In fact, State Sen. Maralyn Chase lost her seat to fellow Democrat Jesse Salomon in LD32 likely in part due to her vote to take a big bite–perhaps as large as $2.1 billion–out of Sound Transit’s budget via the senate’s car tab bill.

The justification for Democrats pushing a car tab bill in the first place was to defend suburban Democrats from angry constituents and calm future backlash. Democratic leadership said as much in defending why they brought up the bill despite Democratic control of both chambers. This was about winning the next transit measure, Democratic State Sen. Strom Peterson wrote in our questionnaire.

Nonetheless, after midterms, the only Sound Transit Taxing District seats that Republicans will be representing are in LD25 and LD31, deep red areas of Pierce County. Many Republicans ran on a $30 car tab slate, taking their cues from Tim Eyman. It didn’t work (which is lucky since this could have blown a $8 billion hole in Sound Transit’s budget). The Sound Transit 3 ballot measure didn’t win Pierce County in the first place so this is not entirely a change of opinion on the matter. That leaves about 22 other Sound Transit taxpaying legislative districts from Everett to Orting where Democrats swept. This is simply a dominant performance far from a rebuke for car tabs.

“Mark Schoesler understands well what Seattle transit advocates are slow to recognize; that the failure of #waleg Dems to reform car tabs is a win for his team. He gets a powerful stick to beat suburban Dems with this Fall, and a chance to play for higher stakes next session,” Seattle Transit Blog contributor Dan Ryan tweeted.

Some of the marquee pickups include Mona Das unseating State Sen. Joe Fain in the 47th and Claire Wilson taking down State Sen. Mark Miloscia in the 30th. This will have big repercussions for the balance of power in Olympia. If Pinky Vargas also manages to pull ahead of State Sen. Doug Ericksen, then that would take the Democratic senate advantage to 29-20, greatly building on the one-seat senate advantage they had heading into midterms.

In the House, Democrats will greatly expand on their two-seat advantage. In the Puget Sound Region, they have won pickups in legislative districts 5, 28, 44, 47, and potentially 26. Overall, a Democratic advantage as high as 60-38 isn’t out of the realm of the possibility.

With car tabs staying at the level passed in the ST3 package, suburban Democrats still thrived. It would be a mistake to bring up any bills that cut funds from Sound Transit. We need plans to speed light rail and rapid bus projects up, not slow them down. Democratic majorities should be put to more productive uses. Here are some ideas: more affordable housing investment via a capital gains taxes, climate action via a clean fuel standard, zoning reform to encourage transit-oriented development, and permission for Seattle to implement camera enforcement of transit lanes to keep buses during the “period of maximum contraint” and beyond.

The post Car Tabs Was Not a GOP Cudgel: Democrats Dominated in Sound Transit Taxing District first appeared on The Urbanist.

In other positive news, Kim Schrier won, meaning Democrats picked up the 8th Congressional District seat vacated by retiring Representative Dave Reichert. Dino Rossi loses yet again. No other Washington state congressional districts changed hands. Senator Maria Cantwell easily coasted to reelection as well, surpassing 58%.

What the Carbon Fee Defeat Means

I-1631 carried only 43.7% of the election night vote, strongly suggesting remaining votes to be counted aren’t enough to close the gap. I had hoped the carbon fee’s more political savvy approach (where revenues were invested in popular clean energy initiatives rather than used to reduce other taxes like I-732 tried to do in 2016) would pay dividends. It looks like I-1631 will do better than I-732 but not by nearly enough to score a win.

The carbon fee only carried in three counties: King, Jefferson, and San Juan. In King County the measure managed to run a 57.3% to 42.7% margin, but that wasn’t enough to carry the whole state with huge margins in the other direction for other counties. Notably, I-1631 carried only 36% in Pierce County and 39% in Snohomish County, the next two most populous counties after King County, which has about a 30% of the state’s population. 34% in Spokane County was also a dismal result.

Obviously, carbon fee proponents have a lot more work to do to convince suburban and rural counties. The $32 million the fossil fuel industry pumped into defeating I-1632 obviously made it an uphill battle and they’re likely to pour just as much money at the blocking the next effort. I, for one, saw the Rob McKenna anti-I-1631 ads too many times to count.

Our state, our nation, and our planet sorely needs to invest in clean energy and price carbon in some way. It’s back to the drawing board to figure out how to do that in Washington state, which fancies itself a climate leader. The Democrats cemented their control of the Washington State Legislature with some big pickups. Perhaps there is a legislative answer to this mess that gets Washington state on track to meet its climate goals. Right now, without a carbon fee or a large-scale green investment strategy, our State Government knows we’re not.

State Senate Results

It remains to be seen exactly how many seats the Democrats will pick up in the state house and senate. Claire Wilson sent Republican State Senator Mark Miloscia packing, winning 53% in the 30th. Democrats also appear to have won the 26th Legislative District with Emily Randall narrowly defeating Marty McClendon. Republican Joe Fain, who was recently accused of rape, is narrowly holding on in the 47th but, Democrat Mona Das may pass him as more votes come in. If those three pickups materialize, Democrats would expand their one-seat state senate advantage to a 28-21 advantage.

State House Results

In the state house, Republicans lost both seats in the 5th Legislative District, they may lose LD6-B if Democrat Dave Wilson, who’s narrowly behind, gains in late returns. Kay Murano also still has a chance to unseat incumbent Mike Volz in LD6-A. LD10-B is also looking like a pickup with Dave Paul narrowly leading incumbent Dave Hayes in a battle of the Daves. If Election night results holds, Mari Leavitt will unseat Republican Dick Muri in LD28-A. There is a chance David Daggett catches incumbent Drew MacEwen in LD35-B in a close race. Republican Marks are dropping like flies too, as Jared Mead leads incumbent Mark Harmswoth in LD44-B, and Debra Entenman is leading incumbent Mark Hargrove. On other hand, it doesn’t look like Victoria Mena, who we endorsed, will be able to pull off the upset against Republican Drew Stokesbary.

Additionally, a handful of other races are too close to call, including both 42nd Legislative District seats, meaning the state’s Blue Wave could be even bigger. It certainly going to be a much larger advantage for Democrats in the state house. It should make for an interesting legislative session.

