A team of experienced reporters keep you updated on what's happening in political arenas at the city, county, state and federal levels. From presidential campaign visits to who's running for city council, we've got it covered.
Contributors
Peter Callaghan is a local columnist. He’s covered the
statehouse and state politics since 1981. Before joining The News
Tribune in 1985, the Stadium High grad worked for newspapers in Everett
and Lewiston, Idaho, and for The Associated Press in Olympia and
Seattle. Email
Peter
Joe Turner has covered state government and transportation
issues since 1990. Since the Bellarmine grad’s arrival in the newsroom
in 1978, he’s covered police, suburban cities, Tacoma City Hall,
Federal Way City Hall and the Pierce and King county governments. Email Joe
David Wickert covers Pierce County government. Before coming to
The News Tribune in 1998, he covered local government for newspapers in
Illinois, Virginia and Tennessee. Email David
Ian Demsky is a general assignment reporter who specializes in
database-driven reporting. He's been at the News Tribune since 2007 and has
previously worked in Nashville, Tenn. and Portland, Ore. When he's not at
work, he enjoys hiking and science fiction. Email Ian
Les Blumenthal has been covering Washington, D.C. for The News
Tribune since 1990, focusing on issues and politicians involving the
state. Before joining The News Tribune, he spent 13 years working for
The Associated Press in Seattle, Illinois and Washington, D.C. Email Les
John Henrikson is a local news editor who oversees political coverage. He's worked as a journalist in the
Northwest for 19 years, supervising coverage and reporting on local and
state government, the environment and growth. Email John
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Sound Transit’s governing board will decide soon whether to take a transit expansion plan to voters later this year.
Though a final decision may not come until June, the board must decide on a draft expansion plan by April 10 if it hopes to bring it to voters in November, according to agency spokeswoman Linda Robson.
Last November voters rejected an $18 billion roads-and-transit construction plan for Pierce, King and Snohomish counties. The plan included an extension of light rail from Sea-Tac Airport to Tacoma.
Since then the Sound Transit board has been weighing when to offer voters a transit-only expansion plan.
Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg, who serves on the Sound Transit board, said some members believe it makes sense to place a scaled-down measure on the ballot this November. They believe the big turnout of a presidential election year would work to Sound Transit’s advantage.
Ladenburg is not convinced.
“It’s never a good year to be on the ballot with the wrong plan,” he said.
A proposal under consideration would postpone extending light rail from the airport to Tacoma. Instead, light rail would stop at South 200th Street in King County.
The proposal would extend the Tacoma Link line from downtown west to Tacoma General Hospital and perhaps as far as Tacoma Community College. It could include an extension of the Link east to Fife. And it would expand Sounder commuter rail service.
Ladenburg is not impressed with the plans. He said it may make more sense to take a more ambitious plan to voters in 2010.
By then, the light rail line from Seattle to the airport will be open. Ladenburg said that will allow people to see what they’re buying.
“I don’t think there’s a big public desire to build light rail to the hospital,” he said.
