Posted Thu, Apr 12, 12:17 p.m.

Did you miss the word "voucher", Swifty? Give me my money and let me do that.

Posted Thu, Apr 12, 5:35 a.m.

"A collaborator at Olympia's Intercity Transit came up with the “brilliant idea” of taking the license-making station to middle school dances, where kids can pose with friends for license photos, then each get a copy and hold each other to their pledges. (“I will nag my mother until she stops ...

Posted Wed, Apr 11, 9:36 p.m.

Water bills usually cover operations and maintenance. They usually fail, however, to provide for capital replacement. Hence America's infrastructure crisis. This is due to 1) a short-sighted public who objects to being charged today for expenses twenty years out and 2) short-sighted politicians who are incapable of letting money go ...

Posted Wed, Apr 11, 7:57 a.m.

I want a future where our elected officials aren't constantly whispered to by sycophants.

Posted Tue, Apr 10, 5:35 a.m.

Except looking at the steering wheel, instead of the road, could lead to accidents. Maybe we should fund a massive installation of warning video billboards. It will be expensive, but hey, even if it saves one life it's worth it! Warning: Reading some of Crosscut's authors could make you go ...

Posted Mon, Apr 9, 7:22 p.m.

Roger's like the credit company that sends kids pre-approved cards.

Posted Mon, Apr 9, 2:11 p.m.

Maybe Mike Daisy should "report" on the environmental impacts of server farms.

Posted Wed, Apr 4, 10:30 a.m.

The old gray lady has dementia.

Posted Tue, Apr 3, 2:19 p.m.

But moral panic is how we justify regulation and non-profit programs!

Posted Tue, Apr 3, 9:15 a.m.

The UW found regulations related to Washington's Growth management Act added $200,000 cost to the median home in Seattle. The Seattle City Council is considering a rental housing inspection program that is expected to add, at least, $5/month to the cost of rent. For Lisa and many others the Road ...

Posted Fri, Mar 30, 9:29 p.m.

He only inches away in case he has to hop right back.

Posted Thu, Mar 29, 5:46 a.m.

So last millennium. Hey Bill, how about telling us about a more recent corruption you were involved in. Tell us how the Puget Sound Partnership is nothing but a slush fund for Democratic Party supporters and agendas.

Posted Wed, Mar 28, 8:08 p.m.

So... only 77 percent of the population has access to the internet. In their heyday, what percentage of households received the daily newspaper? What percentage of households watch the TV news? What percentage of people even care? All people - in this country still - can be as informed as ...

Posted Wed, Mar 28, 2:52 p.m.

If the All Powerful One Percent were truly trying to keep people ignorant, they never would have allowed the internet to develop as it has. Information is more democratic, opinion more amplified, nowadays and much of the hand-wringing sounds like lamenting loss of exclusivity. Still no reason the democratized exchange ...

Posted Wed, Mar 28, 11:05 a.m.

Next up: Roger has been talking to God and blogging about it.

Posted Tue, Mar 27, 3:23 p.m.

And I forgot to include The Public in my list of factors contributing to the crumble. Thanks for reminding me, swifty.

Posted Tue, Mar 27, 3:18 p.m.

of course, this one's good, too: Journalists should encourage the public to voice grievances against the news media.

Posted Tue, Mar 27, 3:06 p.m.

Speaking of Science, does David Dicks still have his appointment over at SEIU-Dub's College of the Environment? Or has he scientifically "proven" the need for the Democratic Party's regulatory/tax plan and moved on?

Posted Tue, Mar 27, 2:18 p.m.

So... Investigate Northwest began requiring a person's name to comment (a very irresponsible thing for a commenter - especially a dissenting one - to do in the age of the internet AND a very establishment thing for a press - supposedly the voice of the powerless to demand, IMO)... PI ...

Posted Tue, Mar 27, 9:55 a.m.

Those recounts - especially the second one - can be expensive. Who funded the one that, finally, gave Christine the win? http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2008013983_donations24m.html

Posted Tue, Mar 27, 7:23 a.m.

Jay Inslee doesn't have to bother with - gasp! - the public. He is the chosen figurehead for our state's Democratic Party/Indian Tribe/Public Employee Union Cartel. That machine - with its army of supporting non-profits - will herd his votes to the polls.

Posted Tue, Mar 27, 5:52 a.m.

During his last campaign, Jay Inslee took money from: Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians; Palm Springs, CA Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Indians; Roseburg, OR Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe; Sequim, WA Lummi Nation; Bellingham, WA Mashantucket Pequot Tribe; Mashantucket, CT Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians; Philadelphia, MS Morongo Band of ...

Posted Tue, Mar 27, 5:49 a.m.

Requiring Facebook participation in order to comment on its stories will only hasten the irrelevance/demise of the PI.

Posted Mon, Mar 26, 12:55 p.m.

"Brunner notes that McKenna's personal focus on the not-so-popular requirement that everyone purchase health insurance..." Uh... not "everyone". The Democrats exempted a bunch of their campaign contributors, like "members of indian tribes", from the personal mandate (buy insurance or pay a fine!) under which the rest must labor.

Posted Mon, Mar 26, 9:19 a.m.

A by-product of our sanctuary status? Importing those who have not subscribed to our childhood immunization schedules?

Posted Mon, Mar 26, 6:14 a.m.

Regulations, Chuck. As an attorney you should know their importance. Sandwich boards discriminate against people in wheel chairs. Stop bullying paraplegics.

Posted Sun, Mar 25, 8:18 p.m.

if so, add my accidental double post to it. sorry.

Posted Sun, Mar 25, 8:17 p.m.

Meanwhile, I recently heard a local TV anchor report that Rush Limbaugh called someone "the S word". Does anyone in Seattle still maintain The Lame List?

Posted Sun, Mar 25, 8:17 p.m.

Meanwhile, I recently heard a local TV anchor report that Rush Limbaugh called someone "the S word". Does anyone in Seattle still maintain The Lame List?

Posted Wed, Mar 21, 2:08 p.m.

"An office building that lasts 250 years with no monthly electricity or water bills? It may sound like an environmentalist’s pipe dream, but it will soon be a reality, say the builders of what they hope will be the biggest office tower in the nation that produces as much water ...

Posted Tue, Mar 20, 10:35 a.m.

SEIU-Dub organizing for the Democratic Party.

Posted Sun, Mar 18, 2:09 p.m.

Yeah, and how about Elliot's Fun Raiser for Jay Inslee? Were there any whores there?

Posted Fri, Mar 16, 9:57 p.m.

So they made up a story on working conditions in China. They did it with the best intentions. They were trying to spread some social justice. What's the problem?

Posted Fri, Mar 16, 1:38 p.m.

Australia, China, France, Finland (to say nothing of his extensive domestic itineraries)... Who knew the Snohomish COUNTY Executive has such far-flung responsibilities? Answer: he doesn't. If any good comes of The Reardon Affair, let it be an end to the paradigm that allows elected officials to trot the globe on ...

Posted Fri, Mar 16, 9:11 a.m.

Not so much self-promotion as Party Puppetry. The Democratic Party is Jay's largest campaign contributor. The Party ordered Jay home. He came like a good dog. He who pays the piper calls the shots.

Posted Fri, Mar 16, 7:38 a.m.

Non-profits = Special Interest Groups End all non-profits. They use public money for political purpose. Wonder where all the government money has gone? http://nccsdataweb.urban.org/PubApps/profileDrillDown.php?rpt=US-STATE

Posted Fri, Mar 16, 6:02 a.m.

Has Mitt ever listened to the lyrics of Sweet Home Alabama? Has Knute ever listened to the lyrics of The Three Great Alabama Icons? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MIztbe1_e8

Posted Thu, Mar 15, 6:03 a.m.

Sounds like unchecked immigration is to blame.

Posted Wed, Mar 14, 9 p.m.

Further, Andy, I am coming to believe that non-profit organizations are directly responsible for a great part of our community and national discord. End tax exemptions and government grants and you will end a lot of our civic rancor and division.

Posted Wed, Mar 14, 8:53 p.m.

Yes, Andy, religious institutions, too. All of them. They all rely on infrastructure and government services. All should pay. The rest of your list is, of course, outside my comment on non-profits.

Posted Wed, Mar 14, 3:24 p.m.

Your tax dollars are funding all manner of non-profit organizations pushing all manner of political agendas with which you might disagree, Andy. I believe we should totally overhaul the "non-profit" section of the tax code. It has become haven to charlatans, activists and tax cheats and presents a shadowy way ...

Posted Wed, Mar 14, 9:47 a.m.

I wonder how much debt Big Academia saddled Raechel with in exchange for a B.A. in journalism.

Posted Wed, Mar 14, 8:15 a.m.

The non-profit sector has become a means to transfer government money to political allies. There should be NO tax-exempt non-governmental organization.

Posted Wed, Mar 14, 5:19 a.m.

"Is this John Zarelli? Wealthy, motivated by greed, are more likely to cheat, study finds" I dunno. How much is Aaron Reardon worth?

Posted Tue, Mar 13, 7:40 a.m.

Sarah, Crosscut has a headline for you: Head in the Sand: Beckett Play Warns Against Blissful Ignorance

Posted Tue, Mar 13, 4:55 a.m.

Washington's Democratic Party's immigration policy is incompatible with its environmental policy. So long as we welcome unchecked immigration we will not "save" our environment. http://www.thesocialcontract.com/artman2/publish/tsc_21_3/tsc-21-3-hurlbert-salmon.shtml

Posted Tue, Mar 13, 4:48 a.m.

We need complete overhaul of the non-profit section of the tax code. The non-profit has become haven to all manner of charlatan, activist and tax cheat. In 2010, there were 35,000 non-profits in Washington State, alone. That equaled one non-profit per 192 people. Check the numbers on this link. Wonder ...

Posted Mon, Mar 12, 1:48 p.m.

Here's the long-range Democratic Party game plan: Funding to education (which grows Public Union jobs and, therefore, Democratic Party campaign contributions) is increased, the population gets progressively more ignorant, dependent and indoctrinated, thus generating ever greater Democratic Party electoral majorities. Early indications are that this approach is already beginning to ...

Posted Mon, Mar 12, 9:17 a.m.

6. You shall apply all laws, equally; irrespective of race.

Posted Mon, Mar 12, 7:50 a.m.

oops! hit submit, too soon! He also took money from: Pechanga Band of Mission Indians; Temecula, CA Poarch Band of Creek Indians; Atmore, AL Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe; Kingston, WA Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan; Mt. Pleasant, MI Salt River Pima Maricopa Tribe; Scottsdale, AZ San Manuel Band of ...

Posted Mon, Mar 12, 7:41 a.m.

During his last campaign, Jay Inslee too money from" Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians; Palm Springs CA Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Indians; Roseburg, OR Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe; Sequim, WA Lummi Nation; Bellingham, WA Mashantucket Pequot Tribe; Mashantucket, CT Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians; Philadelphia, MS Morongo Band of ...

Posted Mon, Mar 12, 7:33 a.m.

Why should they have any get-up-and-go? They've been told they are "special" - nay, that they can Save the World! - even as they've sat around on their ass.

Posted Mon, Mar 12, 7:27 a.m.

"Seattle media often react this way. They squirm when someone lets slips an uncomfortable truth, like when Paul Allen told us Bill Gates was a jerk, and got criticized for breaking the local rule: "If you don't have something nice to say, repress your real feelings and thoughts because you ...

Posted Mon, Mar 12, 6:13 a.m.

The choice is simple: You either like the Democratic Party/Indian Tribe/Public Employee Union cartel and want to maintain the status quo or you don't.

Posted Sun, Mar 11, 9:10 p.m.

If corrupting our public officials and governance is the way they "found" to profit, then no, northender, we damn sure can't have that.

Posted Sun, Mar 11, 8:30 p.m.

WA Department of Transportation estimates the gas tax deal Christine Gregoire cut with her sovereign tribal campaign contributors will cost Washington State taxpayers $621 Million over the next 17 years. http://www.washingtonpolicy.org/blog/post/tribes-undercut-non-tribal-fuel-stations-gas-tax-subsidy During his last campaign, Jay Inslee took campaign money from tribes as far away as Connecticut and Mississippi.

Posted Sun, Mar 11, 5:37 p.m.

Good post, Cameron. It's not surprising there are defenders of the status quo cartel.

Posted Fri, Mar 9, 9:17 a.m.

And from last month: "Finally, in both Seattle and Portland, transit ridership declines steadily as income grows, though the impact of income on transit use was more variable in Seattle." http://publicola.com/2012/02/29/take-that-portland-seattle-uses-transit-more-but-use-drops-with-income/

Posted Fri, Mar 9, 8:01 a.m.

"...it leaves too much time for the media to gin-up the Comeback Kid meme" Yeah. Dontcha just hate it when the media gins shit up, Knute?

Posted Thu, Mar 8, 8:22 a.m.

It's OK for Progressives to be misogynistic. Remember the outroar over Jimmy Fallon's band playing Bitch when Michelle Bachmann was introduced? No?

Posted Tue, Mar 6, 1:35 p.m.

Thank you, Senator Kastama, for not lock-step following your Party toward bankruptcy.

Posted Tue, Mar 6, 1:10 p.m.

If any good comes of The Reardon Affair, let it be an end to the paradigm that allows public officials to trot the globe on the public dime. Australia, China, France, Finland (to say nothing of his exhaustive domestic itineraries).... who knew the Snohomish COUNTY Executive has such far-flung responsibilities? ...

Posted Fri, Mar 2, 10:50 a.m.

Woofer, don't waste your time trying to decipher the language. You only need to look at Maury Island to see the claims of "science-based prioritizing" are lies. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2012764293_guest31myers.html

Posted Fri, Mar 2, 8:44 a.m.

The Puget Sound partnership is a slush fund for political cronies and agendas.

Posted Thu, Mar 1, 1:18 p.m.

Why we should outlaw all public employee unions. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303339504575566481761790288.html http://www.nationalaffairs.com/publications/detail/the-trouble-with-public-sector-unions

Posted Thu, Mar 1, 7:45 a.m.

A government employee, a union member AND an environmentalist!!! Wow! The "environmentalist" in you must HATE that your union dues fund such anti-environmental Democratic Party causes as increased immigration. Of course that concern is mollified by the government employee in you who says "shut up and keep cashing the paycheck" ...

Posted Wed, Feb 29, 11:36 a.m.

Does anyone else routinely adjust their investment portfolio to put more money in the lowest performing funds?

Posted Wed, Feb 29, 6:47 a.m.

Oh, a small consolation, Darrington... Your anguish will only last a generation. The teacher's union will have your kids grow up to believe you were wrong, in the first place.

Posted Wed, Feb 29, 5:57 a.m.

Trial lawyers, "environmental groups", public employee unions and "social-justice" advocates have decided they can squeeze the public much harder if they all work together. Good luck, Darrington. The "environmental group" will bring the suit, the trial lawyer will accrue billable hours, the public employee union will produce the Science to ...

Posted Tue, Feb 28, 11:50 a.m.

Are those non-English speaking Hispanics in Nashville legal immigrants? If not, does their very presence represent a form of "wage-theft"?

Posted Tue, Feb 28, 9:03 a.m.

Dick Nelson, who "prefers" the Democratic party also "prefers" a state income tax. He just can't, apparently, bring himself to say it.

Posted Mon, Feb 27, 8:23 p.m.

The Puget Sound Partnership is a slush fund for political cronies.

Posted Mon, Feb 27, 11:54 a.m.

Here's a revival option for Inslee: He's already taken a TON of money from indian tribes. Now he's taking some from The Love Gov, Elliot Spitzer. How about, Jay - with Spitzer's expertise in the matter - grant indian tribes the exclusive right to operate brothels in Washington State? It ...

Posted Mon, Feb 27, 11:20 a.m.

Can you say lock-step political alliance? http://www.portorchardindependent.com/opinion/104088189.html

Posted Mon, Feb 27, 11:07 a.m.

Gregoire to Interior? She's done such a bang up job selling out the State of Washington to sovereign indian tribes, The Party wants to move her to a federal position where she can do the same for the country.

Posted Mon, Feb 27, 9:45 a.m.

"I have some experience with the treasurer dating back to my work in favor of state Rep. Hans Dunshee’s last run at a jobs bill in 2010." Yeah. You were on TVW, looking to all the world like you were lying through your teeth. http://www.tvw.org/index.php?option=com_tvwplayer&eventID;=2010090081

Posted Mon, Feb 27, 5:48 a.m.

That's what's so "bad" about it, Cameron. It threatens the money grab that's paraded as "environmentalism".

Posted Sat, Feb 25, 7:39 p.m.

Gregoire has done such a good job selling out the state of Washington to tribes, that they are moving her into position to do the same for the country.

Posted Sat, Feb 25, 7:14 p.m.

Secretary of Interior. Perfect for one so bought by tribes. Let's put the hen in charge of the fox house.

Posted Sat, Feb 25, 3:39 p.m.

Lemons >>> Lemonade So... Inslee's taken a LOT of money from indian tribes... he owes them some favors. How about... he bring in Spitzer's expertise... grant the tribes the exclusive right to operate brothels in Washington State... VOILA!!! Tribes repaid, economy grown and - with a little massaging - Jay ...

Posted Fri, Feb 24, 9:29 p.m.

Charity begins at home.

Posted Fri, Feb 24, 5:50 a.m.

Another Loser: The Public. Whose Fourth Estate has been corrupted with partisan political hacks and whores.

Posted Thu, Feb 23, 3:06 p.m.

New Poll: 60% Support Allowing Charter Public Schools in Washington http://www.washingtonpolicy.org/press/press-releases/new-poll-60-support-allowing-charter-public-schools-washington Westello, do you hold the will of the people similarly sacrosanct on, say, the issue of a state income tax?

Posted Thu, Feb 23, 2:13 p.m.

Rather: How Race Continues To Profit Us

Posted Thu, Feb 23, 2:07 p.m.

If any good comes of The Reardon Affair, let it be an end to the paradigm that allows elected officials to trot the globe on the public dime. China, Australia, Finland, France (not to mention his extensive domestic itineraries)... who knew the Snohomish County Executive has such far-flung responsibilities? Answer: ...

Posted Thu, Feb 23, 11:08 a.m.

King Tut owned slaves. We should seize these treasures while they are in town, melt them down and redistribute the gold to the victim descendants. King Tut was the one percent!!!

Posted Thu, Feb 23, 8:54 a.m.

Anne Rule: a hyena that tears carrion for gore crows

Posted Thu, Feb 23, 8:46 a.m.

NW cities are also getting bolder about taxing non-profits.

Posted Thu, Feb 23, 8:05 a.m.

The best part of Roger's screeds is the byline. It's always interesting to find out what he's an expert in this week and by which "non-profit" he's managing to profit.

Posted Thu, Feb 23, 8:01 a.m.

Or an indoor alternative to The Food Forest, Rob. I'm sure Himalayan Blackberry will grown equally well indoors.

Posted Wed, Feb 22, 11:36 a.m.

It is time for complete overhaul of the "non-profit" section of our tax code. It has become haven to all manner of activist, charlatan and tax cheat. In 2010, Washington State had almost 35,000 "non-profit" organizations in operation. These organizations posted total revenues of almost $50 Billion and held almost ...

Posted Wed, Feb 22, 11:01 a.m.

In 2010, Washington State had almost 35,000 "non-profit" organizations in operation. These organizations posted total revenues of almost $50 Billion and held almost $150 Billion in assets.

Posted Wed, Feb 22, 10:53 a.m.

If the conservatory represents the City's soul, then the cost to save that soul looks to be about $3.5 Million in capital costs and $450,000/year in operating costs. It looks like just over 8,300 people pay admission/year. To meet annual operating expenses, those 8,300 people would have to be charged ...

Posted Wed, Feb 22, 9:51 a.m.

