Posted Wed, Mar 14, 9:52 a.m.

When I read the headline, I thought this piece might be about Metro's proposed changes--which could also stand a review here. By promising 'Rapid Ride' Metro will have to scrape up funds from 'non-rush hour' users. Over time I foresee Metro morphing into a rush hour service leaving non-traditional workers ...

Posted Thu, Feb 9, 10:04 a.m.

The right certainly has energized me. Somehow Emily's List got my email address and last night I gave to a political cause for the first time ever in my long life. I want to make sure that women have privacy and control of their persons. And I say, how different ...

Posted Thu, Feb 9, 9:59 a.m.

Back to birth control, how different is it that Bishops (few in number (1%?)) and certainly never having the opportunity to be pregnant themselves seek to control the masses (Catholic and non-Catholic alike (99%?)) to do their bidding. Will this be another case of the many speaking the truth to ...

Posted Fri, Jan 27, 9:26 a.m.

As a lifelong reader who is also retired, I'm at the library at least once (if not more) each week. However, I am concerned that the public might not realize that we are looking at what appears to be a perpetual library levy. After the first meeting at Central in ...

Posted Tue, Jan 24, 9:53 a.m.

For those of you who are white and have always lived in the PNW, it may be difficult to hear nuances of racism still 'alive and well' in the south. Memories are long there. Only a couple of years ago, my niece who lives in Savannah felt it necessary to ...

Posted Mon, Jan 2, 8:33 a.m.

agressive? Not aggressive? Obviously passive about checking spelling.

Posted Mon, Dec 19, 8:45 a.m.

I wonder if Dr. Enfield just looked in every nook and cranny of SPS, and given Seattle's well-won reputation for passive agressive behavior, decided she wasn't ever going to be successful here. I will stand on the word 'adult.'

Posted Fri, Nov 25, 8:29 a.m.

I don't often see the South Lake Union trolley, but when I am stopped in traffic to let it pass, I see there are very few riders. So is anyone asking how the city is paying for it--especially before we go forward with more city-sponsored light rail? I once was ...

Posted Fri, Nov 11, 9:50 a.m.

Just reading this piece made me tear up. I saw this film last spring in London. Such a sad story. It is a reminder that government and self-righteous people can cause such damage to so many lives. It was a 'got a problem, got a solution' policy with no follow-up ...

Posted Thu, Nov 10, 9 a.m.

I would have voted 'yes' on levy to fix our current transportation infrastructure--roads and bridges. We have left this much too long. Unfortunately, this is not the first time city politicians have advanced a 'fix the roads' levy that turned into something else. Prettying the levy up with a little ...

Posted Wed, Nov 9, 9:42 a.m.

What I don't understand about the Seattle Public Schools management is--is there no one there that is politically savvy? It seems as if ideas that are doubtful at best get run up the flagpole to see what happens. When people rightfully object, they used to stick to their guns, and ...

Posted Wed, Sep 21, 9:51 a.m.

Friends rolled their eyes at me several years ago when I told them I was going to take a bus trip around Hanford. But they were wrong! The bus was full of mostly old fogeys who got to see some of the complex cleanup problems - like keeping nasty isotopes ...

Posted Tue, Sep 13, 9:22 a.m.

Like drivers (or anyone for that matter) behaving badly, the bicylists I dislike and am fearful for are those who do behave badly. I don't want to hit anyone, I don't think any thinking person would. I wish there were a way to safely either get those who behave badly ...

Posted Fri, Aug 12, 8:35 a.m.

I received two emails from the Mayor's office touting the $80 level for tab fees. The first was especially disconcerting as it highlighted Portland's Max system. If you have recently traveled to Portland, you will have seen that not only does the city have excellent transit, but their streets also ...

Posted Tue, Jul 12, 9:52 p.m.

I don't have any children in SPS, nor am I a teacher. But, I know one thing I am so sick and tired of the education reformers beating up on teachers and teacher unions. In any workplace there are ways to get rid of incompetent people, but it does take ...

Posted Mon, May 9, 9:02 a.m.

