There are many reasons why Mike McGinn is no longer Seattle’s Mayor. The top reason is that, even among the far-left in Seattle, McGinn was seen as just too wacky on environmental issues.
The former mayor demonstrated that tendency in a recent column he wrote for Crosscut. McGinn claims that, because his name was listed as co-author of a book (Apollo’s Fire) that no one actually read, Jay Inslee is “a serious thinker on climate.”
Rarely – if ever – do “serious thinker” and Jay Inslee appear in the same sentence.
But, McGinn’s praise of Inslee wasn’t even the wackiest part. The ex-Mayor goes on to issue three very erroneous explanations for why Inslee has failed to make any progress on his vaunted “green” agenda.
- The Republican state Senate rebuffed his (Inslee’s) proposed cap and trade system.” Wrong – the House Democrats under Speaker Frank Chopp’s control didn’t even put the cap-and-tax system up for a vote. Blaming Republicans shows McGinn’s lack of understanding of the legislative process (yet another reason he’s an ex-mayor).
- “To get a highway bill (itself a loss for climate) he (Inslee) was forced to accept a ban on carbon fuel standards that could have reduced pollution from cars.” Wrong – the bi-partisan transportation bill, which was passed in 2015 despite Inslee’s best effort to derail it, contained a consumer protection provision that prevented Inslee from imposing his tax-raising fuel standards by executive order. Inslee was not “forced to accept a ban” on his bad. Rather, he couldn’t get any Democrats to actually put the standards up for a vote. Additionally, Inslee’s own scientists had to admit that a fuels standard would not substantially reduce car emissions.
- “And just two weeks ago he withdrew his Plan B, which was executive action to regulate carbon emissions. Business was putting on the pressure and apparently uncovering flaws in the proposal.” Wrong – Inslee’s own Department of Ecology killed his “Plan B” not because of outside pressure, but because it was not ready to be released. As Shift has reported, Inslee was trying to rush the timeline on these regulations to help his re-election campaign, and that led to mistakes in the drafting of the regulations. As a side note, could someone ask McGinn why “uncovering flaws” before job-killing regulations go into effect is a bad thing?
McGinn does get one thing right in his column. He points out, “Republicans are now getting a two-fer on climate. They’re not just winning the policy fights. They’re also building the case that Inslee can’t get things done.”
Indeed, the GOP is winning against Inslee’s agenda for raising energy taxes on all Washingtonians and hurting the state’s economy with regulations that won’t achieve much environmental value. That really isn’t a hard fight to win. Even legislative Democrats are running away from Inslee on his “green” policies.
And, as for “building the case that Inslee can’t get things done,” well, the chief architect of that construction project is none other than Inslee himself – because he doesn’t have the skills required to get anything done. Just ask his fellow Democrats.
tensor says
Glad to see there’s still someone taking our one-term accidental mayor seriously. Maybe if the anonymous posters here, or their peanut gallery, had been eligible to vote in Seattle, he might have done better in his sole re-election attempt.
“…McGinn was seen as just too wacky on environmental issues.”
Actually, it was his inconstant and dishonest opposition to the SR-99 tunnel project that ensured his status as a one-term wonder. Perhaps you guys could praise him for that, too. (Seeing as you’re the only folks around who seem to care.)
Biff says
“Glad to see there’s still someone taking our one-term accidental mayor seriously”
If you learned in your ESL class that mocking somebody for their leftist idiocy is taking them seriously, you need to go demand a refund because it was an obvious failure.
tensor says
Reading comprehension much?
“McGinn does get one thing right in his column.”
Words, how do they work?!?
Biff says
There is a saying in America, but maybe not in your mother country: “A stopped clock is right twice a day” Take McSchwinn seriously? Nyet, comrade. Besides, Greenie doesn’t need any help building a case he can’t get things done, he does that all by himself.
tensor says
“Take McSchwinn seriously? Nyet, comrade.”
We in Seattle couldn’t possibly agree more. It was the writer of the original post who made that obvious mistake, as my quote clearly shows. Please take your objections to him.
There is a saying in America, but maybe not in your mother country: “A stopped clock is right twice a day”
You meant “was a saying,” as I rather doubt anyone else says that any more. (You’re right, though — modern-day learners of English probably don’t bother with your antique cliches.)
Biff says
Take a look at the headline of the article you’re commenting on, doofus. Those four words in 24 point bold type above the post. If you read “take him seriously” into that, someone has made an obvious mistake and that someone is you.
I meant “is a saying”. Much like your mother tongue, lots of English adages have archaic roots. I’ll translate it for you: “It’s possible (but not likely) for even the most brainless liberal moron to be right 0.0013% of the time”. Better, da?
tensor says
“Take a look at the headline of the article you’re commenting on, doofus. Those four words in 24 point bold type above the post.”
Yes, we understand how a big flashy sign grabs ahold of your attention and captivates it forever and ever and ever; you’ve pounded that point home in many another comment here. I read the entire post, which contains the following statement:
“McGinn does get one thing right in his column.”
(That appears in smaller font, so we can easily understand how you missed it entirely.)
“Much like your mother tongue, lots of English adages have archaic roots.”
Of course a cliche is archaic; that’s one of the reasons it’s called a cliche. It’s not the archaic roots of your cliches that amuse; it’s your archaic world-view that they express. Neither are anything modern users of English need bother learning.
Biff says
“McGinn does get one thing right in his column.”
Why didn’t you copy-and-paste the rest of the paragraph, comrade context?
“Republicans are now getting a two-fer on climate. They’re not just winning the policy fights. They’re also building the case that Inslee can’t get things done.”
All that proves is even a hardcore leftist idiot like McSchwinn (that you elected mayor) can be right 0.013% of the time. Not that Greenie needs any help building a case he can’t get things done, he does that just fine by his own bad self. For you to claim that means anybody is taking McSchwinn (who you elected mayor) seriously makes you a total moron.
tensor says
Why didn’t you copy-and-paste the rest of the paragraph, comrade context?
Because I wasn’t interested in *why* Shift decided to take this particular washed-up political has-been seriously. I was merely amused that they *had* taken this particular washed-up political has-been seriously, since no one in Seattle does. (Shift also takes Rob McKenna seriously, a mistake no one in Seattle made in the first place.)
… (who you elected mayor) ,,,
Everybody makes mistakes; we here in Seattle recognized ours, fixed it, and have long since moved on. Maybe someday you guys will too.
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