It seems like a lot of officials and politicians want a tunnel to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct. But not our Mayor Mike Mcginn. Well, bless his courageous heart.

His underlying view is that Seattle residents should not get stuck with the inevitable millions of dollars in cost overruns resulting from the tunnel project.

It's funny how things happen in Seattle, even with the consent of the voters who end up picking up the tab, but who get a dubious benefit for their money. 

The light rail project that connects downtown to the airport is a good example. This expensive project feathers the nest of some downtown business interests, but it does very little to address transportation problems in the region. 

Most members of the Seattle City Council love the tunnel idea, too. 

Is it possible that McGinn is standing firm because he truly believes what he says? We agree with him.  

Lately we have not heard much about the cost overruns.

The group SCAT (Seattle Citizens Against the Tunnel) thinks the cost will be $8 billion to 10 billion! SCAT arrived at the high figure by adding imputed interest on the bonds that would be sold to finance the tunnel. And, that is before cost overruns.

Like buying a house, the list price you pay is far less than the cost over time. The Washington State Department of Transportation sent us their 150 page PDF in which they estimate the cost at $1.8 billion. But, that PDF is out of date. 

There are other concerns, too. Elliott Bay shoreline has unstable wet sand and gravel and fill material that could give way above the tunnel, especially while the boring takes place because there is nothing solid to hold it in place to stabilize the circumference. This is not like tunnels in other U.S. cities (New York), where a tunnel was bored through granite.

Construction trades bosses want it because it will create jobs. But so would alternatives to the tunnel.

Gov. Chris Gregoire thinks traffic will keep flowing on the viaduct during tunnel construction over a five-year span. This contradicts her view that the viaduct must come down  because it is vulnerable  anytime to an earthquake.

She  also has  to keep her Eastern  Washington constituents happy, and asking them to help pay for a Seattle tunnel takes a lot of hugs and kisses.

McGinn stands as a lone voice for fiscal responsibility against a madding crowd of sanguine tunnelers. Critics have pounded the mayor with since the day he took office.

We think McGinn is a resolute leader to go it alone, and he deserves respect for his position.

Ken Robinson is the editor of the Ballard News-Tribune and West Seattle Herald.