When you take a break from scribbling at the Space Needle, how about walking down Denny to W. Elliott? Try out the Shanty Cafe. If I remember correctly, it was once a pay station for Seattle waterfront workers. How's that for 'old-timey?' (You can always grab a 24 or 33 ...

Posted Fri, Mar 11, 8:37 a.m.

Okay I'm only one voter--but enough already. Let's move on to another issue. My suggestion is Seattle's possible annexation of North Highline. A City Council vote on this must be done by April 1. Seattle voters don't get a choice here, even tho city coffers are empty and future funding ...

Posted Wed, Jan 19, 10 a.m.

I realize you may have space problems and cannot shoehorn a large number in--and that's why you usually ask only 'new' members to join you. But as a member since late 2007, I would also like to be asked to join in once in a while. Sometimes it's not what ...

Posted Tue, Nov 2, 8:05 a.m.

There is the 'bully pulpit' and then there is the 'bully in the pulpit.' To my mind the Mayor is the second. Seattle is his sandbox and woe to anyone who defies him. There is payback. Before the election I didn't think McGinn would play well with other, and I ...

Posted Mon, Oct 25, 8:45 a.m.

I agree that KUOW is great for local news, but I also commend KPLU for local news. We in Puget Sound are so lucky to have 2 stations that care and do an excellent job keeping us informed.

Posted Sun, Oct 3, 9:43 a.m.

First, I do disagree with Mr. Carlyle in that children should have to be responsible and understand the concept of borrowing by having to pay fines at the library. It teaches in other ways as well - like doing tasks in a timely manner. At the same time I think ...

Posted Mon, Aug 23, 8:25 a.m.

I have no children in Seattle schools. My only connection with the city's schools is as a taxpayer. But I have been watching this 'blame the teachers game' with dismay. Last week a 10-year-old who has had interactions with the police beginning when he was 8 was arrested in possession ...

Posted Thu, Jul 15, 8:46 p.m.

Thank you 'inplainair' for saying the RECALL word. Mr. McGinn hasn't been in office for a year, and he's spent most of this time alienating people. I know some number of Seattlites are perfectly happy to 'give the finger' to other elected officials--both local and in Olympia. But there comes ...

Posted Thu, Jul 15, 8:24 a.m.

I am SO SICK of the endless hand-wringing. Let's just do it. And if there are overruns then we can continue the hand-wringing by litigating it. At least that would make a change.

Posted Wed, Jul 14, 10:03 a.m.

If I had French flag (tricolor), I'd wave it!

Posted Mon, Jul 5, 10:26 a.m.

WOW--such back and forth rants. It's been my experience that when you work for any large organization--public or private, there is a perception that pleasing the boss is a good thing. However, the NOAA decision was made, it is not outside the realm of possibility that there was influence--real or ...

Posted Wed, May 5, 8:14 a.m.

Mr. Lukoff: I understand the basics of how the English parliamentary system works. But what I'm saying is - if there are all these 'safe' seats, how did they get to be safe? Wouldn't someone sometime have to have drawn the boundaries?

Posted Tue, May 4, 8:57 a.m.

Mr. Luce, Perhaps you could educate me on the lower house of the British Parliament. There's all this talk of a 'hung' parliament, and in the background I hear there could be a significant discrepancy between popular vote and who actually gets elected because of 'safe' seats. It sounds like ...

Posted Sun, Feb 14, 2:57 p.m.

Mr. Royer--Just because King County cannot afford North Highline (including White Center) does not mean that Seattle can. Why is it that no one with a political bent will tackle the fact that government services DO COST MONEY. We must talk about this--instead of shifting jurisdictions or upping the sales ...

Posted Fri, Feb 12, 10:03 a.m.

Why is the North Highline (yes, it sure is more than just White Center) annexation something Seattlites should care about? Will someone else pay for the replacement of the South Park bridge--due to close this year for safety reasons? The last I heard King County was asking for Stimulous $$$ ...

Posted Wed, Oct 28, 8:48 p.m.

First, I have to 'fess up. I lived in the other Washington for a number of years. The newspaper of record was the Washington Post. So when it comes to politics, my middle name is Cynic. I always vote, but, on occasion, it is a less than stellar exercise. That ...

