About this blog

My name is Bill Hirt and I'm a candidate to be a Representative from the 48th district in the Washington State legislature. My candidacy stems from concern the legislature is not properly overseeing the WSDOT and Sound Transit East Link light rail program. I believe East Link will be a disaster for the entire eastside. ST will spend 5-6 billion on a transportation project that will increase, not decrease cross-lake congestion, violates federal environmental laws, devastates a beautiful part of residential Bellevue, creates havoc in Bellevue's central business district, and does absolutely nothing to alleviate congestion on 1-90 and 405. The only winners with East Link are the Associated Builders and Contractors of Western Washington and their labor unions.

This blog is an attempt to get more public awareness of these concerns. Many of the articles are from 3 years of failed efforts to persuade the Bellevue City Council, King County Council, east side legislators, media, and other organizations to stop this debacle. I have no illusions about being elected. My hope is voters from throughout the east side will read of my candidacy and visit this Web site. If they don't find them persuasive I know at least I tried.

Saturday, October 4, 2014

Table of Blog Posts


Seattle's Real "Tunnel Boondoggle"             10/9/14
Rep. Ross Hunter No "Saint"                           10/03/14
East Link Dwarfs Big Bertha Boondoggle      9/25/14
DBA Presentation                                                9/23/14
What I Hoped to Present to the BDA              9/17/14
AWB Presentation                                                9/12/14
ST's "Real" Mercer Slough Problem                9/04/14
What I Would've (Will?) Told Seattle Times  8/31/14
What's With the PSRC ?                                      8/24/14
Local Transportation Leaders Inept or ???    8/14/14
More on East Link "Stupidity"                           8/11/14
East Link's Monumental Stupidity                    8/08/14
More Losers in the East Link Debacle              8/05/14
The Human Face of the East Link Debacle     7/30/14
East Link's $285 Million Operating Deficit     7/27/14
Two Numbers Should Stop East Link              7/19/14
East Link Will Bankrupt Central Link               7/09/14
More on East LInk Debacle                                7/06/14
The East Link Debacle                                          7/03/14
Bel Red's Real East Link Problem                      7/01/14
Bellevue City Council Lacks Credibility            6/25/14
Sound Transits Despicable I-90 4th Lane 
Delays                                                                       6/20/14
Lack of FHWA East Link Oversight                    6/19/14
More Sound Transit "Surprises"                        6/10/14
More Bellevue City Council Ineptness              5/28/14
New "Light Rail Hall of Shame" Inductees--
Bellevue City Council                                              5/25/14
Tax  "Payroll" Not "Sales" to Fund Metro        5/17/14
Sound Transit's Two Big Blunders                      5/13/14
More Sound Transit Board Incompetence      5/01/14
New Light Rail Hall of Shame Members           4/25/14
Sound Transit Board Can Atone for Past 
Mistakes                                                                    4/16/14
Light Rail "Hall of Shame"                                     4/12/14
Sound Transit's Prop 1 Debacle                           4/01/14  
Funding Metro Shortfall                                       3/21/14
Candidacy for 48th District                                  3/19/14
MI City Council Oblivious to East Link Reality  3/11/14
BBB Can Stop East Link                                           3/04/14
WSDOT Needs Better Leadership                        2/28/14
East Link Environmental Nightmare                    2/27/14
Why BRT Will Replace East Link by 2030            2/20/14
Times Could Stop Sound Transit Debacle           2/14/14
ST Board Needs New Leadership                          2/08/14
Bellevue City Council Doesn't "Care"                   2/03/14
Mercer City Council Still Doesn't Get It                1/29/14
More On ST/WSDOT Stopping I-90 Buses          1/28/14
I-405 Benefits From HOT                                         1/26/14
ST's East Link Insanity to End I-90 Buses              1/23/14
Four Questions MI Should Ask ST About East
Link                                                                                1/20/14
ST Attempts to "Buy" MI East Link Approval      1/17/14
Not "Better Late Than Never"                                 1/16/14
The Seattle Times Still Doesn't "Get It"                 1/13/14
Where The PSRC Got It Wrong                               1/09/14
The East Side Without East Link                              1/04/14
Happy New Year                                                          1/02/14
Mercer Island Can Stop I-90 Tolls (And East
Link)                                                                               12/29/13
Sound Transit Insanity Continues                          12/24/13
Citizens Advisory Committee Charade                 12/21/13
Operating Costs Doom Prop 1 Light Rail
Finances                                                                        12/18/13
The Choice is Clear                                                      12/12/13
Why Prop 1 Light Rail Extensions Should Be 
Stopped                                                                         12/11/13
Seattle Light Rail's Fatal Flaw                                   12/08/13
Solving Metro Shortfall                                             12/03/13
I-90 Tolling EIS Futility                                               11/30/13
Sound Transit UW Extension Problem                  11/23/13
Seattle Times Ineptitude                                           11/20/13
Mercer Island East Link Permit Approval 
Contingencies                                                               11/12/13
NotollingonI-90 EIS Scoping Failure                       11/08/13
Bel Red Noise Mitigation?                                         11/06/13
I-90/Light Rail Compatibility Test Status?             10/29/13
Meeting Area's Transportation Needs                   10/23/13