The post Carbon Fee Goes Down, but Democrats Make Midterm Gains first appeared on The Urbanist.

Here how The Urbanist Election Board landed in our endorsements:

• Yes on I-1631 – Carbon Pollution Fee that invests in clean energy
• Yes on 1-1639 – Gun Safety
• Yes on 1-940 – Police Accountability
• Adam Smith for 9th Congressional District – “Rep. Smith spoke in depth about a federal approach to preventing sprawl and making sure our communities are connected through robust transportation. He supports a higher capital gains tax on all real estate, nationwide inclusionary zoning, and phasing out the home mortgage interest deduction.”
• No endorsement in LD21 – ” Even with his car tab chicanery, urbanists probably will end up holding their noses and voting for Strom Peterson in Legislative District 21A. But we’re not telling you to be excited about it.”
• Melanie Morgan for LD29A – “[Morgan’s] personal experience and perspective is that of someone who values affordable housing, public transit, and equity in education.”
• Victoria Mena for LD31A – “Victoria Mena absolutely nailed our questionnaire. She opposes cuts to Sound Transit 3 budget and supports “massively” increasing the funding for the state Housing Trust Fund, I-1631 (and further climate action), and safe bicycling infrastructure.”
• Rebecca Saldaña for LD37 – “The Urbanist is excited to endorse Rebecca Saldaña in her race for State Senate in the 37th district. Saldaña has been a champion for issues we care about, such as affordable housing and transportation. Prior to her first election, she led Puget Sound Sage and pushed Seattle to pursue land value capture via a linkage fee. Over time and through negotiation, that effort morphed into inclusionary zoning and the Seattle for Everyone coalition. Without Puget Sound Sage’s political organizing, none of that would’ve happened and she deserves an immense amount of credit.”
• Nicole Macri for LD43A – “In the midst of a housing and homelessness crisis in communities across Washington with people struggling to pay their rents or mortgages, Macri was at the forefront of legislative efforts that yielded the most resources to address these problems in over ten years. As prime sponsor of a bill that included the biggest increase in funding for homeless and housing assistance providing $27 million in new resources annually, Macri intends to further her efforts in the 2019 session.”
  
• Vote Yes on Shoreline Proposition 1 to Fund Sidewalks
• Vote Yes on Intercity Transit Proposition 1 in Thurston County
• Vote Yes on Lewis County’s Twin Transit Expansion

Nationally, progressives are anxiously anticipating a Blue Wave, but polls are close enough that nobody is certain, especially after 2016 polling proved misleading. Political activists are taking nothing for granted.

For issues related to urbanism new political faces in Congress, in local legislative bodies and in governor seats would likely prove most welcome. It’s clear the Republican party doesn’t believe in transit, especially under Trump; Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao won’t even route previously secured funds to transit agencies, let alone approve new grants. And of course bike infrastructure is a perennial conservative punching bag as if that’s where all the transportation money is going. [Hint: It’s still cars.]

While Matt Yglesias suggested Republican governors like Maryland’s Larry Hogan and Massachusetts’ Charlie Baker are popular in Blue States because voters in these states prefer the status quo and a conservative check on their Democrat legislatures, we should push back against this complacency. One of Hogan’s signature initiatives is a massive freeway widening effort. We can do better.

The post Top Urbanist Action: Vote Out the Bums first appeared on The Urbanist.

The Urbanist Elections Board evaluated two Congressional candidates, nine state legislative candidates, two Prosecuting Attorney candidates, and six initiatives. From this pool, we have endorsed six leaders who both share our urbanist values and seem poised to implement them. We are proud to present our 2018 general election endorsements. Get those ballots in everyone!

Vote Yes on Initiative 1631: Carbon Pollution Fee

Washington has an enormous opportunity to do something to address climate change by voting yes to the ballot initiative I-1631. It’s our job as stewards of the planet for future generations not just to reduce climate pollution, but to prepare our state for climate change. That means protecting our communities from increasing wildfires, ensuring access to clean water, reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, and investing in infrastructure to deal with storms and rising sea levels.

Initiative 1631 begins to make investments in future generations by placing a fee on large polluters, such as oil companies: $15 for every ton of carbon they release into the atmosphere. The funds, that will amount to about $1 billion a year, will be used to reduce emissions, help cities and towns transition from fossil-fuel industries, and support projects that counter the impacts of climate change across the state.

The carbon fee could be used to invest in cleaner transportation options, like phasing city bus fleets from carbon-intense diesel to clean electric, and helping rural communities replace aging, high-emission school buses.

I-1631 could also be used to subsidize construction of modular, energy-efficient homes that would provide affordable housing and lower energy costs. Through these and other projects, I-1631 will help communities most impacted by pollution, which tend to be areas of lower income people and communities of color.

The initiative will support development of other renewable energy sources, including wind and possibly tidal energy, both vast potential resources in Washington. We encourage to vote yes on I -1631.

Vote Yes on Initiative 1639: Gun Safety

Our country has some crazy gun laws, and I-1639 would help rectify that in Washington state. The initiative would raise the age to purchase semi-automatic rifles to 21, create an enhanced system of background checks, require completion of a firearm safety course, and create a standard for safe storage to prevent guns falling in dangerous hands.

Gun deaths are prevalent in America–more than 33,000 every year–vastly outstripping most other industrialized countries in per capita rate. I-1639 would help reduce some of the most preventable variety of gun deaths, such as when a gun falls in the hands of a toddler via unsafe storage or when people with a violent background easily get guns because of weak background checks.

Vote yes on I-1639 to increase gun responsibility.

Vote Yes on Initiative 940: Police Accountability

Initiative 940 is the result of years of effort by a broad coalition of activists, including the families of those killed by police in some of the most high-profile shootings in recent years. It would make a handful of changes to state laws around law-enforcement officers’ use of deadly force. We wholeheartedly endorse the measure.

First, it repairs a huge flaw in state law: while it is technically possible to convict a law enforcement officer of misusing deadly force, they cannot be held criminally liable for using deadly force unless it is proven they acted with “malice,” defined legally as “evil intent.” Washington is the only state in the country with a so-called malice clause, and it has proven to be an insurmountable barrier to prosecuting deadly force cases. I-940 would remove the malice requirement, instead defining more clearly what it means for law-enforcement officers to act in “good faith” in these situations.

