Lots and lots has already been said about Dino Rossi’s transportation plan. Here, here, here, and… awe heck, just go Google it yerself.

Anyway, it’s pretty clear Rossi is attempting to make a grand appeal to voters inner “heck ya!”, but Washington voters aren’t stupid. They’re going to look around the corner of this delusion and notice it isn’t all that realistic. Many in the media have already reported that. And if Rossi’s keeps playing the Cascade Curtain card in his speeches he better back off the rich rewards in his transportation plan for west side projects (his only east side project is the North Spokane Freeway from I-90 to US 2) because it’s pretty clear he’s underestimated the costs, and dollar for dollar, his plan would cut into other vital state services.

The west side isn’t buying it, and Eastern Washington doesn’t really have a dog in the west side transportation fight. All we would get is cuts in services. That should appeal to our inner “heck no!” just dandy.

And now for your viewing pleasure:

“Roads Fairy”… that’s rich.

[Update] I just have to update this. I’d forgotten about this quote:

We can build an eight-lane 520 bridge for less than a six-lane bridge.

Back during the I-912 campaign, I checked with our regional WSDOT Project Engineer, Moe Davari about what it would costs to replace the Blue Bridge that connects Kennewick with Pasco in the Tri-Cities.

According to Moe, two spans recently constructed across the Yakima River cost roughly 22 million. The spans were 690 feet. I asked Moe what he thought the Blue Bridge would cost to replace. While he couldn’t quote a figure, as an example he suggested costs could be from $150 - $300 per square foot of deck.

That was 4 years ago. I want this guy to build me an 8 bedroom house for the price of 6 room house…