City Government

I guess hizzoner thinks he's Richard J. Daley of Chicago (Mayor: no gas tax, no viaduct, Sept. 7).

First he tells us that 99 is important to the region because of all the commerce that uses it. The county and region should kick in lots of money to build 'Big Dig 2' to keep that commerce rolling. Then he lectures the Legislature in Olympia, telling them 99 is an important state arterial and so they should kick in a couple of billion to put in the tunnel.

Times/News

The fault, dear Brutus, lies not in the stars, but in ourselves.

from Shakespeare's

Julius Caesar

The most refreshing headline I've seen in a long time appeared above an editorial in last week's West Seattle Herald/White Center News, our sister publication.

"Sims needs to go" it proclaimed atop editor Jack Mayne's indictment of the two-term liberal Democrat's management of King County government.

Dwight Pelz has spent the last eight years serving on the Metropolitan King County Council, but said he now wants to try his hand at the many "exciting decisions facing the Seattle City Council."

Besides the fact that Pelz' seat on the County Council is to be eliminated due to county downsizing, he said he is running for City Council because he says it is at the forefront of many of the important decisions being made that effect the direction of the city.

"I think you can sense from my energy that I like problems, I like discussing them and coming up with answers," he sai

Times/News Correspondent

As local political campaigns for the fall election heat up, many voters will notice changes in the King County Council districts.

Many of these voters also will find themselves in new districts.

One of these is in Southwest King County, where District 13 King County Councilwoman Julia Patterson (D-SeaTac) faces a challenge from Republican Orin Wells (R-Kent) in new Council District 5.

Last November, voters approved a cost-saving measure to reduce the number of King County Council districts from 13 to nine.

After th

If Seattle doesn't get the $2 billion approved by the Washington Legislature to help replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct, the city will tear down the deteriorating elevated highway anyway because it is unsafe, said Mayor Greg Nickels during an interview last week about his campaign for a second term in office.

Delivery of the promised $2 billion hinges on continuation of the state gas tax. The Legislature passed a 9.5-cent gas tax increase to be phased in over four years. It would raise about $5.5 billion for 274 road and bridge projects around Washington.

A vote for Bob Polwarth

While you might have seen letters in support of schools from city council candidate Bob Polwarth, many Des Moines voters don't know him well, so I'd like to offer a glimpse into the character of this smart, but quiet man.

Bob has degrees in history from WSU and construction estimating from the UW.

As a student of history, he tends to view events philosophically; as a project manager on public works projects, he sees the realities of what it costs to maintain municipal infrastructures; and as a homeowner, he knows how city amenities both

Compiled by Ralph Nichols

Times/News

The Times/News recently submitted questions to Highline-area candidates on the ballot in the Sept. 20 primary election.

These races include King County Sheriff, the Burien and Des Moines city councils, and tWater District 49 and the Highline Water District.

The candidates' responses appear below . An * by a name denoted an incumbent.

King County Sheriff

Dwight Pelz has spent the last eight years serving on the Metropolitan King County Council, but said he now wants to try his hand at the many "exciting decisions facing the Seattle City Council."

Besides the fact that Pelz' seat on the County Council is to be eliminated due to county downsizing, he said he is running for City Council because he says it is at the forefront of many of the important decisions being made that effect the direction of the city.

"I think you can sense from my energy that I like problems, I like discussing them and coming up with answers," he sai

If Seattle doesn't get the $2 billion approved by the Washington Legislature to help replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct, the city will tear down the deteriorating elevated highway anyway because it is unsafe, said Mayor Greg Nickels.

Delivery of the promised $2 billion hinges on continuation of the state gas tax. The Legislature passed a 9.5-cent gas tax increase to be phased in over four years. It would raise about $5.5 billion for 274 road and bridge projects around Washington.

Robert Rosencrantz sees in his own neighborhood what happens when different levels of government don't communicate with each other and it's one of the reasons he's campaigning against Seattle City Councilman Richard McIver in the Sept. 20 primary election.

Rosencrantz lives in the Montlake area near Husky Stadium. State Route 520 runs east and west along the edge of the neighborhood.