One good that, hopefully, comes of The Reardon Affair: taxpayers end the paradigm that says elected officials are entitled to trot the globe on the public dime. China, Australia, Finland, France (to say nothing of his domestic itineraries)... who knew the Snohomish County Executive has such far-flung responsibilities? Answer: he ...

Posted Wed, Feb 22, 8:32 a.m.

A good start, now tax them ALL. We need complete overhaul of the "non-profit" portion of our tax code. It has become haven for all manner of activist, charlatan and tax cheat.

Posted Tue, Feb 21, 3:43 p.m.

If someone wants to build a facility, hire performers, and sell tickets to their performances, he should purchase some property, build his facility, and operate his private business like any other. Like, say, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Seattle Symphony, Seattle Art Museum and Seattle Opera?

Posted Tue, Feb 21, 7:56 a.m.

Alternate Headline: Dicks Vigorously Lobbies For More State Money To Be Transferred to His Tribal Benefactors.

Posted Mon, Feb 20, 1:24 p.m.

Outlaw all public employee unions and drastically overhaul the "non-profit" section of the tax code and, maybe, the "very poor" have a chance. Currently, though, there are too many financial interests in keeping them as clients.

Posted Fri, Feb 17, 12:45 p.m.

Shouldn't have given out that Editor's Pick...

Posted Fri, Feb 17, 11:54 a.m.

Darn it! I thought this article was gonna be about orcas!

Posted Fri, Feb 17, 9:58 a.m.

"So we're already spending money on an "arena consultant"? How many homeless and/or hungry children would that money have housed and fed?" By the time it filters through the bureaucracy and homeless/hungry children consultants/non-profits? None.

Posted Fri, Feb 17, 5:36 a.m.

Lost in the hullabaloo... McGinn and Dow deftly use the occasion to fulfill the City and County's promise to "end homelessness by 2015". Everyone... to Key Arena! Loser: Journalists who take up the juvenile "winners and losers" proclamations (ala Publicola) whilst, hypocritically, decrying the "hired pens for daggers" that has ...

Posted Thu, Feb 16, 5:26 p.m.

oooh.... I can't wait for the follow-up! Sightline: Census Data Shows Need For More Minority Majority Districts.

Posted Thu, Feb 16, 11:41 a.m.

Strike One: Reardon Trots Globe With Mistress Strike Two: Reardon Campaigns on County Dime One more strike and The Party will have to find him a Federal position.

Posted Thu, Feb 16, 11:34 a.m.

Outlaw all public employee unions.

Posted Thu, Feb 16, 11:33 a.m.

Outlaw all public employee unions. Quick kids! Who buys elections? Wrong! http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303339504575566481761790288.html What? That's not what your teacher told you?

Posted Thu, Feb 16, 10:04 a.m.

Hi Swifty, You know where I can get a copy of "The Comedy of the Commons" (the English version, not the Chinese translation)?

Posted Thu, Feb 16, 9:23 a.m.

"The Odessa project, on the other hand, will only make it harder for water and dam managers to meet flow targets for threatened and endangered Columbia River salmon and steelhead -- targets they already miss on a regular basis." State mandated instream flow levels are designed to be missed on ...

Posted Thu, Feb 16, 7:53 a.m.

Strike Two! One more and The Party will have to appoint him to a federal position.

Posted Thu, Feb 16, 5:38 a.m.

I hope there is a contingency plan. Made by adults. Based in reality.

Posted Wed, Feb 15, 3:33 p.m.

Do minimum wage laws apply to illegal aliens?

Posted Wed, Feb 15, 1:27 p.m.

The real crime in Reardon's story is the paradigm that has developed whereby elected officials feel entitled to world tours on the public dime. Paris, China, Finland, Australia... who knew the Snohomish County Executive has such far flung responsibilities? As we work to balance the budget, "fully fund" education, etc. ...

Posted Wed, Feb 15, 11:17 a.m.

The Puget Sound Partnership - and many "governmental bodies" - routinely transfer public money to allied non-profits. Here's a few, Steve. People for Puget Sound Skagit River System Cooperative The Nature Conservancy South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group Hood Canal Coordinating Council Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group The list goes ...

Posted Wed, Feb 15, 6 a.m.

"How did a special-interest group get taxpayer money for a study that served its own interest?" Yeah, THAT never happens. Ever hear of the "non-profit" sector, Daniel? Think it is exploding on willing donations? And if you think the 1:1 cost:benefit ratio is bad, how about the "no net impact" ...

Posted Tue, Feb 14, 9:17 a.m.

Yay Rep. Reuven Carlyle! Except, perusing his 57 page bill one finds no reference to the tax breaks given to indian tribes. It has been estimated that Christine Gregoire's quid-pro-quo gas-tax deal with tribes will cost taxpayers $621 Million over the next 17 years.

Posted Mon, Feb 13, 8:43 p.m.

Beware the absolutists of any culture, George.

Posted Fri, Feb 10, 1:03 p.m.

Those jobs, unsurprisingly, are mostly held by women: 72 percent of workers in education, health, and social services are women. So, the alternate headline is: Hiring practices in Education, Health and Social-Services Dramatically Favor Women.

Posted Fri, Feb 10, 7:50 a.m.

"Publicola reports..." Funny Publicola Reports Women Hit Hardest By Everything

Posted Thu, Feb 9, 1:58 p.m.

Don't do the crime if you can't do the time, Harris. Don't do the crime, if you can't pay the fine.

Posted Thu, Feb 9, 12:54 p.m.

Of course, right wing blowhards (and left wing blowhards) aren't expected to adhere to the same code of ethics as Journalists, bubbles. http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp

Posted Thu, Feb 9, 10:54 a.m.

SB 6284 is entitled "Reforming Washington's approach to certain nonsafety civil traffic infractions by authorizing a civil collection process for unpaid traffic fines and removing the requirement for law enforcement intervention for the failure to appear and pay a traffic ticket." I suppose a UW journalism student could call it ...

Posted Thu, Feb 9, 6:16 a.m.

Roger will tell the public that blue is green if it suits his political agenda and those of the John that has hired him; but now we are to believe that entering The Ayala Zone is, actually, a good thing? Roger must have been sitting in a different section than ...

Posted Wed, Feb 8, 3:40 p.m.

The Puget Sound Partnership is a corrupt political action arm of the Democratic Party. It exists to ensure "science" supports - nay, compels, the Party's regulatory/taxing agenda. Ditto the remora-like "non-profits" that swim alongside, grooming the behemoth and eating scraps from its kills. When David Dicks "left" the Puget Sound ...

Posted Wed, Feb 8, 1:37 p.m.

What Joel doesn't tell you (surprise, surprise) is that the Citizens United ruling really only leveled the playing field. Prior to CU, one group - indian tribes (surprise, surprise) - enjoyed an exemption to campaign limitations enacted under McCain-Feingold. The "tribal loophole" as it is called was exploited to great ...

Posted Wed, Feb 8, 1:29 p.m.

Quick, kids! Who buys elections? Wrong! http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303339504575566481761790288.html Outlaw all public-employee unions!

Posted Wed, Feb 8, 8:20 a.m.

The Puget Sound Partnership is a corrupt political action arm of the Democratic Party. It exists to ensure "science" supports - nay, compels - the Party's regulatory/taxing agenda. Ditto the remora-like "non-profits" that swim alongside, grooming the behemoth and eating scraps from its kills. When David Dicks "left" the Puget ...

Posted Wed, Feb 8, 8:18 a.m.

The Puget Sound Partnership is a corrupt political action arm of the Democratic Party. It exists to ensure "science" supports - nay, compels, the Party's regulatory/taxing agenda. Ditto the remora-like "non-profits" that swim alongside, grooming the behemoth and eating scraps from its kills. When David Dicks "left" the Puget Sound ...

Posted Tue, Feb 7, 8:25 p.m.

Salty people and smoking bans are incompatible.

Posted Tue, Feb 7, 11:03 a.m.

Outlaw public employee unions. They grow themselves through regulation and taxes. Which inhibit the private sector.

Posted Tue, Feb 7, 10:11 a.m.

Arizona's been over run with invasive species.

Posted Tue, Feb 7, 8:56 a.m.

Something hypocritical/self-serving/disgusting about the President of a tax-exempt organization arguing for tax increases. Maybe we should revise the "non-profit" portion of our tax code, Tony. That might solve the problems you cite.

Posted Mon, Feb 6, 8:37 a.m.

E.J. fails to mention (surprise, surprise) that prior to Citizens United one group enjoyed an exemption to campaign finance limitations enacted under McCain-Feingold: indian tribes. The "tribal loophole, as it is called was exploited to great power and profit. If Congress seeks to "correct" the CU ruling, citizens should insist ...

Posted Thu, Feb 2, 7:51 p.m.

It was a joke, Steve. I knew I would catch one of you. Congratulations.

Posted Thu, Feb 2, 10:26 a.m.

Ted debunks climate change and our no-account education system all in one anecdote.

Posted Thu, Feb 2, 10:21 a.m.

If we were true environmentalists, we would: 1) facilitate abortions 2) flip the tax code so that - rather than tax breaks - people see their tax rate increase with every bundle of joy/burden they impose on society. User pays.

Posted Thu, Feb 2, 9:19 a.m.

Another green lie. Designed and executed to get money. Becoming akin to "dog bites man".

Posted Thu, Feb 2, 8:21 a.m.

"boatloads" funny

Posted Thu, Feb 2, 8:10 a.m.

Washington's university presidents fear a coming brain drain. And Washington's citizens fear an ongoing money drain. The state is gaining a national reputation for the severity of cuts? The state is, also, gaining a national reputation for the politicization of its public institutions. Has the "severity of cuts" cost David ...

Posted Thu, Feb 2, 6:39 a.m.

Hold on. King County and the City of Seattle are going to "end homelessness" by 2015. At least that's what they promised when they took the money.

Posted Wed, Feb 1, 2:02 p.m.

It has been estimated that Christine Gregoire's quid-pro-quo gas tax deal with indian tribes will cost Washington taxpayers $620 million over the next 17 years. http://www.washingtonpolicy.org/blog/post/tribes-undercut-non-tribal-fuel-stations-gas-tax-subsidy

Posted Wed, Feb 1, 2:01 p.m.

Does this mean our elected officials can take campaign money and cut deals with sovereign nations? Oh... wait...

Posted Tue, Jan 31, 12:39 p.m.

Has the UW managed to retain David Dicks? I wonder if the loss of faculty correlates with the loss of credibility.

Posted Tue, Jan 31, 10:30 a.m.

Do your unborn grandkids a favor, marry their parent into a tribe. Pay a dowry if you have to: $50,000 to any tribal member who will marry my daughter and procreate (much better investment than college!). Generations of tax and law exempt progeny will thank you.

Posted Sun, Jan 29, 3:09 p.m.

"I’m a fisherman with a family business and a long history of public activism in support of sustainable fisheries. I’ve fished for 40 years in Alaska and on Puget Sound; I am committed to protecting the web of marine life in the Sound and North Pacific. I serve on the ...

Posted Wed, Jan 25, 2:34 p.m.

"complexities of salmon management" = closed door political deal-makings

Posted Wed, Jan 25, 8:16 a.m.

Word on the street is that Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is concealing tribal fisheries data. The cover-up is orchestrated through the Governor's Office of Indian Affairs. Move all things fishy to Department of Interior? Behold! Science!!!

Posted Wed, Jan 25, 8 a.m.

The "author" isn't just an "author", kieth. He is Dean Emeritus of the Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington (cower, ye unwashed!). And his brand of racism is instilled at our public university (where they teach "what" to think, not "how" to think).

Posted Wed, Jan 25, 7:56 a.m.

A member of one of our internal "sovereign nations" lamenting a "country divided". Priceless. We have met the enemy and they are... YOU.

Posted Tue, Jan 17, 9:02 a.m.

Hi, my name is Washington, and I have a spending problem. Will the real Washington, please stand up.

Posted Sun, Jan 15, 9:30 a.m.

Maybe Heaven is a non-profit. Paradise.org And, like earthly non-profits it rationalizes or ignores the log in its own eye, even as it DEMANDS the splinter be moved from its neighbor's. Sure, let's do something about corporate "greed". Let's also do something about the other institutionalized greed in our system ...

Posted Tue, Jan 10, 1:57 p.m.

So why then did UW give Dicks a cushy 3 day per week job at $75,000 per year??? At the university's recently created College of the Environment. Short answer: to ensure that UW "science" supports the Democratic Party's environmental/regulatory agenda.

Posted Fri, Jan 6, 8:20 p.m.

You're welcome, Judy. Anything we can do to bring more light to these matters.

Posted Fri, Jan 6, 3:41 p.m.

The Budget & Policy Center and the Alliance are collaborating to develop strategies for improving VARIOUS ASPECTS of children's lives. Budget & Policy is doing necessary research, compiling data, and analyzing the results; the Alliance handles communication, said Gould. Together “we make sure policymakers have access to data when figuring ...

Posted Fri, Jan 6, 10:52 a.m.

I guess we can't ALL see ALL the connections, smacgry. I, for instance, have a hard time seeing the relationship between public schools and minority business development. Oh well.

Posted Fri, Jan 6, 10:48 a.m.

So? According to King County, 200 tons of pet waste are deposited - untreated - on the ground in the Puget Sound region every day. Is human waste worse than pet waste?

Posted Fri, Jan 6, 10:43 a.m.

The deal struck is the same, smacgry: distant political agendas imposed for cash (real and metaphorical). Paid to those who will take it and do it.

Posted Thu, Jan 5, 9:47 p.m.

Buy two per poo, Common1. Many agencies recommend double-bagging pet waste before throwing in the trash. http://www.co.mason.wa.us/forms/Env_Health/pet_waste.pdf

Posted Thu, Jan 5, 6:24 p.m.

"...there more people who need those services. The increase in people should have also generated more tax revenue." That's the strategy, Gary. Show/create/import more people in "need".

Posted Thu, Jan 5, 6:20 p.m.

They don't need no stinking ballots! They can buy elections. http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/article_70e23d19-c369-51a5-b49a-63598dd31e4a.html

Posted Thu, Jan 5, 6:13 p.m.

And that disconnect, smacgry, is why our local "environmental" effort is so expensive, corrupt and ineffective (ineffective at helping the "environment, anyway. It's really good at funding government jobs, indian tribes and friendly non-profits).

Posted Thu, Jan 5, 1:29 p.m.

The Citizens United ruling only leveled the playing field. Indian tribes were exempted from campaign finance limitations instituted under McCain-Feingold reforms. An exemption that they exploited mightily. If Congress attempts to "correct" the Citizens United ruling, citizens should insist on one thing: that any law apply equally to everyone. Read ...

Posted Thu, Jan 5, 11:55 a.m.

States "win awards" from the Feds in the same way the Vichy Government won awards from the Germans.

Posted Thu, Jan 5, 11:31 a.m.

Dick and Sarah, I referenced two agencies that - in fact - have their budgets increased under the Governor's proposed budget. There are more. Sarah, your beef is not with me for pointing that truth out. Your beef should be with 1) a state government that takes care of its ...

Posted Thu, Jan 5, 10:40 a.m.

Seattle Public Utilities says, "Left on streets, curb strips and in yards and parks, pet waste can be carried by rainwater to storm drains and into our creeks, lakes and Puget Sound without treatment. It is one of the leading causes of bacterial contamination in our streams and causes other ...

Posted Thu, Jan 5, 9:29 a.m.

King County asks, "Did you know there are 200 tons of pet waste deposited in the Puget Sound region every day, and stormwater flushes it into lakes, streams and Puget Sound?" http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/waterandland/stormwater/videos/pet-waste-stormwater.aspx Our elected officials, apparently, don't. Or if they do, they choose to ignore it in favor of scoring ...

Posted Wed, Jan 4, 2:14 p.m.

"Climate science has evolved considerably over the last 20 years to the point that we are now virtually certain that humans, through the emissions of greenhouse gases, are causing climate change." Virtually certain. As in virtual reality? Another climate change article. Another no mention of this: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2073686/Fountains-methane-1-000m-erupt-Arctic-ice--greenhouse-gas-30-times-potent-carbon-dioxide.html

Posted Wed, Jan 4, 1:24 p.m.

Given the massive size of these deposits, their full exploitation, says NASA’s leading climate scientist, James Hansen, would create “game over for the planet.” And what of this? Too hard to put a sleazy face on? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2073686/Fountains-methane-1-000m-erupt-Arctic-ice--greenhouse-gas-30-times-potent-carbon-dioxide.html

Posted Wed, Jan 4, 1:15 p.m.

oooooh!!! Publicola reports!!! Publicola also "reports" 95 percent of jobs created during the economic recovery have gone to MEN. http://publicola.com/2012/01/04/womens-work/

Posted Wed, Jan 4, 10:44 a.m.

Sorry, Kate. We'd like to help with your cerebral palsy, but corporate farms won't increase their interest in growing food using sustainable methods. So...

Posted Wed, Jan 4, 8:40 a.m.

No mention of the filthy lucre? From Representative Green's bill: "Every ((licensee)) promoter who charges and receives an admission fee for exhibiting a simultaneous telecast of any live, current, or spontaneous boxing ((or sparring match)), martial arts, or wrestling ((exhibition or show)) event on a closed circuit telecast ((viewed within)) ...

Posted Wed, Jan 4, 8:12 a.m.

"There she met Sarita Schaffer, the new regional director of Washington State University's Latino farming program, who was recruiting for new bilingual sustainable farming and business entrepreneurship classes." How does an "all cuts" budget that is killing poor, vulnerable and old people retain this?

Posted Wed, Jan 4, 7:57 a.m.

The "all cuts" meme is a lie. Maybe it comes naturally to a former legislator who contributes to the public debate through research and commentary and prefers the Democratic Party. The Puget Sound Partnership, for example, sees a 10% increase in its budget. The Department of Natural Resources, for another, ...

Posted Mon, Jan 2, 12:40 p.m.

Are they investigating who "leaked" this? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2073686/Fountains-methane-1-000m-erupt-Arctic-ice--greenhouse-gas-30-times-potent-carbon-dioxide.html Are they investigating who isn't?

Posted Thu, Dec 29, 12:12 p.m.

Maybe this has something to do with it: http://data.spokesman.com/salaries/state/all-employees/

Posted Thu, Dec 29, 8:16 a.m.

But the Endangered Species Act is how we label drainage ditches as Critical Habitat for the King Salmon. It's how we take property and spread regulation. How are we to pursue our De-Colonize! agenda without this tool?

Posted Fri, Dec 23, 8:39 a.m.

Journalists code of ethics. http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp If the journal doesn't meet the standard (and this one doesn't), don't support it.

Posted Fri, Dec 23, 8:20 a.m.

CC, you may want to review - or work to have erased - the journalists code of ethics. http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp

Posted Fri, Dec 23, 8:06 a.m.

Do you think Crosscut should have deleted my and Gary P's comments on this story, Swifty?

Posted Fri, Dec 23, 7:38 a.m.

Censorship is brutality. An oppressive press is worse than an oppressive police force. Those who excuse excessive force by the press are no better (and no different) from those who excuse excessive force by the police.

Posted Fri, Dec 23, 5:45 a.m.

Ha! Good luck solving your racial problems, Seattle. Your entrenched authorities (including your politically-allied and corrupted new media) won't even let you talk about them. Too many special-interests profiting off the Politics of Identity; supported by the self-loathing Politically Correct crowd (also interested in the status quo). Why did you ...

Posted Thu, Dec 22, 1:02 p.m.

He's not bringing me coal this year, Swifty. He says new EPA regulations made it too expensive. Funny, you hear racism, I hear sanctimony.

Posted Thu, Dec 22, 12:43 p.m.

If we don't invest in advertising, how will the world know to flock to the Pioneer Square Viaduct Museum or the Brightwater Sewage Treatment Plant Art Gallery?

