KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson asked Seattle Department of Transportation director Scott Kubly about Sound Transit’s new plans last week. Particularly, Monson questioned how officials expected the public to trust a transit agency that has a long track record of broken promises. Kubly’s response to the challenge—his outright lie followed by insistent denial—reveals the left’s die-hard attitude toward light rail. The left’s refusal to recognize pressing problems and at-all-costs defense of Sound Transit only promises to leave a broken system intact, at taxpayers’ expense.
“How can we justify putting more money into an agency that has been billions over budget and that has fallen so far short of what they promised the voters?” Monson asked.
“I can only tell you about projects that I see, which are projects that are coming out of Sound Transit that I hear are coming in ahead of schedule and under budget,” Kubly answered.
Monson responded the only way possible given Kubly’s ridiculous assertion: “That’s absolutely not true, Scott.”
Making an argument for light rail, Kubly changed the subject and pointed to cities like Washington D.C., Chicago, New York and San Francisco that have made “big investments in transit.” He argued that these cities could not function without their transit systems.
Once again, Monson returned to the crux of the matter and pointed out that Sound Transit has broken its promise to deliver 125 miles of light rail network. And, even with the U-District extension, taxpayers won’t have half the number promised.
“They’re billions over budget and I know that eventually people would like to keep soaking us, but it’s going to cost my family of five – our share of Sound Transit costs are going to be $86,000 for just the plans that are on the table right now over the next 30 years. How can we justify that?” Monson asked.
Kubly refused to recognize the broken promises, or the high costs to taxpayers. He praised Sound Transit for its success as an agency and pointed out its high approval rating. Kubly asked Monson if there was anything he could say to convince him the light rail was “worth it.”
Monson pointed out that Sound Transit has a high approval rating because the government and media have ignored the numbers and have done a good job disguising reality. But, if people knew that Boston’s Big Dig project, with overrun costs, came in at $18 billion and Sound Transit has spent $65 billion with financing costs alone and has not delivered on promises, they wouldn’t be so happy. In short, Monson said there was nothing Kubly could say to change his mind.
Turning the tables, Monson asked Kubly if there was anything that would change his mind given, for example, a far over budget cost factor. Kubly responded with… more lies. He claimed that Sound Transit was under budget for its U-link light rail. Baffled by the boldness of the lie, Monson took Kubly through a brief history of the finances of the project. He pointed out that voters were blatantly lied to about the costs, Sound Transit had to ask for more money.
Confronted with the truth and having no response, Kubly said they would have to agree to disagree.
Sound Transit is a typical liberal progresive program that got to big with no accountability. Like every other government run program the democrats funnel money into, this one is the poster child of a failed subsidized operation & will be until federal subsidized healthcare becomes the sole responsibility of the state. Can’t wait for that one!
Now the Democrats are pushing HB 1921 to force all of Western Washington into paying Sound Transit taxes! We already have a transit agency in Thurston County!
The real question is: Where did the money go? Were the estimates really that far out of whack or did everybody just line up at the trough and take what they wanted?
Vote buying & kickbacks to big political donors.
They had enough to buy the old Willamette/Weyerhaeuser/ Int. paper plant in Bellevue across from their yard, and that is a prime piece of real estate.
The liberal politicians had to pay the wealthy corporations to stay in WA and repay the donation from the election campaigns received from the same wealthy corporations.
It’s the same cast of characters from the Transit Industrial Complex seeking $11 to $15 BILLION in new taxing authority that failed to fool the voters with Metro’s Prop. 1 vote. Remember, “Metro was bankrupt, had cut cost to the bone, and had no other way to raise money”? All lies. King County Executive Dow Constantine, King County Councilmember Larry Phillips and their minions also lied to both the State Senate and House Transportation Committees in order gain the State’s support for new Sound Transit taxing authority. Sound transit must be held accountable, and not given any more taxing authority or taxes. Our region simply cannot afford the light rail boondoggle.
Should have asked Scott if he had just come from one of the MJ shops in town, to sing the praises of Sound Transit he must’ve been stoned out of his gourd.
This is going the same way that Portland Oregon is with the Trimet MAX system. The cost of a day ticket is now $5. Even with the addition of tax subsidies from the local businesses it cannot support itself. It has bloated union wages, pensions as well as first class healthcare. It seems like every year they ask for more money because of shortfall. Everywhere it goes, it promotes crime. Companies subsidies their employees to ride it as well. It takes about 20 to 25 minutes longer to use the light rail system over driving. When something goes wrong, expect delays. Some delays can last up to and exceed 4 hours including the use of buses as a backup. I refer to it as the crazy train and you may see a different show on every ride. Fights, Drug deals, theft, rude obnoxious kids that only have 6 words in their vocabulary and anything else you can think of.
Ladies and Gentlemen of King Country,
Be advised that your transportation is going broke due to not enough money generated from past tax increase. We will need you to open your wallet and pay for the transportation to stay afloat. Don’t worry we don’t have any big bosses working in the Transportaion Department making at least $80,000 and not to mention paying his secretary and the secretary’s aide. We don’t do that just blame the GOP for our failures because they caused this problem.
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Also, on top to the transportation tax increase let’s start a new tax, capital gain tax, don’t worry, it is meant for the corporations, wink, wink. This new tax will help keep the the welfare system costs down and intact so the lazy, illed, and the poor can rely on the Shephard for all their needs. We want to keep the poor and the homeless depending on the guaranteed free money (non taxable) without any string attached. In the event that you can no longer afford living in a home due to self inflicted taxation we will have a real estate for you in Tent City for the Forgotten, Seattle, WA. We will provide you with a welfare system, tent, liquor and free syringes for the street medicine for that fix.
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Last, my dear Washingtonian Flock thank you for believing the smoke and mirrors that we show you all is fine, just keep the blinders on and that very heavy yoke that we call tax on your back and follow us to the end of oblivion. Never listen to the right wing, the 10%, and anyone who oppose our failed policies because they envy the smoke and mirrors that we have fixed upon you to look into. Thank you for your generous support we will return next week with further taxes that must be paid to support the Anus Wiping Inspection Board.
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My dear flock I am here to support you for your great generousity to open your wallet at will and if you ever run out of money we will feed and house you. This is your right to be fed and sheltered by the State.
So help me my flock.
Big Daddy Shephard