[Support the NRSC in 2012 to remove James Webb (D) from office.]

The State of Washington released a propoganda video, portraying the collapse of the Alaska Way Viaduct and Seawall, one week before the last big election.  Typical stuff, for a state run by Crony Capitalists, and planning departments run by Communists.  Start this video, then drag button to the end.  You will see the name of the company that prepared this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hos_uIKwC-c&feature=player_embedded

Parsons Brinkerhoff.

A quick Googling, reveals they were the Lead Engineer firm for Boston’s Big Dig.  They also have done large scale projects world-wide including a deep bore tunnel

“Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB) is a planning, engineering, and program and construction management organization. The company has been involved in planning and designing some of the world’s largest public works projects, such as Boston‘s Big Dig, Britain’s rail system Network Rail, the Sabiya power plant in Kuwait, Cairo‘s Metro, and the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System inSingapore. ”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parsons_Brinckerhoff

The project for replacing the tunnel is estimated to cost $4.1 billion dollars.  Realistically, were more likely talking about $5.5 billion, since my guess is as good as theirs.  If Mayor McShwinn’s narly bicycle gang want’s to submarine the tunnel, demand of the Transportation Dept. and/or Council if Parsons Brinkerhoff is one of the two remaining bidders.  For that matter, ask if there are even two bidders left.  I doubt it.  This money is needed for running the City and repairing existing infrastructure and paying bills.  Were broke; deal with it.

…..

There was a meeting in Youngstown last night.  Youngtown is a little area to the north of South Park, that gave up much of it’s land during World War 2, to the building of factories to supply the Allied forces.  The land was never given back.  Seattle used it to expand it’s military-industrial complex, and to take over even greater portions for commercial industry.  I’t no wonder these bergs lack political power.  The people have been shoved to the corner, to provide those neccesary things in life that involve some ‘dirty’ industry.  The people of North Skid Row love to claim Green-Ness and environmental consciousness. The neccesary work done in the Duwamish Valley (or Industrial District as they like to call it) is invisible to those living in the northern part of the city.  A famous Seattle politician once said to a companion, while standing on the Space Needle, that everything that was currently in sight, controlled the politics of the State of Washington.  Since that time, a forest of skyscrapers has grown up to block the view of South Seattle from the Space Needle.

Well, out of view of the Space Needle, a local citizen from Pigeon Hill asked a very good question last night.

—-

Second – at last night’s Delridge District Councilmeeting at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, City Council President Richard Conlin was asked by Pigeon Point’s Pete Spalding how the city will rustle up the $15 million it recently pledged to the bridge-replacement project. Conlin replied that options included adding the money to what the city borrows, delaying some Bridging the Gap programs, or perhaps a car-tab fee of up to $20.

from: http://westseattleblog.com/2010/07/2-more-south-park-bridge-notes-including-how-seattle-might-pay

—-

The last two options exist because of the direct  will of the people, as expressed by the vote.  The vote was made possible through a process we in the Western United States call an “initiative”.  The voters have repeatedly voted in favor of initiatives sponsored by Republican Tim Eyman, to limit fees for car tabs to $30.

More importantly though, it revealed that the pledge Council President Richard Conlin made to contribute $15 million to replace the South Park Bridge, was an empty promise.  Many in North Seattle don’t use the South Park Bridge, unless you work as an engineer for Boeing, or IAM 751, and fail to see it’s importance.  But Richard ‘Con’ Conlin has also promised nothing will go wrong with the Alaska Way Tunnel boring process, and that if something does, paying for cost overruns is no big deal.   Why he says this, when he knows there is no money in the Treasury, is that he is banking on using South and West Seattle citizens property deeds as source to extract more tax funds.  He can’t really promise this, because to get money out of the Deeds, it has to be assessed to the property for capitol improvements.  This requires a vote.  Why would citizens of this area vote to tax themselves for infrastructure improvements for North Seattle?  The new tunnel actually removes an access to downtown for them!  The 55 Bus Route would be an even longer trip, and more greenhouse gases would be emitted (if you care about that) accessing Downtown’s core.

‘Con’ Conlin speaks with a forked tongue.

….