I-940 also requires that all police officers in Washington State receive trainings in de-escalation, mental health, and first aid, and adds language clarifying that law enforcement personnel have a duty to provide or facilitate first aid. In addition, it requires independent investigations of use-of-force incidents that cause death or serious harm and involves tribal governments in appropriate investigations.

We love cities. We want cities to be even better. And cities are obviously better when our law-enforcement officers do not have carte blanche from the state government to execute people in the streets whenever they see fit. Adequate training is vital, and communities would have a role in setting these new training standards and potentially participating in these investigations. King County Sheriff Mitzi Johanknecht and King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg have come out in favor of I-940.

And in an unexpected twist, when this initiative qualified for the state legislature, it brought law enforcement to the table to work out a compromise bill with legislators and initiative backers. The state supreme court has said the legislature cannot enact their compromise measure, since voters approved the original text to go to the ballot, but the legislature may well amend the original version if it passes. If voters do not pass I-940, we don’t know what will happen, but we don’t want to bank on law enforcement coming back to the table later without the leverage of an initiative hanging over them. Vote yes on I-940.

9th Congressional District: Adam Smith

Enter Adam Smith. Let me tell you, he has got a presence. Maybe he is angry? Maybe he is tired? Maybe he is pissed that Kavanaugh just got confirmed? Maybe he is annoyed to face a challenge from the Left? Sarah Smith has been running on a platform of a $15-per-hour federal minimum wage, abolishing the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, and passing universal Medicare. Unfortunately, she didn’t complete our questionnaire.

After 30 minutes of some solid answers but a little too much bashing of Sarah Smith about some text message she sent, we were all left with one conclusion: Adam Smith CANNOT read a room.

So why are we endorsing Adam Smith?

While his emotional intelligence ain’t great, he’s got some damn good ideas. Rep. Smith spoke in depth about a federal approach to preventing sprawl and making sure our communities are connected through robust transportation. He supports a higher capital gains tax on all real estate, nationwide inclusionary zoning, and phasing out the home mortgage interest deduction. If the D’s control the house in 2018, Smith says a top priority is to fix the Affordable Care Act by introducing a universal access to healthcare bill. On climate change, Smith emphasized the importance of rejoining the the Paris Climate Agreement and his support of I-1631. Overall, he is a strong representative of urbanist values in Congress.

Finally, shout out to his lovely assistant who admitted to filling out his questionnaire. You rock.

King County Prosecutor: No Endorsement

The Urbanist is not endorsing in the race for King County Prosecutor. Our non-endorsement is mostly irrelevant, since Dan Satterberg is effectively running unopposed after his opponent, Daron Morris, dropped out for health reasons. However, it’s worth explaining why we didn’t endorse him.

Satterberg has done a lot of good during his time as the King County Prosecutor. He’ll tell you as much. He’s been there long enough–in the office since 1985 and leading this office since 2007–that he can claim responsibility for many of the positive reform efforts.

Satterberg deserves a lot of credit for King County’s expansion of Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion or LEAD, a program that diverts eligible people from booking and sentencing, to social services. This program has proven to be effective. In our interview, Satterberg also touted his choice to not pursue criminal charges against people who drive with a suspended license because they failed to pay tickets. That amounts to about 3,000 people a year who avoid a potentially debilitating criminal record. It’s also clear that criminal justice reform is seeing progress. Despite a growing population, incarceration is down since 2004, although mostly flat since 2012.

Yet with all that, we remained unconvinced he’s earned an endorsement. There are two big things we think he must address, if he were to face a real electoral challenger–he still hasn’t in 11 years.

First, Satterberg doesn’t appear to have reservations about the number of beds being constructed in the new youth jail. Yes, we understand the courthouse needs investment. Yes, we understand the new facility will offer services not found elsewhere, progressive services that will help youth avoid the jail. We agree those are strong arguments for some investment. However, they don’t address a fundamental contradiction. We can’t believe in a future with zero youth detention and spend millions to double the number of jail beds compared to the number of children we currently jail. Does Satterberg foresee a future with no youth detention? If so, we need a much better explanation of how this investment helps us get there, more than literally anything else.

Second, the King County Prosecutor’s office does not have a strong record on prosecuting bad cops. Understandably, state law has made this much more difficult and hopefully that will change. However, we remain unconvinced that Satterberg will vigorously pursue prosecution against police officers that unnecessarily kill civilians. We’d like to at least hear some regret about the outcomes in a number of high profile police killings that were never prosecuted.

These two issues strike home at what it means to be leading progressive criminal justice reform today. They are divisive, hot button issues that force politicians to make difficult decisions and choose sides. We look forward to having an elected prosecutor that is willing to vocally side with justice and lead on criminal justice reform. For now, we can’t endorse in the King County Prosecutor’s race.

LD21-A: No Endorsement

Strom Peterson is seeking his third term in the state House, and by George he’s probably going to get it. Peterson voted the wrong way on stripping a portion of Sound Transit funding via a car tab valuation adjustment that would not have backfilled the cuts. Luckily, that effort crashed and burned last session. He didn’t seem repentant in his questionnaire, maintaining he’s still open to lowering car tab fees without a backfill plan and arguing that he’s taking the long view by appeasing car activists now. We don’t see long-term value on backsliding on Sound Transit finances.

Peterson faces a terrible opponent (who wants to slash car tabs even deeper) in Republican Amy Schaper. We can’t endorse her. We hope Peterson does not continue to support cuts to Sound Transit’s budget, because he may not be so lucky to face a right-wing extremist next time rather than someone who will stand up for transit.

That said, he does appear poised to represent some urbanist values. Peterson backed Governor Jay Inslee’s carbon tax bill and I-1631, and he voiced support for introducing some camera enforcement of transit lanes and doing a progressive overhaul of our state tax code relying less on the sales tax and introducing a capital gains tax (and he’s not ruling out an income tax).

Even with his car tab chicanery, urbanists probably will end up holding their noses and voting for Strom Peterson in Legislative District 21A. But we’re not telling you to be excited about it.

