Mayor Nickels expands his horizons
Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels has mounted a new national stage, to go along with his climate-change leadership role. This one is about metropolitan regionalism. The mayor is joining a national crusade by the Brookings Institution, hoping to steer more and wiser funding to American metropolitan regions. The key argument, not exactly a new one, is that cities generate most American wealth and innovations, so the rural-oriented Congress ought to get on board.
Mayor Nickels was a late, sudden, but passionate convert to the global warming cause. Likewise, he's not exactly been known for his regionalism, despite years as a King County Councilmember. Nickels doesn't really do partnerships, preferring to stake out a Seattle-centric position and hold his ground. So these words from his speech Thursday at a Brookings forum might seem both odd and hopeful:
Seattle is the biggest city in the Greater Seattle region, which includes 80 smaller municipalities, each with its own way of seeing the world. We need to step away from our narrow interests and achieve broad agreement among our cities and towns. If we do this, if we work together with our state and federal leaders for the common good, we shall ensure our urban regions remain a hotbed of creative entrepreneurship and make long strides toward our goals of economic opportunity and environmental protection.
You can read the full speech here. It all makes a lot of sense. By pulling together cities and surrounding metro suburbs, the lobbying clout increases in Congress, and it suggests a more rational allocation of federal resources. By associating metro regions with economic prosperity, that makes a better case than citing welfare needs, threats of "long hot summers," or neglected infrastructure. And it helps position Nickels as a national leader of attractive cities such as Seattle, which are not only churning out jobs but also leading the green parade. This platform could help if Nickels is in search of a national job with an Obama administration, as both he and King County Executive Ron Sims seem to be, or just to give him more clout when he comes calling on Congress for the next transit infusion.
No doubt Sen. John McCain will continue to stigmatize cities as bastions of sinister liberalism. Most Democratic candidates also rarely mention urban issues, lest they be tarred. Sen. Barack Obama has kept to this course so far, but he truly is a city guy, and his home town Chicago (Mayor Nickels' birthplace) is one of the most vibrant and innovative American cities.
That said, regional cooperation is a bear to pull off, and Seattle has one of the worst records of all. Examples are our congestion, the failure of Proposition 1 (roads and transit), and the very weak regional governance. Nickels candidly noted this in his keynote address, pointing out that "the Urban Land Institute just named us the top city for unfunded critical infrastructure."
Comments:
Posted Thu, Jun 12, 8:36 p.m. inappropriate
I have had enough of the Nickels way: It 's not about a regional perspective but a Seattle centric perspective. You only have to look at the ongoing pissing contest between Nickels and Ron Sims to see that Nickels is more interested promoting the Seattle or should I day Nickels/Ceis agenda.
signed, fed up seattle resident
Posted Sat, Jun 14, 8:43 a.m. inappropriate
Talk Welcome - Will he Walk?: As David points out, the DC speech is mostly all about influencing the upcoming debate in Congress on transportation. If Congress places higher priority on urban places, Seattle benefits.
One big test of whether Mayor Nickels will actually deliver regionally is not cutting the ribbon on light rail later this year, but whether he'll invest himself and deliver a Sound Transit ballot measure in 2008.
He's for it. He's the Chair. He routinely complains about dithering. Will he deliver?
If he can't deliver on regional transit in an era of steeply rising gas prices and profound voter interest in building a greener region, one big cause might be his relatively late play to be a regional mayor and failure to effectively use the regional bully pulpit that comes with being Seattle's mayor.
Posted Tue, Jun 17, 1:01 a.m. inappropriate
Tax allocation IN WA: 1/ Tax percapita - The federal government gives more money per capita in WA than 40 other states.
2/ Puget Sound Economy - King co., pierce Co.; snohomish co. account for $500 Million in economic activity acording to www.WA.Gov
3. Infrastructure cost in Puget sound economy - Estimates are $400 billion over the next 25 years. A look at the tax base of the region shows huge increases in Real Estate taxes, and Sales tax... the largest burden upon the middle class, the millionaires, developers and billionaires get off relatively free... look at assessed value of land from 1987 to 2007 = 20 years 500% increase retired people have had to leave the urban area due to the cost of living and speculators have make the profits! and hosed the taxpayers of WA
Real Estate Impact fees - Most other states charge developers for impacts upon roads, water ,sewer, schools, colleges and criminal justice system.
In WA we let the developers create shell corporations and pay tiny impact fees. Example Smith Tower, it was remodeled 7 years ago with total upgrades, now a developer has bought it for $240 per sq foot and will sell it for $1,000 per sq foot and pay no impact fees... charge 140 per sq foot
Development cost savings - WA would save billions in taxes if it forced businesses to relocate to suburban areas and rural areas like bellingham,moses lake, yakama, aberdeen chehallis etc.
Tax Cut Audits - We are giving subsidies to corporations by allowing growth with no review of tax cuts. Let new growth pay for expansion ...we have 1,000's each month relocationg to WA and we the taxpayers subsidize them and developers make inflated profits compared to other states for the same single family home. built.
Taxe Cuts in WA State - The WA dept of revenue says there are $56 billion in tax uts the majority to the wealthy...includes xmas trees, doctors, real estate agents, developers and farmers... $56 BILLION !!!!!!!!!!!!! People check out the web site! would save $5-12 BILLION
King County Taxes - 71% of the county general fund is for criminal justice... low level criminals have expanded jail time in the last 15 years from 10 days to 60-90 days in jail... would save millions
Criminal Justice - The Criminal Justice system does not track UNDUPLICATED NUMBERS this means track each criminal the first time they enter the jail or issued a misdomeanor ... then track the number of times a few enter the system... We would find the police union roust the same few people mostly those of color in disproportionate numbers... Time to reform criminal justice system... expand house arrest, and alternative sentensing - in CA non profits administer 6,000 cases per year at no cost to the tax payers in aRiver side county.... He we have sworn dupities administer the programs at $150,000 per officer... they have just transfered the prisoner to a new duty station outside the jail.... only a change of scenery for the dupety not the prisoners because it can be administered by non profit employes for $46,000 avg pay ... a savings of 104,000 per position... would save millions
Sound 'Transit - the only way to remove a sound transit board member is to impeach them from there elected position in county, or city government... time for the public to reform transportation and create a regional authority and eliminate 100 tansportation agencies in WA... tye all have 40-50% admin cost each... would save millions
transportation Commission - Gov greguire was give control of the WA transportaiton and now the WA transportation is now just a paper tiger and subject to politics of the Governors office...lets go bac th the reform created yeas ago of pork barrel spending by the WA Governor... would save millions...