Posted Thu, Dec 22, 12:40 p.m.

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. Maybe some peoples just aren't ready for 21st Century civilization.

Posted Wed, Dec 21, 3:29 p.m.

Maybe Santa will bring you a new Party Power Word, Swifty. You've worn your old ones out.

Posted Wed, Dec 21, 8:19 a.m.

Yep. Sounds like a UW grad.

Posted Mon, Dec 19, 2:31 p.m.

Good riddance.

Posted Mon, Dec 19, 2:29 p.m.

Non-profit advocacy "study" + Non-profit advocacy "journalism" = misled public. When you see Sightline in the by line, skip the propaganda.

Posted Mon, Dec 19, 1:51 p.m.

The Department of (Social) Justice is corrupt.

Posted Sat, Dec 17, 9:37 p.m.

Worse than an insatiable government is a "press" committed to help feed it.

Posted Sat, Dec 17, 8:27 a.m.

The State wants "revenue", Djinn (always more). The environmental community wants regulation (always more). The "press" is at-the-ready to help.

Posted Fri, Dec 16, 9:07 p.m.

Good discussion? Despite being started with misinformation?

Posted Fri, Dec 16, 1:02 p.m.

I wonder what turned her off most; the corruption or the debt?

Posted Fri, Dec 16, 11:42 a.m.

Does she just want members with vaginas? Or does she want members with vaginas AND certain political viewpoints?

Posted Fri, Dec 16, 9:03 a.m.

It says you missed the fact that those "pacifists" were throwing bricks and rebar.

Posted Fri, Dec 16, 7:45 a.m.

When I went to college, it was taught that minorities are incapable of racism. Maybe the same mindset says protesters are incapable of violence. And, Cameron, complete overhaul of section 501 of the tax code (the non-profit) might address the "professional protesters" we currently pay to divide us.

Posted Fri, Dec 16, 5:42 a.m.

According to Washington's Department of Ecology, automobile exhaust is the "leading cause of air pollution in Washington". Is their a "leading cause" tag in every activist's basket? http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/air/cars/automotive_pages.htm

Posted Wed, Dec 14, 9:46 p.m.

It is hard to tell his activism from his narcissism. Ditto those with whom he associates. Characterizing truck drivers as "the most underpaid and overexploited laborers in the city" is an insult to truly exploited, miserable, people around the world. Casting himself as their savior shows an arrogance that, hopefully, ...

Posted Wed, Dec 14, 3:38 p.m.

"brutally beaten"... "12-hour journey of incarcerated misery"... " The preacher's hyperbole disrespects the millions of people around the world who endure real brutality and real misery. They can't avoid their circumstances by, simply, stepping out of the roadway. Swear a complaint, John.

Posted Wed, Dec 14, 9:02 a.m.

"Maybe if Seattle School administrators listened to Jimi Hendrix, they wouldn't be on the hook for a $50 million glass palace. "Castles made of sand fall in the sea, eventually," Hendrix sang. Hendrix's wisdom is especially resonant when the castle in question doesn't pay for itself. "A decade after Seattle ...

Posted Wed, Dec 14, 7:41 a.m.

If the tribal project is funded by BPA why doesn't the headline read "when it comes to salmon, rate payers get creative"? "Farther downriver, Washington's Department of Fish and Wildlife has also been experimenting with selective harvesting using purse seines, to help limit fishing's impacts on endangered and threatened salmon..." ...

Posted Tue, Dec 13, 12:55 p.m.

And to pay for that additional training, Bob, perhaps the city should license bicycles.

Posted Fri, Dec 9, 11:24 a.m.

In Aesop's fable the grasshopper went to the ant's house when he got cold.

Posted Fri, Dec 9, 8:38 a.m.

Even funnier: Let's build a viaduct museum in Pioneer Square.

Posted Fri, Dec 9, 6:14 a.m.

Correction: Another Lawsuit to Scuttle Citizen's Liquor Initiative

Posted Fri, Dec 9, 6:08 a.m.

No mention in your article that the contract with Chase saved Washington DSHS a significant amount of money. From this link, "In 2008, Washington reupped on its deal, getting a better per-user rate—a 30% reduction in costs, Spears says—locking the state into a contract with Chase through 2014." Read here: ...

Posted Thu, Dec 8, 3:27 p.m.

Yes, Ross, we are all out of space.

Posted Thu, Dec 8, 12:40 p.m.

Ross, What range of social services did your great-grandparents enjoy upon arrival to the U.S.? That poem was probably it.

Posted Thu, Dec 8, 9:35 a.m.

When I'm driving in my car and a man comes on the radio telling me more and more... some useless information... supposed to fire my imagination...

Posted Thu, Dec 8, 9:09 a.m.

Absent leadership, maybe the citizens should run an initiative to outlaw all public employee unions in the state. That would make our government(s): 1) affordable (and sustainable), and 2) less-politicized (imagine that!)

Posted Thu, Dec 8, 8:36 a.m.

Short version: immigrants have overwhelmed our social service capacity.

Posted Wed, Dec 7, 3:15 p.m.

If churches "join" the Occupy movement, shouldn't they lose their tax exempt status?

Posted Wed, Dec 7, 3:11 p.m.

"Metronatural" cost the taxpayers $200,000. Fiscal responsibility: We hardly know ye.

Posted Tue, Dec 6, 4:57 p.m.

"...the Democratic-leaning tribes" Good one. Kind of like the "Democratic-leaning" public employee unions.

Posted Fri, Dec 2, 12:46 p.m.

Woofer wants his echo chamber. Poor woofer.

Posted Fri, Dec 2, 10:28 a.m.

Yeah. Nothing to see here, folks, move along. Whatever you do DON'T CLICK THOSE LINKS!!!

Posted Fri, Dec 2, 10:24 a.m.

Won't change the truth, woofer.

Posted Fri, Dec 2, 7:26 a.m.

Not "too" political, just the wrong brand of politic.

Posted Fri, Dec 2, 5:28 a.m.

It's not graffiti! We're progressives!

Posted Thu, Dec 1, 6:52 p.m.

And, Mark, you might have heard... Washington State is having revenue problems, too... Do you know Washington's Department of Transportation has estimated Christine Gregoire's quid-pro-quo (gas taxes for campaign money)deal with our sovereign tribes will cost taxpayers $621 Million over the next 17 years? Here's a link to KOMO News' ...

Posted Thu, Dec 1, 6:45 p.m.

How come Obama doesn't get a feather head dress? He just signed legislation giving tribes the authority to develop wind and solar projects. And - with sovereign immunity - there's no worrying a bird or two could torpedo the investment like it does White Man's Wind Farm. Can he, at ...

Posted Wed, Nov 30, 3:02 p.m.

make that The Kitsap Sun

Posted Wed, Nov 30, 3:01 p.m.

Another swing-and-miss by the Port of Bremerton. Any layperson could've determined the 737 wouldn't be built in Bremerton, but the Port wanted to transfer some taxpayer money to a crony consultant and the port's (really all Kitsap County Government's) newspaper, the Bremerton Sun helped them do so. All for naught. ...

Posted Wed, Nov 30, 2:55 p.m.

Do working class people engage in "placemaking"?

Posted Wed, Nov 30, 2:03 p.m.

"Paulson, now a distinguished senior fellow at the University of Chicago..." Government and Academia: Alternatives to prison for the politically connected.

Posted Wed, Nov 30, 1:14 p.m.

"The Democrats are foolish to embrace these people." Hopefully the public won't forget the allies: the Democratic Party, SEIU, AFSCME...

Posted Wed, Nov 30, 10:32 a.m.

Hopefully one good that comes of this is an end to the era of taxpayer-funded vacations for our governing class. China, Paris, Australia, Helsinki... who knew the Snohomish County Executive had such far-flung responsibilities? Answer: he doesn't. If Aaron, et al, want to be International Business People, they should go ...

Posted Wed, Nov 30, 10:21 a.m.

"Eyman’s got no credibility. The public statewide just trounced his lousy I-1125. He dresses in a gorilla suit for press conferences, and his background is as a sorority watch salesman. He’s a goofy Republican who never raises good arguments against tax and spend measures and his initiatives are filled with ...

Posted Wed, Nov 30, 9:31 a.m.

The title of Komo's story: What a Waste: State Keeping Secrets With Our Gas Tax. The State gets help in keeping these "secrets". Did I miss mention of this giveaway in Crosscut's story?

Posted Wed, Nov 30, 9:23 a.m.

Maybe we should take back some of the quid-pro-quo deals our Governor has given to Sovereign Nations in exchange for campaign money. Over the next 17 years, the state Department of Transportation estimates it will give 22 tribes well over half a billion dollars of gas tax revenue - $620,676,200. ...

Posted Wed, Nov 30, 9:15 a.m.

Didn't Aaron Reardon get into trouble during one of the Trade Alliance's Grand Tours of Europe? "We marketers are allowed to stretch the truth and play with the facts." So far. And all you've had to do is act Metro-Naturally.

Posted Wed, Nov 30, 7:45 a.m.

I wonder how long blue-collar Americans are going to let these juvenile delinquents pitch their fits?

Posted Tue, Nov 29, 2:26 p.m.

And - hey! - if the project looks to kill a Marbled Murrelette or two - Sovereign Immunity, baby! cha-ching (thanks for that campaign money!) http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2016786721_apwawindfarmnasellecanceled1stldwritethru.html

Posted Tue, Nov 29, 8:04 a.m.

Government gets bailed out, we get sold out?

Posted Tue, Nov 29, 5:56 a.m.

Meanwhile, as King County reports, 200 tons of pet waste is dropped in the Puget Sound region EVERY DAY. Are we supposed to be protecting the environment or just joining another Party party?

Posted Mon, Nov 28, 8:34 p.m.

other ways include playing "Bitch" when an female candidate appears on your television show.

Posted Mon, Nov 28, 8:17 p.m.

Here's an effect I think The Occupiers are having: They are helping expose the role public employee unions (and tenured academia) play in our political system and government. In marching alongside OWS, Public Employee Unions have illustrated the two groups' co-dependency. The Occupy crowd wants more service, the Public Employee ...

Posted Mon, Nov 28, 2:23 p.m.

It ain't just the Prez, mspat. http://data.spokesman.com/salaries/state/all-employees/

Posted Mon, Nov 28, 7:49 a.m.

"Following his legislative tenure, he was a technical consultant focusing on transportation and land-use planning." Yep. We NEED tax increases to keep our crony-governmental cartel well fed.

Posted Tue, Nov 22, 3:59 p.m.

When the money goes away (either from the feds to the state or the state to the locals) does the regulation go with it? Seriously, Reuven? A discussion of state/local fiscal issues and no mention of regulatory costs? It's Monday Night. C'mon Man!

Posted Tue, Nov 22, 5:41 a.m.

Roger Valdez says we need more honesty? He should know. Here's a video of him pushing Referendum 52 (green schools!). Judge for yourself whether Roger practices what he preaches. http://www.tvw.org/media/mediaplayer.cfm?evid=2010090081&TYPE;=V&CFID;=7908435&CFTOKEN;=53296278&bhcp;=1

Posted Mon, Nov 21, 8:13 a.m.

The biggest offense in the Aaron Reardon story is the paradigm that says local elected officials have legitimate "business" around the world. The Seattle Weekly published Aaron's travel receipts; China, Australia, Paris, Germany, Finland... who knew the Snohomish County Executive had such far-flung responsibilities? He doesn't. Hopefully, the one good ...

Posted Sat, Nov 19, 8:55 p.m.

The Seattle Times' Nicole Brodeur writes wisely this morning that the fear and push back at the UW's increased foreign enrollment is misguided. "It's not all bad, is it? International students bring their own experiences, their own culture and perspective to Seattle," Brodeur writes. Still... not... getting... it. The University ...

Posted Fri, Nov 18, 1:54 p.m.

Portland or Seattle: who has the better Occupy photo? Hard to say, they're both so good.

Posted Fri, Nov 18, 7:58 a.m.

"O'Brien spoke approvingly of an Environment Washington report released on Thursday (Nov. 17) pointing to the widespread presence of plastics in water samples from Puget Sound, where chinook salmon and orcas are protected under the Endangered Species Act." Hmmm.... King County reports 200 TONS of pet waste are deposited in ...

Posted Thu, Nov 17, 1:26 p.m.

The study showed the project, which would provide power (green power!) to 18,000 homes, might kill one Marbled Murrelet every two years. So, here is the current calculus: 1 bird > 18,000 homes

Posted Thu, Nov 17, 11:46 a.m.

But he's HISPANIC. Isn't that what REALLY matters?

Posted Thu, Nov 17, 11:25 a.m.

that should read "deposited in the Puget Sound REGION"...

Posted Thu, Nov 17, 11:24 a.m.

King County reports that 200 TONS of pet waste are deposited in the Puget Sound EVERY DAY. Is Sightline going to make a "persuasive case" for outlawing dogs? Wouldn't any Save the Sound effort that is based on the Best Available Science dictate it?

Posted Thu, Nov 17, 9:39 a.m.

As you've shown, Tom.

Posted Thu, Nov 17, 9:35 a.m.

"...they do not want to engage in a serious discussion about what is fundamentally wrong with contemporary American society." I think what is fundamentally wrong with contemporary America is the way our elected officials pander to special-interest groups. Like Occupy Wall Street.

Posted Thu, Nov 17, 9:21 a.m.

snide AND petulant > snide

Posted Thu, Nov 17, 7:54 a.m.

Sigh. Can't spell Sightline without it. It must hurt to be so much smarter than everyone else.

Posted Thu, Nov 17, 7:53 a.m.

And she will bask in her glory surrounded by adoring acolytes. She's lucky she wasn't required to yank the ripcord on a vest of C-4 to obtain martyrdom.

Posted Thu, Nov 17, 7:51 a.m.

Aaron's wife: Do you have to go off AGAIN??? Already this year, you've been to Paris, China, Australia, Finland... Aaron: Sorry, honey. County business. Aaron's taxpayer's: Do you have to go off AGAIN??? Already this year you've been to Paris, China, Australia, Finland... Aaron: Sorry, honey. County business.

Posted Thu, Nov 17, 6:10 a.m.

"Occupy Seattle creates real change in local government" Yep. I bet one of those changes will be in the Mayor's office.

Posted Wed, Nov 16, 3:29 p.m.

Maybe next time she will get out of the intersection when told to do so by the police officer.

Posted Wed, Nov 16, 3:24 p.m.

Check the Democrat's litmus test questionnaire for the empty 46th District seat. http://wa-demchairs.org/kcdems/2011/46demsvacancy.php Does it look like they are working for "hard-working and struggling families in our communities" or "powerful special interests"?

Posted Wed, Nov 16, 12:20 p.m.

Democrats pissed in the whiskey of Health Care reform by granting their political allies exemptions to the rules others would be forced to abide by. After taking a lot of money from indian tribes (over thirty tribes contributed to Patty Murray's last run), Democrats exempted "members of indian tribes" from ...

Posted Wed, Nov 16, 9:08 a.m.

Aren't some State agencies set to see budget increases under the proposed "all cuts" budget, Eric? Puget Sound Partnership - 10% increase over last biennium Department of Ecology - 3.9% increase over last biennium Department of Natural Resources - 2.3% increase over last biennium Are you saying Sightline just pisses ...

Posted Wed, Nov 16, 8:46 a.m.

From the article: "Or, even better: Give up your car, buy local produce, eat less meat, move into a denser neighborhood, and stop buying so much stuff." This from the author who claimed she is "the 99%" because she ran up "tens of thousands" of dollars in credit card debt. ...

Posted Wed, Nov 16, 5:37 a.m.

And, btw, there has never been an "all cuts" budget in Olympia. Spouting that meme ignores the myriad fee increases the legislature passed on to the people. When one sees Sightline in the byline, look for the lie in the story.

Posted Wed, Nov 16, 5:33 a.m.

Bringing our tribal gambling compact in line with other state's would bring in as much as the loophole you've identified. The quid-pro-quo deal struck between Christine Gregoire and her tribal campaign contributors has robbed the state of significant revenue. Don't I see tribal casino shuttles using the roads? Oh yeah! ...

Posted Tue, Nov 15, 8:58 p.m.

Absolutely, David. He who pays the piper calls the tune, no? I believe NPR should shake loose the chains of federal subsidy and be the press their fans want them to be. Let's call Patty and tell her.

Posted Tue, Nov 15, 9:51 a.m.

Maybe to free NPR from having to kowtow to conservatives, its appropriation should be ended.

Posted Tue, Nov 15, 8:39 a.m.

"After dramatic failures to meet Clean Water Act standards for stormwater runoff, Seattle is trying to protect Puget Sound with new tactics in Ballard and other parts of the city." Even as Professional Advocates work to push those Clean Water Act regulations further out of reach. The "problem" will never ...

Posted Tue, Nov 15, 8:19 a.m.

Mark, Submit your exemption request to Patty Murray with a large sum of money. You know how it works. You have her address.

Posted Tue, Nov 15, 7:53 a.m.

The Stranger recently reported: "Here is a group purporting to give people a voice and cut through the bureaucratic layers of government and capitalism. Instead, they silenced speech, quashed ideas, and replaced it with their own bureaucratic process reserved for a minority that wanted power." That group was: a) The ...

Posted Fri, Nov 11, 9:03 p.m.

Think orcas and salmon are a case study in conflicting priorities? Try people and salmon. http://www.thesocialcontract.com/artman2/publish/tsc_21_3/tsc-21-3-hurlbert-salmon.shtml

Posted Thu, Nov 10, 3:36 p.m.

"Publicola writer Lummy Lin provides a good summary of Rob McKenna's gubernatorial-kickoff breakfast." I bet. Does Lummy still, also, work for OneAmerica? PubliCola is a blog about Seattle written by journalists who are dedicated to non-partisan, original daily reporting that prioritizes a balanced approach to news. Dontcha know?

Posted Thu, Nov 10, 3:25 p.m.

and seven non-profits have already formed to advocate for regulation protecting the whatever it is.

Posted Wed, Nov 9, 12:43 p.m.

Your angst is my Editor's Pick, Swifty.

Posted Wed, Nov 9, 10:43 a.m.

An election wouldn't be complete without our self-appointed experts telling us what it all means.

Posted Wed, Nov 9, 8:37 a.m.

Next time Patty should hold her retreat on the reservation of one of her tribal benefactors. Tribal immunity would shield her from Washington's pesky sunshine laws.

Posted Wed, Nov 9, 7:41 a.m.

And hoteliers from China to Paris breathe a sigh of relief.

Posted Wed, Nov 9, 5:26 a.m.

The real flaw in our current Democracy is that we allow "sovereign" entities - who hold themselves exempt from its authority - to participate in it.

Posted Tue, Nov 8, 12:11 p.m.

Where are the pictures of gang warfare?

Posted Tue, Nov 8, 11:39 a.m.

How does one say "we can't have our cake and eat it, too" in Lushootseed?

Posted Tue, Nov 8, 11:14 a.m.

Seattle Weekly has posted Aaron Reardon's travel receipts. Paris, Helsinki, Germany, China, Australia.... Who knew the SNOHOMISH COUNTY executive had such far flung responsibilities. Our local political class seems to have a HUGE entitlement attitude. http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2011/11/aaron_reardon_trip_receipts_po.php

Posted Tue, Nov 8, 11:12 a.m.

Hey kids! Want to know why college costs so much? Look at that guy in tweed protesting alongside you. You are taking out student loans to pay his exorbitant salary. (and he's teaching you SUCH critical thinking skills, isn't he?) http://data.spokesman.com/salaries/state/all-employees/

Posted Tue, Nov 8, 10:32 a.m.

And there's already a clear LOSER: the taxpayer. Seattle Weekly has posted Aaron Reardon's travel receipts. Paris, Helsinki, Germany, China, Australia.... Who knew the SNOHOMISH COUNTY executive had such far flung responsibilities. Our local political class seems to have a HUGE entitlement attitude. http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2011/11/aaron_reardon_trip_receipts_po.php

Posted Mon, Nov 7, 9:10 a.m.