LD29-A: Melanie Morgan

Melanie Morgan is running in the 29th District, representing South Tacoma and parts of Lakewood, Spanaway, and Parkland. She’s the kind of candidate whose homepage includes a photo of her leaning against a Pierce Transit schedule and a mention that she’s experienced homelessness. She said in her questionnaire that she considers herself an urbanist and talked a lot about supporting progressive taxes.

So, even though we get that her district includes a big chunk of suburban voters, we’re pretty bummed that she’s trying to walk a careful I’m-progressive-but-I-won’t-raise-your-taxes line. She said an income tax is potentially too regressive. An income tax! (And ditto for car tabs.)

We’re endorsing her anyway. Here’s why: not only is her opponent a cookie-cutter anti-tax Republican who calls Rudy Giuliani a role model, but Morgan is genuinely excited about and committed to expanding transit in this region. She supports reforming eviction rules to give tenants more protection and increasing the Housing Trust Fund. She also wants to see improvements to the pedestrian infrastructure that’s basically missing in parts of her district, and she supports a capital gains tax.

Morgan’s background is in the Franklin-Pierce School Board and the Pierce County Housing Authority. She’s not as well-versed in our favorite urbanist issues as we would like, and she may end up on the other side of some votes we care about if she makes it to the legislature. But her personal experience and perspective is that of someone who values affordable housing, public transit, and equity in education. We look forward to holding her accountable to those values as a legislator.

The Urbanist endorses Melanie Morgan for Legislative District 29-A.

LD31-A: Victoria Mena

Victoria Mena absolutely nailed our questionnaire. She opposes cuts to Sound Transit 3 budget and supports “massively” increasing the funding for the state Housing Trust Fund, I-1631 (and further climate action), and safe bicycling infrastructure.

Voters in the 31st District are lucky to have an energetic progressive in Mena running against Republican golden boy Drew Stokesbary, who has already climbed into Republican leadership as Minority Floor Leader after four years in office.

Mena promises to fight for better transit. She is open to camera enforcement of transit lanes to help turn the tide in favor of hundreds of transit riders rather than the handful of impatient motorists who are blocking transit lanes. She also backs redesigning streets so they are safer for people walking and biking.

Meanwhile, Rep. Stokesbary is itching to slash Sound Transit’s budget and treats the right to endanger and delay folks with your personal vehicle as sacrosanct. He voted against banning texting while driving. How’s our state’s Vision Zero goal of no traffic deaths by 2030? Oh that’s right, not well; fatal collisions are on the rise. We need leaders who will help out rather than grasping to enshrine vehicular manslaughter.

Mena was been an activist and organizer for ten years, focusing on immigrant rights, workers’ rights, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ equality, homelessness, and climate change. She is the Policy Director for Colectiva Legal del Pueblo and has co-founded four immigrant rights organizations across the country.

Meanwhile, Stokesbary was outing himself as an anti-immigrant white supremacist with a loose grasp of ethics before it was cool. A real proto-Trumpian!

Mena is ready to lead on immigrant rights, housing, transportation, and climate action. The Urbanist endorses Victoria Mena for Legislative District 31A.

LD37: Rebecca Saldaña

The Urbanist is excited to endorse Rebecca Saldaña in her race for State Senate in the 37th district. Saldaña has been a champion for issues we care about, such as affordable housing and transportation. Prior to her first election, she led Puget Sound Sage and pushed Seattle to pursue land value capture via a linkage fee. Over time and through negotiation, that effort morphed into inclusionary zoning and the Seattle for Everyone coalition. Without Puget Sound Sage’s political organizing, none of that would’ve happened and she deserves an immense amount of credit.

Saldaña hasn’t been in the state Senate for long but has a commendable record. She’s been the sponsor on bills that are great for labor and social justice, including the bill that prohibits most employers from considering criminal records of job applicants before considering if the applicant is qualified.

Perhaps most importantly to The Urbanist readers, Saldaña has now publicly come out against cutting Sound Transit funding, despite voting to pass cuts during the last session. The Senate bill she voted for replaced most of the funding cuts by cutting local education funding. This was preferable to the House bill but still a disaster. Saldaña indicated she will not support any bills that reduce Sound Transit funding. We commend Saldaña’s change of heart and will give her the benefit of the doubt. We expect we won’t see her vote again to undermine public trust by overturning a voter-approved levy, in service of right-wing, anti-tax efforts.

Lastly, we think she’ll move the Democratic caucus further to the left. She supports a variety of critical progressive issues, such as a statewide income tax. State Democrats will need to support additional revenue options in order for Seattle to ever get out of the housing crisis. The Urbanist endorses Rebecca Saldaña in the 37th Legislative District.

LD43-A: Nicole Macri

The Urbanist is endorsing Nicole Macri and asking you to give her your vote in the general election. Macri has been in the legislature for one term, has been an urbanist champion, and her questionnaire showed an expertise on and passion for our core issues.

In the midst of a housing and homelessness crisis in communities across Washington with people struggling to pay their rents or mortgages, Macri was at the forefront of legislative efforts that yielded the most resources to address these problems in over ten years. As prime sponsor of a bill that included the biggest increase in funding for homeless and housing assistance providing $27 million in new resources annually, Macri intends to further her efforts in the 2019 session. She intends to sponsor a number of bills and budget actions to increase the much needed funding to ensure its commensurate to the scope of the housing problem.

Macri helped defeat efforts to strip the voter-approved Sound Transit 3 package of hundreds of millions of dollars, ensuring vital transit projects may continue on schedule. She is committed to work towards a sustainable and equitable transportation system that expands infrastructure for transit, bikes, sidewalks, and other options that connect people to opportunity. This includes doing thoughtful multimodal transportation planning that considers both commuter and commercial needs.

She supports policies that promote equity in our tax structure, including state income tax. In the short-term, she supports the implementation of a capital gains tax and the strategic elimination of corporate tax breaks and loopholes.

Overall, we believe Macri will be able to use her professional experience of 20 years championing progressive causes on issues around affordable housing, homelessness, human services, and mental health to push for effective legislation that is responsive to the actual housing and homelessness and transportation needs. Macri is an exceptional candidate and The Urbanist strongly encourages you to vote for her. Vote Macri.

