Stories for March 27, 2008

Top-two primary boosts chances for instant run-off voting

Thu, Mar 27, noon

Washington's nominating process for partisan political office has a long, tortuous history — and it just got a little longer. Last week's Supreme Court decision upholding Initiative 872, which established a "top-two" or "Louisiana-style" primary to replace the blanket primary declared unconstitutional in 2003, gives the Evergreen state its third distinct system in the space of five years.

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Will they ever finish Seattle Center?

Thu, Mar 27, 10 a.m.

By David Brewster

Years of planning and public relations work fail to hold the Center's place in the queue for capital improvements. Will two more years of waiting make things worse?

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Bellevue ranks at top for places to live and launch a company

Thu, Mar 27, 9 a.m.

By David Brewster

Bellevue is the top city in a new ranking of best American cities to live and launch a new business by CNN Money.com. Seattle doesn't even make the list of the top 100 such places. The survey rates Bellevue high for its low crime rate, great schools, excellent health care, and diverse population (40 percent nonwhite or foreign-born). It describes the town as having "grown with unusual grace" into a place that is sophisticated and metropolitan but not yet crowded or expensive. Apparently the survey is not aware of the traffic problems on the Eastside, though some of the comments on the site point that out, along with the high cost of housing. One Seattleite protests: "Boring!"

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Jean Godden on Seattle: My, how you've changed!

Thu, Mar 27, 5 a.m.

By Jean Godden

The longtime columnist for Seattle's dailies casts an affectionate eye over the many sweeping transformations of the city, and wonders if all the newcomers will learn to cherish the uniqueness of the place.