Well, after years of debate over routes, technology, cost, and whatnot, Seattle finally has a train to the airport. That's the good news. The bad news is that a twelve-minute drive from downtown to the airport turns into an hour-plus-long commute by train (wasn't it less than a half hour by Metro bus 194?). Boy, our light rail train is really going to win over opponents to mass transit at this rate. But as a friend recently assured me, it's all about baby steps, Pete. Baby steps.

Seattle may be a godless city in many respects, and heaven knows that's one of the reasons I feel so at home here. But if there's one thing the Emerald City believes in it's baby steps. I suppose we have that much in common with the Obama administration. The will of the people always seems to be on the side of getting things done, but time and time again we're forced to settle for incremental change.

Where does this resistance to progress come from? Our horribly regressive state tax structure certainly doesn't help. Sporting no income tax, yet billionaires galore, we the people try to prop up the state's revenue using sales, property, and gas taxes (with taxes on candy, bottled water, and soda possibly around the corner). Talk about a recipe for making bad times even worse. As the economy worsens, it has an exponential effect on our state coffers because people start spending a lot less money on things. Go figure.

But there's also a complacency that sets in around here. Maybe it's the gray, wet winters that hypnotize us into a sort of hibernation. Whatever the cause, a lot of projects in this region are left unfinished, or as my dad would say, half-assed. Our Metro Transit system is a perfect example. It's an enviable system on the one hand. Our buses are abundant and timely in most neighborhoods of Seattle, and they're used by commuters from all walks of life. It's a popular mode of transit for more than just commuting, too. It's how a lot of folks get around. But why, in such a rainy city, are there still bus stops without shelters? Why, in such a wealthy city, are there still bus stops without benches or garbage bins?

Must be the same reason my soon-to-be-former neighborhood doesn't even have sidewalks. I guess it's all about the baby steps.

I'm reminded of something I've written elsewhere on this blog: "You stand facing a wall. Now, imagine walking all the way to that wall. Before you can reach the wall, you'll need to cover half the distance. But before you can cover half the distance, you'll have to cover half the distance between where you stand and the midway point between you and the wall. And before that, you'll need to cover half that distance. It seems that you can never cover an entire distance without first covering half the distance, but if that's true, how do you ever get to where you're going?"

Baby steps indeed. God help us when it comes to replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct and the SR 520 floating bridge before they collapse and kill a bunch of people.

Till next time, pleasant dreams.