Vote Yes on Shoreline Prop 1 to Fund Sidewalks

Shoreline frequently doesn’t have consistent sidewalk connections, but 2018 Proposition 1 is seeking to change that with a dedicated funding stream. It doesn’t get much more urbanist than sidewalks.

Shoreline’s dearth of sidewalks mirror’s North Seattle’s–both mid-20th century suburban sprawl built around the automobile. Seattle annexed modern North Seattle in the 1950s. Shoreline was incorporated in 1995, its considerable sidewalk shortage still lingering.

The funding stream is a 0.2% increase in the city’s sales tax for a period of 20 years. The use of the sales tax (which falls harder upon low-income residents) isn’t ideal. But building sidewalks is a worthy goal, making this 20-year investment worth it. North Seattle’s example shows that building sidewalks is no sure thing without a dedicated funding stream–even 60+ years after annexation. The Urbanist endorses Shoreline Proposition 1: Sales and Use Tax.

Vote Yes on Intercity Transit Prop 1 in Thurston County

The state legislature passed a bill lasts session to allow Intercity Transit in Olympia to go to the ballot to increase its taxing authority. Well, Intercity decided to pull a quick turnaround and head to the ballot this November to improve and expand its transportation service.

Let’s continue to build a thriving regional transportation system and let our state capital lead by expanding bus routes into new areas of Thurston County, increasing frequency and operating hours of bus services, enhancing bus stops, investing in Bus Rapid Transit, creating a Night Owl Service, making capital improvements, and expanding services for seniors and those living with disabilities. Thurston County has the ability to connect more people to better opportunities.

While the federal administration continues to slash transportation funding, it is up to local districts to step up and support their communities. If rejected, 15% of Intercity Transit’s existing service will be cut, and vital connections will disappear for residents throughout the county.

The funding stream is a 0.4% increase in sales and use tax, which is 4 cents on every $10 taxable purchase and will generate $16 million to $20 million a year in additional revenue. A sales tax isn’t ideal due to its regressive nature, but until we get an income tax, it will suffice. The cost will pay off in creating an expanded and connected transportation system. If you live in Thurston County, vote yes for Intercity Transit Proposition 1.

Vote Yes on Lewis County’s Twin Transit Expansion Package

Twin Transit is hoping to expand its bus system to cover the entirety of Lewis County. This meets an urgent need as the nonprofit Lewis Mountain Highway Transit, which had covered eastern Lewis County is going to fold in 2019. This transit service helped Lewis County residents reach Centralia College and their health care provider.

Proposed 0.2% sales tax to fund the expansion. Minus Chehalis, Centralia, and Napavine, all other areas of Lewis County will have the option to vote to expand bus service. Two pennies on a $10 taxable purchase.

The initiative would create a region system–connecting Twin Cities (of Chehalis and Centralia) with Toledo, Winlock, and Vader–and also connecting Lewis County to Olympia and Longview.

This might not be the most fertile ground for transit support, but passing Twin Transit’s expansion package could win some new converts and provide a needed option for people who can’t drive or prefer not to. Vote yes on expanding Twin Transit service.

The Urbanist Election Board is composed of Scott Bonjukian, Keiko Budech, Lizzy Jessup, Patience Malaba, Anna Minard, Owen Pickford, and Doug Trumm.

The post 2018 General Election Endorsements first appeared on The Urbanist.

This year we are considering selected candidates running for US Congress, Washington State Legislature, and King County Prosecuting Attorney. We are publishing the questionnaires in full, concluding with our official general election endorsements in mid-October.

The following questionnaire was submitted by Dan Harder (R) running for State Senate in Legislative District 43. Harder’s opponent, incumbent Jamie Pedersen (D), did not submit a questionnaire .

***

Rapid Fire

Do you consider yourself an urbanist?

Yes.

Do you support an income tax?

No.

Short Answer

How do we keep Sound Transit 3 (ST3) timelines on track given that the Trump administration is slow-walking or eliminating grants for transit projects and construction costs are skyrocketing?

Cancel ST3 projects that are less than 50% complete as of today, and allow private financing of the remaining projects, require rapid completion of projects.

What is your position on the Sound Transit car-tab tax? Would you support a plan that cuts Sound Transit’s budget?

Absolutely. Sound Transit is out of control and unresponsive to taxpayers.

How will you leverage state resources to increase affordable housing?

By requiring immediate and cost effective congestion relief to be the primary focus of WSDOT and RTA improvement projects, requiring short horizons for project completions and reducing excessive design requirements and requirements for absurd studies that artificially increase costs and funnel money to anti-commuter special interests. Reducing congestion will reduce the demand for housing in the city and make housing more affordable.

Washington is ranked as having the most regressive tax code in the nation. Rich households pay a much lower effective tax rate than poor households. What, if anything, do you propose to do about that?

Much of that is due to disparities in property taxes to fund education, as well as the inherent issue with using sales tax as a primary source of revenue, and recently imposed sales taxes on alcohol and sugary drinks. The recent McCleary fix will help resolve the regressive nature of property taxes that result in low rates for wealthy areas. I would consider means-tested exemptions to sales tax to help poor families. I would revoke the recent tax on sugary drinks and ban other such sin taxes on food. I support I-1634.

How should our state address climate change and would you back a carbon tax bill similar to what Governor Inslee has proposed? 

I will not support any carbon tax, income tax or other new source of tax revenue for the state. The carbon tax will do nothing to prevent climate change, it is simply a virtue signal and grab for revenue and power. I support strong enforcement of pollution laws and better management of forests to reduce wildfires.

Would you vote to permit local transit agencies and police departments to implement camera enforcement of transit lanes in order to keep buses moving through traffic bottlenecks? Why or why not?

No. I support eliminating bottlenecks for all vehicles, not just transit. Working parents should not be made to suffer in favor of the rich who work in the city and can afford housing near local transit hubs.

How can we protect and preserve the open spaces in Washington State?

I support better management of state forests, and full funding of state parks and recreation areas. I support enforcing vagrancy laws and making parks and open spaces safe for families.

What is your favorite mode of transportation and why?

My V-8 Jeep.

The next time the state legislature crafts a major transportation funding package, what do you want to see in it?

