dan sytman, blatherwatch: united against I-912 and common nonsense

BlatherWatch has taken issue many times with the bright but brittle Dan Sytman, Michael Medved's producer and the host of his own talk show on early mornings on KTTH (Saturday 6-8a) which is a great favorite of area milkmen, drunks coming in after a Friday night run and and Dan's own mother.

We kid Dan Sytman, but we love it when he agrees with us and puts his considerable brains and talents into a political issue that really shouldn't be cast as left vs. right.

In a straight-forward, reasoned and well-written op-ed in Monday's Seattle Times, Sytman makes the conservative case against the roads-busting I-912.

We usually won't condone the use of the word, "moreover" by anyone untenured or under the age of 65, but we can't help but overlook that and shriek here! here! in that undisciplined, overly emotional way we liberals have that gets us in trouble but also gets us laid more often than conservatives.

Sytman gives a litany of "liberal" transportation issues and projects he's railed and voted against such as Sound Transit, the Monorail, and HOV lanes. He voted for every one of Tim Eyman's anti-car tab taxes because, he says: "It punishes me progressively based on the value of my car instead of how much I drive."

But, he continues, brilliantly: "While rightly trying to kill that obnoxious tax, the people of this state drained money from the agency that does one of the most important things government does: build roads. So when I'm asked to replace a progressive tax — the vehicle excise — with a user tax that supports the building of roads, it would be hypocritical of me to refuse."

He points out that voter approval of the regressive I-912 would nix what conservatives have been trying to do for years:

"We've been demanding roads, not transit. Well, now they're building roads and using one of the fairest kinds of taxes to do so — and we're going to try to stop them? Unfortunately, I think many I-912 advocates have not realized the hypocrisy of their dubious position on transportation taxes.

He's not the only conservative, who's against the roads-monkeywrenching initiative:

" [It] was passed with support from about one-third of Republicans in Olympia, including highly respected conservatives like Sens. Bill Finkbeiner, Joseph Zarelli and Dan Swecker, who voted for the package because it includes projects not just for infrastructure-needy King County, but for all 39 counties. They voted for the gas tax along with an audit feature that will help enforce wise spending."

We might add some other Republicans opposing this clunker: Attorney General (and local conservative hero) Rob McKenna, former Senator Slade Gorton, former Governor Dan Evans, King Co. Executive candidate Dave "Mama's  Bad Little Boy" Irons, and Senate candidate Mike McGavick, though he's been a little slippery on I-912 lately (a preview of how he might govern?).

Sytman says that the Republican party has deserted their traditional allies in the business community. We've heard Boeing bitching about these anti-transportation tax revolts for years, mainly because it's become harder and harder to get freight in and out of the area and takes workers longer and longer to get to work. Boeing is slip-sliding out of the Puget Sound region and our regional tendency to avoid clear transportation decisions is certainly a major factor--they've said it many times. 

Sytman observes:

If a post-I-912-era earthquake brings down the viaduct or sinks the Evergreen Point Bridge, who do you think people are going to blame? Keep in mind that the Washington State Republican Party has officially taken a position against its traditional allies in the business community by supporting I-912. It doesn't take a wild imagination to predict where the blame will fall if Washington suffers from a bridge- or viaduct-breaking catastrophe.

As much as we'd love to have a major catastrophe to pin on the GOP, when push comes to shove, we'll take the repairs. We've heard over and over again from conservatives, that maintaining the infrastructure is the role of government, if nothing else is.

Dan Sytman told Dave Ross (KIRO, m-f, 3-6p) Monday:  "As as conservative, it's tempting to poke Washington state government in the eye: it's tempting to poke Christine Gregoire in the eye, but what we're doing by supporting this initiative is cutting our nose off to spite our face."

We couldn't have said it better. For Sytman to come out both on his show and in the dreaded "liberal" press wasn't easy in the company he keeps; and though it galls us to say it, we salute him for his prinicipled stand.

This really isn't liberal vs. conservative--it's a responsible vs. irresponsible. The I-912 campaign plays to anger, cynicism, and the worst impulses of the voters. The trend in this campaign, however, is that the more the voters find out about the transportation package, the more of them are rejecting this ill-considered initiative that would quash it.

We're praying that good sense and more information will reach critical mass before election day.

Comments

[sclub]

Great if the kid's doing an Air America tryout, f***ing stupid on KTTH.

[Lump]

Michael sez, " that undisciplined, overly emotional way we liberals have that gets us in trouble but also gets us laid more often than conservatives."
Screwing ones self does not constitute getting laid.

[blathering michael]

you remember sex, don't you Lump?

[Sluggo]

This isn't about roads or taxes. This about conservatives lashing out at Queen Christine and her minions for throwing the election. If that doesn't make any sense then please explain the apoplectic reaction on the left to anything and everything Bush does. It's political payback and both sides do it. Not saying its right . . . just happens.

[Lump]

Michael sez, "you remember sex, don't you Lump?"
I'm not sure. I think it was my next door neighbors wife when I lived in Nevada.

[sclub]

Sytman doesn't take a crap w/out Medved's "blessing". He's a puppet.

[blathering michael]

I knew her too, Lump--crazy little chick, a real redhead--it was Reno, 1976, we did The Bump.

[Andrew]

I don't like how the supporters complain about one problem but try to solve another.

They complain that this tax is a blank check, but they aren't asking for accountability of any sort, instead they want to take the check away which would just cause fewer things to be improved in general.

They say it's a fuck you to the Democrats. This initiative won't make Democrats go away and whatever influence they have before the initiative they will have after the initiative. Maybe as a result of this they will pass an insane license tax. The supporters of the initiative are impulsive and have bad aim.

[chris]

It's in the 'spirit' of Grover Norquist--destroy government to the point where people won't care anymore.

[Scrilla]

I know it's not your job to listen to Carlson, but did you hear Franken with JC yesterday?
Franken is barely able to contain his underlying rage when confronted on his version of facts. He'll be a great Senator.

[ExDem]

I heard part of it. Carlsen commented on how he thought Franken had lost some of his joy since he had last appeared on KVI 10 years ago.

I'm no fan of his, but I appreciate that he has a good wit. However, based on my observations, I kind of agree with Carlsen. When I've seen him on TV and listened to him on the radio the past year, there is a frequent scowl and an underlying harshness to him. He still has funny/witty things to say, but there is also this kind of anger that radiates from him that makes him less appealing to people that aren't his devoted fans.

[Lump]

Michael sez, "I knew her too, Lump--crazy little chick, a real redhead--it was Reno, 1976, we did The Bump."
Nah, that was her sister, lived across the street. You must have some serious cash as she wouldn't
give a pauper like me the time of day. But her sister wasn't a real blonde tho.

[Fremont]

Whoa, Michael, I remember that incident in 1976 as "The Dump" and my hair was NOT red...How can you mock such a soul-shattering event?!