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Richard Conlin Seattle City Councilman Won’t Answer Taxpayer Questions

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/2010/05/18/time-to-tell-the-truth-about-costs-about-costs-and-the-viaduct-tunnel-project/

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

Seattle Councilman Richard Conlin
Seattle Councilman Richard Conlin

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Seattle City Councilman Tim Burgess Can’t Be Trusted To Listen To Seattle Voters About The Tunnel.

My correspondence with the councilman Tim Burgess and his answer clearly shows he is out of touch with what Taxpayers want.

Good Morning Mr. Burgess:

I am asking you to re think the tunnel. It would be a far worse death trap than the viaduct if/when the big one and tsunami hits. Mother Nature will win. It might be minutes, it might be years, no one knows.  So seeing what you see in Japan can you in good conscience think digging right where the earthquake fault is, and below sea level could even be an option. It would be a giant culvert. You would not have enough warning to get any cars out of it if the ground starts to shake.  A tsunami would flood it immediately.  If you fell off the viaduct and got sandwiched there is a thousand to one chance someone might find you(maybe dead). The tunnel would just be a dark nightmare.

  • It is the most expensive option, and we are broke.
  • It will take the longest to build.
  • It will not hold as many cars as the viaduct.
  • It has no exits.
  • It will not go downtown.

Do you have more loyalty to some builder/union friends than you do to 70% of the people who voted against the tunnel?  KILL THE TUNNEL before it kills thousands of Seattleites. You are giving the Mayor a lot of good publicity because we agree with him 100%.  He got elected because he said the tunnel was a bad idea.

Thank You,
Lilly

My answer was an email with his website which covers everything including the Sonics. You cannot get in touch or tell your views to the Seattle City Council. He must be banking on some judge blocking t0 Stop the Tunnel Referendum if it gets on the ballot and passes. They do an end run(sleazy) and wheel and deal making agreements hoping that the referendum won’t apply to their administrative agreements, and only to legislative ones . That’s the method they used to screw us Taxpayers and get the King Dome blown up and two new Sports Palaces built. Who needs to worry about crooks on the streets? You will get the same answer from gov/council/Burgess no matter what you ask him or try to tell him. To him we are just an irritant by asking questions that he can’t or won’t answer.

Hello, I wanted to let you know that since you have recently communicated with Councilmember Burgess from this e-mail address, you will receive periodic updates from Tim’s free e-newsletter City View. This is one of the best ways to stay in touch with what’s going on at Seattle City Hall. If you would like to view past City View newsletters, please follow this link: http://www.seattle.gov/council/Burgess/news_past.htm
Please let me know if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Nate Van Duzer Legislative Aide
Councilmember Tim Burgess

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Seattle Welfare Debit Cards = Free Money $$$

Our great Welfare System.  A program created (in the 1930’s) to help lift individuals out of poverty and provide them the opportunity to become self sufficient. In theory it sounds like a great program, however, just like with every city program there are some major money problems.

Over time the Welfare programs distribution of funds has become more sophisticated. The funds are provided with debit cards and these debit cards are being sold for quick cash. Seattle welfare debit cards are even being used out of state in Portland. They have been used at liquor stores, taverns, bail bond agencies, gun shops, and strip clubs. Washington lawmakers are trying to introduce new laws to prevent this from happening more, however, millions of tax dollars have already been wasted.

When Seattle welfare debit cards are given out, no individual information is required. A name is not required and there is not even a photo on them. Recently, debit cards have even been showing up on Seattle Craigslist for sale. You can get yourself a welfare debit card with about $600 dollars on it for only $100 cash. It’s not big deal for the rightful welfare debit card owner because he/she can run down to the welfare office and get a replacement. In fact, since no personal information is on them they pretty much just give them away.

It has been said by Seattle Police Officers that it is actually a common occurrence to see drug dealers with several welfare debit cards on them. Welfare debit card holders will sell them and/or are negotiating them for drugs.  If you have ever parked in Downtown Seattle, it’s very common for a homeless person with a debit card to even pay for your parking (for a little cash in return).  What a nice guy.

With millions and millions of tax dollars already lost, lets hope this obvious money management problem by our city is corrected quickly.

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Senator Ed Murray Tricking Seattle Residents

Senator Ed Murray pulled a quick one on the Seattle public today.  As you grind at work all day trying to feed your family and pay your mortgage, Senator Ed Murray, pushed through 22 “Title Only” bills.  If you’re unaware what “Title Only” bills are they are just that – New “Bills” with only a title.  A short sentence that says what the “Bill” is and that is all.  Lawmakers use them so they can slip them though hearings etc. without them being discussed (privately or with public) or having any feedback on them.  That was a slimy technique to trick the Seattle residents Mr. Senator Ed Murray.

