This morning I received a gracious call from Mayor Nickels, in which he conceded that I will be moving on to the general election. I would like to express my deep gratitude to the mayor for his twenty-two years of public service to the city and county.

As we head into the general election, I look forward to the many discussions and debates we will have about the future of our city. Your support throughout has been overwhelming, and this campaign would not have been possible without it. Together, we have proven that people and ideas are more powerful than campaign dollars.

Thank you,

Mike McGinn

Michael McGinn is the Only Candidate for Mayor Who Will Stop the Tunnel — the Largest Tax Increase in Seattle History.

Three things you should know about the proposed tunnel megaproject.

• It will cost $4.2 billion, requiring the largest tax increase in Seattle history.
• There will be no downtown on-ramps or exits, making it useless for 59.8% of current viaduct traffic.
• Seattle taxpayers are liable for all cost overruns — which could be in the billions.

There are smarter and cheaper solutions to replacing the viaduct. Seattle has many urgent needs and continue reading »

Late yesterday, Mayor Greg Nickels launched an attack on Mike McGinn claiming “to set the record straight” against “distortions.”

Let’s truly set the record straight. Here’s the record from the Associated Press (3/15/2007):

“Noting previous Seattle votes against expressways, Nickels said, ‘The voters have again told us loud and clear that a new freeway through the heart and soul of the city is not the answer. I couldn’t agree more.’

He appeared to rule out the viaduct rebuild and said he will not pursue a tunnel. continue reading »

Today, Publicola reported that the City will release its revenue forecast after the election, and that it will be “awful.”  Declining revenues will make it increasingly difficult to maintain basic services, ensure public safety and provide services to those in need.

“Given Seattle’s spiraling budget crisis, Greg Nickels and Joe Mallahan need to come clean with the public about how they intend to raise $930 million dollars from Seattle residents to pay for the Viaduct Tunnel that they both support,” said Michael McGinn.  ”Specifically, what taxes or fees will they increase, who will they impose them on, and how long will the taxes last?”

“There’s a little over a week left in this election and Seattle voters deserve to know the truth about their plans,” McGinn said.

Michael McGinn opposes the deep bore tunnel mega-project to replace the viaduct because it is too expensive and is the wrong priority for Seattle.  The $930 million commitment from Mayor Greg Nickels would be the largest single tax increase in Seattle history.  It is approximately equal to every special property tax levy that Seattle  residents are currently paying.

“With the tough budget choices this city faces, I don’t think we can afford to give Nickels and Mallahan a blank check for boondoggles.  The public deserves answers to these basic questions before making their choice for Mayor,” said McGinn.