The Seattle Politburo is also considering boring the world’s widest, and longest tunnel (by the boring process).  A fellow Seattle Thinker has been questioning this process.  His questions are far better than the Council’s answers.  He echoes the Mayor’s concerns about who pays for cost overruns, if things don’t go as hoped.  I say hoped, because their is no set of blueprints or proposed contract.  But the Chief Councilman, Richard Conlin swears there will not be any cost overruns.  How he nows this I don’t know, probably from the same group that gave the bridge a rating of four.  I think it’s mostly a case of age-ism towards the bridge.  It was a so-called four in 2001, but they let us drove over it for nine years without a major problem.   The viaduct isn’t any better than the South Park Bridge, but since they would lose major, major revenue by shutting it down, it’s still open.  Governor Gregoire swore she would shut it down by 2012.  It was a matter of Public safety.  Till it wasn’t.  The Alaskan Way Viaduct has been given a stay of execution till up to 2020.

Well, Dominic Holden came right out and said it.  Mayor McGinn all but said it.  We have been lied to.  Dominic has collected the facts, and written another great article.  Well worth reading.  This is a classic example of why Republicans much prefer small, limited government.

*The site is libertarian in every way*

http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/the-state-is-lying-about-the-tunnel/Content?oid=4498568

Democrat government planning comes in with it’s arms up in surrender.

ps. I was at a Forum last night hosted by the B-Town Blog, in which Joe McDermott (no relation to Jim McDermott) said proudly he led the failed effort to attain Tiger funds for the bridge.  He asked the Fed’s for $90 million dollars, or to pay 3 dollars out of 4 for this bridge.  He didn’t say what persuasion he used, or disclose what letters of support he had.  He failed to find one government organization to promise a single dollar for the bridge.  All those stimulus dollars out there last year, and the municipal and County governments couldn’t find one dollar for South Park.  And you say the Republicans are mean-spirited!

She brought her kids, two little charmers.  She had a firm handshake, talked to me looking straight in the eye.  She is firmly committed to replacing the South Park Bridge.  She knows the value of the area, and the value of the people.  She grew up in South Park.  She would be an excellent leader for all the areas within KC-08.  The people living in the district have a very different viewpoint on life.  Very artistic, very creative, live simply, work hard, and respect the land that God gave them.

Here is the video.  The photographer has done an excellent job capturing what I see when I go for a drive, or bicycle ride.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uo44AJ4NuhM (If Jan Drago has given an endorsement, I haven’t heard about it).

I believe Diane will say at County Council, what we believe the area is, and how it should be used.  She is cost conscious, has worked for County government before and nows wasteful it can be, and has called them out on it.  Like a stitch in time saves nine, a good vote, and early support, saves nine visits to County Administration, and a protest to boot.

Donate to Diane Toledo and give time support.

http://www.votetoledo.com/donate.htm

New Port Director Tay Yoshitani has been running the Port since 2007.  The old Port Director was driven out over corruption.  The new Port director was brought in specifically on the resume of being an infrastructure developer.  In his old job he oversaw major renovations in the Port of Oakland.  He is in the process of major renovations in Seattle.  I figured out today what he is up to.  It starts with the Alaskan Way Seawall Replacement, but involves using money for the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement.  The first section of work is the key.  It gives his scheme away.

The terminal you are looking at on the left, is Hanjin Shipping, a large South Korean shipping company.  Sea-Land used to operate out of here, but got tired of having to drive down Alaskan Way.  Sea-Land moved to Tacoma, and is quite happy.  Tacoma is the Western terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad.  Seattle almost died when Tacoma was chosen in 1873 for it’s terminus.  Seattle still hasn’t gotten over it.  The space available in this area is very narrow geographically.  Seattle is better off just being a Airplane, Bio-Tech, and Software town.  But no, Seattle has to be the center of everything, regardless of the cost.

Look at the blue square with the B.  That is an overpass that connects it with Atlantic Street.  To make the roadways you see in the  picture, is expected to cost about $300 million dollars at least.    The Governor arranged for even more money to be spent converting Atlantic Street into a 4/5 of a mile highway.

–”Gregoire celebrated the completion of the new S. Royal Brougham Way bridge, a signature feature of the SR 519 Intermodal Access project located between Seattle’s sports stadiums. The bridge eliminates the at-grade crossing of the railroad tracks on Royal Brougham for vehicles and pedestrians. The April 12th bridge opening will be followed in May by the opening of the new I-5/I-90 westbound off-ramp to S. Atlantic Street/Edgar Martinez Drive S providing an important freight connection to the waterfront and Port of Seattle terminals. ”—

previous from: http://www.governor.wa.gov/news/news-view.asp?pressRelease=1476&newsType=1

By waterfront, she means Hanjin’s Terminal.  The one that supplies $11-$12 an hour trucking jobs.  Suck pay for Seattle.  No tax collection on that kind of pay.