There was one in particular that stood out called “The creation of revenue and taxation acts”.  He will complete the bill later and it will most likely be used to create more taxes.

Senator Ed Murray
Senator Ed Murray

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Washington Public Schools Bad Revenue Management

There is one thing every adult and parent can agree on and that is a solid education.  We all want our kids to be well educated and eventually have a great life (and career).  Teachers should be paid well and be accountable for increasing student education with documented progress.  I truly believe Teachers want the best out of each and every student.  Teachers understand this type of career may not pay well initially and it’s really about the children.  By the way, the average Teacher salary in Washington State is $54,000 per year and Teachers work 10 months out the year.  This doesn’t included the over inflated wages to upper management like Seattle’s recent firing of Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson and Don Kennedy.

As the television, public protesters, and newspapers continue to strike fear in the general public with the constant “loss of funds for student education services” and “it’s just hurting our kids” – do they truly understand the bad revenue management happening inside our Washington Public Schools?  Is the problem with the Teachers (salaries, student to teacher ratio) or bad revenue management (hiring, salaries paid, distribution of funding) ?

Here is some data I pulled recently from the official Washington State of Education website.  It will tell us the total revenue (per student) in King County.

King County Revenue Per Student
King County Revenue Per Student

Let me remind you these numbers are revenue per student in king county schools.  If you’re student goes to one of the Seattle Public Schools, they are making $11,839 per year for that one student (special education students get more).  Lets assume a basic class size of 25 students (more usually) that means that specific class room is generating $295,975 per year (less Teacher salary).

In 2008-2009 school year for just King County they generated $2,487,794,891 dollars in revenue (yes, that is billions).

In the 2010-2011 school year for just King County they are expecting a 24.6 million dollar loss.

There are of course expenses per student that need to be recognized.  We have building expenses, repairs, transportation costs, office supplies (limited), and upper management (who manage and are not teachers per si).  However, if each class room generates over  $200,000 per year in net revenue (already subtracted $95,957 figuring the teacher salary, supplies, and transportation for each classroom/students) where does the rest really get allocated?  You know we have A LOT of classrooms.  It certainly doesn’t cost $200,000 to keep the electricity and heating turned on for that classroom.  Bus transportation for classroom students (a typical bus load) isn’t that much plus many students provide their own transportation and some bus routes have been cut already.  Students bring their own food or buy their own food (which pays the food staff and food expenses).  We all know the Teachers don’t get much of anything regarding supplies for their rooms.  Many Teachers just buy their own classroom supplies.

The problem with Washington Public Schools is bad revenue management.  It’s not about cutting programs, students/classes (that generate revenue), or Teachers (who are paid enough based on classroom student/teacher revenue ratios).  We must correct how revenue is distributed and wasted in our Washington Public Schools.  The root of our school problems are with the methods we waste revenue and over inflated wages with upper management.  It has little to do with school programs, students, or Teachers.

You be the judge.

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We Cant Bring Back Yesterday

We cant bring back yesterday. What we do today is all that counts. Tomorrow might not ever come. Monday morning quarterbacking is always easier than playing the game. The prison guard is dead.

I want to base my article on what I think was a preventable death of Correction Officer Jayme Biendl. She was murdered on the job by Byron Scherf. He was serving a life sentence for rape and I am not sure what else. He had nothing to lose. He hid in the chapel and waited for her. I want to state very clearly I don’t know a thing about the rules and regulation of the prison system or its Correction Officer. I am doing “independent thinking’ how yesterdays laws and rules and protections all failed. This is hypothetical and I am not faulting anyone. But the first thing that comes to mind is how did a beautiful little blond female get the job of guarding a chapel full of THREE STRIKE RAPISTS and other criminals? This is where the laws and rules come in. I think she got her job because some law said she was entitled to it as much as a man. If she had been turned down all sorts of Agencies would have jumped in and raised a big stink. I don’t know the exact names but this is close enough, Human rights, Female rights, discrimination rights, Equal Opportunity all fight to make sure a female can be a fireman or policeman or anything that a man can. They can train, they can be smart but they can never be equal to a man when brute force is needed. You cant train to be taller, or fight like a man. But we learned that yesterday in her case.  She was an accident waiting to happen and she had expressed her fear, but she had a job and had to stick to it. I am a 4′ 11′ female(really old and grey now) but I could not train to be a nurse or be a WAAC in WWII because you had to be 5’7” to be strong enough to lift patients. I understood that. No law could make be bigger or make them let me join.

