Wisely the Washington State Legislature refused to fund Seattle's Mercer street redesign through a neighborhood largely controlled by former Microsoft executive Paul Allen (and his professonial staff).
Why, why in the world should we be spending stimulus money 'bailing out' Paul Allen?
Bailing out Paul Allen is about as smart as using eminent domain to destroy a neighborhood of mid-sized businesses to build a grand downtown park only 4 blocks from the grand downtown park we already have!. Allen should take responsibility for the history of abusive, and stupid, politics in this area - all the more certainly with this latest reiteration. Using your private money to justify putting other people down only means we should be taking the tool of your constitutional crimes.
The neighborhood solution for this area included the 'Potlatch Trail' a wide trail connecting Seattle Center park to South Lake Union just north of Broad Street.
Perhaps if we'd have listened to the neighborhood and figured out something smart this would have been taken care of ten years ago?
Perhaps Greg Nickels and Jan Drago should take a class on 'sharing' and 'playing well with others'?
And perhaps we should figure out transportation solutions for Downtown that don't lessen access to West Seattle and Ballard, both residents and 'real' businesses.