Contained within this is a seawall project supposedly.  That is handled by the City of Seattle (for the benefit of the Port, a seperate entity).  The Port has contributed money, but towards the Sea-Wall or the overpass, I am not sure.

The City isn’t clear.  I photographed the Sea-Wall, which is actually a concrete wall.  The graphic of the project shows a steel sheet pile wall (1).  Look at second graphic to see sheet pile wall.  Are what they doing is paying to replace Hanjins sea-wall?  Is it a careless graphic?

(1) http://www.seattle.gov/Transportation/docs/seawall/Boards1-3.pdf

I am counting up about $500 million dollars to provide a foreign shipper easy access to I-90 with non-union truckers.  Dave Beck and Harry Bridges went to war over this kind of stuff.  Epic battles in Seattle.  If $12 is what you get for trucking, they were damn well right to fight the way they did.  Buncha government cheapskates.  The Port is planning on asking Seattle voters to add $75 a year to their property taxes to re-imburse the Port.  Why should voters do that?  The cost gets passed on to renters as well.  If you rent, you are not spending someone else’s money.  Your Landlord passes it on to you.  When your rent goes up, their is usually a tax assesment behind it.  Did I mention the Tax Assessor and the Port Commisioner are one in the same person?  Lloyd Hara.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=atlantic%20street,%20seattle&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl

The Coalition for Clean and Safe Ports has a problem with it too.  These truck are diesel belching third world standard stuff from the ’70′s.  A loophole allows them to by the old junk and drive it off the Port property and down I-90 to any destination in any state.  A loophole in Federal legislation allows this.

–”This is unconscionable,” said Brady Montz, Chair of the Seattle Group of the Sierra Club, “For years, the Port of Seattle has claimed that our outdated federal laws limit their ability to protect Seattle’s neighborhoods from polluting trucks; and now it turns out that Tay Yoshitani is working behind the scenes to prevent the Port from even having the option to enforce environmental standards for trucking companies.”

It gets worse

–”Last October, Yoshitani announced that the Port of Seattle had not taken a formal position on the amendment and the Port of Seattle’s commissioners have not approved Yoshitani’s anti-environmental positions in a public vote. However, according to lobbying disclosure forms, the Port of Seattle was paying a K-street lobbying firm to fight against it. The firm, McBee Strategic Consulting, gets up to $300,000/year from taxpayer funds for its work.”–

McBee also lobbies for Boeing.  The following is a little dated, since they closed the bridge, but it shows the effect of the Port and Neighborhoods without Lawyers as residents.  Essentially, it dumps on them.

–”The Port of Seattle’s current truck program sets relatively weak air pollution standards, ignores exploitive workplace conditions, does little to deal with trucking impacts on the South Seattle neighborhoods of Delridge, Georgetown and South Park, and forces workers to personally bear the costs of new clean air technology, parking regulations, and other requirements. ”

http://wafreepress.org/article/100106environment-weiner&ccsp.shtml

Cascade Bicycle Club is conspicuosly missing in the signatories.  They get a nice bike lane along the waterfront.

The burden of running a seaport also gets dumped on these neighborhoods, as well as higher property tax rates, not to mention they lie between two airports, and all the noise it brings.  There is no benefit to the south half of Seattle, or Southwest King County.  As a matter of fact, the port is a money loser.  It gets 1/8th of it’s income from assessments on property deeds already and barely breaks even.  It has lost 8% of it’s volume last year, whereas the Port of Tacoma maintained it’s load.

I blamed much of the spending on the Mercer Street Project on the MicroSoft Boys.  I may have been less than fully accurate in why they subsidized the re-structuring of the street.  It also makes a convenient cut-across for the Ports Western Ave. properties.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=atlantic%20street,%20seattle&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl

Redstaters, the Port needs to thank-you as well.  You have contributed many of your tax dollars supporting the Port of Seattle as well.

–”The money is part of a $1.5 billion fund created by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., that will go to Mercer Street and some 50 other winning projects announced by the federal Department of Transportation…But once again, the crumbling South Park Bridge just outside Seattle has been left out.”—

Cascade Bike Club gets another lane along Mercer.

Left out again is the poorer, colored, more southern sections of the City.  Not a single stimulus dollar to be seen.  The City is full of self-indulgent rich white trash.  And the Port of Seattle is at the bottom of it.

