Posted Thu, May 17, 3:29 p.m.

Money isn't everything, but...: Great piece, Casey. Most revealing to those who can't understand why so few City Council races are well contested. Candidates don't campaign here: They use fundraising as an electoral nuclear deterrent - discouraging others from getting into the race. Real democracy in action. However, as you ...

Posted Thu, May 10, 1:03 a.m.

Growing nowhere: "Misleading"? Hardly. Facts speak for themselves. An acknowledgement of what many been saying for years: Seattle's population isn't growing at significant rates, isn't likely too. Understand now why Mayor and Council are so eager to annex Highline/White Center, low income status aside? It's the only way Seattle can ...

Posted Mon, Apr 30, 7:17 p.m.

Speaks for itself: I won't dignify "Sean's" comments with any further reply. I think he quite effectively, and revealing, speaks for himself.

Posted Mon, Apr 30, 3 p.m.

A correction for "Sean": As for "Sean", your comment is inaccurate. Charlie had little more to do with the Commons well deserved defeats than the overwhelming majority of voters who wisely shot it down - twice. Charlie, as I, opposed the Commons, spoke out against it as a citizen and ...

Posted Mon, Apr 30, 2:59 p.m.

A legacy of courage and common sense: Many thanks to Kent Kammerer for his warm and compassionate words about Charlie and his legacy. Charlie was that rare elected official whose stated purpose was, as he put it, "to stand up for the little guy" - and not only meant it, ...

Posted Tue, Apr 24, 1:09 a.m.

Vanity runs amok: "Now we're on course to solve that dilemma". Uh, what dilemma? Not having a "quality civic space" across from City Hall is a "dilemma"? According to whom? One wonders how Seattle managed to thrive and succeed for so long without this mythic and seemingly unattainable "civic space". ...

Posted Mon, Apr 23, 11:03 p.m.

Center plan: Less is more. Less concrete, more green, less cost.: Nickel's "discovery" that no affordable land exists for more n'hood parks reeks with irony. It's Mayor's and Council's land use policies emphasizing maximum square footage development that helped cause the rapid rise in land prices in the first place, ...

Posted Fri, Apr 20, 12:10 p.m.

RE: "Seattle's soaring rent rate earns spot in $1,000 club": So what if some "people want to move here", they're mostly moving to the Counties. Our city pop growth is still stagnant. We're shifting demos and the kind of housing that's being built. This change makes renters the losers in ...

Posted Fri, Apr 20, 11:46 a.m.

RE: Myth: Seattle's population is growing at Beijing rates: Hey Matt, will try to be brief, a real miracle…. Fact: Seattle actually has plenty of places to build homes. It's the cost of housing that determines where people live, and what you can get for what you can afford, not ...

Posted Thu, Apr 19, 7:37 p.m.

"Seattle's soaring rent rate earns spot in $1,000 club": For all of you who think that density equals affordability, take the latest reality check: http://www.komotv.com/news/7109591.html "Seattle's soaring rent rate earns spot in $1,000 club" Speaks for itself, and further exposes the fallacious density arguments claiming more housing in and of ...

Posted Thu, Apr 19, 7:35 p.m.

"Seattle's soaring rent rate earns spot in $1,000 club": For all of you who think that density equals affordability, take the latest reality check: http://www.komotv.com/news/7109591.html "Seattle's soaring rent rate earns spot in $1,000 club" Speaks for itself, and further exposes the fallacious density arguments claiming more housing equals affordability.

Posted Thu, Apr 19, 7:30 p.m.

RE: brewster reply: Thanks, David: I think your explanation covers the pro tunnel coalition and their motivations more concisely. The reason said coalition failed to appeal to the voters was simply because their case was so transparently weak. Another lesson for those who believe that money and clout are always ...

Posted Thu, Apr 19, 7:22 p.m.

RE: De Facto Retro: Cwesley: Your approach reflects much effective and perceptive reasoning pointing to a realistic solution that does the greatest good for the greatest number at acceptable, realistic cost. Which is why, of course, it's been so difficult to implement here. It's simply not idealogically pure enough.

