Gotta love that private enterprise. Capitalism at its finest.

heckuva job, Bushie!

Don't try to be coy, Roy, drop off the key Lee, just make a new plan Stan, and set yourself free.

So the private enterprisers actually want a make a profit? Shame on them!

Nhawk- are you aware that the NFL is not run by the state but is indeed a private enterprise?

Read the key part of the above post, "the bid did not include approvals to use roadways, park-and-ride lots and staging areas that are necessary to operate the service safely and effectively." It would appear that it is the state that is denying use of the "roadways, park-and-ride lots and staging areas..."

Take a trip to N. Korea to see the results of governments that share your philosophy.

Capitalism = prosperity and abundance
Statism = death and scarcity

people who are upset are morons, ie, occi and firejimmora, but we already knew that fire was an idiot already, didnt we?

The thing about the previous arrangement is that it was mutually beneficial:

• Fans received easy transportation package at an affordable price.
  
• Metro was paid by the Seahawks for their services.
  
• The Seahawks didn't have to wade through the nightmare of broken down buses, poor parking areas - they looked like the good guys as they supported their community in offsetting traffic woes, etc.
  

example of a capitalistic society. Now, it is a mess.

"Capitalism = prosperity and abundance
Statism = death and scarcity"

Now if only everything in life was this simple, huh?

Ah, SeeAnalAlways is back...his "job" is to tell us all who the morons are. His pony must be sleeping so he had some extra time and got on Dads computer. Welcome back.

I like to refer to him as "The Fly" cause he eats crap and annoys people....

this is only for preseason games (2) correct?

I know this is going to be ingnored but I'm going to say it anyway:


EVERYONE JUST NEEDS TO STOP!!!!!

Stop fretting
Stop Worrying
Stop Panicking
Stop being optimistic
Stop being hopefull
....and just shut up and watch

Why?
because this is pre-season.

anybody that is a starter that has a hangnail is held back three weeks.

Young players are going to get shown up from time to time

and yes I am aware of the serious problems (Engram, Spencer) however other than that, there really is no way of telling who is seriously in trouble or not.

the truth is we won't know a thing until it gets going for real. The raiders went 4-0 in preseason a couple of years ago and they stuck the joint up.

For years the patriots had no WR's and Tom Brady found results anyway.

On our own team Sean Locklear wasn't supposed to be a sarting O-lineman and now there is talk of him replacing Walt when he retires?

the point to all of this is, we are not there at practice, we are not coaches and FO personel who have someting to gain by sending disinformation, so we the public can't really make judgment calls.


All we can do and (should) do is just wathc and observe who IS playing and keep tabs on their PROGRESS, I'll say it again, PROGRESS, part of the word means getting shut down from time to time and how else are you going to make the kids better that putting them up agianst the best we got?

So if we start the season 0-3 THEN start panicking if we come away from this 2-1, or even 1-2 (the latter of course not prefered) we'll be OK.


So please, please, please fellow members of Hawk nation


JUST CHILL!!!!

I'd like some right-winger to tell me how paying $14 more than Metro for a ride to a football game is a good thing.

It costs $14 to ride from a park & ride to Quest? Does Qwest have bike racks? I know - what kinda tailgating can you do with a bike.

m_b, the article reveals nothing leading one to believe this situation is limited to preseason games.

It seems some people on this blog don't understand the way transit works in this region. Roadways are certainly available to private bus operators, so "roadway rights" is a non-topic. Staging areas necessary for a large charter operation are troublesome to obtain. You certainly won't get them from the chiselers who own and operate downtown parking lots. Park and ride lots are owned by the public, who paid for them. The best deal for the public is Metro and ST game day extra service, as fuel and drivers is the only real expense as amortization on the coaches for these extra trips is negligible. This is the federal government's ham-handed response to corruption in the transit agencies in other regions of the country.

Rocky's hurt his ankle.

wow, bassnw is still here? i thought that loser left to find a "better" blog?? what a tool!!!!

I hope Rocky isn't driving a bus when the season starts.

BTW- this isn't an example of free market capitalism working or not working- it is an example of Federal government interference in a local matter. Also- I rode the buses and it was marvelous. Perhaps some prefer Greyhound over Metro- I don't.

Loudo - I agree with you that this is for the entire year...but why does Frank make this comment then?:

Seahawks fans that normally use King County Metro Transit’s Seahawks game day bus service from park-and-ride lots will need to secure alternate transportation to the preseason games, the team announced today.

I think the comment should be the ENTIRE SEASON.