Posted Tue, Sep 1, 7:48 a.m.

Mercer Mess is just a catch phrase. If no one had ever put the two words together, the I-5/Mercer Street exit would have been properly maintained (okay--I'm being optimistic about street maintenance in Seattle), and there would be no issue for Vulcan to capitalize on. Instead of the grandiose plans ...

Posted Wed, Aug 26, 3:16 p.m.

Sorry Mr. Banel that's why it's called a furlough--everyone, including IT staff goes without pay for a week. Instead of decrying this action, library users should get together and prepare to write the mayor and city council well before this happens again next year. (Without a miracle, we can expect ...

Posted Tue, Aug 4, 8:35 a.m.

There's an elephant on the horizon. It's called annexing North Highline in unincorporated King County. In the August primary, the southern part of North Highline will be voting whether to join Burien. That leaves Seattle open to annexing the rest of North Highline--something Mayor Nickels has been advocating for several ...

Posted Tue, Aug 4, 8:17 a.m.

Please read the City Attorney's Explanatory Statement in your Voters' Guide. I am no friend of plastic bags; I keep reusable bags in my car. But I am SURE to vote NO on this referendum. I do this because no one has thought of part 2--implementation. Think of the overhead ...

Posted Fri, Jul 3, 8:49 a.m.

Ballard--poor Ballard--is an example of growth run amok. Not only do all the condos have empty, never-filled retail, but local stores, card shop, Olsens, camera shop, and now Epilogue books closed or soon-to-be closed. What good are sidewalks if there are few places to visit? m-t-e

Posted Fri, May 8, 7:40 a.m.

As far as I'm concerned, Jan Drago is just Mayor Nickels in a skirt.

Posted Thu, May 7, 8:23 a.m.

Moving a local library to a 'development' zone is not new with KCLS. Just ask the residents of Black Diamond. It took them more than 10 years to get their updated library in town rather than the outside of town preferred by library central management. After Black Diamond residents won ...

Posted Mon, Apr 20, 9:29 a.m.

I wish I had any faith in either the governor (the only this she has going for her in my book is that she is not Dino Rossi) or the legislature to do the right thing. I wish I understood how the sales tax hike rebate is supposed to work. ...

Posted Mon, Mar 23, 10:29 a.m.

I don't understand who has given the Nickels re-election campaign so much money that 'everyone who might possibly run against him is cowering on the sidelines.' Surely, the big money from downtown cannot still be satisfied with his administration--after they, along with the rest of us, were snowed in and ...

Posted Mon, Feb 9, 12:30 p.m.

I'd write in Kermit the Frog before I'd vote for Greg Nichols. All I have to say is South Lake Union wins and infrastructure in the rest of the city loses.

Posted Fri, Feb 6, 8:49 a.m.

I'm glad to see David Miller's name here. I recall his reasoned statements against Seattle's annexation of unincorporated King County south of the city's boundaries.

Posted Tue, Jun 24, 1:18 p.m.

Being the first and out-of-control costs.: Has any transit agency ever run light rail--or any other kind of rail--over a floating bridge? If not (which I think is the answer), do we in this metropolitan area want to be the ones to fund this? I cannot believe that any cost ...

Posted Fri, Oct 26, 4:09 p.m.

TIME TO REDEFINE INFRASTRUCTURE: I SAY VOTE NO . BEFORE WE BUILD NEW LANES, NEW ROADS, AND/OR EXTEND LIGHT RAIL, WE NEED TO FIX WHAT WE'VE GOT. THIS MEASURE DOES NOT FULLY FUND THE 520 BRIDGE, AND WE NEED TO REPLACE AGING BRIDGES AND CRUMBLING ROADS FIRST. AND TO ADD ...

Posted Wed, Oct 10, 9:36 a.m.

PSYCHOLOGY OF ON-AIR TRAFFIC REPORTS: When I moved here in 1994 (from the Washington, DC, area), I was surprised that there were traffic reports on the radio on the hour and/or half-hour all day long. This only re-enforces the idea that our traffic is AWFUL. True, in certain areas at ...