Posted Thu, Apr 19, 2:51 p.m.

RE: Housing supply/demand myths: More doesn't always equal affordable: Thanks, will read it and try to get back to you later today or tomorrow, I've taken too much time today on this as is. I'm trying to impose limits... thank God cc keeps me to 4K char's.

Posted Thu, Apr 19, 2:48 p.m.

Urban Myth: Seattle's population will grow at Beijing rates: Keep questioning the true believers Knute - you know, the kind who brought us the monorail. A key part of the density cult's mythology is the mistaken belief of fantastic population growth in Seattle. It isn't happening. Quite the opposite. When ...

Posted Thu, Apr 19, 2:09 p.m.

Myth: Seattle's population is growing at Beijing rates: A key part of the density cult's mythology is that Seattle is and will continue to grow at fantastic rates. Some call for 200,000 more people by 2020, or some such ridiculous figure. Hence, we need more "density" (a term no one ...

Posted Thu, Apr 19, 1:31 p.m.

Housing supply/demand myths: More doesn't always equal affordable: Contrary to Sightlines and others mistaken beliefs, more housing doesn't necessarily equal lower prices. Nor do lower prices bring affordability, for anyone other than rich retirees and DINKS with dual, six figure incomes. The housing supply/demand equation is far more sophisticated and ...

Posted Thu, Apr 19, 1:12 p.m.

De Facto Retro: Good summary, Brewster. It is clear that a form of the "retrofit" option is already under way. With the Governor's two year, 900 million commitment for "temporary" repairs to key viaduct segments and surface transportation improvements "studies", etc, it seems we are witnessing a "de factor" retro. ...

Posted Thu, Apr 19, 12:25 p.m.

Housing supply/demand myths: More doesn't always equal affordable: Contrary to popular belief, more housing doesn't necessarily equal lower prices. Nor do lower prices bring affordability, for anyone other than rich retirees and DINKS with dual, six figure incomes. The housing supply/demand equation is far more sophisticated and complex than most ...

Posted Mon, Apr 16, 9:51 p.m.

RE: Seattle Density: Developer Welfare, Enviro Wet Dream: Thanks for the comments. 1: Supply and demand operates with far more complexity than realized in the housing industry. Increasing housing supply doesn't necessarily decrease price, and can increase it. Housing is built at "market rate", ie, the highest price the market ...

Posted Mon, Apr 16, 4:10 p.m.

RE: Government planners at work: "Government Planners at work" That's what scares me.

Posted Mon, Apr 16, 3:59 p.m.

RE: Seattle Density: Developer Welfare, Enviro Wet Dream: Thanks for the comment. The assumption is we get "more" people. I don't think we are. Part of the density fallacy is the ill supported assumption that Seattle's population is going to increase dramatically in a relatively short time, thus generating more ...

Posted Mon, Apr 16, 3:27 p.m.

O wins P, No P for T: Congratulations to the Oregonian. Not the best day at Fairview Fanny. First the Times seemingly throws in the towel on their attempt to drive the PI out of business, then they just miss on the P's once again to their rival the Oregonian. ...

Posted Mon, Apr 16, 2:44 p.m.

Competition is a wonderful thing....: Retaining competing daily newspapers is almost always good news, so to speak. I wonder how much of the details we'll be privy to? Bill's article seems to imply that the Times gained little from their battle. The Times was recently regarded as in the stronger ...

Posted Mon, Apr 16, 2:07 p.m.

Seattle Density: Developer Welfare, Enviro Wet Dream: I applaud Knute's questioning of Seattle's density cult. It's taken on an "a priori", religious like fervor with some groups - an enviro wet dream for all our urban ills. Increasing density "in city" is not necessarily a bad idea, it's all in ...

Posted Sun, Apr 15, 11:33 p.m.

Not much of a park or art: A lost opportunity: First off, having any kind of public space at the site is better than what was there before: A fenced off toxic waste area and railroad tracks. And certainly better than another sterile, cookie cutter condo project. For this we ...