This is ridiculous. The $14/person bid had to come from Starline, which also submitted a bid to the Mariners, only to not provide adequate service, routes, or access for handicapped/disabled passengers.

I know this is out of the Seahawk's control - I only hope that Metro will begin to provide additional 'scheduled routes' on gamedays. We live in Seattle, and the Sunday routes are completely useless on Sundays, due to crowding + traffic + times.

If it ends up working out to be pre-season only, thank God. If not - don't know what I'm going to do. Can't drive, and would rather not be on a bus at 9am for a 1pm game.

According to a Seahawks email, it's ALL season long, folks.

Sweet. A Seahawks Press Release. Way to go the extra mile Frankenstein.

"So the private enterprisers actually want a make a profit? Shame on them!"

Yeah, the hell with service. Rack up those dollars boys! “We are very disappointed,” said Seahawks CEO Tod Leiweke. “We have made the game day experience one of our highest priorities. The bid we received did not address our requirements for a safe, effective or reliable bus plan. We will continue to work toward a resolution to meet the needs of our fans.”

I guess Todd doesn't want them to "make a profit" by screwing people over either. Imagine that. And actually, there are elements of socialism in the NFL, the "revenue sharing" among franchises, the public ownership of one franchise--the Packers (this should be the rule for all franchises, no uber-rich owners squeezing people for mega-buck palaces of a stadium they can afford to build themselves, the people of Oregon are smart enough to turn down this corporate welfare); also in the appeal to a rookie salary cap to level the playing field, so to speak, with veterans, the proletariat, who aren't making anywhere near the obscene money rookies get, 1st round picks especially, who haven't done a thing to earn it. One can travel to Seahawks Stadium (I refuse to use the corporate name for it) via Sound Transit for a whole lot less than $14, even round trip. Last I used it the fee was $2.50 each way from Tacoma Dome Station to the stadium, $5.00 round trip. It's slightly higher by train, was $4 each way last I used it. But it's been some time.

I'm always amazed by capitalist apologists who have to resort to extreme examples like North Korea to try defend their views that profits (and faceless corporations) are more important than people, fellow human beings they gladly consign to poverty, misery and even death in order to "make a buck". North Korea is not a socalist country any more than the United States is a democracy. North Korea is a totalitarian dictarship run by a geriatric powermonger that doesn't give a damn about his own people (in that way he resembles the presumptive Republican nominee here). The U.S. is an oligarchy, a corporate state (what Benito Mussolini, who knew a thing or two about it, defined as fascism). If you need a list of socialist or semi-socialist countries, I'll point some out for you. Cuba, Sweden, Venezuela, Syria, Norway, Zambia. Canada has what reactionaries like to call "socialized medicen" because they are humane enough to provide universal health coverage, unlike the U.S. Denmark provides free education, including universities, to all. Again, unlike here.

Capitalism = fascism
Socialism = betterment of the people

it now 3.00 for ST Express buss or 1.50 to get from 512 to down town tacoma.

Thought I been taking ST express bus to work at the safeco field and since I am handicap i get to buy bus pass and they work good. Thought the ST express bus can be buy at the bus shop.

Thought plus the stop at royal way isnt that far from qwest field.

Don't ya just love how Dubbya cares for us citizens.

Hi

I am a Metro transit operator(23 year safe driving record), and a season ticket holder.

Since a private bid was put in, this eliminated any extra bus service from any governmental entity. So those that think there will be extra buses to Tacoma or Lynnwood are mistaken. This is going to be a transportation nightmare. Sunday service is a poor option when 60,000 people are leaving a stadium at the same time.

This is one of the final gasps of the Bush administrations primary mantra's: Privatization is better than governmental solutions. From Iraq to Katrina, and now Quest Field, the Bush administration has used the citizens as their real life "Sim City" simulator. We all know the results, and we will get another taste of this social experimentation at every Seahawk Sunday this season. Night games should be especially tragic.

There will be extra trains though. Why? Because there was no Amtrak bid. This shows how bizarre our byzantine bureaucracy has become. Public trains...good. Public buses....bad.

Here is another fact: Metro Drivers love driving these special assignments, and the extra work is assigned by seniority. That means a very safe ride by Metro's best of the best for your family and friends on mostly packed buses. Year after year, Metro ranks as one of the safest transit agencies in the country. That is due to a commitment to safety, and top maintenance by Metro mechanics.

