One of the questions asked of Spokane City Council District 2 candidates at the League of Women Voters forum (first shown on July 23, link here, “Other Video Programs“) was, “Sometimes the Council grants developers exceptions to the Comprehensive Plan or zoning regulations. What would be your criteria for granting these exceptions?” Interestingly, while the […]
Other than the two incumbents in the City Council primary races and Steve Eugster, the candidates have been curiously silent regarding their positions on the “Bill of Frights” Charter Amendment proposal which will appear on the November ballot. I found no mention of that proposal during a quick tour of the web sites of candidates […]
Public transit nemesis Randall O’Toole also testified before the Senate committee hearing mentioned in the previous post (video and transcripts here). Some of his points (none of which were challenged by any member of the Committee or other witnesses): ♦ “Transit subsidies have historically had only a trivial effect on ridership. Between 1987 and 2007, annual subsidies […]
It is an article of unquestioned faith among advocates of public transit systems that such systems are more efficient than the privately-operated automobile (POV) for passenger transportation. The dogma was expressed most recently by Michael Replogle, a consultant for the Environmental Defense Fund and professional transit propagandist, in his testimony on July 7 before a Senate […]
One of the most amusing arguments in the repertoire of the anti-automobile zealots is the “Obesity Argument.” You know how it goes: we should build more bike lanes, force higher urban densities, build narrower, “traffic-calmed” streets, increase fuel taxes for auto users, etc., in order to compel people to walk and bicycle more. Obesity is, […]
The opinion of the Spokesman-Review’s editors (July 11) regarding the decision of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in Stormans v. Selecky is as puzzling as the decision itself. (The ruling in question lifted an injunction issued by a lower court which barred the State of Washington from enforcing a decree that pharmacists stock and dispense the “morning after” […]
Well, the blog is “officially” launched. Not much here yet, but give me some time. After haunting a number of other local blogs over the last several months — some of you may have read the rants of “Contrarian” — I decided to launch a blog of my own and give those other patient bloggers […]