As said above, prioritization of vehicle congestion reduction, on a per-dollar basis. Elimination of wasteful ST3 projects that do nothing to reduce congestion. Reduction of regulations that make projects more expensive. Allow private financing to reduce costs, and require speedy completion to reduce costs and quickly achieve intended results.

The post 2018 Endorsement Questionnaire: Dan Harder first appeared on The Urbanist.

This year we are considering selected candidates running for US Congress, Washington State Legislature, and King County Prosecuting Attorney. We are publishing the questionnaires in full, concluding with our official general election endorsements in mid-October.

The following questionnaire was submitted by Joseph Brumbles (R-Yelm) running for Congressional District 10. Brumble’s opponent, incumbent Denny Heck (D-Olympia), did not submit a questionnaire .

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Do you consider yourself an urbanist?

No.

What can Congress do so that the ratio of representatives to people is less skewed towards rural areas and urban areas get a fairer person-to-representative ratio?

The number of Representatives determined by area mass, instead of population density. Put in place an electoral college at the state level.

Does the federal government have a responsibility to prevent sprawl? If no, why? If yes, why and what are the most impactful actions you would support?

Absolutely not. People should be able to live where they like. The states created the Federal government, the Federal government is not supposed to control every element of our lives, nor is it beneficial to us for it to do so. We need limited government.

What do you think are the three primary causes of unaffordable housing? What would be your favored policies for addressing the high cost of housing?

1.) Supply vs demand
2.) Inflation due to bad policy
3.) The permitting restrictions and time constraints, costs , zoning, etc.

My favored policies would be to fix the above mentioned.

What would you do to prevent cities from a race to the bottom poaching businesses through economic incentives?

Lower taxes for business and citizens.

Do you believe federal law enforcement should take a stronger hand in local law enforcement policies? If no, why? If yes, why and how?

Absolutely not. The states have rights. It is not the job of the Federal government to police states or cities or their policies. Policy is also more often than not, not a one size fits all.

What is your preferred legislative solution to address climate change?

Clean energy, but it must also be affordable energy. We can do this through competitive grants, etc. and by utilizing our newest technologies.

What can the federal government do to stem the increasingly segregated nature of our communities?

Get Lobbyists and their money out of our political system. Reform campaign finance. Make it so that even a poor person can win a seat in congress, etc. without selling off their values to the highest bidder. This would take away a lot of the encentive for elitests to mis inform and divide the populace, including much of their power to “steer” policy, which is what creates a lot of the segregation to begin with. Also focus on family structure in our society and inclusive programs for our youth.

What book has been most influential on your views of how cities work, their strengths, and strategies for addressing their problems? What lesson(s) did you take away?

None too special as of yet.

Would you support a higher capital gains tax on all real estate?

No.

Would you support nationwide inclusionary zoning?

No

Would you support phasing out the home mortgage interest deduction?

No

The post 2018 Endorsement Questionnaire: Joseph Brumbles first appeared on The Urbanist.

This year we are considering selected candidates running for US Congress, Washington State Legislature, and King County Prosecuting Attorney. We are publishing the questionnaires in full, concluding with our official general election endorsements in mid-October.

The following questionnaire was submitted by Strom Peterson (D-Edmonds) running for Legislative District 21A, which covers Edmonds, Lynnwood, and Mulkiteo. Peterson’s opponent, Amy Schaper (R) did not submit a questionnaire.

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Rapid Fire

Do you consider yourself an urbanist?

Yes.

Do you support an income tax?

Yes.

Short Answer

How do we keep Sound Transit 3 (ST3) timelines on track given that the Trump administration is slow-walking or eliminating grants for transit projects and construction costs are skyrocketing?

I will continue to work with our federal delegation to ensure that the promised federal funding remains in tact. Meanwhile, we must continue to work with Sound Transit and all of our local communities to make sure we extend light rail to the outlying areas as promised when we voted on ST3.

What is your position on the Sound Transit car-tab tax? Would you support a plan that cuts Sound Transit’s budget?

I believe we need to readjust the car-tabs to more current valuations. While this might have budget implications to Sound Transit, we also need to take the long view and ensure the public will support transit opportunities well into the future.

How will you leverage state resources to increase affordable housing?

As Vice Chair of the Capital Budget Committee, we made record investments in affordable housing across the state. We must continue to work with our local partners to find the best opportunities for those most in need. We must also work with cities on increasing density and opportunities for homeownership at all levels of affordability.

Washington is ranked as having the most regressive tax code in the nation. Rich households pay a much lower effective tax rate than poor households. What, if anything, do you propose to do about that?

I will continue to support a tax on the sale of capital gains, closing corporate tax loopholes, and restructuring the B&O and real estate excise taxes. In conjunction, we should look for opportunities to reduce sales tax and property tax rates.

How should our state address climate change and would you back a carbon tax bill similar to what Governor Inslee has proposed? 

Yes, I have backed the carbon tax bill Governor Inslee proposed and I’m a strong supporter if I-1631. I have also supported low carbon fuels standards, clean energy investments and more efficient transportation infrastructure to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Would you vote to permit local transit agencies and police departments to implement camera enforcement of transit lanes in order to keep buses moving through traffic bottlenecks? Why or why not?

Yes. While I have some issues with the overuse of traffic cameras, I believe this is a local decision and that they can be effective in keeping buses moving through traffic bottlenecks.

How can we protect and preserve the open spaces in Washington State?

We must continue to support the Growth Management Act, and work on increasing density within our urban areas to avoid suburban sprawl.

What is your favorite mode of transportation and why?

My favorite mode of transportation is the Washington State Ferry System. It’s a beautiful way to travel around the region.

The next time the state legislature crafts a major transportation funding package, what do you want to see in it?

I’d like to see increased funding for the electrification of our transportation system, including expanding charging stations throughout the state and greater efficiencies in our ferry system.

The post 2018 Endorsement Questionnaire: Strom Peterson first appeared on The Urbanist.

This year we are considering selected candidates running for US Congress, Washington State Legislature, and King County Prosecuting Attorney. We are publishing the questionnaires in full, concluding with our official general election endorsements in mid-October.

The following questionnaire was submitted by Sydney Gillman Wissel running as a Libertarian for Legislative District 36A, which covers the Queen Anne, Magnolia, and Ballard neighborhoods of Seattle. Wissel’s opponent, incumbent Noel Frame (D-Seattle) did not submit a questionnaire.

