introduce legislation to remove the overruns provision from the enabling legislation (his legislation). He told us he would not—that "the problem is in the house and the mayor needs to find a sponsor there ... if the house doesn't want it, why would I waste our time?"
