This weeks theme for The Best of Seattle For Growth is, “Nothing But Flowers Week.” And we’ll start with something that is older than you are, from a Facebook post back in January of 2012. I had become familiar with the Talking Heads song Nothing But Flowers like everyone else; it was a huge hit. I could even sing along although I had never owned the album or the disk. I first really listened to it when I heard a cover by Caetano Veloso. I’ll leave a full exposition of Brazilian music, Joao Gilberto, and Caetano Veloso for another time and place. I’ll also leave for another time and place the profound impact that hearing the familiar in a different way can truly make us truly hear what we’ve heard so many times before. Below is a live version of David Byrne and Veloso singing this classic together. I’ll leave it to you to gather the relevance of the lyrics. Where have I been the last couple weeks? The United Kingdom of course. 

As I said in my last note, I think Margaret Thatcher has a lot to teach politicians about finding their principles and sticking to them. But why don’t we have any politicians like that around here? Where is a 21st century Northwest progressive Margaret Thatcher who isn’t willing to make a U-Turn on reducing carbon emissions, changing the way do land use, and transportation?

Part of it might be the nature and character of our local politicians, but I think it’s more than that. I think it has to do with our system of government. What if Washington State had a governance system that was like the United Kingdom’s: an essentially unicameral legislature with most of the executive authority delegated to a Prime Minister who was able to put together a governing majority in the legislature. I think it could look a little something like this.

A New Constitution

Mary Louise Harper was among the first to be elected to the new Washington State Legislature that would convene in January of 2013. The state’s voters, tired of initiatives, budget crises, a lack of decent revenue sources, and an economic downturn decided to fundamentally revise the State Constitution. The voters replaced the house and senate with a single house with 250 members elected to serve, uninterrupted, for at least 5 years. The only interruption would be caused if the Governor, Dan Evans making a final return in the role, prorogued the legislature for some reason.

In the new system, the Governor served a single 10-year term with only two main roles, the ability to call a legislature into session and dissolve it, and approving or vetoing legislation. All the rest of the functions of government would reside in the house. All the departments and day-to-day operations would be managed by whoever was able to form a working majority in the legislature.

Mary Louise Harper was from a constituency in south Seattle. A life long resident of the city, her great grandfather was part of the African American migration to the city from the South in the early part of the 20th century. Now, she was to be a leader in the new legislature. The majority would be a bit uncertain, since the new legislature was to be non-partisan, no Democrats or Republicans. Although Harper sympathized with the Democrats, she had been unhappy in recent years with their policies.

The votes in the legislature were close, with about 120 votes leaning toward electing Tom Jones of Wenatchee as the Leader of the House, and about 120 leaning the other way toward Bill Jenkins of Tacoma. Both men had represented their parties, Jones a Republican and Jenkins a Democrat, in the old legislature. Harper didn’t like either of them and, with some support from some undecided colleagues decided to run for the leadership herself.

Things went slow at first, and she came under tremendous pressure from the Democratic leadership to support Jenkins. They even insulted her by offering her a deputy role in a department. She refused and campaigned on for the leadership role. It was a lonely fight at first, but then things broke her way. The Stranger broke a story that Jenkins had been coordinating closely with the Democratic State Party, strictly forbidden by the constitution. Governor Evans broke away from a ribbon cutting at the new Husky Stadium to express his “deep concern about this, if it’s true.” The Governor went on to say that “this would undermine the new Constitution and it’s principles.” Jenkins stepped out of the race the next day.

Suddenly the calls came in supporting Harper. The numbers started looking good, and given some suspicion that Jones had been coordinating too, even some of his supporters started to drift toward Harper. When the numbers finally came in, it was Harper 175 and Bill Williams from Puyallup, an acolyte of Jenkins, with only 75 votes. Shortly after the vote the phone rang; it was Governor Evans congratulating Harper and inviting her to the Governor’s mansion.

Forming a Government

There she was standing next to the legendary Dan Evans about ready to form the next state government of Washington. He advised her in his Grandfatherly way, “If you ever need anything I’m always here.” He leaned forward and smiled, “just pick up the phone.”

Harper set about to organize her government. She selected the heads of departments and organized meetings of existing staff to manage the transition. One thing had always bothered her: the 520 Bridge. It seemed way too expensive to rebuild. A former teacher, she ran on an education platform in her constituency. And in her leadership campaign she promised to fully fund education. All these transportation costs were out of control.

