And that’s fine. The photo above is me saying no to the Viaduct Tunnel in response to a question to candidates at the annual Seattle Chamber of Commerce breakfast. The Tunnel is one of its highest priorities.

I used my speaking time to the Chamber members to focus on the tax implications of the massively expensive and unfunded tunnel, as well as the economic implications of spending billions of dollars a year on imported oil and gas.

Unfortunately, there is something about highways that makes the Chamber lose its business savvy. The Chamber supports spending billions of dollars to handle traffic volumes that occur just a couple of hours a day. Business leaders would never pick that kind of solution with their own money in their own businesses. They would figure out how to use assets more efficiently firstlike just in time shipping before building a warehouse, adding shifts before building a new factory, and building flexible and powerful networks rather than relying on a single mainframe computer.

Applying these concepts to transportation, that would mean tweaking I-5 to eliminate the chokepoint downtown, investing in a transit network that moves dozens of people per vehicle for less per person, promoting flexible work hours and telecommuting, and promoting alternatives to driving alone like vanpools and biking. We could get a lot more out of our existing road and freeway network if we focused on efficiency first.

And its not just business leaders. There is something about highways that cause our elected leaders to willingly contradict themselves. Today we will witness the spectacle of Mayor Greg Nickels talking tough on global warming at an EPA hearing, while he is simultaneously pushing a tunnel that will increase global warming from transportationthe single largest source of emissions in our region. He will argue for moving to a clean energy economy, while helping ensure we remain mired in an oil-dependent economy. This type of choice makes it likely that Seattle will not meet the Kyoto Protocol goals our mayor promised to meet, much less the deeper reductions in global warming emissions that the scientists say are essential.

Our Mayor and the Chamber are desperately trying to have it both ways. They say they care about the economy, taxpayers and the environment. But they are promoting a Viaduct Tunnel that will hamstring our economy, burden us with unnecessary taxes, and cause the most pollution. Not only that, they tell us we cannot do better.

I have more faith in the people of Seattle. These are tough times we face, that require making real choices about our future. I think Seattle is ready to start making those choices, and start building the city we believe in.