Posted Tue, Jun 15, 2:43 p.m.

A favored writer of Seattle’s urban scene, Hinshaw’s solution to Macy’s sky bridge fee weakens his analysis. Urban access fix-it measures should be more thoughtful than additional street cops. Since I didn’t read the 400 comments to the Seattle Times’ article, the following are my unbiased suggestions: a moratorium on ...

Posted Mon, May 24, 2:29 p.m.

Helle Soholt, Founding Partner of Gehl Architects [urbn planning consultants] in Copenhagen gave a lecture at SAM February 23, 2010 entitled: Seattle’s Public Life. Soholt compared Seattle’s downtown livability with other international cities. At the end of her lecture, during the question and answer period, a man in the audience ...

Posted Tue, May 18, 10:52 a.m.

Developer impact fees are justifiable and fair. It is negligent not to use this available revenue source as a mechanism for paying for the higher demands put on infrastructure because of increased development . Seattle citizens have continually paid for increase in infrastructure demands via higher taxes spread across the ...

Posted Wed, May 12, 2:27 p.m.

My father, a business man and life-long Republican many times would chide me, a Liberal Democrate, that the public sector must follow private sector business methods. Now that everything is topsy turvy, he doesn't say such things. I am however, as those things happen, a small business owner concerned about ...

Posted Tue, Apr 20, 3:12 p.m.

•People have the constitutional right to beg; •Burgess' proposed pan-handling ordinance--beggar would be monitored [and cited] by the police--no complaint necessary; •$50 fine or community service, if not paid, fee could be raised to $250, and warrant is issued, person is a criminal; •Aggressive begging is already a criminal offense--if ...

Posted Thu, Feb 25, 8:21 a.m.

Come on, Ballmer advertised[full page in Seattle Times]for SR520 A+ option: 30-foot-tall bridge all the way across Lake Washington; a second Montlake drawbridge to handle extra traffic; six lanes, but none reserved exclusively for transit, no light-rail tracks; bad pedistrian connection to University light-rail station and a ramp to/through the ...

Posted Wed, Feb 17, 1:43 p.m.

I am and always have been against the tunnel--I am and always will be against SR520 A+ Option. My opinons superseded Mayor McGinn's stand on both issues. And anyone who disagrees with me should learn to ride a bike!

Posted Thu, Nov 5, 1:55 p.m.

Brewster: I liked some of what you said, goodbye to Nickel's cloud [but sooo disappointed to hear that Constatine has brought Ceis on board his KC train). Please no more Jessie Israel, she ran a negative campaign and all but distroyed KC Park system.

Posted Thu, Oct 29, 1:38 p.m.

This is by far the best article about about McGinn & Mallahan--at least it's my favorite. Unlike most people, I'm enjoying the race and to all the grumps out there, this is democracy. I've had the opportunity to work on Seattle transportation & parks issues with McGinn, there has been ...

Posted Mon, Aug 24, 11:14 a.m.

Saturday morning at my usual breakfast place, a friend came up to me and gave me a big hug. As we both beamed, she said: "there are parties going on throughout the city celebrating[Nickels' defeat]." Knute, 75% of the voters said no more Nickels. That's a very clear indication of ...

Posted Wed, Aug 19, 8:25 a.m.

Next to Obama's Presidential win, my fantasy that Nickels [and Ceis]would not make it through the primary is way up there as one of my 'big political win' days. Considering Drago & Donalson, they did this city the biggest favor,pulling votes away from Nickels. McGinn and Mallahan are heroic! Comment ...

Posted Sun, Jun 21, 1:18 p.m.

To my way of thinking, the most accurate definition of Nickels is in the Random House Unabridged Dictionary: BULLY--"a blustering, quarrelsome, overbearing peron who badgers and intimidates smaller or weaker people; to act the bully towards; intimidate, domineer." Nickel even has his own 'gang' to enforce the intimidation. We've all ...

Posted Wed, Mar 11, 11:39 a.m.

George, where have you been for the last seven years? The Mayor does not run this city well. Nickels, like Bush needs to disappear. Why is it OK to "ride rough shod" over Council? Harsh and arrogant [ie rough shod] may be your perferred method for effective governing, not mine. ...

Posted Fri, Dec 5, 10:28 a.m.

YES...you can quantify tree benefits to the public. The first step is to know what you have. DC and Boston are cities that have done extensive city-wide tree inventories. [There are many others.] Boston, has a two prong approach that Seattle could follow...tree inventory and canopy mapping. Seattle's statistics about ...

Posted Thu, Dec 4, 1:21 p.m.

Rake up those leaves and clean out your gutters, be thankful you have a mature tree[s] on your property to take care of. Mature trees are the most under-valued ecological resource we have to counter global warming. Besides the aesthetics of form and seasonal color [priceless] and habitate for birds ...

Posted Wed, Aug 13, 11:06 a.m.

Tree Math-what the School District should be teaching students about trees.: During its lifetime, one large tree can absorb as much as 11 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2)... While all trees--large or small--take in CO2 during photosynthesie (the process of converting water, CO2 and sunlight into sugar for food), the ...

Posted Thu, Nov 8, 1:51 p.m.

Not anger, disillusionment...strategic: There was a Crosscut editorial awhile back supporting roads and transportation Prop 1...something about 'it's as good as it gets'...not good enough. The dialogue coming to me since Tuesday's election results and Prop 1 defeat is strategic--we won, now let's get to work. There is no anger ...

Posted Wed, Oct 10, 3:03 p.m.

'smarty pants': How bad is bad in K-12? My 13 year old, 7th grade grandson was called 'Mr. Smarty Pants' by his math science teacher. He's new to the Seattle School District and this episode occured on his second day of class. This bright, easy going guy, shrugged the episode ...