Maybe we should weight each person's vote according to the past injustices inflicted upon their ancestors. How's this? Count each race's vote, accordingly: Caucasian: 0.5 Asian: 1.0 Hispanic: 1.3 Black: 1.7 Member of Indian Tribe: 2.0 Perhaps special dispensation could be made to the Caucasian weighting to account for the ...

Posted Fri, Nov 4, 11:22 a.m.

Hey Aaron, next time just say it's for Economic Development. The world is your oyster. Ask Christine how it's done.

Posted Fri, Nov 4, 10:39 a.m.

It would be nice to know which councilmembers have agreed to OneAmerica's lobby to create a city Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs. Tim Burgess said he and three others have. Where will the $200,000/year come from? Car tabs? Families and Education? Leprechauns? http://www.kuow.org/program.php?id=24961

Posted Fri, Nov 4, 8:28 a.m.

“prospective customers will not switch merely to support the environmental aspects” of the program; “prospects only switch if their immediate insurance costs are lowered.” So.... we are not as altruistic as we would have ourselves believe. And thus are green promises green lies.

Posted Fri, Nov 4, 8:16 a.m.

Iffy financial seas or not, if the empire-aspiring bureaucrats at the Port of Kingston WANT it, we're sailing forth.

Posted Fri, Nov 4, 8:14 a.m.

What would Seattle get for the $60 car-tab fee? Short answer: more of the same.

Posted Fri, Nov 4, 8:13 a.m.

I prefer smarm to sanctimony.

Posted Thu, Nov 3, 5:11 p.m.

or... Japanese Tsunami Debris Creates Northwest Jobs Quick! Occupy the beach!

Posted Thu, Nov 3, 5:04 p.m.

I did not say anything when they came for the 1% because I was not the 1%. I did not say anything when they came for the 3% because I was not the 3%... Any talk of taxing tribal enterprises (they do use the roads, don't they?)?

Posted Thu, Nov 3, 5:01 p.m.

You sure save me a lot of time when you put "Sightline Says the Real..." in the headline. Thank you. Keep up the good work.

Posted Thu, Nov 3, 3:09 p.m.

and to the poster on CC who recently claimed the GMA "moderates" our region's housing prices... http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2016682452_homesales04.html

Posted Thu, Nov 3, 9:52 a.m.

Surely "scientists" wouldn't skew data to push a political agenda... Maria, you don't trust Canadian scientists? Do you trust American ones?

Posted Thu, Nov 3, 9:07 a.m.

A Yale professor inciting/encouraging protesters to emulate Big labor (ya think they give these tips in class?). Priceless. Hey kids! Want to know why college costs so much? Look at the fellow in tweed marching alongside you. You are taking out student loans to pay his exorbitant salary. http://data.spokesman.com/salaries/state/all-employees/

Posted Thu, Nov 3, 8:59 a.m.

"Cowed technocrats, whether driven by ignorance, fear, or reckless utopianism, cannot be trusted. They function as accommodationist servants to those political groups favoring mass immigration and endless population growth. They are not reliable allies in the hard battle for a better environmental future for salmon or people." From this: http://www.thesocialcontract.com/artman2/publish/tsc_21_3/tsc-21-3-hurlbert-salmon.shtml

Posted Wed, Nov 2, 3:55 p.m.

A Yale professor advising/inciting the OWS protesters to model themselves after Big Labor. Priceless. Hey kids! Wanna know why college costs so much? Look at that fellow in tweed marching alongside you. You are taking out loans to pay his salary. (and he's teaching you such critical thinking skills!) http://data.spokesman.com/salaries/state/all-employees/

Posted Wed, Nov 2, 1:40 p.m.

Ah, the government's self-imposed requirement to produce periodic master plans... manna for consultant cronies and job security for bureaucrats too smart to actually do anything.

Posted Wed, Nov 2, 9:44 a.m.

Yes, let's take a course from the Captains who ran their ships aground! I wonder if anyone takes them as serious as they do themselves.

Posted Wed, Nov 2, 8:20 a.m.

Actually, g, that's a good idea. Perhaps it should be expanded. Maybe the Seattle City Council (maybe as they seek a City income tax!) should require that all businesses within city limits only hire people that live within city limits. Voila! Transportation problem solved!

Posted Wed, Nov 2, 5:45 a.m.

"Meanwhile on Jan. 19, Rep Deb Eddy, D-Kirkland, introduced a bill that would take the solar power percentage of a utility's electricity purchases and double that amount in crediting the utility in reaching its 3 percent, 9 percent, and 15 percent I-937 targets." Oh, what a tangled web we weave ...

Posted Tue, Nov 1, 9:22 p.m.

from an interview with Dr. Lackey: Q: What is the most important single factor determining the future of wild salmon in the Pacific Northwest? A: “The most important single driver determining the ecological future of the Pacific Northwest is the human population – its size and distribution, as well as ...

Posted Tue, Nov 1, 11:51 a.m.

"...in other words, it works to moderate the market's decline." It does? http://www.seattlepi.com/realestate/article/Home-prices-continue-to-slide-nationwide-more-so-1353033.php

Posted Tue, Nov 1, 10:40 a.m.

Steve E. meet Steve E. http://crosscut.com/2011/11/01/environment/21496/Dam-removal:-no-one-has-a-model-of-how-to-go-forward/

Posted Tue, Nov 1, 8:48 a.m.

Woofer, can you link us to something that shows the GMA is a "stabilizing factor" in the real estate market?

Posted Tue, Nov 1, 8:10 a.m.

Ho ties the finding into a recent report that Seattle is at the bottom for 20- to 24-year-olds looking for work. Perhaps that is because the state's K-12 and higher education systems don't prepare them to compete for the high-paying jobs that keep going to out-of-state employees? Yeah, that's gotta ...

Posted Tue, Nov 1, 7:42 a.m.

Occupants should also demand a redo of Christine Gregoire's quid-pro-quo deals with Washington's sovereign indian tribes; particularly the zero-percentage gambling compact and the gas-tax deal that allows tribes to undercut the non-sovereign competition.

Posted Tue, Nov 1, 6:08 a.m.

Question: Do you believe government should Manage Growth? Answer: Yes! Question: What if Growth Management regulations add $200,000 to the price of a house? Answer: uhhh.... http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2004181704_eicher14.html

Posted Tue, Nov 1, 5:38 a.m.

The dams should stay in place at least as long as our ambiguous enforcement of our immigration laws does. Researchers at Oregon State University have determined the number one threat to PNW salmon and their habitat is immigration into the region; the vast majority of which comes from outside the ...

Posted Sat, Oct 29, 10:09 p.m.

hahaha... Sightline calling spin... priceless

Posted Sat, Oct 29, 10:07 p.m.

Some, also, thought this was wrong: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003486428_budget20m0.html I hear she's blaming Wall Street.

Posted Fri, Oct 28, 9:10 a.m.

I bet the ghost of Alexander Hamilton disagrees with Michael.

Posted Fri, Oct 28, 8:46 a.m.

A bit off-topic (and I'm sure more-than-a-bit politically incorrect) but I've thought some about those "old boy" days. I wonder how the inclusion of women into governance coincides with the growth of government scope. Has that been a primary reason that budgets have grown and core responsibilities have been neglected? ...

Posted Fri, Oct 28, 8:40 a.m.

"At stake is $231 million to fund special programs in the public schools over the next seven years..." Special programs, you say? Sorry. If you don't eat your meat, you can't have any pudding.

Posted Thu, Oct 27, 2:14 p.m.

Seattle's citizenry needs to rid the palace of courtesans like Roger Valdez.

Posted Wed, Oct 26, 8:53 a.m.

I'm with Cameron. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Posted Mon, Oct 24, 1:46 p.m.

Is the Crosscut writer who advocates "whacking" cars with one's briefcase an example of the "thoughtful journalism" you want us to support?

Posted Fri, Oct 21, 9:03 a.m.

Completely overhaul section 501(c)(3) of the tax code. It has become a haven for political activism and charlatans.

Posted Thu, Oct 20, 12:05 p.m.

Yep. You got us. The game is up. You have sixty days to pick up your sleeping bag before we take it to the landfill.

Posted Wed, Oct 19, 1:14 p.m.

"Closing eyes, I see stacks of cheap vodka at Costco outlets if Initiative 1183 passes, and the same rotgut invading my local store." And I thought you just saw Sarah Palin when you closed your eyes... But, open your eyes, Joel. My vote (and I suspect a great many others) ...

Posted Tue, Oct 18, 3:40 p.m.

"...powerful interests don't want, for example, fair taxation of the rich or banking regulation." Banking regulation like, say, the Community Reinvestment Act? http://articles.businessinsider.com/2009-06-27/wall_street/30009234_1_mortgage-standards-lending-standards-mortgage-rates

Posted Tue, Oct 18, 2:05 p.m.

I don't think we should blanket-excuse things, amerika. We shouldn't say "social programs are necessary and worthy of more taxes", because surely some are not (Silas Potter is about to be prosecuted, hopefully, for his role in a "social program"). By doing so, we send the message that we are ...

Posted Tue, Oct 18, 1:11 p.m.

I think the Republicans, Tea Partiers and Ron Paul supporters are all on-board with roads, cops and schools, amerika. But when the "roads" money gets spent on bike paths and the "schools" money gets siphoned off to politically-connected non-profits for "social-justice" work, the budgets grow, the mission creeps and the ...

Posted Tue, Oct 18, 12:08 p.m.

1183 will NOT "enact a new 27% tax". http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/edcetera/2016290350_does_i-1183_add_a_27_tax.html

Posted Tue, Oct 18, 10:58 a.m.

Cut the budget of the Puget Sound partnership. It has been seeded with political operatives. Trust nothing that comes from it.

Posted Tue, Oct 18, 10:17 a.m.

UW Professor: Smart-Growth, Rail Transit are "profoundly anti-poor".

Posted Tue, Oct 18, 10:13 a.m.

Sing, Silas, sing.

Posted Tue, Oct 18, 8:09 a.m.

A "political radical" that's spent a career in the university system. Careful what you wish for, professor, that bow wave might wash away institutionalized outsiders like yourself who claim populism while cashing ever-larger public checks.

Posted Mon, Oct 17, 8:41 a.m.

"...a new appointment to the Puget Sound Partnership Leadership Council is" Yes. The Puget Sound Partnership, a Political Action Committee for the Democratic Party that parades as "science" based. I bet Ron IS a good "fit" there.

Posted Fri, Oct 14, 7:58 a.m.

More here: http://biggovernment.com/thomasryan/2011/10/14/the-email-archive-of-the-occupywallstreet-movement-anarchists-socialists-jihadists-unions-democrats/

Posted Thu, Oct 13, 11:14 a.m.

Another taxpayer funded vacation for our government elites. How's that out-of-state travel ban working out?

Posted Thu, Oct 13, 8:23 a.m.

I think an appropriate parable (fable) is Aesop's The Ant and The Grasshopper. In that: Tea Party = Ants OWS = Grasshoppers http://www.longlongtimeago.com/llta_fables_antgrasshopper.html

Posted Wed, Oct 12, 2:30 p.m.

"Once AGAIN... they do NOT want other people's money via taxation or legislation. I've talked to many of them and most of them hate every aspect of the government. In that way, they are farrrrrr more to the RIGHT of the Tea Party. They've taking the concept of small government ...

Posted Wed, Oct 12, 1:12 p.m.

So SEIU-Dub is taking their activate curricula OUTSIDE the classroom? Good. Maybe now the taxpayers will get a clearer picture of what their "higher-education" money actually funds. I wonder why the professors didn't mention the fact that very many of their "insecure" positions pay over $200,000/year... Hey kids! Want to ...

Posted Wed, Oct 12, 12:51 p.m.

I don't believe SEIU or UW professors would join a protest for "no government" (or even smaller government). Don't believe half the stuff you read on new media, either, cranky.

Posted Wed, Oct 12, 10:32 a.m.

"These kids played by the rules and don't have jobs." Not, necessarily. Read some of the I am the 99% posts. Very many rang up huge credit card bills. For what, one wonders. A local sympatico "journalist" over at Publicola posted that she is the 99%. She wrote, " I ...

Posted Wed, Oct 12, 8:26 a.m.

"Most tea party folks seem to show up at political events, holler and emote, then go home to live their lives. The Wall Street demonstrators seem to want to create permanent anger parties in specific locations. Different approaches perhaps based on different values?" Or that one group works and the ...

Posted Tue, Oct 11, 12:58 p.m.

I propose Luftballoons, dbreneman.

Posted Tue, Oct 11, 11:06 a.m.

A few years ago, the University of Washington reported that Growth Management Act related regulations added $200,000 to the cost of a home in Seattle. If you cannot afford a home, it may not be the fault of greedy corporations, but greedy governments. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2004181704_eicher14.html

Posted Mon, Oct 10, 11:53 a.m.

"What the Occupy Wall Street movement stands for is the obscene corrupting influence of money in politics." They could go a long way toward fixing that, then, by pushing for term limits.

Posted Fri, Oct 7, 9:26 a.m.

Hey, Dean... Did you see that many of the 99%-ers are complaining about the burden of student loans? Michael Moore - and his acolytes - were recently chanting, "no taxes, no fees, education should be free". I wonder how we are to do that with faculty expecting $200,000/year salaries?

Posted Thu, Oct 6, 10:24 a.m.

I think pepper has a right to comment on the Seattle protesters, sarah. After all, these mantra-chanting minions are, partly, responsible for endangering the Gibson Guitar Company, Nashville, Tennessee. I hope the protesters are strumming plywood guitars when they sing Kumbayah.

Posted Thu, Oct 6, 7:42 a.m.

It looks like rain today. Hey kids, here's how your parents responded to that. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8b9HEIx5J8

Posted Tue, Oct 4, 9:23 a.m.

Only if I'm buying what they're selling, Swifty. Which I am not. I'm more the concerned citizen; objecting to the proliferation of whores on the corner.

Posted Tue, Oct 4, 7:27 a.m.

Presstitutes

Posted Tue, Sep 27, 6:28 a.m.

"A note of disclosure: I am a volunteer member of Sightline’s board." Oh what a tangled web we weave...

Posted Fri, Sep 23, 7:41 a.m.

So, when Michael Moore leads "progressive" little acolytes in chants of "no taxes! No fees! Education should be FREE!" how does he jibe that with tenured millionaire professors?

Posted Thu, Sep 22, 11:56 a.m.

Don't think of it as "contraction", Mark. Think of it as "sovereignty".

Posted Thu, Sep 22, 10 a.m.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions. This clip shows that good intentions, even when adopted by a large group of people, do not necessarily equate to effective policy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8b9HEIx5J8

Posted Wed, Sep 21, 7:49 a.m.

Thankfully, King County and the City of Seattle have pledged to "end homelessness" by the year 2015.

Posted Tue, Sep 20, 8:32 a.m.

"Mayors often leave their stamp on a city or demonstrate their commitment to an issue by creating a new office or department." Uh-huh. So do County Executives, County Councilors, Governors, Senators, Representatives and Presidents. All building edifices to their ego - or their special-interest - with the public's good will ...

Posted Fri, Sep 16, 7:54 a.m.

"Faltering commitment and bad PR have given the green jobs movement a bad name." So has political cronyism, corruption and incompetence. Which the author has been part of. Here he is advocating on behalf of Referendum 52. Judge for yourself whether he was honest with the public. http://www.tvw.org/media/mediaplayer.cfm?evid=2010090081&TYPE;=V&CFID;=7908435&CFTOKEN;=53296278&bhcp;=1

Posted Wed, Sep 14, 9:03 a.m.

Speaking truth to power used to be the role of the press. As they have become partisan propagandists, they are part of the "power" to which truth must be spoke.

Posted Tue, Sep 13, 1:22 p.m.

As far as we know, none of McKenna's contributors have been engaging in acts of domestic terrorism. The same cannot be said for Mr. Inslee's.

Posted Tue, Sep 13, 9:24 a.m.

"Government", per se, may not be the enemy. But government that maxes out the credit card and jump ships before the bills come due - ala Cary Bozeman - certainly is. His Bremerton is one of inane street sculptures erected along crumbling roads.

Posted Tue, Sep 13, 8:20 a.m.

Pull back the curtain on "higher-ed" and you will find institutions that are increasingly political, decreasingly objective seekers of truth. SEIU_Dub is critical to the agenda of our state's Democratic Party. Check their recent "study" (commissioed by WA DOT) that "found" widespread tolling (a dream of The Party) would have ...

Posted Tue, Sep 13, 7:48 a.m.

You know what is "complex"? Hypocritical indian "sovereignty". It's like having a twenty-something at home. "You can't tell me what to do, I'm an ADULT! (now, give me my allowance)

Posted Tue, Sep 13, 7:43 a.m.

Yes, Seattle "hates" bicyclists. That's why we siphon money from every pot we can to pander to them.

Posted Mon, Sep 12, 3:08 p.m.

"Yes, we are social engineers..." Actually, Roger, your resume says you studied philosophy and religion. Oh, wait....

Posted Thu, Sep 8, 1:29 p.m.

"The plaintiffs also argue, and the defendants deny, that the current plans have inadequate mitigation for stormwater, traffic, light and noise." Silly plaintiffs. Tribes don't have to play by the same rules they help push on everyone else.

Posted Thu, Sep 8, 12:44 p.m.

I think Patty Murray's exploitation of Marcellus Owens was a form of child prostitution.

Posted Thu, Sep 8, 12:43 p.m.

Self-loathing is for liberals, Paul.

Posted Thu, Sep 8, 9:23 a.m.

Maybe not. We might need to use them against domestic terrorists. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2016144477_longshoremen09m.html

Posted Thu, Sep 8, 8:43 a.m.

Look for the union label on the NY Times "truth-meter".

Posted Thu, Sep 8, 7:53 a.m.

Democrats pissed in the whiskey that should have been health care reform. After taking a bunch of money from sovereign indian tribes (Patty Murray took money from over thirty tribes during her last campaign, from as far away as Connecticut and Mississippi), they did what bought-and-sold politicians always do: they ...

Posted Wed, Sep 7, 12:29 p.m.

We've worked our way this far down the to-do list?

Posted Wed, Sep 7, 11:09 a.m.

University professors should make a lot of money. It's a huge responsibility telling kids what to think and how to vote.

Posted Tue, Sep 6, 7:55 a.m.

"Now, whenever I'm in a car, insulated by metal and the power to speed through the world, I try to drive more slowly than almost anybody else. And I bow, or silently nod my head, to all the destroyed creatures that I know are lying on or just beside the ...

Posted Tue, Sep 6, 7:30 a.m.

Imbroglio. Is that a fancy word for "con"?

Posted Fri, Sep 2, 12:43 p.m.

b-b-b-but the regulation would've created public union JOBS! (which would've provided more union dues money to the Democratic Party who could've used it to write more regulations that would have created more public union jobs that would've provided more union dues money to the Democratic Party who could've used it ...

Posted Fri, Sep 2, 11:21 a.m.

"Your right. It will take some of each." Maybe some kind of a - oh, what's the term? - "balanced approach"?

Posted Fri, Sep 2, 11:15 a.m.

"We have this perception because we don't have much park space downtown, and the drunks per acre ratio is high. Adding more parks will improve the ratio." The solution to pollution is dilution?

Posted Fri, Sep 2, 10:03 a.m.

Have they said how much will be given to politically-allied "non-profits" for Social Justice?

Posted Fri, Sep 2, 8:50 a.m.

And with King County and the City of Seattle ending "homelessness" in 2015, there won't be any derelicts littering up our Shiny New Places.

Posted Fri, Sep 2, 8:33 a.m.

