Just Say No!

Here's the thing: are we going to just sit back and let our leaders run roughshod over the will of the people, and force a monstrous augmentation on us despite all evidence that it will further exacerbate the mess we've made, or are we going to fight for a reduction and against more of the same?

No, I'm not talking about Bush's policies in Iraq and his desired "surge", I'm talking about Governor Gregoire's and Frank Chopp's overbearing position that today's massive eye sore (and ear sore) of a roadway, the Alaskan Way Viaduct, must be replaced by an even larger one, despite the outcome of a public vote they themselves have asked for.

Seattleites should be sick to death of this.

Four times the Seattle public voted in favor of a monorail line to provide a much needed transit alternative. That wasn't good enough for our leaders to do what was necessary to make it happen, and a fifth vote ended up killing the project.

Now the city has pledged that it will make up the additional cost for a tunnel replacement for the Viaduct, thus eliminating any monetary burden it might cause the state, and yet the state is insisting that regardless of what the voters say next month, they're going to force a new beast of a viaduct, taller, wider, and thicker than the current one, to be built through the heart of the city.

This isn't about "fiscal responsibility", or "safety standards". This is about the rest of the state sticking it to Seattle. What more effective way to do so than to block the city's attempt to beautify the waterfront, and eliminate a structure that no city would ever consider building today? What more effective way than to scar the very core of the city with such a montrosity?

And to those who rail that "oh, no, don't take my beautiful views away from me while I'm sitting in bumper to bumper traffic on the viaduct", I say shut up and drive, instead of staring out the window, or better yet, get out of your car, try to have a conversation with someone next to the roadway, imagine how much better those views would be if the viaduct wasn't blocking them, and take a whiff the exhaust and consider how nice it would be to breathe fresher air.

Seattle may not even get to vote now. They don't even want you to have any say in this. They don't want to hear what you want for your city. However, should a vote go on, no matter how people decide to vote on the tunnel option, everyone should rally behind a no vote on a new viaduct, to send a message to Gregoire and Chopp to butt out on this issue and let the city remake its waterfront for the 21st century and beyond.