You get what you pay for, and this community pays serious money through taxes for excellent, professional Metro drivers. Some people only use transit during events like Seahawks games. They deserve the best ride possible, considering the price they pay in taxes. There will not be enough service to meet demand. The system will be overwhelmed after the game. Even if you leave early to catch a bus before the game, there simply might not be enough service to accommodate the demand immediately after the game. You may have to wait hours at the busway and Royal Brougham for a space on the bus to where you left your car.


This is a shameful decision by the Bush Administration. But on the list of shameful things that it has done, this is probably not in the top one thousand.

BTW, Husky games got an exemption. Metro will deliver special service during Husky football. There are powerful people who live in Montlake.

Please explain how this is a Bush Admin decision? I thought it was a Federal Transit Administration decision? Just another fine examlpe of our beloved government beauracracy being completely knuckleheaded. And you want these guys running our health care? If you think it would be different if the Obomination were in charge, you are sadly mistaken. Apparently you have had no dealings with any levels of government for anything more than an occaision....socialism...omfg..you have to be kidding, it will be the end of us all.

goofypants20- Well... I believe that Mr Bush is the President of the United States and thus has influence on the Federal Transit Administration. I don't think Mr. Obama has much say in the matter. And BTW- no one has ever argued that we have government run healthcare, only a single-payer system. Many other countries' systems are better than ours, many people who can afford it are now having medical procedures done in other countries by excellent docs. We pay way more than other countries for drugs because the Bush administration refused to allow price negotiation with drug companies. My insurance won't even cover my allergy medicine anymore so I'm going up to Canada in a couple of weeks and I'll pick it up cheap at any corner drug store. My wife has a skin condition and the tube of medicine costs $125 + a prescription here, $7 over the counter in Mexico. And, yes, this is an example of bureaucratic bungling- but at the Federal level. We had an elegant solution at the local level and the Bush administration took it away with their right-wing social tinkering. And as far as dealing with the government- as a citizen for 42 years and the owner of several businesses, I have had only excellent experiences. Now I have also dealt with the governments of Brazil and India- that is another story. Go over there and you'll come back singing the praises of our government and banking systems!

Back to the topic at hand though- I am hosed after the game, maybe I'll walk, it is only 5 miles. Or maybe take a cab.

"BTW, Husky games got an exemption. Metro will deliver special service during Husky football. There are powerful people who live in Montlake."

DEAR GOD this just made my morning.

You ever wonder why almost all pharmaceuticals, many life saving, come from companies located in the US?

Because only in the US is there patent law which allows a company to get a return on their investment (R&D) and justifies the risk it undertakes.

The dumocrats #1 constituency, trial lawyers (think J.Edwards), have all but ruined healthcare in this country. It is crazy expensive because of them. Doctors pay ridiculous insurance premiums that of course get passed on to the consumer. Slip and fall lawyers suing doctors (J. Edwards) is what drives the premiums. Kill 'em all...

Good grief. I find it amazing that there are apologists that think the federal government is right in this case. Whe should the feds force the Seahawks to use a more expensive service? Why is Metro bad? Can someone please explain the evils of public transportation? Because if that's a primary tenet of your political believes is sure helps explain what's wrong with this country.

The same thing happened with the Mariners, and is happpening with the Huskies.

The exalted ruler in the white house believes there is no effective role for government run transportation. Because we all know that means lower profits for the oil industry.

Ah yes the "Big Oil" charge...I'm surprised it took until comment #31 to before it was wielded.

As for myself I am grateful for Big oil and their product. Without them, this whole debate is moot (no diesel no bus ride). And don't go to the nationalizing the oil industry card. YOu think gas at 4 bucks is bad, put the government in control of getting it and we pay 15 bucks.

Drill offshore now
Drill ANWR now

We all aware that the oil in ANWR could totally replace the oil we import from the Saudi's?

Keep the US free...no Obama
Say no to feeding at the government trough (that's you nighthawk2)...

Down is up and up is down with you righties.

$4 gas now, and you are concerned about $15 with nationalized oil.

But $4 public bus fares going to $15 when privatized is OK.

How do you even manage to tie your own shoes?

Oh right, velcro.

While I have no idea which life long government employee in the federal government made this decision, I can understand the logic in forbidding taxpayer subsidized (federally and locally) buses from competing on the bid. Everyone seems to think that when you hire a whole bunch of buses to make 2-4 round trips on a Saturday, paying them time and a half for 8 hours, that economically it only costs $2.50 per person. Lets get real, gas alone to operate those buses comes in at $5 per gallon. To run a bus full of people from Federal Way or Northgate will probably burn off at least 15 gallons round trip.