“ The Seattle City Council is about to make a decision committing us to the deep-bore tunnel. This will have a significant impact on our future. Yet a critical question remains unanswered: who will pay for cost overruns?

Here are five reasons why we must answer this question before we pass the point of no return:

Ninety percent of megaprojects have cost overruns.

A comprehensive Oxford study concluded that 90 percent of megaprojects experienced cost overruns. The downtown bus tunnel, Sound Transit’s Beacon Hill tunnel, and the Brightwater sewage tunnel all exceeded their budgets by significant amounts. These projects weren’t the exception; they are the rule.”

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2012302426_guest08mcginn.html?cmpid=2727

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn

—

I have been blogging about a bridge called the South Park Bridge, that was closed 9 years after an earthquake damaged it (for the third time in it’s then 71 year history).   A February 2001 earthquake on the Nisqually Fault did some additional damage, reducing it’s bridge rating to a 4.  The people in this area are not Crybabies, and are more than willing to take their chances of landing in a river with their car.  That’s what swimming pools were designed for, to practice for earthquakes.  The Neurotic King County actually owns the bridge.  Why they think that a community living next to the highest value target in WW2 (Boeings Plant 2), and the highest value target in the Cold War (Boeings Design Team), in a region filled with targets for nuclear missiles, would worry about a small thing like a bridge getting stuck or collapsing, is beyond me.  Never mind the fact we live with active volcanoes and moving fault lines.  It keeps life interesting and gives reporters something to write about.

Well the Council President revealed something in an interview with a local blog, the White Center Blog.  He said the $15 million that the Council pledged, has nothing to back it up.

“The Seattle City Council President says the City does not have an identifiable source for the $15 million it has pledged, and he suggests it could come from a voter approved bond issue known as Bridging The Gap, a fund used for special project including filling Seattle’s plethora of potholes, a fund already used by a mayor and Council grasping for money to fill a huge budget gap.”

http://www.whitecenterblog.com/2010/07/16/south-park-bridge-replacement-fund-at-75-percent/

Now how can he say cost overruns on a $4 billion tunnel are no big deal, when there is no money in the treasury for a bridge?  Services are cut already, what would he cut if the tunnel boring machine got stuck?  or if soils were too soft for the machine to operate?  Would the Seattle Council let go of more Police, Firefighters and Teachers?  The decision to build a tunnel was made eight years ago, when the economy was growing, and tax cuts had things rolling again.  Spending soared in this State, and the good times were rolling.  We are not in the same situation now.  Times have changed, and so should spending habits.  The voters put in a new and different type of Mayor for a reason.  They didn’t like the tunnel decision, the government had gone against a vote expressly to reject a tunnel, and they were tired of the previous Mayors high spending, and support for an elite, government subsidized, business community.  The Strangers Dominic Holden compiled a huge series of things that could go wrong.  It is not neccesary to read it, but if you have time, it is a good piece of commentary and logic, showing local governments lack of critical reasoning.  (contains some spicy language, and kinda long, but good if you have time)

http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/what-could-possibly-go-wrong/Content?oid=4399657

I will add to the list of Dominic’s, but from what we will not have the money do take care of properly, if uncovered.  This area where the seawall work is taking place used to be a sand spit extending south towards the Duwamish Delta (now valley).  It created a shallow harbor where Indians came in their dug-out canoes to trade with early settlers.  Doc Maynard staked a claim for 300 acres in his name, and 300 acres in his wifes name, covering this entire area of work.  He gave up acreage to Henry Yesler to build a sawmill.  It was the best land he had, and he gave it willingly, for free.  Mr. Yesler built his sawmill, and through the sawdust in the bays around him.  It was called Sawdust Hill.  A later entrepreneur set up a drinking establishment, and a house of ‘ladies’.  Most of the Lady Workers were Indian, and later New Mexican.  What constituted a proper burial was not the same thing as for White Men.  This also was a violent area.  If a murder occurred, the perpetrator was not going to go to the graveyard for a proper burial.  Madam Damnable also operated in tis acreage.  It was a rough and tumble town in it’s first 40 years, and all the action was Pioneer Square and south.  Never mind that Indians traded there for centuries.  Like any one else, they have their altercations too.  And all of the area is either loose sand, or sawdust.  There are more bodies buried there than in Lakewood Cemetary.  Sorting them out would be enormously expensive.