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Rapid Fire

Do you consider yourself an urbanist?

No.

Do you support an income tax?

No.

Short Answer

How do we keep Sound Transit 3 (ST3) timelines on track given that the Trump administration is slow-walking or eliminating grants for transit projects and construction costs are skyrocketing?

We don’t. We go back and do an honest cost-benefit analysis.

What is your position on the Sound Transit car-tab tax? Would you support a plan that cuts Sound Transit’s budget?

Yes. Car tab costs are irrationally onerous.

How will you leverage state resources to increase affordable housing?

I would work to eliminate needlessly limiting zoning laws and regulations to increase supply so the market would provide or the state would get more housing for the cost.

Washington is ranked as having the most regressive tax code in the nation. Rich households pay a much lower effective tax rate than poor households. What, if anything, do you propose to do about that?

Lower taxes on everyone.

How should our state address climate change and would you back a carbon tax bill similar to what Governor Inslee has proposed? 

No, people need to be freed to make their own choices. No loopholes for polluting business, no taxation of necessary fuel for people just trying to get through the day.

Would you vote to permit local transit agencies and police departments to implement camera enforcement of transit lanes in order to keep buses moving through traffic bottlenecks? Why or why not?

No, it is unconstitutional.

How can we protect and preserve the open spaces in Washington State?

Privatize them. Property-owners have a VESTED, direct interest in their land and will maintain it much better than a public organization. Would you rather use a public bathroom or a private one?

What is your favorite mode of transportation and why?

I enjoy taking the bus or the train because it gives me the freedom to read or craft while traveling. Given that it takes two to three times as long to use these methods and my time is extremely valuable I cannot afford to give up my car.

The next time the state legislature crafts a major transportation funding package, what do you want to see in it?

I want to see the Magnolia Bridge replaced and major arterials widened.

The post 2018 Endorsement Questionnaire: Sydney Gillman Wissel first appeared on The Urbanist.

This year we are considering selected candidates running for US Congress, Washington State Legislature, and King County Prosecuting Attorney. We are publishing the questionnaires in full, concluding with our official general election endorsements in mid-October.

The following questionnaire was submitted by Frank Deisler running for Legislative District 32B (which stretches from the Broadview neighborhood of Seattle to Lynnwood) on the Republican ticket. Deisler’s opponent, Lauren Davis (D-Shoreline) did not submit a questionnaire.

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Rapid Fire

Do you consider yourself an urbanist?

Yes.

Do you support an income tax?

No.

Short Answer

How do we keep Sound Transit 3 (ST3) timelines on track given that the Trump administration is slow-walking or eliminating grants for transit projects and construction costs are skyrocketing?

By ending illegal sanctuary city and state policies, the Federal government will most likely cooperate with grants and funding assistance. More tax revenue will be available to complete the project.

What is your position on the Sound Transit car-tab tax? Would you support a plan that cuts Sound Transit’s budget?

High car tab costs hurt low income people the most. I support the $30 annual car tab tax.

How will you leverage state resources to increase affordable housing?

I support taxing and regulating marijuana cafes. A possible $200 million dollar tax windfall in the first year alone. All collected tax revenue shall be applied towards affordable housing construction projects. Legalizing, taxing, and regulating sex workers could lead to a $300 million tax windfall which should be applied towards affordable housing.

Washington is ranked as having the most regressive tax code in the nation. Rich households pay a much lower effective tax rate than poor households. What, if anything, do you propose to do about that?

It is a fact that high income households contribute much more in taxes than low income households. Marxist tax policies will do more harm than good to our state.

How should our state address climate change and would you back a carbon tax bill similar to what Governor Inslee has proposed? 

I do not support a carbon tax bill. It will hurt low income and working class people the most. I would support providing tax breaks for consumers who purchase electric vehicles.

Would you vote to permit local transit agencies and police departments to implement camera enforcement of transit lanes in order to keep buses moving through traffic bottlenecks? Why or why not?

Yes. Cameras should only be operating during peak hours. Speedy, efficient, bus service will encourage more people to choose bus transit instead of personal vehicles.

How can we protect and preserve the open spaces in Washington State?

Continue to fund state parks and land. Allow local municipalities a greater voice in how best to utilize open space.

What is your favorite mode of transportation and why?

Riding the Bus is my favorite mode of transportation. It is usually on time and always has interesting people on board.

The next time the state legislature crafts a major transportation funding package, what do you want to see in it?

More Bus service, more Bus routes statewide. We will need more east-west bus lines leading passengers to light rail stations.

The post 2018 Endorsement Questionnaire: Frank Deisler first appeared on The Urbanist.

This year we are considering selected candidates running for US Congress, Washington State Legislature, and King County Prosecuting Attorney. We are publishing the questionnaires in full, concluding with our official general election endorsements in mid-October.

The following questionnaire was submitted by Ted Cooke running for Legislative District 47B (which includes parts of Auburn, Covington, and Kent) on the Republican ticket. Cooke’s opponent, Pat Sullivan (D-Covington), did not submit a questionnaire.

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Rapid Fire

Do you consider yourself an urbanist?

No.

Do you support an income tax?

No.

Short Answer

How do we keep Sound Transit 3 (ST3) timelines on track given that the Trump administration is slow-walking or eliminating grants for transit projects and construction costs are skyrocketing?

I think ST3 should be put on hold indefinitely and a fraction of the amount spent on new roads and highways. ST3 was sold to voters under false premises. Voters were told the average adult would pay only $14 per month. That number assumes a total of around 12.5 million adults in the state all paying every month for 25 years. But there are only 7.4 million people total in the State. So the real cost would be $26 per month for every individual in the state–from a newborn in Okanogan to an elder on the Makah Reservation. [Editor’s note: Sound Transit taxes and fees only apply in the Sound Transit Taxing District which includes neither Okanogan or the Makah Reservation. The district includes the urbanized portion of King County, the southeast corner of Snohomish County, and urbanized Pierce County.]

Stretched along I-5 the 62 miles would not reach from the center of Olympia to North Seattle. If we want to do light rail we should re-purpose the many mile of existing railroad grade around the I-5 corridor which has had rails removed and been turned into biking and walking trails. It would cost pennies on the dollar to put back tracks, and several times more people would gain an hour or two per day riding the rail which they could use for exercise–and family, and hobbies–elsewhere.