Way to go, Joel. Haven't you heard? The State has a revenue problem. Way to help speeding motorists, many of whom probably work for CORPORATIONS, avoid paying their fair share.

Posted Fri, Sep 2, 7:57 a.m.

"Cut, cut, cut won't restore American greatness" Neither will borrow, borrow, borrow or tax, tax, tax or regulate, regulate, regulate

Posted Wed, Aug 31, 1:04 p.m.

Demise? Ha! We have a gubernatorial candidate heavily, uh, invested in the idea. http://washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/2011/08/obamas-clean-energy-agenda-meets-reality

Posted Wed, Aug 31, 7:37 a.m.

"Indeed, one of the most exciting things to me was the development of community health clinics that provided new sources of revenue beyond the Indian Health Service and Medicaid." I bet! Too bad the people paying don't have access.

Posted Tue, Aug 30, 7:46 a.m.

Metro has a policy to not enforce fare collection. If one is so inclined, the whole system is a "ride-free" area. Alternate headline: Metro Transit: Taxpayers Stuck With the Tab. Again.

Posted Tue, Aug 30, 7:42 a.m.

20 protesters = a mob? Flash coterie, maybe?

Posted Tue, Aug 30, 7:38 a.m.

Just as we've overused the word "hero" we've overused the words "disaster" and "emergency". I bet if you played word association with Governors and other "emergency" management bureaucrats the first thing they think of when they hear either is "money". Those words look really good on grant applications. And, with ...

Posted Fri, Aug 26, 1:11 p.m.

Short answer: because a tribe wants it to.

Posted Fri, Aug 26, 9:46 a.m.

Maybe "promiscuity" was deemed judgmental.

Posted Fri, Aug 26, 9:03 a.m.

After spending a couple decades driving them out.

Posted Fri, Aug 26, 8:38 a.m.

The 'road ecology' movement picks up speed as it flies right past Common Sense and Fiscal Reality

Posted Fri, Aug 26, 8:36 a.m.

"That starts with local purchasing, keeping as many dollars in the community as possible." I bet our Democratic Governor would agree. As soon as she returns from her extended vacation in the state next door.

Posted Fri, Aug 26, 8:06 a.m.

Did the author specify how much tax money it would take to turn Irene eastward?

Posted Fri, Aug 26, 8:03 a.m.

I doubt this is what Butch Otter had in mind when he urged Washington's businesses to come to Idaho.

Posted Fri, Aug 26, 7:58 a.m.

"His solution has been to create a new parent’s union..." OK. So long as money isn't auto-deducted from our paychecks and forwarded to the Democratic Party like all other unions.

Posted Thu, Aug 25, 2:54 p.m.

"We do not receive a dime of taxpayer money..." http://kpbj.com/headlines/economy/2011-06-03/suquamish_tribe_wins_hud_grant_to_improve_housing http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/jul/06/600k-grant-will-replace-chico-creek-culvert/ http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/dec/14/suquamish-tribe-gets-federal-money-for-traffic/ http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/aug/26/tribes-land-federal-money-for-public-safety/ I encourage you to further your education before you make any more ignorant remarks, too, westcoastnative. Good luck to you, too.

Posted Thu, Aug 25, noon

Apparently its holding back the perennially exempt. http://heraldnet.com/article/20110822/NEWS01/708229919

Posted Thu, Aug 25, 7:38 a.m.

Quick! Name a Seattle campaign that DOESN'T stir charges of racism.

Posted Wed, Aug 24, 3:47 p.m.

I'm assuming the preceding "21st Century" references just that.

Posted Wed, Aug 24, 3:37 p.m.

Carol, I think a good example of how politicized institutions use "science" to advance agendas can be found in UW's recent "study" that found widespread use of tolling (as the Democratic Party salivates over) would be "fair" to low income people. This "study" was requested by WA State Department of ...

Posted Wed, Aug 24, 2:51 p.m.

I wasn't referring to you, Carol. I was referring to the "know-nothing" headline descriptor applied to everyone opposite the author's (or the editor's) politic. It is an attitude that walks arm-in-arm with climate change discussions, the "with us or against us" tact. Does Knute (or David) believe those broadly categorized ...

Posted Wed, Aug 24, 12:59 p.m.

pssshew! I was afraid they would fritter away their time on fringe issues!

Posted Wed, Aug 24, 11:20 a.m.

What do you want Obama to "do" about climate change, staybailey. Impose more regulation on US business, governments and public? And what of China and India? Will their foul winds not blow our way? Shall America's unemployed console themselves as saving the world even as they breathe the exhaust of ...

Posted Wed, Aug 24, 10:56 a.m.

Is Joel Connelly's "journalism" sneaky politics?

Posted Wed, Aug 24, 10:22 a.m.

"I agree that arrogance and condescension are irritating. But I was wondering how to do better than that." Not engaging in it would be a good start. But start ripping off all the boards that are infested with condescension and arrogance, and one quickly gets down to the foundation. A ...

Posted Wed, Aug 24, 9:52 a.m.

As for whether there is a way to communicate... and why we close our hearts and minds... See the headline broadbrushing political opponents/contrary viewpoints as "know-nothings"? I think people, instinctively, bridle against arrogance and condescension.

Posted Wed, Aug 24, 9:47 a.m.

"I think Americans have to choose whether to put our energy into trashing our government, or trying to improve it. You can't do both." Maybe, Carol, you can't achieve one WITHOUT the other. Do you add on to a rotting house?

Posted Wed, Aug 24, 7:50 a.m.

Our sovereign welfare cases.

Posted Wed, Aug 24, 7:47 a.m.

Lost in the "you're either with us or against us" partisanship of climate change "science" are the people who say, "even if I grant the scientific findings I doubt the regulatory fixes that, always, seem to come hand-in-hand (if not preceding!)". Until government exhibits greater transparency and honesty (check the ...

Posted Tue, Aug 23, 1:14 p.m.

"Earlier this year I decided that I would read the entirety of Seattle’s land use code from beginning to end..." Good for you. Put it on a resume. And get a job.

Posted Tue, Aug 23, 11:52 a.m.

This is what Jay Inslee is basing his candidacy for Governor on??? This is what he wants to transfer state pension money into???

Posted Tue, Aug 23, 10:36 a.m.

Derek brags about feeding his two-year-old and five-year-old bacon covered maple bars. As a good Democrat, shouldn't he be crafting legislation to outlaw such a thing? For the kids?

Posted Tue, Aug 23, 10:21 a.m.

Suquamish Tribe: The Democratic Party appreciates your efforts. You will be rewarded with taxpayer money.

Posted Mon, Aug 22, 9:33 a.m.

From the Trade Development Alliance website: The Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle is a collaboration of the City of Bellevue, City of Everett, City of Seattle, City of Tacoma, Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, Pierce County Government, Port of Everett, Port of Seattle, Port of Tacoma, Snohomish County Government, ...

Posted Mon, Aug 22, 8:26 a.m.

David Cameron summed it up pretty well: "Children without fathers. Schools without discipline. Reward without effort. Crime without punishment. Rights without responsibilities. Communities without control. Some of the worst aspects of human nature tolerated, indulged — sometimes even incentivized — by a state and its agencies that in parts have ...

Posted Fri, Aug 19, 7:41 a.m.

"On Saturday (Aug. 20), the Seattle Alliance of Black School Educators (SABSE) will host a Parent Summit to address the question of how parents can partner with school districts to help ensure student success. The goal of the summit is to empower parents with information about voting and legislation that ...

Posted Thu, Aug 18, 9:05 a.m.

Put money into infrastructure? No way. We need more studies. The bureaucracy demands money. Meanwhile... http://blog.seattlepi.com/thebigblog/2011/08/15/brrrrr-snowy-summer-setting-records-at-mount-rainier/

Posted Thu, Aug 18, 7:51 a.m.

I am serious, aasheal, as are the researchers at Oregon State University who reported it. Ever hear that old saying, "you can't have your cake and eat it, too"? Every person moving into the region takes a bite of our cake (we all - irrespective of national origin or political ...

Posted Thu, Aug 18, 7:45 a.m.

Don't worry. King County and the City of Seattle are going to END HOMELESSNESS by 2015.

Posted Wed, Aug 17, 3:12 p.m.

Tea Party BAD say two profiting from the current political largess.

Posted Wed, Aug 17, 12:08 p.m.

If the author still prefers the Democratic Party, he should not be thinking of ways to lure people here. Immigration into the region has been identified as the number one threat to PNW salmon and their habitats.

Posted Wed, Aug 17, 12:06 p.m.

If Reuven is serious, he will introduce legislation to have our state opt out of co-administration of many Federal programs. Things like the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act are all VOLUNTARILY co-administered by the state (we were lured in ...

Posted Wed, Aug 17, 11:33 a.m.

Projections of sea-level rise are either scientifically credible or they're "hysterical", afreeman. Our region - and our governing officials - seems to believe the former. That being the case, shouldn't we clarify that the DBT will be OK in that eventuality? While I've read "prominent environmentalists" and the such arguing ...

Posted Wed, Aug 17, 9:27 a.m.

Staybailey, what happens if the boring machine bores into a midden?

Posted Wed, Aug 17, 9:01 a.m.

"Two, there is the redevelopment of the waterfront..." How far inland are we going to do that? How high is the climate-changed sea level, Mama?

Posted Wed, Aug 17, 8:42 a.m.

Actually with Patty Murray as co-chair the motto should be "indian up". During her last election she took money from over thirty sovereign indian tribes, some as far away as Connecticut and Mississippi. It will be worth watching to see if Patty puts the interests of these sovereign nations over ...

Posted Wed, Aug 17, 8:39 a.m.

"That’s my greatest concern about the election: It won’t matter. Tunnel warriors will simply regroup, and lawyers, politicos, and others will stoke the fires for the next tunnel battle." "Others" being the self-appointed, Party-affiliated "experts" who have been given far too much access to the microphone. I'm with Ivan.

Posted Wed, Aug 17, 8:34 a.m.

"In Chula Vista, Calif., new waterfront buildings will be required to have higher foundations because of an expected rise in sea levels." In Seattle, we're building a waterfront tunnel.

Posted Tue, Aug 16, 2:58 p.m.

Yeah. Winning like Charlie Sheen.

Posted Tue, Aug 16, 2:28 p.m.

Sucks, don't it Mark? Here you paid good money to a bunch of Democratic congresspeople... in exchange they gave you and every "member of indian tribes" an exemption to the individual mandate that everyone else was to labor under... and now the court has ruled the whole thing unconstitutional. It ...

Posted Tue, Aug 16, 12:15 p.m.

Members of indian tribes were exempted from the individual mandate that the rest of us were to labor under. In exchange for political support, many were saddled so that some could ride.

Posted Tue, Aug 16, 12:13 p.m.

Correction: The country's green-jobs program is a big failure. While the PI reports on the missing $20 Million in Federal Money, there is no mention of the 7:1 match that was to come from the state, locals and privates. $20 Million may be the tip of the wasteberg. And this ...

Posted Tue, Aug 16, 11:25 a.m.

Just promise them some "green jobs", Jay. Two thousand or so ought to do it. http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Seattle-s-green-jobs-program-a-bust-2031902.php

Posted Tue, Aug 16, 9:09 a.m.

I think big donors fare well under everyone. During her last campaign, Patty Murray took money from over thirty indian tribes (from as far away as Connecticut and Mississippi!). How did they "fare"? In the affordable health care act, members of indian tribes were granted an exemption from the individual ...

Posted Tue, Aug 16, 8:04 a.m.

What's really "nipping at the economy" of the Duwamish waterway is an extreme environmental cartel consisting of the EPA, Washington State and several indian tribes. These groups have pushed regulation that is above and beyond federal standards; in essence, saying we must maintain the viability of hunter/gatherer cultures alongside 21st ...

Posted Mon, Aug 15, 3:38 p.m.

"Don't worry BlueLight, we'll put a different motto on your fleece. And on your bib too." Wow! Thanks, Woofer! I would soooo love one of them mahogany boxed bottles of apple cider but - alas! - I'm not Canadian...

Posted Mon, Aug 15, 1:43 p.m.

Meanwhile http://blog.seattlepi.com/thebigblog/2011/08/15/brrrrr-snowy-summer-setting-records-at-mount-rainier/

Posted Mon, Aug 15, 9:40 a.m.

"We're the ones with big brains" Is that what they'll be printing on the new Puget Sound Partnership fleeces?

Posted Fri, Aug 12, 10:09 a.m.

"...the best and the brightest just cannot accept the fast that the 50 year experiment of government growth has finally hit the wall" Maybe they weren't the "best", after all. Or the "brightest".

Posted Fri, Aug 12, 9 a.m.

It's a good thing that Africa doesn't have the same regulatory hurdles that we do. Otherwise Rachel's benefactors would have to come up with a LOT more money to bring water systems to those villages.

Posted Fri, Aug 12, 7:51 a.m.

"Is a state budget that was hacked by billions now the high-water mark?" Maybe. Was a state budget that was grown by billions the low-water mark? From the Seattle Times (12/20/2006): "Saying we're in "exciting times," Gov. Christine Gregoire on Tuesday proposed dramatically increasing state spending by more than $4 ...

Posted Wed, Aug 10, 3:28 p.m.

Does this mean the Democrats will stop calling the Tea Party "terrorists"?

Posted Wed, Aug 10, 1:16 p.m.

Nope. King County won't "end homelessness" by 2015. We won't "save the Sound" by 2020. And Seattle won't be "all green" by 2030. No matter what politicians - even rapping ones - tell you.

Posted Wed, Aug 10, 9:47 a.m.

Appointing Patty Murray to a deficit reduction panel is like appointing Albert Speer to the United Nations War Crimes Commission.

Posted Wed, Aug 10, 9:21 a.m.

psshewww! I was SO afraid the next U.S Poet Laureate would not have a (semi) NW grounding!

Posted Wed, Aug 10, 7:29 a.m.

If the GPE is listed, then "environmentalists" cite it to oppose whatever they want to oppose. Permits are denied, project costs (especially public works projects) escalate, tribes extort, etc. Listing is only the push of the snowball over the hillcrest. It is why we have drainage ditches classified as critical ...

Posted Tue, Aug 9, 9:41 a.m.

"And they certainly resent being taxed to death to pay for the shepherds." And the dogs.

Posted Tue, Aug 9, 7:45 a.m.

Look to your casinos and sovereignty. Mark. We cannot afford your ongoing welfare.

Posted Tue, Aug 9, 7:23 a.m.

"Given that so little is yet understood about the worm, it would seem a wise course to at least act as if the species is threatened." Right on. Declare Eastern Washington "critical" habitat for the GPE subspecies. Stop all agriculture because the worms don't "take well to the plow". So, ...

Posted Fri, Aug 5, 1:04 p.m.

Dennis Kucinich is a surprising hit at a Washington State labor convention. Yeah. And Adolph Hitler was a surprising hit at brownshirt rallies.

Posted Fri, Aug 5, 12:23 p.m.

Publicola is reporting that "Godden and her campaign staff discussed doing a campaign mailer trashing one of her two leading opponents, Maurice Classen, for “not really supporting victims of domestic violence.” Her evidence? Classen testified for mercy for his father, who murdered Classen’s mom in an act of domestic violence." ...

Posted Fri, Aug 5, 11:44 a.m.

Well if Hispanics make up a growing population, wouldn't they, then, be able to - citywide - overturn the choice of a "white" geographic district? Are you saying that Yakima's voters are racists? That they vote skin color, not issues?

Posted Fri, Aug 5, 11:12 a.m.

"Especially true in Yakima where the current system of electing City Council members makes it very difficult to elect Latino representatives." Please explain. What is Yakima's current system of electing City Council members? How does it make it "very difficult to elect Latino representatives"?

Posted Fri, Aug 5, 9:46 a.m.

Charge parents for their kids' stay. Does that conform the juvy to the "commercial" zoning?

Posted Fri, Aug 5, 9:18 a.m.

No fair. Smart people should have some of their intelligence redistributed to the dumb people.

Posted Fri, Aug 5, 7:56 a.m.

Identity politics. Always turns out well (see Yugoslavia, Darfur, et al). Hey, CC... over at Publicola the "intern" they have covering this issue also works for OneAmerica. Getting hard to tell the "press" from the propagandists.

Posted Thu, Aug 4, 1:01 p.m.

"Enough is enough" Exactly what taxpayers have been saying about State Government spending.

Posted Thu, Aug 4, 11:33 a.m.

I think "white guys" are the biggest "supporters" of climate change. No?

Posted Thu, Aug 4, 8:08 a.m.

I feel like we're being prepped for a new park pitch.

Posted Thu, Aug 4, 7:53 a.m.

No mention, whatsoever, of harvest? Doesn't killing fish, uh, kill fish? Ah, politics. I mean, science. I mean.... I've heard WA Department of Fish and Wildlife is intentionally misreporting data on tribal fisheries. The coverup is being orchestrated via the Governor's Office of Indian Affairs. That agency, by the way, ...

Posted Wed, Aug 3, 10:06 a.m.

We should dismantle our ability to produce electricity. For the wolves.

Posted Wed, Aug 3, 10:04 a.m.

Yes, Crosscut, there is a chance Patty Murray will serve on the new "super committee". Despite the fact that there was no mention of her in the ST article you link to. Hopefully, that chance is very small. I'm sure, though, that she (and The Party) appreciate your re-headlining in ...

Posted Wed, Aug 3, 9:49 a.m.

Yet their government continues to buy "parks". Maybe Seattle's homeless should take up residency in one of them. The new era of austerity? For some, maybe. But, hey, on the bright side the City of Seattle and King County have a plan to end homelessness by 2015. If the homeless ...

Posted Wed, Aug 3, 9:41 a.m.

From the Seattle Times (3/5/2011): "Here in the city of sustainability, our parks system is "totally unsustainable," says former Superintendent Tim Gallagher. The problem, he insists, is simple: We keep adding parks without commensurate funds to operate them.

Posted Wed, Aug 3, 8:36 a.m.

"...pragmatic to me is seeing the folly of pushing ahead with major public projects that are brutish, risky, of questionable long-term value, based on out-dated assumptions about the depth of our pocket-books..." Wait a second... didn't you recently advocate for a Seattle Writers Park?

Posted Wed, Aug 3, 7:54 a.m.

Should we change Salish Sea to Whulge?

Posted Wed, Aug 3, 7:42 a.m.

Here's a way to create jobs: tear down the PNW's hydroelectric system. That should be good for about 11,000 jobs. In South Carolina.

Posted Wed, Aug 3, 7:34 a.m.

"Maybe when the state goes bankrupt we will at least be able to take some grim solace in the hatchery bureaucracy losing that 52 million a year, which is the real problem here." Maybe state bankruptcy is the REAL goal of some of our salmon savers.

Posted Wed, Aug 3, 7:30 a.m.

It's not just Maria Goodloe-Johnson. It is the whole network of politicized social-justice advocates who see school money as a means to push their political agenda.

Posted Tue, Aug 2, 2:35 p.m.

And this is why Tim Eyman's initiatives succeed.

Posted Fri, Jul 29, 1:22 p.m.

I guess there's a shrinking market for partisan politicking parading as journalism.

Posted Fri, Jul 29, 12:56 p.m.

"Might not have happened if Seattle had a real newspaper." Yeah. And have you heard? The city is talking about honoring its writers. Ha!

Posted Fri, Jul 29, 12:49 p.m.

"Do our myriad Social Justice activist non-profits stand to profit off the veteran's condition?" By the responses here, I believe the answer is "yes". And Nathan, when discussing "a very small levy" the Party recommends using an analogy such as "three lattes" or "one large pizza".

Posted Fri, Jul 29, 12:11 p.m.

"In a city that is talking about honoring its writers..." Don't confuse your echo chamber with "the city".

Posted Fri, Jul 29, 10:53 a.m.

