It didn’t get repealed.

Last week I posted this message about the other Mayoral candidates working to eliminate funding for neighborhood streets and pedestrian improvements, while simultaneously supporting the $4.2 billion viaduct tunnel. With the Mayor flip-flopping and almost all the candidates urging elimination of this funding source, repeal looked like a done deal.

Early In the Campaign Season, the Pressure Was On To Repeal the Head Tax

But I wasn’t the only one calling out these skewed priorities. Neighborhood, environmental and pedestrian advocates urged the City Council to keep the “head tax,” not just for neighborhood improvements, but for the jobs it provides.

And today, the city council indicated that they are going to put off any discussion of repealing the head tax until the end of the year.

Good for them. Cutting money for local streets and local jobs because of the “symbolism” of the tax just doesn’t pass the smell test.

We are in an era where we have to make real choices about how we are going to build the Seattle we want. If we want to reduce taxes and wasteful spending then let’s get out of the bad deal to build a deep-bore tunnel on the waterfront. It’s time to move from a manufactured debate about the head tax to a real debate about Seattle’s priorities.

There are two Seattles. One for the business elites and politicians they support, and one where the rest of us live. In their Seattle, it’s okay to eliminate a $25.00 head tax on business that pays for transit, sidewalks and street repairs because it is a “nuisance” and “inconvenient.” They say that the rest of us can just wait for overcrowded buses, dodge potholes, and wonder when we will ever get sidewalks.

Nickels and Mallahan have picked which Seattle they prefer. When the business elites says get rid of a business tax, Nickels and Mallahan listen.

And when the business elites say build a $4.2 billion dollar tunnel, with one billion in new Seattle taxes, fees and utility rate increases, and Seattle taxpayers on the hook for cost overruns, Nickels and Mallahan support that too. Even though seventy percent of Seattle voted against that tunnel.

There are two Seattles. This election is about which one gets a Mayor that represents them.

McGinn has a record of standing up for improvements in our communities — working to get the Parks Levy ballot measure passed when the Mayor and downtown said no; fighting to get light rail without wasting billions of dollars on new highways; and bringing sidewalks to neighborhoods without them. As Mayor, he would focus city resources on helping children succeed in school, upgrading internet infrastructure to provide economic opportunity, and dramatically improving local transit service. McGinn works for the rest of us.

Greg Nickels today announced he would eliminate the “head tax” on Seattle businesses, which currently collects $4.7 million a year for street repair and walking and biking improvements.

If Nickels really cared about taxes, transportation, and local businesses, he would stop championing the $4.2 billion tunnel project, which includes a $930 million commitment from Seattle residents in new taxes, utility rate increases, and local fees. Even worse, the state legislature has passed a law requiring Seattle to pay for all cost overruns, which on a project like this could run into billions of dollars. continue reading »

Michael McGinn, the only major candidate for mayor of Seattle who opposes Greg Nickels’ $4.2 billion plan for a bored tunnel, today challenged Nickels to acknowledge the lessons that he should be learning from the Brightwater and Beacon Hill tunnels.

“At $4.2 billion, the tunnel already costs too much and harms Seattle’s real priorities,” McGinn said. “And anyone who has seen what has happened with the Brightwater and Beacon Hill tunnels knows that the costs could rocket even higher.”

McGinn continued, “Greg Nickels needs to be honest with the voters of Seattle: continue reading »

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. continue reading »