Now contrast that with a full bus of maybe 40 people, and you might have enough money from fares to pay for the cost of the gas...maybe. That doesn't include the cost of the driver (don't forget overtime and the 8 hour day), the cost of the wear and tear on the buses, nor the overhead back at the base. The fact is, the $2.50 fare is way below the actual cost to run the bus, which means that the difference is made up somewhere. For the Federal government to have jurisdiction, they must have leverage...which in this case is the annual funding. Basically the Fed's are saying that they won't subsidize transportation to the game.

Speaking of oil, the only reason that we are at $4 per gallon gas, is because the tree worshipers put a block on drilling in: ANWAR, the continental shelf, and for Oil Shale about 20 years back. If they hadn't locked down those areas, we wouldn't be looking at $4 per gallon gas. They cutoff supply in their socialist approach to the economy, then they blame capitalism when the obvious result manifests itself (low supply = higher prices). My advise is to brush up on your economic reading, and learn more about how capitalism forces down costs and encourages innovation. As an aside, please note that most of the medical techonology in use around the world today was developed in the US. Not only drugs, but machines and techniques, all a wonderful byproduct of a system that provides the best health care in the world based on competition by medical insitutions to provide the best care possible.

Nighthawk2,

You had a slight editing issue in your post, it should read:

Capitalism = betterment of the people (example: US)
Socialism = Fascism (example: Cuba, Venezuela)

Hope that helps!

It would be interesting to know the REAL COST of the subsidized Metro service per customer. Why should someone not going to the game help pay for your trip to it?
And Freehawk, if you are having trouble paying for your meds, perhaps you might want to re-think spending your money for sporting events.

Oops, looks like somebody fell asleep during class if they think socialism = fascism. But hey, this is a Seahawks forum, not a debate about Il Duce.

It's absolutely true that running Metro and ST buses to Seahawks games would be subsidized by the general public. Just like every other day. So when you're caught in a mega-traffic jam after a Seahawks game this year because of more cars due to less buses, as pieces of steering wheel crumble in your hand feel free to be all smug about the fact your federal government is saving money that can be spent on better causes like, oh, invisible military housing.

Quoting " ochawk ":

"You ever wonder why almost all pharmaceuticals, many life saving, come from companies located in the US?"

End quote.

Umm..OChawk, there is a search engine called "google". Maybe in the future, before you try to educate us, you could go there and check your facts. Here is a list of the top eight pharma companies in the world.

If Republicans apologists were Superman, facts and reality would be their kryptonite.


1 Johnson and Johnson U.S. 53,324 7,125 11,053 138,000
2 Pfizer U.S. 48,371 7,599 19,337 122,200
3 Bayer Germany 44,200 1,791 6,450 106,200
4 GlaxoSmithKline United Kingdom 42,813 6,373 10,135 106,000
5 Novartis Switzerland 37,020 5,349 7,202 102,695
6 Sanofi-Aventis France 35,645 5,565 5,033 100,735
7 Hoffmann–La Roche Switzerland 33,547 5,258 7,318 100,289
8 AstraZeneca UK/Sweden 26,475 3,902 6,063 98,000

Another quote from the great pundit "ochawk"

"And don't go to the nationalizing the oil industry card. YOu think gas at 4 bucks is bad, put the government in control of getting it and we pay 15 bucks."

Once again G-o-o-g-l-e.

From CNN.com:


"Global oil prices zoomed up to $135 a barrel this past week. But that doesn't worry Roberto Morales, a 33-year-old Venezuelan businessman. Morales, who drives a compact Volkswagen Gol, still pays only $1.32 to fill up his car with 11 gallons of high-octane gasoline, thanks to Venezuela's subsidized fuel price.

"This is crazy but I'm not complaining," says Morales. "Gasoline here is cheaper than water."

Venezuela has nationalized their oilfields.

You were saying?

So even if a private bus company puts in a half-assed, expensive, impractical proposal, Metro cannot run any Seahawk buses at all.

Kinda makes me wonder if the jerks who charge so much for parking had anything do to with the proposal. They seem to be the ones who will benefit the most...

Radem

Hey shleppermike aka moron

Read my line again and focus on a key word..."located".

Those companies develop their drugs in the US.

That's pretty funny that you bring up a borderline hell hole of a country like Venezuela. That's great oil is as cheap as water, cuz they have a ton of it and it's subsidized, it's just to bad most of the people struggle for two meals a day.

How bout you go drive your bus in Cuba and report back in life goes. Hey you get free medical to...hurry up now...