Why do these losers get to leave their cells and go to a chapel? I suppose all sorts of laws about religion come in to play. That rapist did not need to go to the Chapel. He could say his “I lay me down to sleep” prayer right by his steel bunk with bars on his door. If God was supposed to hear him he would. I have a feeling while he was hiding in the chapel waiting to rape and murder her if someone had offered a prayer, he would have said “go ahead and pray but do it quietly so you don’t disturb me”. He was busy planning his evening FUN. He had absolutely nothing to lose. He had his pants down. If it had been a 250 lb male on duty “yesterday” she would be alive “today”.

If you had a room full of ordinary people, no lawmakers and asked if a beautiful little blond female should be put in charge of a chapel full of life sentence criminals they would all say NO. It did not have to happen.  Byron Scherf says he did it, says wants to die for doing it but now comes in some more rules/laws that says he has to have a trial. This is nothing more than an employment agency for lawyers it seems.

Olympia Representatives – Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire

The liars are on the loose again.  State lawmakers passed a plan to pay for a new Mariners stadium in 1995. It was controversial then but passed because it would end when the bonds expire this year. They promised the restaurant and rental car tax would end.  The time is almost hear and they just cant let that source of money slip away even if it means making themselves look like liars. Well if you look like a duck ………. They do not want us to really know what they will use it for or if it will ever end. We taxpayers know we have to pay some taxes to pay to run the government but this is turning into a PORK BUFFETT. I can almost picture the lawmakers like those poker playing dogs that are in an old picture, only this time they are trading votes not cards or chips. They have no qualms about not keeping their word that when we paid for the stadium the taxes would end. Remember the voters did not want the stadium built.

HB1997 wants to expand the Convention Center but to get enough votes it has to set aside money for other causes. Some are: 3 million a year for affordable housing(they don’t call it low cost anymore). A million a year would go to a Seattle-public development Authority (did you ever hear of it?) didnt think so. It is focused on Pioneer Square and the Chinatown International District.

SB 5834 would deal with the arts, without money for affordable housing or the convention. They say they would have money set aside for other purposes.(think dogs playing poker again here)

I say let the taxes expire. Keep your word Olympia representatives. We cant afford expansions and all your goodies in these hard times. If you need more money and taxpayers will vote for it I can’t argue that. But you need to put on the ballot exactly what it is funding and when whatever it is will be paid for. It cant go on forever, no questions asked. Democracy does not make everyone happy, but its the best we have. I dont feel its fair fon non property owners to vote to raise my property tax. I feel its a little like two lions and a sheep voting on what to have for lunch.  Quit telling lies. Regain some trust.

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The Mayor Agrees Tunnel Is Not The Best Solution

Mayor Mike McGinn

————————————————–
From: “Mike McGinn” < mike.mcginn@seattle.gov>
Sent: Monday, March 14, 2011 4:11 PM
To: lilly

Subject: Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement (00012049)

Dear Lilly,

Thanks for writing to me about the replacement of the Alaskan Way Viaduct. I share your commitment to a replacement solution that serves the best interests of Seattle residents.

I agree with you that the deep-bore tunnel is not the best solution, for many reasons. It is the most expensive option, does not serve our future transportation needs and is fundamentally flawed from an environmental perspective. The City Council and the State, however, have chosen the tunnel as their preferred alternative. But there is a very simple question that remains unanswered- who will pay? If the project goes over budget, as studies show is likely, what happens then? The state legislature says Seattle taxpayers will pay and I simply cannot support that. I have urged the City Council to join me in that position.

It’s increasingly clear that there are serious cost issues with the tunnel project but neither the state nor the City Council is willing to examine alternatives. I encourage you to contact both your City Council and state representatives with your concerns.

Thanks again for writing me. Please continue to keep in touch about this or any other issue.

Sincerely,

Mike McGinn
Mayor of Seattle

Update: This email was provided to me from the Mayor of Seattle, Mike McGinn in 2011.

The Alaskan Way Viaduct, often succinctly referred to as “the viaduct,” stood as an elevated expressway in Seattle, Washington, USA, accommodating a portion of State Route 99 (SR 99). Spanning 2.2 miles (3.5 km) along the city’s waterfront, it stretched from the West Seattle Freeway in SoDo to the Battery Street Tunnel in Belltown, situated east of Alaskan Way and Elliott Bay.

Alaskan Way Viaduct – Before and After

Constructed in stages from 1949 to 1959, with its initial segment inaugurated on April 4, 1953, the viaduct functioned as one of the two principal north–south transport routes through Seattle, with the other being Interstate 5, facilitating transit for up to 91,000 vehicles daily in 2016. Along its route, it towered above Alaskan Way, a surface-level street, extending from S. Nevada Street in the south to the entrance of the Battery Street Tunnel in Belltown’s north, tracing pre-existing railway tracks.

