Light rail will not ease traffic congestion. Yes, that's a fact.

Dave Earling

Former chairman, Sound Transit

It's rare that conservatives find ourselves in agreement with King County Executive Ron Sims on any issue.

But Mr. Sims' recently declared opposition to the Roads and Transit mega-tax package puts us on the same side this time.

The liberal county executive, who until now has never seen a tax he doesn't like, is against Proposition 1 because he doesn't think it's "green" enough.

But Mr. Sims also noted in the Seattle Times recently that this will be "the largest tax increase in state history. Starting in January, car-tab taxes will triple, and the sales tax will be 9.5 percent...."

A detailed Washington Policy Center analysis concluded that the Roads and Transit package "is one of the largest tax-and-spend ballot measures in the history of U.S. local government."

Proposition 1, if approved, will cost residents of King, Pierce and Snohomish counties at least $47 billion over the next 50 years, with 60 percent of the proposed funding dedicated to building 50 miles of light rail north, south and east of Seattle.

Crafted with King County Councilwoman Julia Patterson, D-SeaTac, in a leadership role, this package will add only 186 miles to ease the burden on overcrowded highways-most of them "high-occupancy vehicle" lanes.

Construction is scheduled to last 20 years. If it progresses like the initial Sound Transit light-rail line, our grandchildren could be dead before the project is completed.

This Roads and Transit plan won't solve congestion in the short term - a point also made by Mr. Sims - and by the time the trains are running, population growth and traffic both will have increased beyond capacity.

Worse still, after bilking taxpayers out of all that money - estimated at about $2,000 a year for every man, woman and child - the completed light-rail system will carry less than 2 percent of all daily trips in the region.

A simple cost-benefit analysis alone should invoke the common sense necessary for voters to say a resounding "no" to King County Proposition 1 on Nov. 6.

Then maybe politicians and planners will give us an affordable transportation package that actually works.

SHOULD ERIC Mathison eventually consider another line of work, here's an idea: he's a natural to succeed George Ray at KCTS/Channel 9.

Eric's recent well-written comments urging readers of liberal persuasion to support local "progressive" talk radio reflected a commitment to his cause, much like what Mr. Ray conveys as he solicits memberships during the Seattle public television station's seemingly continuous on-air pledge drives.

Beyond his analysis, however, a couple of other possibilities may help explain "progressive" talk radio's difficulties in the marketplace of the airwaves.

First is the choice of the word "progressive" to describe this programming - not just by Eric but also by its principal supporters - which is just a smokescreen for "liberal."

The hosts are liberal, their positions are liberal and most of their small listening audience is liberal (or farther left).

Conservatives are proud of this label to define our political beliefs. Why, on the other hand, do liberals hide behind the "progressive" label rather than admitting who they really are?

Perhaps the answer lies in another reason why "progressive" talk radio doesn't enjoy the same success as conservative talk radio: liberals can't win in the arena of ideas.

Yes, this phrase is borrowed from Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity because it's spot-on.

That liberals and their accomplices in the mainstream news media too often resort to the politics of distortion and personal destruction rather than engage in free and open debate on issues is Exhibit A.

A footnote: Of special interest was Eric's classification of National Public Radio as "progressive" - something that liberals usually deny but conservatives have known for years.

Yet many conservatives do listen occasionally to NPR for the same reason he suggested some liberals tune it out. The fact that it has "a tendency to be a little 'On the one hand, but then on the other hand'" indicates a balance that listeners seldom find on ABC, CBS or NBC.

The views of Ralph Nichols are his own, and do not necessarily reflect those of Robinson Newspapers. He can be reached at ralphn@robinsonnews.com or 206-388-1857.