"Stumbling" seems to be the most common word used to describe Mike McGinn's debut as Seattle mayor. According to various news reports, his State of the City speech, delivered to the City Council, was underwhelming.
His elevation of an ethically challenged crony who lied about his college degrees tarnished an already shaky start. Then he ousted Dwight Dively, a widely respected city budget director, who then takes his considerable talents across the street to King County just when the city is in dire need of them.
The mayor was going to lay off city employees, but then worried that he might hurt their feelings. So layoffs are on hold. Then his administration was going to ban smoking, at least smoking of tobacco, in city parks. That did not fly, so was modified to require smokers to be 25 feet away from others. The results are amateurish flip-flops that do nothing to instill confidence.
Recently Mayor McGinn appeared at Seattle Center House for the Citizen's Budget Conference. Slovenly in dress and thought, he promoted inflation-generating schemes to avoid dealing with City Hall's history of creating unsustainable programs and projects. He announced he wanted a tax increase to rebuild the downtown seawall. City Council members said, "No!" before the words were out of the mayor's mouth.
The mayor did find a suit to wear for his appearance before the City Council but seemed to forget the speech itself, rambling through it without even the aid of notes written on his hand.
His remarks received applause only once, when he said that the state Route 99 tunnel should not be started while Seattle was on the hook for cost-overruns.
The mayor says his stand on the Viaduct Replacement Project is nuanced. During the campaign, he was opposed it, before he was almost, somewhat, accepting of it.
Others are not so charitable. Queen Anne resident and City Councilmember Tim Burgess said the mayor misrepresents "the city's obligations related to removal of the Alaskan Way Viaduct," noting that some $930 million would be spent to relocate utilities and do other work regardless of the scheme chosen to replace the Viaduct.
"Passive-aggressive" best describes the mayor's approach to transportation projects so far, at least those involving rubber tires. His way of saying "No" sounds like "Yes, but . . . ." He says, yes, he realizes that state Route 99 work is under way and the City Council supports it, but work should not start until the taxpayers in Othello and Reardon and places other than Seattle are on the hook to cover cost overruns. Yes, he says, let's replace state Route 520, but not with anything that would actually improve the flow of people and freight.
In commenting on the mayor's State of the City speech, Councilmember Tim Burgess said that the mayor shared his philosophy of government. It is a program of "active intervention." That means the elites in City Hall know best the choices you would make if only you were properly educated. They know, too, that you would happily accept their vision of the city if only you understood it. And it means they will gladly regulate you into their version of the future.
The mayor is a true believer in the theology that classifies owning an automobile as a mortal sin and is not too sure about individual freedoms. He wants you to believe, too, and is willing to force you to buy a ticket to reach his version of paradise. The ride will be on steel wheels costing tens of billions of dollars and just a few of your freedoms.[[In-content Ad]]