Also requiring money: WSDOT Geology and Soils technical memorandum says contractors Should expect:   —-”The native soils overlying the glacial deposits consist

of loose to dense sand, silty sand, sandy silt, and soft to stiff clayey silt and silty

clay. Fill deposits, which are highly variable in density, thickness, and type, are

present over the native soils. The fill deposits may contain a variety of debris,

including old piles, railroad ties and rails, and concrete. Groundwater is located

within 10 feet of the ground surface and varies with the tide level in Elliott Bay.”—-

However, the association of King County Historical Organizations paints a very different picture:

—”The DEIS also suggests that significant archeological resources

may be discovered in the course of the project. Although the

document reported no specific finds, “areas with a high

probability for hunter-fisher-gatherer, ethnographic, and historic

period resources were identified.”2 (Emphasis added.)

Only a little imagination is needed to speculate on what’s below

the current street pavement. According to a book co-authored by

Marc Hershman, professor of marine affairs at the University of

Washington, First Avenue and Yesler Way may be the site of a

significant Duwamish village known as Djidjil’letch, or “little

crossing place.” As many as 200 people may have lived in eight

large, cedar-planked longhouses around 1800 at this site, only

one block from the current viaduct.3

Excavations of the area would likely reveal remnants of pioneer

Henry Yesler’s sawmill and wharf, the first industry in the area.

Both were located in the same area as the Duwamish village.

Yesler often dumped sawmill waste into Elliott Bay, slowly filling

in the shallows. Ocean-going schooners also discharged ballast in

the area near Yesler’s Wharf, creating Ballast Island, a manmade

landform later used by native canoes as a landing spot. The

hulks of at least two vessels, the schooner Windward, and the

hospital ship Idaho, are buried under fill in the area. “Some

systematic digging in the vicinity of Yesler Way and Washington

Street today would undoubtedly unearth many remnants of

Seattle’s past—remains of the old Duwamish Indian village

Djidjila’letch, sawdust and slabs from Henry Yesler’s sawmill,

and rock ballast from old schooners,” Hershman wrote.4

The potential exists for discovery of human remains in the project

area. During the construction of the World Trade Center building

across from Pier 66 in 1998, a number of human remains were

found, which local Duwamish leaders said may have been part of

a burial ground.5 The building is near the current viaduct.”

http://www.akcho.org/pdf/waterfront_case_stmt.pdf

—–

No money is available to do proper historical investigation.  We are steering into a money pit.  There are good reasons, back in the day of Republican Administrations of the City, they built a viaduct passing over all these problems.   The entrance to the viaduct going north always had Indians huddled under the overpass when I was growing up.  They would drift down from Pioneer Square, to sleep under a covered area.  The shelters would not bring in men who had been drinking heavily.  My dad told me they stayed there because it was as close to their old village as they could get.  Really sad.

Indian Culture is very opposed to disturbing the dead.  It’s not that different than Israeli or Arab culture in regards to the dead.  You don’t just dig up bodies and move them.  Seattle’s early tradition chose poorly.  In the case of Volunteer Park, a dispute arose over the Capitol Hilltop location of a park.  The Park Committee wanted to dig up Washington’s Civil War and Spanish American War dead and use it for park space.  Others were morally opposed.  One Lady commented, “parks are for the living and not the dead”.  She, unfortunately, won.  We seem to have lost respect for our ancestors, for our war dead, and for those who helped build this city.  A lot of emphasis is made on respecting different cultures in this city and state.  It goes by the name of multi-cultural.  We need to start by respecting our own again.  Then, I think if as a city we want to build good relations with neighbors who have migrated, we need to show it in the planning, and in the spending of our infra-structure dollars.  There are plenty of projects in the South End that are in much more need of attention.  A bridge needs to be built.  West Marginal Way needs to be re-routed around South Park, or better yet removed altogether.  Underpasses need to be built.   A plan to annex White Center and remaining sections of unincorporated King County, will need a lot of infrastructure dollars and City facilities to bring it up to the same level as the rest of the city.  We can’t afford an exotic tunnel and seawall right now.  There are better uses for the Cities $900 million, and cities portion of state transportation dollars.