Long perceived as an obstacle between the downtown area and the city’s waterfront, the viaduct faced replacement proposals dating back to the 1960s. Its seismic fragility came into the spotlight following damage to analogous freeways, some mirroring the viaduct’s design, in several earthquakes in various cities. While the 2001 Nisqually earthquake inflicted minor damage on the Alaskan Way Viaduct, subsequent evaluations revealed its susceptibility to a total collapse should another significant earthquake occur, thereby underscoring the imperative for its substitution.

A myriad of replacement options weighed by state and city administrations included a re-constructed elevated structure, a surface boulevard, and a cut-and-cover tunnel, yet a consensus on the ultimate decision remained elusive. A deep-bored tunnel emerged as the selected option in 2009. Subsequent to the demolition of the viaduct’s southern section in 2011, it was supplanted by a six-lane, single-deck freeway threading through the SoDo industrial zone. Excavation of the downtown bored tunnel by the tunnel boring machine, dubbed “Bertha,” commenced in 2013, concluding in 2017 following a two-year delay. The viaduct ceased operations permanently on January 11, 2019, making way for the new tunnel, which inaugurated three weeks later on February 4. The viaduct’s demolition ensued shortly thereafter, reaching completion by the close of 2019.

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Tunnels and Tsunamis – Should We Keep Building The $2 billion Tunnel Project (Opinion)

There is a referendum drive to stop the $2 billion tunnel project. Let’s hope this terrible Japan tragedy makes the pro-tunnel people THINK. If a tsunami hits, this will be nothing more than a culvert to carry the water faster.

The tunnel was voted down twice by the people but like the stadiums that were voted down and built the big spenders think we don’t understand what we are voting for or against. Let me help to make it a little easier to understand (as I see it since I have been living here for 90 years). It will be too small and outdated before it’s ever built. You cannot get to downtown in it. There are no exits. It will not help the traffic mess at all. We cannot afford it even if it was a good idea. There are things like being able to eat and keep our homes than raising our taxes to pay for it. The residents of Seattle have to pay for cost overruns. There is no limit on how much this might be. We are being taxed to death; more on that in another article. But for example, the Port of Seattle who pay their Chief almost $400,000 plus goodies says he will give $300 million to the project and wants to raise our property taxes AGAIN. The state and county will contribute millions, not sure about the Federal, but every dime will come right out of your pocket. None of these agencies have a money tree. They have to take it away from you (whether you realize it or not) and pay themselves bloated salaries to ROB you.

A few different questions come to mind that I hope makes you think past “how nice a tunnel might be.” We are sitting on an earthquake fault, just like Japan. We are waiting for the big one, just like Japan. Is digging right where the earthquake is predicted to occur a good idea? Is digging right under the historic buildings a good idea? The whole purpose of the tunnel (I think) was to protect people who might be driving on the viaduct or be under it. In an earthquake, the tunnel would be a death trap of the worst kind. For sure, there would be a tsunami. Is the Governor, Port Chief, and County executive going to stand by 24/7 with huge corks to put in each end of the tunnel when an earthquake hits? I don’t think they have even thought about any of this. I did not list the Mayor because he is against the tunnel and got elected because he was against the tunnel. You have to give credit where credit is due. He is supporting the referendum to stop the tunnel. Find where to sign the petition.

No one knows when an earthquake may hit. If the viaduct fails, it will kill some people. We all know that. But if I had a choice of being sandwiched between the levels or thrown off or smashed below, I would choose it in a heartbeat over being in the giant water culvert a/k/a tunnel. Why not knock the viaduct down and don’t build the tunnel? See if the world ends. See if everyone quits going to work. You can’t get downtown in the tunnel anyway. Anything beats a $2 billion dollar tunnel. They will charge tolls but like the bus changes, they spent millions on it to only fine that people don’t use it.

Seattle Washington Viaduct
Seattle Washington Viaduct

Update: The Viaduct was built and is going strong. It took 4 years to build. You can read more about it here where Mayor Mike McGinn emailed me.

The Viaduct did get approved by the Seattle City Council.

How Much Could You Rent Your House For? Zillow Knows!

Zillow, the local Seattle startup company, that has been predicting home values for over 5 years now is getting into the rental business.  Zillow currently manages the estimated values to over 120 million real estate listings.  Just like the home estimates they currently provide, today they announced  “Rent Zestimates” which gives you a properties monthly rental value. 

I have to say the figures are quite impressive.  Good job Zillow!

You can try it here for free.  Just enter your property address and your monthly rental figures will be displayed.  http://www.zillow.com.

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