The City Council and Mayor in Seattle are deliberating and deciding the priorities for increased transportation funding this year, probably in the form of a city-wide ballot measure this fall, spurred on by the desire of the Mayor to find some funding for burying the Alaskan Way Viaduct in a tunnel on the waterfront.

Transit funding must rise as a top priority for this ballot measure. Any ballot measure in Seattle in 2006, must include a significant amount of funding dedicated to increased bus service and new transit hubs.

Basic transportation improvements remain important for Seattle. Lets not diminish the importance of sidewalks (for those areas that lack them), bike lanes and fixing the backlog of street repairs. Yet these priorities, which can also come from an increased allocation from general fund dollars, are basic quality of life issues, and are not specifically related to congestion relief and creating alternatives to car dependence with better transit.

Removing or burying the viaduct must be a top priority for the city. Yet, the funding for this project must also be part of a long-term plan in Seattle to create a vibrant downtown. A downtown of increased density, with a focus on new affordable housing and serving as Seattle’s primary transit hub.

Take these generic polls with a huge grain of salt, but it certainly runs counter to the "incompetent dems cant find ass from hole in ground" storyline.

March 15, 2006
Democratic Congressional Lead Among Registered Voters Largest Since '82 Midterm--Lead by 55% to 39% on generic ballot
The latest CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll finds the Democratic Party leading the Republican Party 55% to 39% among registered voters in the generic congressional ballot. Gallup asks this question to get a sense of how people will vote in this year's elections for the U.S. House of Representatives.

This is the largest lead Democrats have held over Republicans in the 2006 campaign thus far, and the largest lead Democrats have enjoyed among registered voters in a midterm election since 1982. In the 1992 presidential campaign, Democrats led Republicans by 20 percentage points following the Democratic national convention that year. Once likely voter turnout models are applied -- something usually done later in the campaign -- the Democrats' advantage on the generic ballot is reduced given higher turnout rates among Republicans than Democrats. Still, a lead of this size would suggest a solid Democratic advantage among likely voters and the likelihood of Democratic seat gains.

As all of you are I am sure aware, London was attacked by a series of bombings not long ago. It seems that the death toll may remain mercifully low, but who knows.

One frightening realization that strikes me is that we may now be entering a new era of small, disruptive and civilian-focused terrorist attacks. We do not have any more time in which to figure out how to really defeat terrorism.

If you have friends and family in London, Better Donkey wishes them God speed and good luck. I just got off the phone with my friends over there and found that the international operators are swamped, so be patient.

Karl Rove served his usual purpose as the the front line spewer of elephant shit during his acceptance speech for receiving the conservative Charles Edison Memorial Award (aka a Conservative Oscar).

With Democrats demanding an apology, the nations liberals relatively insulted, and the Republicans standing firm that whatever mother Rove says is golden - I thought we should take an opportunity to actually read, in context, exactly what the pasty face overlord of spin had to say about those of us against the war in Iraq (entire conservatives roxorz speech here):

But perhaps the most important difference between conservatives and liberals can be found in the area of national security. Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 and the attacks and prepared for war; liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers. In the wake of 9/11, conservatives believed it was time to unleash the might and power of the United States military against the Taliban; in the wake of 9/11, liberals believed it was time to… submit a petition. I am not joking. Submitting a petition is precisely what Moveon.org did. It was a petition imploring the powers that be" to "use moderation and restraint in responding to the… terrorist attacks against the United States."