Partisan politicking parading as journalism. I guess they haven't learned that an increasing segment of society is no longer buying it. Goodbye and good riddance.

Posted Fri, Jul 29, 7:54 a.m.

"The Republicans have manufactured a debt crisis..." That's as far as I need to read.

Posted Fri, Jul 29, 7:50 a.m.

I think it is kind of reprehensible the way "veterans" are being used/invoked to gain support for, yet another, tax increase and how their sympathetic cause is bundled with those the public might be less willing to support. So... "the levy's funds are split 50-50 between veterans' services and general ...

Posted Thu, Jul 28, 8:47 a.m.

But environmental rules create public union jobs that provide dues to the Democratic Party that creates environmental rules that create public union jobs that provide dues to the Democratic Party that creates environmental rules that create public union jobs that provide dues to the Democratic Party that creates environmental rules ...

Posted Wed, Jul 27, 1:14 p.m.

SEIU-Dub should know about prostitution. It has become a whore of the Democratic Party. Students and their parents (a 20% tuition increase this year) are funding these activisms and agendas. Many by taking out student loans. Bow down.

Posted Wed, Jul 27, 10:59 a.m.

"Surely, the city's writers, journos, poets, and knowers of our lore deserve a park of their own." Surely. From the Seattle Times (3/5/2011): "Here in the city of sustainability, our parks system is "totally unsustainable," says former Superintendent Tim Gallagher. The problem, he insists, is simple: We keep adding parks ...

Posted Tue, Jul 26, 12:11 p.m.

"...Crosscut can only afford to exist by publishing articles by unpaid contributors." I guess you get what you pay for.

Posted Tue, Jul 26, 10:41 a.m.

Stopping illegal immigration can promote environmental health, too. Is Sightline in favor of that? Or do their environmental concerns only manifest when they align with Party agendas?

Posted Fri, Jul 22, 3:45 p.m.

I didn't see that, Knute. Should we blue-out that star on our flags?

Posted Fri, Jul 22, 3:21 p.m.

Hey! I thought SEIU wrote state laws!

Posted Fri, Jul 22, 1:48 p.m.

"...young adults entering middle age will continue their shift toward suburban and lower-density areas in the decade ahead, upending the predictions of most pundits, planners and development experts." Maybe those pundits, planners and development experts aren't as Smart as they've told us they are.

Posted Fri, Jul 22, 1 p.m.

Meanwhile another SEIU-supported initiative is being investigated for fraud.

Posted Fri, Jul 22, 12:23 p.m.

Talk about a glass half empty! Look on the bright side: Tourism has a huge carbon footprint. By discouraging it we are - as "the only state with no statewide tourism office and the only state that will spend no public money promoting tourism" - once again, LEADING the green ...

Posted Fri, Jul 22, 7:58 a.m.

"Washington: See the Other 48 State First" is a guaranteed slam-dunk of a slogan. Except for the fact that there's 49. SayWA?

Posted Thu, Jul 21, 11:53 a.m.

I'm a neighborhood advocate, too. Here's my message to The Mayor: quit listening to the self-anointed experts who would play SimCity with your constituents.

Posted Thu, Jul 21, 11:47 a.m.

The last speeding ticket I got instructed me to mail my payment to an address with a four digit zip code. Public agencies can be maddening, too, Carol.

Posted Wed, Jul 20, 9:16 a.m.

"A bad idea is a bad idea, and if a project will cause harm to the environment, as we know the tunnel will, shouldn't we stop it from happening?" These things "cause harm to the environment": births immigration home building electricity generation water diversions wastewater generation pet ownership etcetera Should ...

Posted Thu, Jul 7, 10:29 a.m.

amid calls for longer time in school. and amid calls for Early Childhood Learning. and amid calls for summer meals provisioning. If you don't eat your meat, you can't have any pudding.

Posted Thu, Jul 7, 10:21 a.m.

That used to be the case, Gary. No longer. Employer hostilities have, largely, been REGULATED out of existence. The unions, one could argue, have - in that respect - done their job and should now retire. Their ongoing activisms aren't strengthening the workplace; rather they are frustrating it and driving ...

Posted Thu, Jul 7, 10:06 a.m.

Dan Savage's views on monogamy put marriages in a pressure cooker. Maybe. For those who hang on Dan Savage's views on monogamy. Or the New York Times' take on same.

Posted Thu, Jul 7, 9:47 a.m.

Hey! I thought you didn't want people discussing campaign fundraising! And, here, you link to a story on it?

Posted Thu, Jul 7, 9:24 a.m.

I thought Corporate Welfare made the young, the sick and the old die.

Posted Thu, Jul 7, 9:14 a.m.

The tunnel WILL be OK when the sea level rises? Right, Prominent Environmentalists?

Posted Thu, Jul 7, 7:54 a.m.

"Teachers unions, as unions should do, have acted in the best interests of their members, a new book argues." Exactly why the American people should outlaw public employee unions. Unions function by nurturing a hostile relationship between labor and management/ownership. The taxpayers, management and owners of our public institutions, do ...

Posted Wed, Jul 6, 1:39 p.m.

Actually, Gary, it looks like the author has a position at Seattle Town Hall, a "non-profit" organization. Here is a link to some of the "civic" presentations Town Hall recently hosted: http://townhallseattle.org/category/civic/ You are right... architects and folks who want to live in a beautiful environment but are lacking in ...

Posted Wed, Jul 6, 11:48 a.m.

Members of indian tribes are exempt from the individual mandate that will burden other Americans. That type of waiver is not discussed in your GAO PDF (there are six broad waivers available under the PPACA). Exempting peoples, based on race, from fiscal responsibilities others must shoulder is racist political pandering, ...

Posted Wed, Jul 6, 10:03 a.m.

Democrats pissed in the whiskey of health care reform by granting exemptions to their political allies/contributors (unions, tribes). If a law does not apply equally to everyone, it should be scrapped. Do most Americans want health care reform? Probably. Do most American want health care reform under which some are ...

Posted Wed, Jul 6, 8:21 a.m.

During his last campaign, Jay Inslee took money from: Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians; Palm Springs CA Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Indians; Roseburg, OR Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe; Sequim, WA Lummi Nation; Bellingham, WA Mashantucket Pequot Tribe; Mashantucket, CT Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians; Philadelphia, MS Morongo Band of ...

Posted Wed, Jul 6, 7:53 a.m.

WTF is a Seattle Arts Consultant? What do they do? Who pays them?

Posted Wed, Jul 6, 7:40 a.m.

Mr. Brewster. You've been commenting on politics for years. Please don't hog the comment stream in this way. Let others feel free to make comments.

Posted Tue, Jul 5, 8:40 a.m.

Washington State should consider moving to a unicameral (one house) legislature (see Nebraska). At the VERY LEAST it would reduce the number of ears to which special-interest groups can whisper.

Posted Tue, Jul 5, 8:19 a.m.

Just one of Seattle's many professional know-it-alls. Consider the source. Consider the media that hands them the podium. The way that can be named is not the way.

Posted Tue, Jul 5, 8:16 a.m.

How is it racist to list campaign contributions, Sarah90? I think people like you, quick to call names when discussions get uncomfortable, are the true racists in our society. You and your ilk play - and profit - from the identity politics of status quo separation. You, Sarah90, are a ...

Posted Thu, Jun 30, 12:06 p.m.

Another ex-politico, another "non-profit"... Does anyone know how much of the proposed $231 million Families and Education levy is slated to be siphoned off to politically-connected non-profit organizations?

Posted Thu, Jun 30, 11:55 a.m.

During his last campaign, Jay Inslee took money from: Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians; Palm Springs CA Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Indians; Roseburg, OR Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe; Sequim, WA Lummi Nation; Bellingham, WA Mashantucket Pequot Tribe; Mashantucket, CT Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians; Philadelphia, MS Morongo Band of ...

Posted Thu, Jun 30, 10:43 a.m.

"A climate hawk leans forward, wants to attack on as many fronts as possible..." Wants to get his talons on your pension funds. Wants to give them to campaign supporters, er, "green" startups.

Posted Thu, Jun 30, 9:46 a.m.

How come Crosscut's frontpage shows more comments to this story than are visible?

Posted Tue, Jun 28, 11:06 a.m.

Just curious... if the City of Seattle can require employers to provide paid sick leave, what else can they require? Could they require employers within city limits to only hire employ people who, also, reside in city limits? This could really help the live close/transit effort.

Posted Tue, Jun 28, 8:32 a.m.

During his last campaign, Jay Inslee took money from the following: Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians; Palm Springs CA Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Indians; Roseburg, OR Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe; Sequim, WA Lummi Nation; Bellingham, WA Mashantucket Pequot Tribe; Mashantucket, CT Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians; Philadelphia, MS Morongo ...

Posted Mon, Jun 27, 3:41 p.m.

Donating to Inslee's last campaign: AGUA CALIENTE BAND OF CAHUILLA INDIANS, PALM SPRINGS CA COW CREEK BAND OF UMPQUA INDIANS, ROSEBURG OR JAMESTOWN S'KLALLAM TRIBE, SEQUIM WA LUMMI NATION, BELLINGHAM WA MASHANTUCKET PEQUOT TRIBE, MASHANTUCKET CT MISSISSIPPI BAND OF CHOCTAW INDIANS, PHILADELPHIA MS MORONGO BAND OF MISSION INDIANS, CABAZON CA ...

Posted Mon, Jun 27, 12:27 p.m.

Say WA???

Posted Mon, Jun 27, 8:19 a.m.

What is a species? Is Puget Sound Chinook a species? Is the Southern Resident Orca a species? The ESA has been under "attack" for a long time;- primarily by environmentalists who want the act as a handy tool for opposing anything. Don't like your neighbor's garage plans? Surely the earthworms ...

Posted Fri, Jun 24, 3:07 p.m.

Hey Wilbur, one constant over those twenty years where board members change but mediocrity remains, one that facilitates the school district getting "side tracked on ill thought out programs aimed at community building that has nothing to do with first rate schools": unions.

Posted Fri, Jun 24, 8:30 a.m.

From Crosscut's FAQs: "Crosscut's revenue sources are: annual memberships, donations from individuals, grants and foundation support, and advertising sponsorships. In the future, we expect to produce some events, such as conferences, that will also generate income. This model resembles public broadcast, except there is no government money in the mix." ...

Posted Thu, Jun 23, 10:56 a.m.

I don't want my State government "partnering" with sovereign nations that aren't subject to the same laws as I.

Posted Thu, Jun 23, 10:50 a.m.

I wonder how much of the families-and-education levy is slated to be siphoned off to politically-connected non-profits under the ruse of Social Justice? Kicking the effort off at El Centro de la Raza probably indicates: quite a lot.

Posted Wed, Jun 22, 7:43 a.m.

"About 900 are expected to be installed in consumers' homes over the next 12 months." Who's paying for these? The private "consumer" or the public taxpayer?

Posted Tue, Jun 21, 12:22 p.m.

That's funny because I find Joel Connelly an uncomfortable mixture of whining and bombast.

Posted Tue, Jun 21, 7:59 a.m.

"But all tribes will be invited to participate in the center, Fernandes said." Even the Celts?

Posted Fri, Jun 17, 3:22 p.m.

Note the role of "non-profits" in this corruption. We need massive overhaul of section 501(c)(3) of the tax code. The non-profit has become haven for all manner of activist and con.

Posted Fri, Jun 17, 1:56 p.m.

More corruption involving "non-profit" organizations. We need complete overhaul of section 501(c)(3) of the tax code. The non-profit has become haven for all manner of activism and con.

Posted Fri, Jun 17, 8:30 a.m.

I've heard stormwater runoff carries an Exxon Valdez and-a-half worth of oil into Puget Sound each and every year! Surely NO regulation and taxation would be too excessive in stopping this environmental catastrophe!

Posted Fri, Jun 17, 8:20 a.m.

"And Seattle gives more generously than other U.S. cities..." Oftentimes, unwittingly. Witness all the tax money siphoned off to politically connected non-profits under the ruse of "social-justice".

Posted Thu, Jun 16, 11:38 a.m.

Last month, Washington State lost 900 private-sector jobs and added 200 government jobs.

Posted Thu, Jun 16, 7:42 a.m.

Tribes have been fiscal beneficiaries of governmental growth. It only follows that they want to perpetuate the status quo.

Posted Tue, Jun 14, 10:38 a.m.

I would like the Port of Seattle to work towards ZERO environmental impacts by the year 2020.

Posted Fri, Jun 10, 11:29 a.m.

If we accept the validity of unions as voices for working families... We don't.

Posted Fri, Jun 10, 9:49 a.m.

Yes, how - and how much - do electric car owners pay to fuel up at these stations?

Posted Fri, Jun 10, 8:58 a.m.

Sarah90... the fate of Puget Sound's sealife and our regions' native american cultures are depending on you. You - apparently - have the answer. Please tell us how we can allow unchecked immigration into the region AND save our natural environments.

Posted Fri, Jun 10, 8:04 a.m.

We'll see if Seattle voters want to give another $231 million to the corrupt, political (social justice!) slush fund that is the Seattle Public Schools.

Posted Thu, Jun 9, 12:29 p.m.

Private unions, yes. Public unions, no. Anyone who works to end the corruption and fiscal insolvency that public employee unions have brought to our state government has my vote. I guess we'll cancel each other out, jmarmont.

Posted Thu, Jun 9, 11:51 a.m.

"...what matters is that they are ready to provide students with excellent teaching." What also matters is "what" they'll be "teaching" our kids. "These are young people with a sense of social justice..." And there it is.

Posted Thu, Jun 9, 11:12 a.m.

"Inslee stressed his interest in boosting the green economy, his specialty." Here's a recent take on his specialty: http://kpbj.com/special_report/banking_and_finance/2011-05-04/the_dirty_secret_of_clean_tech

Posted Thu, Jun 9, 7:53 a.m.

Come on, Sarah90... Tell us how we can have unchecked immigration into the region AND restore our natural environment. Please debunk my "silly claim".

Posted Thu, Jun 9, 7:50 a.m.

Can you please post the source and amount of the "various public" contributors?

Posted Thu, Jun 9, 7:47 a.m.

These "fixes" are similar to the ones employed by junkies.

Posted Thu, Jun 9, 7:46 a.m.

On government, Democrats kowtow to organized labor, too.

Posted Wed, Jun 8, 12:08 p.m.

"It’s been said that Indian Country is in a permanent recession." It's also been said that Indian Country is in a permanent entitlement mindset.

Posted Wed, Jun 8, 12:04 p.m.

Ask your sovereign governments, Mark.

Posted Wed, Jun 8, 11:17 a.m.

or another idea: cut all government funding to the ACLU and those "fellow advocates" who profit by perpetuating racial tension.

Posted Wed, Jun 8, 11:13 a.m.

Rather than redistricting based on race, how about we just institute social-justice vote counting? I propose the following: Each vote shall be tallied according to the caster's race: Caucasion: 0.5 Black: 1.3 Hispanic: 1.5 Native American: 2.0 Asian: 0.8 How's that? Sound fair?

Posted Wed, Jun 8, 10:46 a.m.

I'm with talisker. Demonize it as "privatization", but 1) the current system - obviously - isn't working very well and 2) I - personally (and I suspect there are many more) - am tired of the union/political influence in the education of our kids.

Posted Wed, Jun 8, 10:31 a.m.

Hey! Maybe the best way to send your kid to college is not by saving! Maybe the best way is to quit your job and get on public assistance! Kids, tell your parents: quit your jobs, get on the dole. It's, likely, the only way you'll "afford" a college education.

Posted Wed, Jun 8, 8:07 a.m.

Yes, sarah90, I've been making the same statement so long I can rewqrite it verbatim (no cut and paste). It remains valid. What "cite" do you want? Here is a link to OSU's research: http://oregonstate.edu/dept/fw/lackey/Salmon2100.htm You can find the census results for yourself. It - really - is not that ...

Posted Tue, Jun 7, 2:30 p.m.

"Time to think about what we are willing to trade for a cleaner Puget Sound." Not votes, apparently. Researchers at Oregon State University have determined the NUMBER ONE threat to PNW salmon and their habitats is increased immigration into the region; the vast majority of which comes from outside the ...

Posted Tue, Jun 7, 11:06 a.m.

The Department of Community, Trade and Development was changed to the Department of Commerce in 2009.

Posted Tue, Jun 7, 10:42 a.m.

Lisa Stiffler, Sightline. Stacy Giannas, Stewardship Partners. The non-profits' profit is directly tied to the magnitude of the problem.

Posted Mon, Jun 6, 12:19 p.m.

More illegality and taxpayer abuse under the ruse of Social Justice.

Posted Mon, Jun 6, 9:02 a.m.

"Probably the most stunning transformation has been Bremerton..." Your readers might be interested to know that Bremerton's "transformation" came with a huge price tag for Kitsap COUNTY taxpayers. Those new condos you reference (the ones that replaced the "seedy" bars) were subject of rather shady backdoor dealings between the City ...

Posted Mon, Jun 6, 7:54 a.m.

"The goal is to create a more complete picture of where the pollution is coming from, what affect it has, and, ultimately, how to clean up the mess." Wrong. The goal is to write a story that will scare citizens into paying more taxes and legislators into passing more laws. ...

Posted Wed, Jun 1, 9:30 a.m.

Word on the street is that Washington's Department of Fish and Wildlife is deliberately mis-reporting tribal fisheries data. The cover-up is being orchestrated via the Governor's Office if Indian Affairs.

Posted Thu, May 26, 12:48 p.m.

How much are the taxpayers paying Jim Kelly per year?

Posted Thu, May 26, 7:52 a.m.

I think it's more than the Governor that's waking up to you green charlatans, Roger.

Posted Fri, May 20, 2:08 p.m.

Cliff was Juan Williams-ed.

Posted Fri, May 20, 9:32 a.m.

I've heard that Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is misreporting tribal fisheries data. The coverup is orchestrated via the Governor's Office of Indian Affairs.

Posted Thu, May 19, 11:18 a.m.

In Seattle we can still carry our foreskin home in a plastic bag, if we want.

Posted Wed, May 18, 2:10 p.m.

Are they gonna hire Black Panthers with sticks?

Posted Wed, May 18, 2:08 p.m.

Canard. Is that a fancy word for "lie"?

Posted Tue, May 17, 11:39 a.m.

Have ego. Will travel.

Posted Tue, May 17, 11:13 a.m.

Washington: We take money! We love you long time!

Posted Fri, May 13, 1:26 p.m.

Yes, "minority" students will always think of themselves as victims so long as people like Al Sharpton can make money convincing them they are so.

Posted Thu, May 12, 10:53 a.m.

A "leader" in desperate search for followers. Pathetic.

Posted Thu, May 12, 8:01 a.m.

Reach out to North Korea, Iran and Turkey, Mark. You probably have a lot in common. Maybe tribes can forge some joint ventures with Al Quaeda. Meanwhile the U.S. - that other sovereign nation here - should reclassify our handouts to tribes as foreign aid.

Posted Thu, May 12, 7:54 a.m.

oooh, they got ARRESTED! Do they get extra credit for that?

Posted Wed, May 11, 7:34 a.m.

"This piece is a fairy tale." Consider the source.

Posted Tue, May 10, 12:08 p.m.

Sure, Mike, given our huge budget surplus.

Posted Tue, May 10, 11:26 a.m.

Washington State: We take money. We love you long time.

Posted Tue, May 10, 10:30 a.m.

Who would've thought that decades of encouraging dependency would've resulted in this?

Posted Mon, May 9, 8:53 a.m.

Correct. They used the inflated numbers (1,000 x) to sell regulation and push for tax/fee increases. Do you have an answer for #2?

Posted Mon, May 9, 7:45 a.m.

True or False, Daniel: 1. Stormwater runoff dumps the equivalent of 1.5 Exxon Valdez' worth of oil, annually, into Puget Sound. 2. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is misreporting data on tribal fisheries. The cover-up is orchestrated via the Governor's Office of Indian Affairs.