What is your position on the Sound Transit car-tab tax? Would you support a plan that cuts Sound Transit’s budget?

I think ST3 was sold to the voters under false premises and should be put on hold indefinitely. Furthermore I believe that high car tab taxes place barriers to transportation for the 96% of families in the state who rely on automobiles, many of whom are poor and need cars and roads to have more education choices, more employment opportunities, and a better quality of life. I also believe Washington State’s fair and generally flat sales tax raises more than enough funds for State DOT to greatly alleviate traffic congestion if the dollars would simply be spent towards that purpose, not towards boutique rail, costly HOT lanes and restrictive toll bridges.

How will you leverage state resources to increase affordable housing?

The State legislature needs to ease both the Growth Management Act and environmental regulations which aren’t absolutely necessary in order to encourage more building in rural areas, which would result in more and cheaper housing for everyone. Right now the model is that in rural areas there can be only one house per 5 acres. Road construction is discouraged because it costs hundreds of thousands for road improvements per property front. Cities annex a rural area, pave it over entirely in the course of 20 years and build minimum roads to maximize tax base. Then, a couple decades later, they annex the next chunk of rural area and start over, which is an ecological disaster. Subsidized housing meanwhile has become a racket, where cities claim land at a fraction of it’s value using imminent domain, hand it over to developer lobbyists (following self interest) who put up inexpensive housing tax free, while permitting and environmental agencies charge top dollar. The taxpayers are getting taken to the cleaners at every step, and this kind of government waste ultimately hurts the chances for advancement of the lucky few who get into such housing by increasing their cost of living and payroll taxes.

Washington is ranked as having the most regressive tax code in the nation. Rich households pay a much lower effective tax rate than poor households. What, if anything, do you propose to do about that?

With a fair and flat tax like Washington State’s sales tax, rich households are not paying a lower State tax rate than poor households if they use a higher percentage of their income to buy things than a poor household does. Looking only at the State sales tax (the so called “regressive” tax, and that’s a loaded term) the only people who pay a “lower” tax rate are those who save a higher percentage of their income. It’s entirely possible for a poor household to save 10% of their income, and it’s entirely possible for a rich household to overspend 10% of their income (I’ve seen both of these things happen many times). Also, property taxes and transportation taxes (so called “progressive” taxes) create barriers to upward mobility for the very people such “progressive” taxes are supposed to be helping. Ultimately the best way we can reign in taxes for the poor and the rich is to spend less as a State government and shrink the current scope of State government.

How should our state address climate change and would you back a carbon tax bill similar to what Governor Inslee has proposed? 

The Paris Accord would have penalized the U.S. while leaving the world’s greatest CO2 emitter and several comparable CO2 emitters untouched for decades. It hoped to realize a 0.2 degree Celsius reduction in overall global temperature by the year 2100. That number is within margin of error. Washington state emits about 80 million tons of CO2 per year, less than a large volcano. That 80 million tons is about 0.3 percent of worldwide human CO2 generation. I do not believe we should penalize the people of the State of Washington with economic sanctions which will fall hardest on the poor in order to possibly change global temperature by 0.3% of 0.2 degrees eighty years from now.

Would you vote to permit local transit agencies and police departments to implement camera enforcement of transit lanes in order to keep buses moving through traffic bottlenecks? Why or why not?

I believe that in general real-time electronic monitoring is what you do for a defendant who is a flight risk or a convict on probation, and that’s about it. I have a big problem with electronic monitoring of anyone who is not a criminal. I oppose red light cameras, HOT lanes, toll bridges, mandatory service cameras and automated speeding ticket cameras. More troubling than the fact that most of these measures are mainly financially motivated is what they do to a free human spirit. If government can mandate real-time monitoring of the truck I’m driving, or mandate that any person wear a camera at all times when on the job, then why not further ensure compliance with the law by having two way telescreens prominently placed in every room of every private home, so people could be monitored at any time? The terms “private” and “public” are rendered meaningless if a private person in any private (i.e., non-government) vehicle is subject to real time electronic monitoring by the state.

How can we protect and preserve the open spaces in Washington State?

In the Constitution of the United States (which the Washington State Constitution calls under it’s Article 1, Section 2, “the supreme law of the land”) the federal government is granted by Article 1, Section 8 only 10 square miles for a capital (D.C.) and needful land for buildings and military bases, that’s it. Originally the Northwest Ordinance gave the federal government temporary oversight of territories until such time as they could be formed into states. There is nothing constitutional about having the federal government own a large percentage of land in a given state. And it’s not necessarily wise for the State to own large portions of lands either, apart from cases of clear environmental need or compelling natural wonder (the rain forest, Mt. Rainier park, etc). One of the earlier sections of this questionnaire asked about affordable housing. We have more than enough land for everyone to have a home but much of the land in the state is tied up by unnecessary (and that’s the key word, unnecessary) public ownership. Yes, many great open spaces should be preserved. And at the same time, people’s rights to individual life, liberty and property should be preserved and protected as well.

What is your favorite mode of transportation and why?

Any mode involving my wife and family and a day off! Because time is life, and time spent with family, or doing a hobby, is priceless. (That’s part of why I’m a strong advocate for congestion relief in the form of building more roads and highways, BTW.) [Editor’s note: see our writing on induced demand to show why America’s repeated efforts to highway-build our way out of congestion has not worked and will never work in Seattle.]

The next time the state legislature crafts a major transportation funding package, what do you want to see in it?

I’d like to see ST3 put indefinitely on hold, see many retired existing railroad grades re-purposed for affordable light rail, see a major highway put in along the cascade foothills (with tie ins to 520, 18, 410, etc.) and see more inter-regional major roads put in. Uber and self-driving cars are coming. By 2041, the target date of ST3, they will have taken a meaningful percentage of Metro’s business, because unlike mass transit they can go from point A to point B for pennies on the dollar. We are going to need new roads and that’s a good thing. We are growing as a State. We are a place of opportunity and income mobility for immigrants and the poor.

The post 2018 Endorsement Questionnaire: Ted Cooke first appeared on The Urbanist.