Jeffry Berner
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pyth-of-samos.bsky.social
Jeffry Berner
@pyth-of-samos.bsky.social
Climatehawk. Democrat. Sounder Til I Die. Boeing Airplanes (retired). MIT alum. Progressive Christian. Cascadia Bio-region. Hike-Bike-Ski-Swim some.
What did you expect? Wealthy folks who don’t understand their privilege and responsibility. Heaven help us if this type of socialism spreads and other cities remove single family zoning, expand transit service, and install bike lanes.
November 17, 2025 at 6:15 PM
What did you expect? Wealthy folks who don’t understand their privilege and responsibility. Heaven help us if this socialism spreads and other cities remove single family zoning, expand transit service, and install bike lanes.
November 17, 2025 at 5:11 PM
It's always about oil. US production is plateauing and set to decline. "Energy dominance" is not just US domestic production. It is also US oil field services and refining industry. Venezuela is next big opportunity. We all saw this play out in Iraq.
November 15, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Why does Seattle have a sister-city relationship with a Be'er Sheva which is a product of the Nakba? Maybe we should have a sister-city relationship with Hebron or Rafah as well.
www.seattle.gov/parks/allpar...
November 14, 2025 at 7:55 PM
May I offer a suggestion? 15,000 seats, just saying. It would be pretty awesome. Accessible by transit.
November 13, 2025 at 10:54 PM
Huge fan of light rail as well. Often ride Amtrak to/from Portland and walk over to/from the International District station to catch Link. But that is exactly my point that investments should be made in the near term to improve mode connectivity today rather than waiting for UHSR to solve it all.
November 12, 2025 at 1:58 AM
No one is a fan of the cost overruns and waffling on station location. For all its faults, light rail was passed by the voters with a funding source.
November 12, 2025 at 1:21 AM
Reposted by Jeffry Berner
And you’re going to see a LOT of this coming out of COP.

But if you want to see what the real issues of food and climate change are, and find solutions that work, we have you covered.

First, the science underpinning the issue:

go.ted.com/jonathanfoley24
The problem with food and climate — and how to fix it
Global food production — from meat to grains — accounts for a third of all greenhouse gas emissions, says sustainability scientist Jonathan Foley. He presents a portfolio of data-backed solutions to b...
go.ted.com
November 10, 2025 at 10:27 PM
and there is no clear path to downtown Vancouver through a congested & built urban environment. Politically, there is little indication that the British Columbia provincial government is willing to forward the effort & funding commensurate to achieve a true high speed railroad linking down towns.
November 11, 2025 at 6:12 AM
The rail experts that worked on the predecessor to UHSR, the 2006 Amtrak Cascades Long Range Plan, have identified that the most difficult and expensive part of a UHSR segment is once you reach the US-Canadian border at Blaine. Crossing the Fraser alluvial delta is a construction nightmare...
November 11, 2025 at 6:12 AM
not connecting Portland-Tacoma-Seattle-Everett-Bellingham-Vancouver BC today with fast and efficient rail service that is reliable, frequent and fast enough. Cascade Innovation Corridor wants to bridge tech hubs in the region. Is it really smart business to wait 20 years or more for that to occur?
November 11, 2025 at 5:42 AM
Microsoft's obsession with UHSR is doing a real disservice to the region by diverting energy and delaying action on improving our existing rail system. An UHSR system that is completed in 2045 does nothing in the meantime to address the transit needs we have to day. There is opportunity cost in...
November 11, 2025 at 5:42 AM
utilized an existing railroad right-of-way, not a new right-of-way which would be required for Washington state.

The political challenges are even greater. Map out a scenario to how UHSR gets 25 votes in the Senate & 49 votes in the House when the route will be skipping past legislative districts.
November 11, 2025 at 5:42 AM
but actually yield is 15%. The bond market says that these are high risk investments. Brightline's bonds are also tax-free municipal bonds due to sleight-of-hand passed through Florida legislature. Washington state's legislature is not as friendly to developers as Florida. Here again, Brightline...
November 11, 2025 at 5:42 AM
expedite schedules. Washington's highways in comparison do not allow that approach to be utilized. Too hilly. Too winding. The business case in PNW for passenger traffic is not as clear as Las Vegas. As for Brightline Florida, it recently remarketed $1 billion of bonds at a term rate of 10%,...
November 11, 2025 at 5:42 AM
Brightline West) was initially brought forward a project in 2005 under the name DesertXpress with completion expected in 2016. The re-branded Brightline West has started construction with an expected completion date of 2029. The right-of-way utilizes existing highway corridor to minimize cost and...
November 11, 2025 at 5:42 AM
Pacific NW leaders need to temper their expectations. There is no way either politically or financially that the Microsoft proposed Ultra High Speed Rail pencils out.

The Brightline model of public/private partnership is unique to Southern California and Florida. The LA-Las Vegas Brightline (aka...
November 11, 2025 at 5:42 AM
CCA funds need to be treated just like carbon offsets. Reductions need to be:
1) Additional
2) Verifiable
3) Immediate (planting trees takes too long)
4) Durable
5) +(Plus) (co-benefits)
Items 3) and 5) aren't covered by Washington's RCW.
mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-t...
How to choose carbon offsets that actually cut emissions | MIT Sloan
Most corporate net zero pledges depend on carbon offsets, but many offsets don’t reduce emissions. Use this framework to identify which offsets are effective.
mitsloan.mit.edu
November 8, 2025 at 3:24 AM
Climate Commitment Act effectiveness though is becoming questioned because reporting as required in RCW 70A.65.300 only deals with GHG pollution, i.e. $/ton. Co-benefits such as PM2.5 reduction & clean air health benefits aren't reported. Voters just don't know that CCA funds are being spent wisely.
November 8, 2025 at 3:24 AM
With 47,000 votes remaining, should Wilson maintain the 54.8%/44.9% advantage, she would win the election by 400 votes.
November 8, 2025 at 1:48 AM
Jordan stole the goal from Jesus. Just saying.
November 5, 2025 at 1:22 AM
Trump found out that this is what Natanyahu is doing in Gaza and West Bank. And said "Why can't I do that too?"
October 31, 2025 at 5:17 PM