A final note about the Duwamish Tribe:

Seattle also has a terrible past and present in regards to the  Duwamish Tribe.  They owned all of the Duwamish Valley, and the Duwamish Peninsula.  It is contained in a map made by one of the Olmstead Brothers.  This cropping of the map shows a parkway going around South Park called Duwamish Hill Parkway.  It is marked on the left of the photo.  This map is in the roof deck observation tower of Volunteer Park.  The Olmstead’s believed in creating a more civil society, after having lived through the Civil War.  The road was never built, to my knowledge, but the acknowledgement of the tribe that lived there is recorded in his map.  Though the land was sold by Chief Sealth, the tranaction was never completed.  The sale called for recognition of fishing rights and land.  The payment was never met.  Seattle should thank it’s lucky star, the Duwamish are a tribe and not a bank.  The City would be foreclosed on and re-possesed otherwise.  The tribe has been  recognized by Congress once recently, but the bill vetoed by the President.  It needs to be recognized again by Congress, and this time signed by the new President.

l

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&prmd=m&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=south+park+area&fb=1&gl=us&hq=south+park&hnear=Kenmore,+WA&ei=0yY_TPfJOY-osQOfqZD2CA&sa=X&oi=local_group&ct=image&resnum=4&ved=0CCcQtgMwAw

There are now tens of thousands of jobs in the Duwamish Valley, but priority is given to the Port of Seattle for roadways.  Both 8th Ave. and 14th Ave. are cut in half, and must be driven around.  It doesn’t make for a pleasant neighborhood.  This could easily be changed.

If arterial routes were re-opened, land along the Duwamish were made available for dining and recreation, and commercial space for retail was prioritized, people would be attracted to the area again.  There is a lot of area in the surrounding hillsides as well.  Tens of thousands of workers could have a one to two mile ride, walk, or bike  to work.  I am more of a Scots-Irish Greenie, than a Enviromental Greenie, so I look at the practical and human concerns.  The money could be easily found, by terminating the tunnel project and instead doing a thorough repair of the viaduct, fix the sea-wall, and use the 1.5 to 2 billion dollars to repair the damage done to south park during WW2, the Cold War, and the Port and Industrial encroachment into this beautiful residential area.  The Duwamish River will be thoroughly cleaned in the next few years, and I think the City would find any infra-structure dollars spent in this area, to be highly profitable.

http://www.redstate.com/hickorystick/2010/07/08/south-park-bridge-we-are-encroachers-on-military-airspace/

http://www.redstate.com/hickorystick/2010/06/12/one-lone-bomber-and-the-western-world-is-finished/

The Glen Acres Golf Course could be moved to the south end or north end of Sea-Tac Airport, and converted to residential.  The airports and FAA are paranoid about a test flight crashing into a residential neighborhood.  But if it crashed into a golf course, at least the people went the way they always dreamed of.  Four!!!!  ca-boom.  Just kidding, but really, native Washingtonians really aren’t that  risk-averse.  It’s a small risk.

All sides, both Left and Right, could get what they wan’t out of this proposition.  The Left saves the Planet by using less gas, the Right saves money and does the right thing for people.  If the Seattle City Council would come down to South Park, and regard the infrastructure, I think they would agree.

ps I agree with your wanting to save money right now.  Some extra cash could be found by dumping the tunnel.  Plus, think of all the tens of millions of dollars saved from avoiding cost overruns on the tunnel.

Beautiful South Park, from the water….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD2MLuLoxbM&feature=player_embedded

H/T Georgetown KOMO news

http://georgetown.komonews.com/

This is a section of an old Wobblie Road(a lumber road).  Lumber wasn’t anything, it as everything in this area, in the early history.  The Wobblies set the tone for labor relations in the area.  Their cause was just.  They were getting screwed.  The company kept the hours long, and the camps filthy.  Their is no good excuse for a man contracting a disease in peacetime, when a camp could be cleaned up and kept clean.  The Wobblies won their fight.  They are now working as Longshoremen in the Ports.  I wish they could show a little interest in the old port town of South Park.  These are pavers, not quarry spalls.

This is the Wobblie Road.  The grass isn’t mowed, it’s restrained by the pavers.  John Beal was responsible for gaining this open space.

Flying Iron Horse tied up on the outskirts of town.

IAM 751′s headquarters.  They take as much pride in there building as they do in their planes.

This embem was probably saved from an older building.  The Duwamish Area People like to re-use old stuff.

This area was replanted.  It looks better than original nature created it.  I’d like to see the whole river cleaned up. and the banks secured with something other than toxic soaked materials.  Keep most of the industry, but the area needs a tremendous amount of work.  Some old debts need to be re-paid.

http://www.redstate.com/hickorystick/2010/06/12/one-lone-bomber-and-the-western-world-is-finished/