That’s especially true when rich ideologues attempt to defund or block every project that comes along. In Seattle’s case for ST1, at least half of the problem was that every plan was litigated to near-death by opponents whose only goal was to cynically create delay.

Couple this with idiotic fantasy projects (like monorails that go nowhere - the self-driving car of the mid-aughts!), and you have a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I don't see how that is in way relevant to self driving cars. Is Seattle funding self driving vehicles also?