Posted Thu, May 5, 2:06 p.m.

"One person who got it: a fifth-grader who is on the Montlake Elementary School "Green Team" of kids trying to create a more sustainable school, and who gave an anti-520 speech without notes to kick off the forum. The crowd loved it. Give that kid a seat on the City ...

Posted Thu, May 5, 1:05 p.m.

insofar as a 64% passage "represents" - clearly - the will of the people.

Posted Thu, May 5, 1:04 p.m.

"Representative democracy is a cause worth fighting for." Except, apparently, when it impedes your ability to tax more.

Posted Wed, May 4, 1:49 p.m.

I wonder what "reading through Seattle's land use code and blogging about it" pays...

Posted Wed, May 4, 8:39 a.m.

Carol, you imply an income tax on the "richest households" would solve the problem. I posit that no amount of government spending (irrespective of which households they take it from) will solve the problems stemming from irresponsible and negligent breeding/parenting.

Posted Wed, May 4, 8:11 a.m.

Carpetbagger. As a Plan B, is he thinking of selling us a Monorail?

Posted Wed, May 4, 7:50 a.m.

"The only thing that works is direct early intervention in such families, backed by public dollars as necessary." Following to the conclusion: state sterilization of those who saddle society with the cost of their negligence. Right?

Posted Tue, May 3, 10:20 a.m.

Can Molly Norris come out of hiding now?

Posted Fri, Apr 29, 11:03 a.m.

Maybe a few Maurice Clemmonses will make those pesky voters pay more taxes!

Posted Fri, Apr 29, 10:50 a.m.

10%/year? Good luck.

Posted Fri, Apr 29, 10:43 a.m.

"I can’t help but wonder whether we should have been trying other methods to motivate the many individuals who wanted to turn their lives around." One has to wonder how much those individuals truly "wanted to turn their lives around" if they required "motivation" from others to do so. As ...

Posted Fri, Apr 29, 9:54 a.m.

From Bridgeport's entry: "90% of Bridgeport’s school population is Hispanic and first generation and the entire school district is 100% free and reduced lunch and breakfast."

Posted Fri, Apr 29, 8:14 a.m.

"Your support frees us to do thoughtful, constructive reporting and analysis." Like Knute's story on Donald Trump?

Posted Fri, Apr 29, 8:11 a.m.

Knute, I had heretofore (erroneously, I guess) put you above the shrill partisan hacks parading as journalists. I am not a Trump supporter, but I believe our civic discourse should strive toward more maturity. You have chosen to join the those who would take us in another direction. I, sincerely, ...

Posted Thu, Apr 28, 10:02 a.m.

Washington State's Office of Financial Management estimates that between 2010 and 2030 "natural increase" (births-deaths) will add 754,301 to the state's population. Over that same time, they estimate "migration" will add 979,199 to the state's population. http://www.ofm.wa.gov/pop/race/projections/

Posted Thu, Apr 28, 7:46 a.m.

"We all know that the increased population in the Puget Sound area and the increased development have put pressures on water quality." Do we? Researchers at Oregon State University have reported the NUMBER ONE THREAT to PNW salmon and their habitats is immigration into the region; the vast majority of ...

Posted Wed, Apr 27, 12:18 p.m.

I wonder how the Chines would treat sovereign dependents?

Posted Wed, Apr 27, 9:23 a.m.

No problem, Norm. The ends justify the means when it comes to environmental advocacy. So long as the... uh... exaggeration passed a fews regs and tax increases (and helped local lock-steppers do the same) it served its purpose. Hyperbole is modus operandi. How many "green" jobs have the people been ...

Posted Wed, Apr 20, 2:25 p.m.

Thank you. There IS a lot you need to improve. Good luck.

Posted Wed, Apr 20, 2:23 p.m.

Snohomish County reports 25 tons of untreated dog poop are dropped on their ground every day. This is the equivalent sewage of a city of 40,000. Untreated. In the streams. Down to the Sound. Rather than sidewalks, maybe Roger and other really smart environmentalist-types ought to work to outlaw dog ...

Posted Tue, Apr 19, 11 a.m.

I wasn't analyzing Mr. Marshall's situation, bubble. I was analyzing the press' situation. "Most normal human beings" tire of right-wing patronizing as sure as they do left-wing patronizing. Partisan reporting - in either direction - is afield of where America's fourth estate should be. Those entrusted with America's fourth estate ...

Posted Tue, Apr 19, 10:47 a.m.

Given the state of America's press, bubble, maybe "most normal human beings" agree with me on this. Could it be you are, in fact, the scumbag here?

Posted Tue, Apr 19, 9:52 a.m.

Good question, Lincoln, and I think it deserves to be a bullet on both of their Manifestos: * We are twits who presume to speak for others

Posted Tue, Apr 19, 9:40 a.m.

You say "teachable moment". I hear "chance to frighten the public into paying more taxes".

Posted Tue, Apr 19, 9:15 a.m.

We love race and social justice. Although we can't speak of the former or define the latter.

Posted Tue, Apr 19, 9:10 a.m.

"EXACTLY! A very eloquent presentation of a situation many of us find ourselves in through no fault of our own." No fault? Not so sure of that. I think you can trace the fall of the newspaper business to a decline of journalistic ethics aqnd objectivity which, in turn, led ...

Posted Mon, Apr 18, 3:30 p.m.

Herein , also, lies some causes for tuition increases. http://www.ofm.wa.gov/tax/2011/1087_eshb_I-960_data.pdf

Posted Mon, Apr 18, 11:35 a.m.

Faculties at EWU, CWU, WWU and TESC are unionized. Faculties at WSU and UW belong to the American Association of University Professors. The AAUP has branches that "advocate" and branches involved in collective bargaining. The UW and WSU branches advocate. Here is a link to the UW AAUP branch: http://depts.washington.edu/uwaaup/

Posted Mon, Apr 18, 8:37 a.m.

Hey kids, want to know why college costs so much? It is because of your unionized professors. While you march to "support" them you, also, assume a 16% tuition increase and tolerate decreased enrollment opportunities. You leave school $50,000 in debt because of their tenure, salaries and political activisms. And ...

Posted Mon, Apr 18, 8:16 a.m.

How about posting a PDF of your grant agreement.

Posted Mon, Apr 18, 8:15 a.m.

Sounds like you are taking money to support a political agenda.

Posted Fri, Apr 15, 12:51 p.m.

And a suggestion, in follow up to Benjamin's post... Perhaps there is a way to configure the site so that, when comments are deleted from the story comment section, they are retained in the poster's profile. That way, we could - later - review whether they were - in fact ...

Posted Fri, Apr 15, 12:47 p.m.

What, exactly, did you "try", Judy?

Posted Fri, Apr 15, 12:12 p.m.

Another posting from the same story that was individually deleted prior to comments being closed, Judy, involved the Community Action Network. I provided a link to their webpage. They have three job openings for community organizers. Here is the link, again, for those looking for work: http://washingtoncan.org/wordpress/jobs/ Now, why do ...

Posted Fri, Apr 15, 12:06 p.m.

I think the "what is Daddy contributing" question to be perfectly legitimate for someone demanding support from those who had no role in their child's conception. Will CC delete comment based on their arbitrary deteminations of what is "rude", what is "acceptable?. I think it is "rude" to expect others ...

Posted Fri, Apr 15, 10:09 a.m.

Don't like "insovency", Goforride? How 'bout BROKE? "The difficulty we are having now is that tax collections have fallen off a cliff and we are trying to figure out what to cut to achieve the required expenditures." Do you think Christine Gregoire's $4 Billion expansion of state government in 2006 ...

Posted Fri, Apr 15, 9:58 a.m.

Did the Feds send a threatening letter when we instituted policies to disregard immigration laws?

Posted Fri, Apr 15, 8:57 a.m.

It ain't a belief, Bob. Its a fact. CC recently posited that "Budget Cuts Would Hit Hard In Communities of Color". In that screed, they quoted a single mom who wondered how she was going to feed her children with these proposed budget cuts. I asked what Daddy was contributing. ...

Posted Fri, Apr 15, 8:29 a.m.

"But I have a lot of respect for people who are doing their best within the imperfect systems we have." Insofar as they do not work to improve the "imperfect systems we have" they are not doing their best. They are keeping their heads down and cashing their paychecks. They ...

Posted Fri, Apr 15, 8:17 a.m.

I don't know if it is geography that will work to the GOP's favor so much as failed policies of the Democratic Party that is driving the state and its junior jurisdictions to fiscal insolvency.

Posted Fri, Apr 15, 8 a.m.

"And I get to share the result with great readers, who demand a lot from our stories but who also give back." When they are allowed to, Judy. When their comments aren't deleted by Crosscut ideologues.

Posted Thu, Apr 14, 12:24 p.m.

Seems, at least, as bad as playing online poker...

Posted Thu, Apr 14, 9:30 a.m.

Carol, endeavor to inventory all the groups (governmental and non-governmental) "working" on our endangered salmon. Try to tally the public expenditure. You may come to share my "dismal" view of these "wildlife advocates".

Posted Thu, Apr 14, 9:23 a.m.

Well, someone even deleted this question to you when I first posted it. I am not, lately, seeing deeds matching words in Crosscut's commitment to open dialogue. A corrupt press is worse than no press at all. I think Crosscut bears watching. Thanks.

Posted Thu, Apr 14, 8:32 a.m.

Knute, I wonder how you feel about Crosscut deleting comments they disagree with?

Posted Thu, Apr 14, 8:29 a.m.

I think this article illustrates a huge problem with the ESA: the creatures have become less the ends and more the means. There is considerable talk of politics and process and there are advocacy statements aplenty (from groups who profit from the process), but there is no information of what ...

Posted Wed, Apr 13, 2:53 p.m.

Vegetables look "scary" to kids used to eating cake and pudding.

Posted Wed, Apr 13, 2:26 p.m.

"A new consensus can be built, between the business community, the government, and the public. But that will likely start at the local and regional level, not the national." And it will be impossible without an honest press.

Posted Wed, Apr 13, 12:51 p.m.

I bet Kurt could've written a good song about Seattle's new media.

Posted Wed, Apr 13, 11:40 a.m.

They kept their budget but lost their credibility.

Posted Wed, Apr 13, 10:59 a.m.

Ha! And "it's wise not to forget that".

Posted Wed, Apr 13, 10:12 a.m.

"This is the democratic aspect of the Web, a new thing in journalism. It means passing the microphone around to many voices, including the readers and Members and other experts, not feeling that we have the last word." I think your habit of deleting comments with which you disagree shows ...

Posted Wed, Apr 13, 9:50 a.m.

China censors and squelches dissent. We...?

Posted Wed, Apr 13, 8:16 a.m.

Parents? Seattle Public Schools serves The Party first and foremost. "The Kids" are convenient little tools for extracting money to give to politically-connected friends under The Party's social-justice agenda.

Posted Wed, Apr 13, 8:07 a.m.

If he can't get in step, he probably shouldn't even be allowed to vote. Right, Joe?

Posted Wed, Apr 13, 7:57 a.m.

Oh, yeah! Mr. Holmes! The perfect person for changing - or finding ways around - rules and laws. If he can tweak standard sentencing guidelines to help convicted illegal immigrants avoid the attention of immigration officials, he - surely - can help Party-blessed projects avoid SEPA, et al.

Posted Wed, Apr 13, 7:38 a.m.

So change the "rules". Many of them have been snuck into place by extremists.

Posted Tue, Apr 12, 8 a.m.

And in part, he thinks many people "are still confused about why we're killing these fish we're trying to restore." (Beardslee's group is one of the few among environmentalists that's willing to finger commercial and recreational fishing as a major problem.) I've heard Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is ...

Posted Tue, Apr 12, 7:41 a.m.

Don't support censors.

Posted Tue, Apr 12, 7:39 a.m.

Roger Valdez. All I need to read.

Posted Mon, Apr 11, 3:52 p.m.

By the way, Cameron, do as I have done and spread that story throughout every forum you visit. Joe should be put out of business.

Posted Mon, Apr 11, 3:51 p.m.

Yes, Cameron. Joe Copeland, clearly, crossed a line with that. Crosscut is not the place for an intellectually honest discussion of issues. Disgusting.

Posted Mon, Apr 11, 11:51 a.m.

Christine Gregoire's quid-pro-quo gambling compact with Washington's indian tribes is estimated to cost the state $140 million a year. More than the Microsoft, UW, and Immunex exemptions combined. http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Tribes-give-big-to-Gregoire-avoid-sharing-casino-1276446.php

Posted Mon, Apr 11, 8:06 a.m.

As we close tax loopholes, don't forget these: indian tribes non-profit (yeah, right!) organizations

Posted Mon, Apr 11, 7:54 a.m.

No money to censors.

Posted Fri, Apr 8, 7:47 a.m.

Where do indian tribes rate?

Posted Thu, Apr 7, 3:11 p.m.

Washington Community Action Network. Another "non-profit" profiting through exploitation of racial tensions. Gotta keep 'em separated! As we discuss closing tax loopholes we should demand a big revision of section 501(c)(3) of the tax code. The "non-profit" has become a haven for all manner of activist and charlatan. Wonder why ...

Posted Thu, Apr 7, 3:05 p.m.

We all drink this, Lisa.

Posted Thu, Apr 7, 2:25 p.m.

OMG!!!! People are gonna die!!!

Posted Thu, Apr 7, 2:12 p.m.

No one knows how much piss is in the whiskey, Lisa. It might be just a little, it might be a lot. Whatever, we are past the point that the unwashed masses should trust Academia as honest brokers in social debates.

Posted Thu, Apr 7, 12:42 p.m.

Oh, a Harvard Professor? Thanks for pointing that out in the first paragraph. You saved me some time.

Posted Thu, Apr 7, 11:10 a.m.

"All of us benefit when academics use their expertise to assist government in making innovative public policy." Would you consider David Dicks (son of Norm) an academic? Having failed, miserably, at the Democratic PAC that is the Puget Sound Partnership, his Party Bosses transferred him to the UW College of ...

Posted Thu, Apr 7, 8:51 a.m.

Political indoctrination. Send your kids elsewhere.

Posted Wed, Apr 6, 1:11 p.m.

http://www.doh.wa.gov/Topics/japan2011.htm

Posted Wed, Apr 6, 10:55 a.m.

"Habitat loss, dams, and warming waters caused by climate change, appear to be sealing their fate." And how about harvest? Neglecting to mention that cast this as yet another disingenuous report from a biased source.

Posted Wed, Apr 6, 10:39 a.m.

Maybe your social security entitlement should be means tested on whether your child turned out to be an asset or liability to society...

Posted Wed, Apr 6, 10:30 a.m.

Subjugating the future to the present - derailing a rail line because of a pottery shard - is regressive and leads to bankruptcy. Archeology is a useful tool for NIMBYs.

Posted Tue, Apr 5, 1:38 p.m.

We're supposed to be entering the "user pays" era, aren't we Gary? We're tolling roads and passing all kinds of "fees" based on this principle. So why not apply the "user pays" approach to the tax code? No kids, tax rate = 15%; one kid, tax rate = 20%, etc.

Posted Tue, Apr 5, 12:20 p.m.

I think one change we need to make: flip the tax code to recoup the cost from those having babies. Rather than a tax "deduction", parents should see their tax rate go up with every new mouth/cost they inflict on the system.

Posted Tue, Apr 5, 9:08 a.m.

"We" aren't failing to teach every kid to read. Many parents are.

Posted Mon, Apr 4, 12:43 p.m.

The Twitter Poet belongs on the opinion page.

Posted Mon, Apr 4, 12:26 p.m.

Joel Connelly lecturing "new media"... Like a dinosaur lecturing a mammal. Sorry, Joel, you had your chance. You blew it.

Posted Wed, Mar 30, 5:55 p.m.

So, how are we going to come up with the next SayWA???

Posted Tue, Mar 29, 6:26 p.m.

I agree with Roger. The city does need a leadership change. It needs someone who will stand up to, and cut funding to, all our insidious little non-profits lurking down every alleyway.

Posted Tue, Mar 29, 7:04 a.m.

"Sovereign" indian tribes are like having a 22 year old "kid" at home. "You can't tell me what to do! I'm an adult!" Now, give me my allowance.

Posted Mon, Mar 28, 6:45 p.m.

So, who paid for it?

Posted Sat, Mar 26, 9:37 p.m.

Maybe DOT should funnel some money through Seattle Public Schools' Regional Small Business Development Program. Contract with some "non-profit" organization(s) to get the word out.

Posted Fri, Mar 25, 9:41 a.m.

"...if Seattle's brain is it's sex organ" It needs a little blue pill.

Posted Fri, Mar 25, 7:52 a.m.

"When Seattle turns heads it's not because we're hot but because we're "Doing things right." Balanced, progressive, sustainable." Don't forget arrogant and self-delusional.

Posted Fri, Mar 25, 7:50 a.m.

Maybe we should install more DOT electronic reader signs to keep the "minorities" up-to-date. Let's see.... yesterday there was a report that said 203 languages are spoken in the Seattle Public School district. We should install a separate system of electronic reader signs for each of them. If we don't, ...

Posted Fri, Mar 25, 7:47 a.m.

"Historic"? It was painted in 2008! If I draw a picture of a pyramid and hang it on my wall can I get my house declared a Historic Site?

Posted Thu, Mar 24, 2:46 p.m.

"caring for the less-advantaged", Slame? Or citing the "less-advantaged" when building schemes to funnel public money to their non-profit allies? We need school choice. Let those who want to continue sending their money and kids to the corrupt SPS, do so. Let those of us who want our kids to ...

Posted Thu, Mar 24, 12:59 p.m.

He looks the part (which, I'm sure, is why he was given the job by our non-racist Democratic Party), but he can't speak the language. I wonder if the Chinese will fund him a CSL program?

Posted Thu, Mar 24, 11:02 a.m.

The Zapatista Movement has a few UW professors working for them, as well.

Posted Thu, Mar 24, 10:46 a.m.

Legal muster? Come on, Joni, legality is such an antiquated concept. We're in the age of "social-justice", remember. Wherein, if a law is inconvenient to a political agenda (see Peter Holmes' jiggering of sentencing guidelines so that convicted illegal immigrants don't catch the eye of immigration officials), they are tweaked ...

Posted Thu, Mar 24, 9:19 a.m.

While we're closing tax loopholes, we should seriously revise section 501(c)(3) of the tax code. The "non-profit" has become a haven for all manner of activists and charlatans. Wonder why your government doesn't have enough money? It's because they've given much of it to politically-connected "non-profits".

Posted Thu, Mar 24, 9:13 a.m.

We need school choice. Let those who want to continue sending their kids and money to the Democrat/union/tribal indoctrination academies, do so. Let those of us who want our kids to grow to think for themselves send them, and our money, elsewhere.

Posted Thu, Mar 24, 5:38 a.m.

You don't need to read the entire article. The reason they "are going for the full amount" is because they are Democrats and they want your money to fund their political agenda. Their politically connected "non=profit" friends are salivating at the thought of a large pot of "education" money to ...

Posted Thu, Mar 24, 5:34 a.m.

This should be illegal. Take note of any "representative" who employs this tactic and vote for their opponent next election. They do not believe in transparent government. They believe the opposite party - and the American public - are adversaries to be duped in their game of Party Politic.

Posted Wed, Mar 23, 9:33 p.m.

"Why not implement the statewide Initiative 728, reduce class size, and get professional teachers under professional conditions of employment working with the children?" Because we cannot afford their union demands.

Posted Wed, Mar 23, 1:08 p.m.

You mean electric vehicles don't float slightly above the road service, carried there on the wings of angels and fairies?

Posted Wed, Mar 23, 1:07 p.m.