WSDOT I-90 Toll EIS "Scoping" Failure                  10/17/13
Lynnwood Light Rail Route Choice Clear               10/11/13
Responsible FHWA Oversight Could Stop East 
Link                                                                                  10/09/13
Legislature's Joint Transportation Committee's
Oversight Failure                                                          10/01/13
East Link Can be Stopped                                             9/25/13
WSDOT/ST Lawyers Fail to do "Due Diligence"     9/23/13
Hypocrisy Rampant at Bellevue Transportation 
Forum                                                                                9/21/13                                               
Stopping I-90 Tolling                                                      9/19/13
Supreme Court Errs in Freeman Decision                 9/17/13
Sound Transit Mendacity Wins Again                        9/14/13
EIS Won't Stop I-90 Tolling                                            9/04/13
One More Post                                                                  8/21/13
The End of the Blog                                                          8/09/13
WSDOT East Link Debacle Dwarfs 520 Problems    8/05/13
Sound Transit Can Be Stopped                                      8/04/13
Stopping East Link Not Enough                                     8/01/13
Sound Transit Problems Way Beyond East Link       7/29/13
BBB Appeal Could Stop East Link                                  7/25/13
East Side Legislators Can Stop East Link                      7/23/13
Sound Transit's Top Ten Blunders                                7/18/13
Seattle Times Not "Credible"                                         7/14/13
BCC East Link Justification "Flawed"                            7/11/13
Bellevue Patch Interview                                                7/09/13
King County Metro/Sound Transit Comparison       7/02/13
The  Seattle Times Could...?                                           6/25/13
Stopping Central Link Extensions Could ....?              6/21/13
Stopping East Link Would ....?                                        6/19/13
Times Endorsement Interview                                        6/16/13
Transportation Funding Concerns                                 6/13/13
Bellevue City Council "Ethics"                                          6/03/13
East Link's Real Impact                                                      5/30/13
Times and Legislature Ignore Sound Transit "Fund 
Misuse"                                                                                  5/21/13
My Candidacy for Bellevue City Council                       5/15/13
BCC Agreement Continues East Link Debacle              5/11/13
It Doesn't Hurt Yet                                                               5/01/13
Salvaging Light Rail in Seattle                                           4/26/13          
BBB Should "Litigate" Not "Mitigate" East Link           4/21/13
I-90 Tolls, Rubbing Salt on an Open Wound                4/18/13
ST/UW T/C   Decision Beyond  Incompetent                4/15/13
ST High Risk/No Reward Northgate Extension            4/10/13                 
Bellevue Reporter Blind to East Link Reality                 4/07/13
Light Rail Costs Threaten Entire Area                             3/29/13
Light Rail Operating Cost Debacle                                   3/23/13
BBB Should Appeal Judge's East Link Suit Decision    3/16/13
Post for Washington Joint Legislative Committee 
on Transportation                                                                3/14/13
Federal Way Central Link Extension "Idiotic"               3/09/13
Sound Transit East Link Funding Not "Prudent"          3/06/13
BCC and BR “Fiddle” While Bellevue “Burns”                3/03/13
BBB Mitigation Proposal Not the Answer
for East Link                                                          2/27/13
East Link Impact not De Minimis                          2/23/13
Bellevue Leadership Alternative Light Rail 
Draft Not the Answer                                             2/20/13
Silk Purse Out of a Sow's Ear                              2/18/13
Permit Approval Meeting Disappointing              2/13/13
Proposed Permit Approval Changes Would
Stop East Link                                                         2/09/13
Eastside Residents Deserve Better                      2/05/13
Bellevue City Council Still Doesn't Get It               2/02/13
BBB Suit Also Potential Winner                              2/01/13
Freeman/ETA Suit Should End East Link             1/25/13
WSDOT I-90 Toll Proposal Not the Answer for
SR520 Funding                                                       1/22/13
Sound Transit Incompetence Continues              1/15/13
Sound Transit and Seattle Times Still Don't
Get It                                                                          1/06/13
Council and Board Member Obligations                12/28/12
Sound Transit Board Advice                                    12/15/12
Sound Transit's Opposition to BBB Lawsuit Absurd
(Part 2)                                                                        12/12/12
Sound Transit's Opposition to BBB Lawsuit Absurd
                                                                                     12/07/12
Freeman/ETA East Link Lawsuit Appeal Problematic
                                                                                     12/06/12
BBB East Link Lawsuit "Slam Dunk"                       12/02/12
Five BCC Questions for Sound Transit                   11/20/12
More Times Editorial Page Absurdities                   11/19/12
Washington Policy Center's Ambiguous East 
Link Policy                                                                  11/17/12
Bellevue's East Link Ineptitude                                11/15/12
ABCWW Big ST/East Link Winner                           11/14/12
Two Options to Save Bellevue                                 11/10/12
Thank You For Your Interest and Support              11/07/12
Faulty Sound Transit Audit                                        11/06/12
More Bellevue Reporter Machinations                     11/04/12

