I am deeply disappointed by the statement signed by Mayor Nickels and Councilmember Drago to Governor Gregoire in response to her determination that the State of Washington will not finance a tunnel replacement for Hwy 99 through downtown Seattle. Read it here: http://www.seattle.gov/news/detail.asp?ID=6942&Dept=40

After first denying the public a vote in the tunnel vs. raised roadbed options for the viaduct, Mayor Nickels now laments the option of a vote being snatched away by the governor. Such hypocrisy. Remember, this is the person who supported, nay; advanced, a fourth vote on the monorail - only to snatch away that support, working behind the scenes to insure the ballot would fail. This makes it clear that Nickels is not interested in transportation solutions except for his pet projects like the cost-overrun Sound Transit and his cost-estimated inflated "Tunnel of Love."

I am saddened by the mayor's arbitrary approach to transportation. His ideas skip across the bounds of financial reality like a flat stone across water. Don't worry about the money, he says. Though the tunnel option is less than 10 percent designed and cost estimates are deliberately deflated, Nickels says the money will be found. This, when everyone else looking into the matter cannot see the dollars anywhere.

Then, when friction develops over his pet project, he quickly throws an even less-thought-out "hybrid" plan. Where his tunnel at least had the benefit of over a year's worth of review, the mayor's "hybrid" plan has less than a month. He tells us four lanes will carry as many as six. The gyrations in logic and fact to prove this claim are as wonderful to behold as a contortionist at Cirque de Soleil. And now, petulantly, Nickels chides the governor that Seattleites voices will not be heard and their expectations of government stymied, their choices not respected.

This is not about choice for the future of our city. It isn't about politics in Olympia. It's all about the inflated ego of the mayor. He will move forward with his newly thought-out plans to put the question on the ballot. He could have done this months ago. We could have saved millions of dollars by voting on the viaduct issue along with the upcoming Seattle School district issues. But, no. Mayor Nickels has already decided the future of our city. He will neither follow the will of the people of Seattle, nor the dictates of Olympia. His is the administration of a different drummer.

This just in. A week ago the City Council was exclaiming, "No popular vote on the viaduct. We were elected to make such decisions!" Now it appears they have decided they were not elected to make decisions. Anybody interested in a recall election in March when we vote on the mayor's "Tunnel of Love?"

Peter Stekel

Alki