It seems like just yesterday we were arguing about whether Sound Transit 3 was too big of an investment. Yet by the time the big King, Pierce and Snohomish county vote totals hit the Crocodile stage during the ST3 victory party, it was hard for the crowd to muster much of a cheer.
Sure, people made sounds that were a lot like cheers. But it could also have been the release of nervous, distraught energy as it became more and more clear that the Midwestern votes Hillary Clinton needed weren’t going to come in.
When someone who has made such horribly racist, sexist and Islamophobic promises is given this level of power, it’s time to question everything we are doing are transportation activists. ST3 is great — yay! — but holy shit, the terrain of our nation just shifted. What are we going to do to fight for justice, equality and a sustainable future? We got good at passing big transportation funding measures, but the challenges ahead will be very different.
Comments
9 responses to “Region passes gigantic transit investment, but it feels so feeble today”
The passing of ST3 is certainly good news – something we desperately need today – but the outcome of the Presidential election is so shocking, I will need a few days to regain my composure and get myself moving again.
We just have to dust ourselves off and fight and fight some more. Battle for clean energy and stopping global warming, fight racism and xenophobia, fight for a more equitable society. Be in it for the long term.
Insane that the idiot got elected though. Such a bad person. But it makes no difference, we need to continue to organize for what is right. We might have some good people coming along as well — https://twitter.com/EByard/status/796317753749729280
Well the acceptance speech called for infrastructure spending. Now is the time to be sure along with bridges that we build mass transit and bicycle lanes.
As far as I know, Trump hasn’t made any statements of what he will actually do, other than put forth vague goals. It’s hard to even begin to guess how his term will affect us. His campaign statements are too untenable and his behavior too inconsistent. I know what he has said but, frankly, I have no idea what he will do and what he will be able to do.
This election has been great for my diet. Every time I think of the outcome I lose my appetite. I hope for one of two scenarios: the new administration doesn’t act on their extreme rhetoric and maybe actually does something good for the country, or they screw up so bad the next election will swing strongly progressive and we will be ready with designed projects for federal assistance.
I hope the election leads to a re-alignment of the Democratic party to embrace the policies of FDR that built a strong middle-class in this country instead of paying attention to Wall Street, which has done caused nothing but cause hardship for all but the few at the very top who have reaped huge benefits.
[…] Supporters of Seattle’s $54 billion light rail measure learn they have won, but are still losing. Photo: Seattle Bike Blog […]
[…] Supporters of Seattle’s $54 billion light rail measure learn they have won, but are still losing. Photo: Seattle Bike Blog […]
Dear Seattle Bike Blog. Get over yourself and focus on cycling/pedestrian/transit issues.