Mike Siegel is an idiot
From the Yakima Herald-Republic:
Mike Siegel is an idiot. He's trying to latch onto Kirby Wilbur and John Carlson's initiative, but he makes himself look like a fool.
The Legislature doesn't just pass a major revenue increase and say, "Gee, we guess we'll figure out how to spend the money later." They map out exactly how the revenue will be spent. They do it every time they appropriate funds to be expended.
In this case, there is a list of 274 projects that the 2005 transportation package pays for. 241 are fully funded, the rest will require more money. Legislators did not fully fund all of the projects because they wanted local governments to pitch in on large projects that benefit them most.
Mike Siegel clearly doesn't know what he's talking out. An outline for how the money would be spent, indeed. This kind of talk reinforces the notion that Siegel is just plain stupid. You want to see an outline of the funds?
Go to WSDOT and they can tell you exactly how every last dime is going to be spent. Each project has a clearly defined sum of money.
Ignorance and apathy are a large part of what we're up against. Voters need to understand that this money isn't being dumped down a black hole. It's going towards projects across the state to enhance public safety and relieve congestion. Every community will benefit from this package.
A leading proponent of the initiative to repeal the state's boosted gas tax said Friday that legislators need to outline how the funds would be spent if the voters ever did agree to pay more at the pump.So what is Mike Siegel saying? Well, he's saying we need to "outline how the funds would be spent" - in other words, we need to figure out how we're going to spend the revenues we collect.
Mike Siegel, a talk show host for a Seattle radio station and supporter of Initiative 912, appeared at the Red Lion Hotel Yakima Center during a meeting of state Republicans. About 20 people attended Siegel's speech Friday evening.
[...]
"We don't know what's going to get done. It's really a lottery," Siegel said in a quick briefing with reporters before his speech.
Mike Siegel is an idiot. He's trying to latch onto Kirby Wilbur and John Carlson's initiative, but he makes himself look like a fool.
The Legislature doesn't just pass a major revenue increase and say, "Gee, we guess we'll figure out how to spend the money later." They map out exactly how the revenue will be spent. They do it every time they appropriate funds to be expended.
In this case, there is a list of 274 projects that the 2005 transportation package pays for. 241 are fully funded, the rest will require more money. Legislators did not fully fund all of the projects because they wanted local governments to pitch in on large projects that benefit them most.
Mike Siegel clearly doesn't know what he's talking out. An outline for how the money would be spent, indeed. This kind of talk reinforces the notion that Siegel is just plain stupid. You want to see an outline of the funds?
Go to WSDOT and they can tell you exactly how every last dime is going to be spent. Each project has a clearly defined sum of money.
Ignorance and apathy are a large part of what we're up against. Voters need to understand that this money isn't being dumped down a black hole. It's going towards projects across the state to enhance public safety and relieve congestion. Every community will benefit from this package.