Calling the BS

She had once read some blog posts by a researcher at something called the Sightline Institute, a think-tank in Seattle, about how the state might not need a replacement for 520. She called him up. A nervous Clark Williams Derry answered the phone. “Leader Harper?,” he stammered when he answered. “Mr. Williams, I need your help,” said Leader Harper. “Do we need this bridge replaced?”

Williams Derry did his best to explain it. “Actual traffic volumes have been flat or declining for more than a decade!” said Williams Derry excitedly. “Now, I know that total traffic volumes aren’t the only traffic trends worth paying attention to. The traffic models make projections about peak-hour delays as well, which are probably what commuters care most about. But given that the models have proven so stubbornly and preposterously wrong about traffic volume trends, it’s hard to believe that they have much of value to say about future traffic delays.”

“What are you saying Clark?” asked Leader Harper.

Williams Derry described how on the bridge (and everywhere in the state) wasn’t going up, it was actually going down; people were driving less than the Washington State Department of Transportation said they were.

“As I’ve said before, the 1996 projection was completely forgivable; and you can even excuse the 2002 projections, since memories of rapid traffic growth were still fresh,” Said Williams Derry even more excited now.

“But by 2011, it has become abundantly clear that WSDOT’s traffic projections aren’t passing the laugh test. Besides, claiming that a trend is “more accurate” before it’s been confirmed by actual events is B.S. of a particularly noxious sort,” said Williams Derry. Realizing he said BS to the Leader, he got red then turned pale.

“Clark, come down to Olympia right away,” Said Leader Harper. “I’m going to need your help.”

Harper called in Judy Clibborn who had found herself re-elected. Harper had deferred to her previous role and made her Secretary of Transportation.

Williams Derry was called into the meeting.

“Clark, tell Secretary Clibborn what you told me,” said Leader Harper.

Williams Derry proceeded to use some amazing charts and graphs to make his points.

“Leader Harper, I’m sorry but we need these highways,” Clibborn said condescendingly. “We’ve just got to have them!” She leaned forward conspiratorially and whispered, “the unions and business will never support us if we don’t build this project.”

“Really?” said Harper. “Fortunately we don’t have another election for 5 years,” she said.

A Shift in Priorities

“Stop work on this project,” she said firmly. “We’re putting that money into the schools.” By now Williams Derry, saucer eyed in his chair, was trying to offer caveats. But it was too late, the 520 rebuild was off the table.

A firestorm erupted, and during the regular question time in the legislature Harper was hammered from all sides.

“Mr. Speaker,” said the member from Medina and Beaux Arts, “can the leader really be serious?” he shouted. “Where will all those cars go when that bridge sinks?”

It wasn’t looking good. Some members were beginning to question Harper’s leadership, and Publicola was running a blog post from an anonymous member of the legislature suggesting that maybe there should be a vote of no confidence. Fights were breaking out between bicyclists and motorists, unions and social service advocates were throwing punches at town halls, and business were threatening to leave the state.

Then the phone rang. It was the Governor.

“How’s it going, Leader,” said the sonorous voice on the phone.

“Not so great, Governor,” said Harper. “I suppose you’re wanting to dissolve the legislature and call an election to settle this?” she asked.

“Absolutely not,” said Governor Evans. “You’re doing the right thing,” he said. “Let’s see how this plays out; after all you’ve got time on your side.”

Epilogue

Leader Harper stepped onto her private subway car for the trip up to the Governor’s mansion. It was time to face the music. Governor Evans, now in his 90s but still sharp, was dissolving the legislature and calling an election.

It had been five years. In that time the budget was balanced by a new income tax passed by the legislature and a massive reduction in spending on highway costs. And much of this was done while reducing sales tax and eliminating the B and O tax and replacing it with a Value Added Tax. It was not very pretty in those first years, though.

But Harper stood fast, and by late 2015 the economy had turned around. And thanks to more wise investments in transit and denser land use in the cities Washington fell to dead last in Vehicle Miles Traveled while having the fastest growing economy in the whole country. Harper’s popularity was the highest on record and she was likely to lead another majority into power.

As Harper looked out at farmland created through the use of TDR and TIF, which transferred much of the growth Thurston County would have experienced into the City of Olympia, she smiled. She remembered there used to be a Walmart right over there. Now there was nothing but flowers.

Note: Today, I oppose any form of income tax. We shouldn’t tax what we want more of. And I love Walmart.