Ahlers & Cressman Lawyers

State Dam's At Issue In Political Race

John P. Ahlers — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Hydroelectric power provides about 2/3's of Washington's electricity, a major reason the State's carbon footprint is much lower than places where coal or other fossil fuels are used to make power. Four dams along the Snake River, Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose and Lower Granite dams were build in the 1950s and 60s to open up the lower Snake River to navigation and to make electricity. The dams also provide flood control and irrigation for agriculture. Low cost power has been to blame for interfering with Salmon runs, and conservationist have long called for the dam's removal. As energy prices rise, politicians have latched on to the dams as a campaign issue. The desire to save the Northwest salmon species from extinction is now pitted against the desire to slow global warming. Now that gas has risen to $4 per gallon, removal of the dams to save salmon requires significantly more truck traffic to haul the grain that is currently barged. Having a healthy salmon population, a vibrant economy in Eastern Washington, fishing opportunities and a reliable energy source seemed to be mutually exclusive.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/PrintStory.pl?document_id=2008151144&zsection

Alaska House of Representatives moves the TransCanada Pipeline One Step Closer to Reality

John P. Ahlers — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

On Tuesday, July 22, 2008, the Alaska House of Representatives approved TransCanada's plans to build a $26 billion, 1,700 mile pipeline to transport natural gas from Alaska's North Slope to the US market. An Alaskan State license means streamlined permitting and the state of Alaska will match up to $500 million for funds TransCanada spends on preconstruction costs. Opponents of the pipeline criticize what they see as a $500 million state subsidy for TransCanada. Click here for article

Boston�s Big Dig Plunged the State of Massachusetts into a Sea of Red Ink

John P. Ahlers — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The big dig project in Boston, Massachusetts has caused the state of Massachusetts to struggle under a massive debt burden.� The project escalated to $22 billion.� The state government now faced with an annual expense of $600 million over several years to pay off has sidelined road maintenance and other construction projects and is borrowing heavily to pay its highway workers.� The big dig project should be a looming example of what can occur when ambitious public transportation projects get out of hand.� A good lesson for the state of Washington in its upcoming seawall project in downtown Seattle.� Article here

Alaska House of Representatives moves the TransCanada Pipeline One Step Closer to Reality

John P. Ahlers — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:32:04 GMT

On Tuesday, July 22, 2008, the Alaska House of Representatives approved TransCanada's plans to build a $26 billion, 1,700 mile pipeline to transport natural gas from Alaska's North Slope to the US�market.� An�Alaskan State license means streamlined permitting�and the state of Alaska will match up to $500 million for funds TransCanada�spends on preconstruction costs.� Opponents of the pipeline criticize what they see as a $500 million state subsidy for�TransCanada.� To read the article click here

After Twenty Years, Portland�s Light Rail is Still a National Model

John P. Ahlers — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Portland, Oregon's light rail system, was built 20 years ago and it continues to expand with 50% more track expected in the next 18 months.� Ridership numbers are increasing.� City government is adding street cars and commuter rails to the public transportation mix.� Each of Portland's four light rail lines came in at or under budget and according to officials some $6 billion in development has sprouted along the rail corridor.� To read the article click here

Sound Transit May Add Further Contingency Funds

John P. Ahlers — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:43:54 GMT

Federal officials have asked Seattle Sound Transit to add another $150 million in contingency funds to the budget for the 3.15 mile light rail link to the University of Washington.� The additional were sought for overruns in the high-risk tunnel construction.� The light rail project is now estimated at a total project cost of $1.7 billion.� http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/transportation/371299_sound18.html

Tale of two construction sectors?

Ryan Sternoff — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The Seattle Times reports the Washington State nonresidential construction industry is more than pulling its weight to pick up the slack caused by the downturn in residential construction.� The�article�notes that�the glut�of nonresidential building around the state has helped cushion the state's construction sector from the impact of the housing slump.� Nonresidential construction spending�in the Seattle area jumped 20 percent last year, to $9.57 billion.

A walk outside the downtown Seattle offices of Ahlers & Cressman PLLC will tell you that the nonresidential boom does not look to be slowing any time in the immediate future.� ��

For a link to the Seattle Times article, click here.

MAYOR OF SEATTLE PROPOSES EASY ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS FOR DEVELOPERS

John P. Ahlers — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:25:49 GMT

Fewer Seattle construction projects will face environmental reviews, if the City Counsel agrees with the Mayor's proposal to exempt urban centers from State environmental policy guidelines. The change would limit reviews to larger residential, commercial and high-rise projects.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2004362615_developers21m.html

Donald Trump Tells His Lawyers, �You're Fired!� After Claiming They Treated Him Like a �Cash Cow.�

John P. Ahlers — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Real estate developer, Donald Trump, in a legal malpractice case, claims that his Manhattan law firm overcharged him and treated him like a "cash cow" after the�lawyers won a construction case on the developer's behalf.�

Trump has filed suit against the New York firm of Morrison Cohen, asserting that the firm did unnecessary work to generate higher bills.� The case involved Trump's national golf club in Briarcliff Manor, NY.� The suit claimed that the excavation and utility contractor overcharged for earth work and then walked off a separate contract for the utility and infrastructure.� Trump prevailed at trial, winning approximately $2�million in damages for breach of the earth-moving contract, but the court awarded Trump only $40,000 for the infrastructure contract.� The judge awarded Trump $1.3�million in attorneys' fees.

Trump, in the malpractice lawsuit against Morrison Cohen, asserts that�his lawyers should have advised him against pursuing the infrastructure contract claims because it was foreseeable that the legal costs would far outstrip any recovery.� Undaunted by the result, Trump asserted that the law firm was preoccupied with fees throughout the case, "Ninety percent of the conversations I had with David Scharf (the partner for Morrison Cohen) were about legal fees and not the case."� Stridently, Trump asserted, "We won the case because I am a great witness."� Morrison Cohen asserts that it has a 95% realization rate on its bills, which allows the firm to remain highly profitable while charging hourly rates substantially lower than those of other large firms.� David Scharf�said that Mr.�Trump appeared to have a sense of entitlement to a discount because of his celebrity.� The firm is seeking $470,000 in unpaid fees.� Trump is asking for $3�million in damages.

This is not the first time Trump has had a dispute with Morrison Cohen.� The firm represented Ivana Trump in her divorce from Donald.� "I beat him too," said Donald Trump, referring to Ivana's�Morrison Cohen lawyer who unsuccessfully attempt to circumvent the couple's prenuptial agreement.

http://www.law.com/jsp/law/LawArticleFriendly.jsp?id=1207651602170

Proposed Oregon Natural Gas Pipeline Raises Environmental Concerns

John P. Ahlers — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 11:11:28 GMT

The proposed Palomar Pipeline to be built across the state of Oregon shows a freeway wide clearcut slicing through 73�miles of public forest and crossing 50 rivers and streams.� At peak construction, Palomar Gas Transmission plans to employ up to 1,000 workers to clear the right-of-way, level terrain and bury the pipe in a trench 7 ft. deep according to the latest draft of a report filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.� The Oregonian