Richard Conlin Seattle City Councilman Won’t Answer Taxpayer Questions.
I recently wrote each member of the city council. Only two bothered responding. I want to just print what I wrote them, and what they answered back and think it pretty well shows they are not the slightest interested in what we have to say, or what we ask them. You be the judge. Try asking them something. Anything.
This is what I wrote to Councilman Richard Conlin after the Japan tsunami. They had their mind made up from day one they wanted a tunnel(must have got some big donations for their elections and have some big favors to pay). Us guys paying the bills are just not important to them at all. They have bought up land and have been wheeling and dealing in such a way they can get the tunnel whether it is on the fall ballot again or not. Or if it proves the voters does not want it. They can say the referendum does not apply to administrative actions, only to legislative actions. See my letter to him and his answer below.
Good Morning Mr. Conlin:
Please re think your position on building the deep bore tunnel to replace the viaduct since the Japan earthquake.I was always against the tunnel as were 70% of the voters. Where do you get the idea you can ignore our vote?
Forget how you hate the Mayor, and want to make a liar out of him but thankfully you are giving him a lot of publicity and maybe he can be our next governor. He got elected because he promised us to stop the tunnel. His loyalty is to the voters and citizens not to a handful of council members. Just think about this.
How can digging right thru an earthquake fault, below sea level to build a tunnel be a good idea? It would be a death trap far greater than the viaduct the minute you built it. You cannot outguess Mother Nature and she will win. If/when we have the big one with a tsunami there would be no warning to even get what cars were in it out the other end. It would be a big culvert. Also, it is the most expensive plan, we have no money. It will take the longest to build so the viaduct would be up longer. It will not help the traffic problem and will handle less cars than the viaduct. It has no exits. It wont get you downtown. What on earth are you guys thinking? You are listening to some builders and union promises somewhere and not thinking about the tunnel at all. For shame.
Lilly
HERE IS HIS ANSWER (jibber jabber from his website, cut and pasted)
Thanks for your message. I do not agree with your assertions, and have commented on them below.
Then in the same message he copy and pasted the exact text on Seattle City Councilman website here (the whole thing!):
http://conlin.seattle.gov/2011/03/03/council-overrides-mayoral-veto-on-tunnel-agreements/
The email concluded with him providing information links in the email:
For more details on the project, please go to the following:
http://conlin.seattle.gov/2010/08/20/tunnel-agreements-endorsed-by-council/
http://conlin.seattle.gov/2010/12/21/tunnel-bid-on-target-for-budget/
Council President Richard Conlin
Seattle City Hall
He never answered or commented on a thing I wrote but its very interesting for him to admit they had 700 meetings, 76 replacement options, 15,000 public comments, 20 public meetings. Maybe he should update it to 15,001, since he got MY comment.
I felt the need to reply. To let him know that I know I got a snow job. See my reply below.
Thank you for answering. You missed the whole point. Even if everyone was for the tunnel before the Japan quake and tsunami they sure SHOULD BE AGAINST IT NOW. No I never liked the tunnel(70% of the voters said the same thing) and you’re right I don’t trust WSDOT(think $377 million gone to studies and plans) without a thing being done. This is no worse than Potter screwing away those millions on studying how to run minority businesses. Maybe some heads will roll over that mess. But for now wanted to get you Council Members to think how dangerous a tunnel would be. If the tooth fairy or Santa offered to build it free, I would still think it was a bad idea. Thank you again for at least sending a form letter.
Lilly