My  Blog Lives On                                                        10/30/12
Times Editorial Wrong Again                                            10/26/12
Seattle Times Abets East Link Debacle                   10/25/12
Another Undoubtedly Futile BCC Appearance        10/22/12

Voters Pamphlet  “Oversight”                                     10/19/12
Sound Transits Sounder North Line Debacle                  10/18/12
Top Ten Reasons to Stop East Link                          10/17/12
Lakewood Sounder Extension More ST Incompetency   10/12/12
No One Cares About East Link Devastation or Gridlock 10/11/12
The “Human Face” to the East Link Debacle                  10/06/12
Bellevue Reporter and BCC East Link “Objections”       10/02/12  
Bellevue City Council East Link Support Betrays
East Side                                                                          9/25/12
I-90 Corridor City Councils Ignore East Link Debacle     9/20/12
Times Cont’d East Link Complicity New Low in 
Responsible Journalism                                               9/13/12

Seattle Times East Link Complicity                             9/05/12
8/28 Presentation to 48th District Republicans          8/28/12
Marijuana Risks                                                             8/20/12
Bellevue Reporter's Lord Voldemort Candidate         8/14/12
Times Interview Presentation                                             8/12/12
Where’s Seattle Transit Blog Rebuttals?                             8/10/12
BRT Obvious Choice Over Light Rail                               8/08/12
Sound Transit; Mendacious, Incompetent and Arrogant  8/02/12
A Better Choice for 520 Commuters,                         7/29/12             
Street Cars Not Light Rail for Bel-Red                         7/24/12     
My Other Ideas for Legislature                                     7/21/12
WSDOT Major Culprit In East Link Debacle               7/19/12
East Link's Real Environmental Impact                      7/15/12

One Way To Stop East Link                                            7/12/12
Eastside Republican Salmon Fest Presentation          7/11/12
ST Response to DEIS Questions, “Questionable”        7/05/12
LW Bridge Concerns With East Link                              7/04/12
Muni League Not Qualified Rating No Surprise            7/01/12
Bellevue City Councils Self-Inflicted Wound                    6/30/12  
2nd Presentation to 48th District Republicans                  6/26/12
East Link Obscenity                                                            6/19/12
BRT Not Tunnel Answer to East Link                               6/17/12       
Municipal League Candidate Evaluation Committee
Presentation                                                                      6/14/12
Sound Transit’s Other Debacle                                       6/12/12       
Bellevue City Council “Dances” With Sound 
Transit                                                                             6/11/12           
East Link Hurts Central Link Viability                           6/07/12         
Sound Transit Cost Savings Charade                        6/05/12         
Response for LWVWA Voters Guide- 
I’ll Be Vindicated                                                            6/02/12           
Sound Transit’s Second Big Lie                                  5/31/12           
The Question Sound Transit Refuses to Answer      5/30/12            
Bellevue Reporter Ignores My 48th District Candidacy    5/26/12    BCC Malfeasance                                                          5/25/12     
East Link’s Fatal Flaw                                               5/24/12            
My First Presentation to 48th District Republicans   5/23/12           
Sound Transit Incompetence                                      5/22/12          
The Emperors New Clothes                                        5/21/12        
More On Why I Run                                                     5/19/12           
 Lipstick on a Pig                                                          5/19/12         
BCC Could Stop East Link but Won’t                        5/17/12            
ST and WSDOT Lie to Kittitas Judge in Freeman 
Suit                                                                              5/16/12          
Free/ETA Appeal of Kittitas Judges Rejection of 
Suit                                                                               5/15/12           
Case Against East Link                                               5/15/12    

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