Hey kids! Want to know why college costs so much? Public employees unions. Those professors you march to support? They are the reason you leave school with $50,000 in student debt.

Posted Wed, Mar 23, 12:14 p.m.

Pete Holmes. The Seattle City Attorney that has tweaked sentencing guidelines so that illegal immigrants don't catch the attention of immigration authorities. Yo, Pete, by sending the message that the "law" is secondary to one's politics you are responsible, in part, for any cop shot in your fair city. And ...

Posted Wed, Mar 23, 10:06 a.m.

Are they gonna bicycle to away games?

Posted Wed, Mar 23, 9:44 a.m.

We in the U.S. need to seriously revise section 501(c)(3) of the tax code. The "non-profit" has become the haven for all manner of activisms and charlatans. Wonder why your government doesn't have enough money? They've given much of it to politically connected "non-profits".

Posted Wed, Mar 23, 8:20 a.m.

No amount of Families and Education levy money will make up for bad parenting. You can't take enough money from good families to improve the Gangsta Culture of kids who are Down Wit The Crew. http://www.seattlepi.com/local/437543_driveby23.html

Posted Wed, Mar 23, 7:46 a.m.

“the costs were understated and the benefits overstated,” Just like the Affordable Health Care Act. Or, probably, most government projects, for that matter.

Posted Tue, Mar 22, 2:20 p.m.

Advocacy journalism. That and this.

Posted Tue, Mar 22, 11:46 a.m.

"The sole exception is Washington, where gaming receipts are exempt from taxation, thanks to a deal made by Gov. Chris Gregoire's office. The grateful tribes made six-figure contributions to Gregoire's gubernatorial campaign and the state Democratic Party." It's called quid pro quo.

Posted Mon, Mar 21, 9:31 a.m.

Political science + Environmental science = Political science

Posted Fri, Mar 18, 2:20 p.m.

Except we're not "minusing" one, mhays. There is a net influx of people into the region. And despite efforts at water conservation, transit, etc; they by no means "minus one" from the average per capita environmental footprint. These efforts, perhaps, minus 0.01 per capita. So if we "add one" new ...

Posted Fri, Mar 18, 12:39 p.m.

Wrong, mhays. You cannot socially-engineer your way out of the fact that EVERY human being has an environmental price tag (we all eat, drink, pee, poop, etc). The more people there are here, the worse off our environment will be. Period.

Posted Fri, Mar 18, 10:44 a.m.

The Democratic Party has two mutually-excusve planks in their policy platform: support for environmental protections and support for illegal immigrants. We cannot have both. Researchers at Oregon State University have determined the NUMBER ONE THREAT to PNW salmon and their habitats is immigration into the region, the vast majority of ...

Posted Thu, Mar 17, 9:04 a.m.

The future of Pugetopolis, inspired by IKEA, but with a twist: You don't have to be smart, just rich.

Posted Thu, Mar 17, 8:22 a.m.

I wonder if the voters will be taken in with lies, again.

Posted Thu, Mar 17, 8:18 a.m.

Shouldn't this read "Obama needs to stand up to the NEA bullies"?

Posted Tue, Mar 15, 11:54 a.m.

It will cost less in the long run, denverite. Giving in to tribal extortion demands always begets more tribal extortion demands. Cut ties and enforce sovereignty.

Posted Tue, Mar 15, 8:08 a.m.

Move the ferry landing to American soil. Prohibit any future state or local tax money from being spent on the Lummi reservation.

Posted Fri, Mar 11, 9 a.m.

Here's a Northwest issue: I've heard Washington State government is misreporting tribal fisheries data. Care to look into that? Here's a starting place tip for you: Governor's Office of Tribal Affairs.

Posted Thu, Mar 10, 9:08 a.m.

Slogans and buzzwords. All sizzle, no steak. Plays well with a constituency too intellectually lazy to require anything deeper for their Party loyalty.

Posted Wed, Mar 9, 3:06 p.m.

I'm sure Sightline will give us the straight poop. Ha! See the by line, skip the story.

Posted Wed, Mar 9, 11:44 a.m.

It would be one thing if the mandate applied equally to everyone, but deals have been cut to exempt the usual suspects (unions, tribes, etc). If Congress cannot treat people equally under the law, the law is no good.

Posted Tue, Mar 8, 2:14 p.m.

If the seminar is being held at the UW, it isn't "free", Judy. The taxpayers are footing the bill.

Posted Tue, Mar 8, 8:35 a.m.

So, Jan... you seem to endorse a "mature poltical leadership" but then devolve into a juvenile name-calling ("no-brain Palin-style"). What's it gonna be? Do you really want mature political leadership? If so, then be the change you want to see in the world.

Posted Fri, Mar 4, 7:50 a.m.

The only thing that will restore trust in a school to which a person sends their kids, is to allow that person a choice over which school that is. The current system is corrupted and runs indoctrination academies for our state's Democrat/union/tribe/non-profit cartel. Let those parents who want to send ...

Posted Thu, Mar 3, 2:19 p.m.

Giving the City control over the school district wouldn't stop the City wackos from their ridiculous pursuits, Wilbur. It would just give them access to a different pot of money to use for same.

Posted Thu, Mar 3, 1:11 p.m.

Better yet, give parents school choice. Let those who want to continue sending their kids and money to the current Democrat/union/tribe/non-profit indoctrination academies, do so. Let the rest of us send our kids, and our money, to places that teach kids to think for themselves.

Posted Thu, Mar 3, 11:48 a.m.

Is that why Seattle Public Schools cut their Regional Small Business Development Program, pepper?

Posted Thu, Mar 3, 10:21 a.m.

"The problem for the judge was that the "Endangered Species Act does not allow the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to list only part of a 'species' as endangered, or to protect a listed distinct population segment only in part as the Final Rule here does. . . [T]he legislative ...

Posted Thu, Mar 3, 9:47 a.m.

More misappropriation of public funding. Democrats taking money from one pot and funneling it to politically-allied non-profits (who, in turn lobby for...). Sounds like we need an audit of 4Culture. Do they have a program to assist minority and women artists in getting some of the taxpayers money?

Posted Wed, Mar 2, 2:28 p.m.

Well the Seattle Public Schools scandal is certainly terrible (i.e., progressive). And I bet the Race and Social Justice Initiative is filled with the same kind of corruptions.

Posted Wed, Mar 2, 1:37 p.m.

Does Joel Connelly have something against fiscal solvency?

Posted Wed, Mar 2, 7:39 a.m.

Better yet, push for charter schools. If parents don't want their kids taught the propaganda being pushed by the Democrat/union/tribe/non-profit cartel, they shouldn't have to endure it. If they don't want their school levy money siphoned off to politically-connected "non-profit" organizations, they should be allowed to take it to a ...

Posted Tue, Mar 1, 8:25 a.m.

In our state (I assume it is the same elsewhere)public unions are part of a political alliance with Democrats/tribes/and a slew of "non-profit" organizations. They all conspire to increase each other's power and profit. Union dues are given to Democratic "representatives". These "representatives" push legislation allowing their cartel greater access ...

Posted Mon, Feb 28, 1:06 p.m.

So says the tribal lobbyist.

Posted Mon, Feb 28, 10:09 a.m.

Will the Mayor be pushing for repeal of Washington's Growth Management Act? The UW found GMA-related regulations added $200,000 to the cost of a home in Seattle.

Posted Mon, Feb 28, 9:10 a.m.

Yes, who wants to be a police officer in a City that "honors" lawlessness?

Posted Mon, Feb 28, 7:59 a.m.

The Democrat/union/non-profit cabal is more than about "bargaining rights". It even influences the curriculum being fed to our kids. The cabal works to indoctrinate your kid. The Seattle schools scandal is far deeper than contracting corruptions.

Posted Fri, Feb 25, 10:44 a.m.

I don't know, David... If unions are found to be part of the "social-justice" illegalities at SPS (and very likely many more places), Wisconsin Fever will, indeed be "heading" to our state.

Posted Thu, Feb 24, 1:33 p.m.

And, by the way, David.... breaking scandals "prematurely" used to be what the American people expected of the "press".

Posted Thu, Feb 24, 8:08 a.m.

It ain't about the money, David. It's about the funneling of taxpayer money to special-interest advocacy groups. It goes on in MANY agencies of local, state and federal government. The public is being fleeced, lied to and conspired against. The money they thought was going to schools (and other core ...

Posted Tue, Feb 22, 2:06 p.m.

"...what is bargained today may be bargained away tomorrow if tomorrow is a period of fiscal crisis." Would you include our state's zero-percentage gambling compact with the tribes?

Posted Tue, Feb 22, 1:41 p.m.

It's like having kids, E.J.. If you wait for the "right time" you'll never do it. Cut.

Posted Tue, Feb 22, 10:30 a.m.

Amen, Ivan. Second and broaden to include the one-note squeak of Mark Trahant.

Posted Tue, Feb 22, 8:50 a.m.

Tribal Plan A: gimme, gimme, gimme Tribal Plan B: gimme, gimme, gimme

Posted Tue, Feb 22, 8:42 a.m.

And, Brad, I believe that of your three choices, Roger is "deliberately twisting the truth". Here is a video of him advocating for raising the State's debt ceiling to fund "green" retrofits of school buildings. Looks like he was "deliberately twisting the truth" here, too. http://www.tvw.org/media/mediaplayer.cfm?evid=2010090081&TYPE;=V&CFID;=790675&CFTOKEN;=56977002&bhcp;=1

Posted Tue, Feb 22, 8:38 a.m.

In addition to straightening out our fiscal mess, we need to take the microphone away from people like Roger Valdez. He and his non-profit advocacy brethren have been allowed a disproportionate voice in our community discussions. We need to reform section 501(c)(3) of the tax code so that Roger and ...

Posted Thu, Feb 17, 3:02 p.m.

We take your money. Love you long time.

Posted Fri, Feb 11, 9:40 a.m.

I think Obama is a better actor than Reagan was.

Posted Thu, Feb 10, 11:49 a.m.

Unfortunately, Seattle can't relocate to South Carolina. We're stuck here with the kooks who seem intent on driving us bankrupt.

Posted Thu, Feb 10, 10:54 a.m.

I have friends, too. We believe self-appointed social engineers like Roger Valdez have driven state and local governments to the brink of bankruptcy. We believe our elected officials should stop listening to these squeaky wheel missionaries, get back to core business, and balance the budget. We believe Congress should revise ...

Posted Thu, Feb 10, 8:43 a.m.

How about a flea for your symbol, Roger? Or some other parasite.

Posted Fri, Jan 21, 2:09 p.m.

This may, or may not, be off topic. But it's on the floor. http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2011-12/Pdf/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5332.pdf

Posted Fri, Jan 21, 9:38 a.m.

"I believe that in true disclaimer Gyasi Ross should point out that as a member of the Piegan tribe, the same time in history, their view of warfare was to kill every male of a conquered tribe, all women over puberty and take the rest for slaves, usually sex slaves. ...

Posted Thu, Jan 20, 9:21 a.m.

"heritage" advocates do themselves no favor when they allow a burned piece of wood and an animal bone to derail and/or triple the cost of public works projects needed to fix widely accepted problems. http://www.seattlepi.com/sound/433222_sound113093424.html The present and future should not be subservient to the past.

Posted Fri, Jan 7, 9:17 p.m.

Actually, Steve, I believe money should be spent protecting or improving the environment. And if it is tax money being spent, I prefer it be spent by the government that has taken it from me. Not by some well-connected "small environmental nonprofit" that siphons off 20% (or any percent) for ...

Posted Fri, Jan 7, 1:31 p.m.

BTW... over in Kitsap County, the County Commissioners (all Democrats) are secretly negotiating with local indian tribes to grant tribal police expanded authorities off-reservation. Want a Banana Republic? Wait till the guy behind the gun isn't subject to the same laws he is enforcing AND claims sovereign immunity should he ...

Posted Fri, Jan 7, 1:26 p.m.

"Try giving a building inspector in Washington a fifth of whiskey to sign off on an illegal remodel." Who inspected the McGuire? Were they bribed or just "bad"?

Posted Fri, Jan 7, 11:32 a.m.

We paid good money. We haven't gotten good governance. We won't so long as special-interests, like Roger Valdez, continue to have our officials' ears.

Posted Fri, Jan 7, 8:03 a.m.

And, notice that in Roger's little parable, both he and the other employees had to travel to Denver to attend a work-related "meeting" (as local government servants, mind you). For all their talk of being green and saving the earth, these environmental advocates are not above jet-setting when they can ...

Posted Fri, Jan 7, 7:29 a.m.

Good post, Cameron. Sounds like Roger needs to get an honest job. One of the best things "we the people" could do would be to rid the castle of the courtesans/vermin that have been whispering in our "representatives" ears and lobbying for their go at our community chest.

Posted Tue, Jan 4, 3:44 p.m.

Tim hasn't done anything without the support of a majority of Washington's voters, Bob. If you wish to help with Jim's transplant, I'm sure the author can provide an address for you to send a donation.

Posted Tue, Jan 4, 8:21 a.m.

Higher tuition is necessary to support political operatives that have been given positions within the university system (see David Dicks at UW's College of the Environment). Hey kids, you're not just paying for a diploma, you're paying for political deck-stacking and corruptions.

Posted Mon, Jan 3, 3:16 p.m.

Legalize it. Tax it. Don't give the indians a monopoly to sell it

Posted Thu, Dec 30, 9:36 a.m.

Uhhh... First you're going to have to get on these tails (environmental "groups", clean-energy "advocates", agenda-ed bureaucracies) that wag the dog. http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/energy/blogs/giant-port-to-send-coal-from-america-to-china-hits-snag

Posted Thu, Dec 30, 8:18 a.m.

"Over in New Jersey, tough-gov Chris Christie was off to Disneyworld for the holidays and has let his state fend for itself." Such a non-story. It is disappointing to see our Seattle new media join in the weak chorus to try to gain political points on this. What about President ...

Posted Wed, Dec 29, 2:49 p.m.

Here, Sully. http://oregonstate.edu/dept/fw/lackey/Salmon2100.htm Thanks for your link. That was interesting, I hadn't seen it. While the author of the newspaper article says non-native species ARE the greatest threat, the actual report says they may be AS BIG a threat as the oft-discussed 4 H's (hydropower, habitat, harvest, hatcheries). My point ...

Posted Wed, Dec 29, 12:52 p.m.

I hope the Supreme Court considers the constitutionality of congress imposing different requirements on citizens based on their race. The Affordable Health Care Act requires everyone to either purchase health care insurance or face a fine. Members of indian tribes are exempt from this requirement. I hope the Supreme Court ...

Posted Wed, Dec 29, 8:32 a.m.

Hopefully 2011 will, also, see the taxpayers demanding reconcilitation of two contradictory planks in our state's Democratic Party platform: the "environmental" plank and the "social equity" plank that advocates for illegal immigration. The two are mutually exclusive and should be reconciled before the taxpayers of Washington give more money to ...

Posted Tue, Dec 28, 10:56 a.m.

A cynic might speculate that the only reason hydro power isn't considered "green" is because people can make a profit producing it. Or that the "wrong" people are making a profit producing it.

Posted Mon, Dec 27, 2:33 p.m.

I wish the Supreme Court would consider the constitutionality of the federal government applying laws unequally based on a person's race. The Affordable Health Care Act requires everyone to either purchase insurance or pay a fine. Everyone, that is, but members of indian tribes.

Posted Mon, Dec 27, 12:28 p.m.

From 2008 UW Study: Rules Add $200,000 to Seattle House Price http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2004181704_eicher14.html

Posted Thu, Dec 23, 9:03 a.m.

Frankly, I'm tired of my "tax dollars at work" for either of them. I would just as soon stop all foreign "aid" to the Middle East, tell the different tribes - as one would bickering teenagers - to fight it out to their heart's contents, draw latitudinal and longitudinal boundaries ...

Posted Thu, Dec 23, 8:57 a.m.

"Who ARE all these people and what do they DO???" Who are they? Loyal Democrats What do they do: Provide "scientific" support for the Democratic Party's regulatory agenda.

Posted Thu, Dec 23, 8:50 a.m.

Leah, if every state promise to "put people to work" came true, we wouldn't have the unemployment that we do. There's no restoration fairy? There's also no "leveraging private funds" to "put people to work" fairy.

Posted Thu, Dec 23, 8:36 a.m.

"...the mean-spirited sniping from the peanut gallery never seems to end." Nor will it - or should it - so long as our government treats people differently according to their race.

Posted Wed, Dec 22, 3:28 p.m.

DOE is an agency corrupted by political agenda, as well. They are implementing regulatory streamflows that have no scientific merit, but are designed to further no-growth agendas of the agency's benefactors (Democrats, "environmentalists" and tribes). Additionally, DOE is set to introduce legislation expanding its authorities (they had to pull the ...

Posted Wed, Dec 22, 2:51 p.m.

I don't know what she took during her last campaign, Randy. We'll be watching her next one.

Posted Wed, Dec 22, 11:12 a.m.

"Assessing the collateral damage to ferries from Eyman initiatives" Hey, Danny, while you're at it can you, also, assess the damage to ferries from state government mismanagement? Thank you.

Posted Wed, Dec 22, 11:09 a.m.

A quick follow-up on my attempt to get some of Seattle's "new" media to report on the Democrat/indian alliance... The Seattle Post Globe has decided that - not only will they not report on it - they will ban me from their site for bringing it up. (I assume this ...

Posted Wed, Dec 22, 10:33 a.m.

"Actually, the tribes don't give money to the candidates." Huh? The Federal Election Commission (www.fec.gov) reports Patty Murray received contributions from the following tribes during her last campaign: BARONA BAND OF MISSION INDIANS (CA) CHEHALIS INDIAN TRIBE (WA) CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF THE COLVILLE (WA) CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF THE SILETZ (OR) ...

Posted Wed, Dec 22, 9:46 a.m.

Environmental "advocates" typically over-reach when designating habitat. It increases their "importance", ability to oppose (or extort money from) projects and access to grant money. It's why we, in the Puget Sound region, had local governments trying to declare drainage ditches critical habitat for Chinook Salmon. If the drainage ditch is ...

Posted Wed, Dec 22, 9 a.m.

And we should exact that "blame" on those "at the top" by rejecting the political tool - the Puget Sound Partnership - they created to do their bidding.

Posted Wed, Dec 22, 8:51 a.m.

Too late, Cameron. In her last election, Patty Murray took campaign contributions from almost thirty tribes: from as far away as Mississippi and Connecticut. She recently boasted that she wrote part of the Affordable Health Care Act. That Act requires everyone to either purchase insurance or pay a fine to ...

Posted Wed, Dec 22, 8:19 a.m.

"In the near term, the Partnership has to become more visible," says Bill Ruckelshaus, former chair and still a member of the Partnership's leadership council. "It has to be known as the place where people go to get the truth about Puget Sound." Won't happen, Bill. The Puget Sound Partnership ...

Posted Tue, Dec 21, 3:37 p.m.

"A three-decade effort to move the town to higher ground stalled again in 2008, a casualty of the economic meltdown." That economic meltdown didn't prevent congress from giving money to move the Hoh tribe to higher ground. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2013679641_hoh15m.html And that economic meltdown didn't prevent congress from giving money to move ...

Posted Tue, Dec 21, 3:27 p.m.

Some historic preservation comes at the expense of present day needs (the point of my analogy, weevz2001). Take your '36 Ford in a farm field. Although society may need that field to produce food, some preservation group will have it "preserved" out of deference for the jalopy sitting in it. ...

Posted Tue, Dec 21, 11:59 a.m.

No I get it, wevz2001. But if my commuter car needs new tires, I shouldn't be buying a new set of headers for the hotrod I'm restoring in the garage.

Posted Tue, Dec 21, 9:21 a.m.

If preventative care is so much more effective, we should predicate welfare payments on body weight. If you don't take care of yourself, we're not going to try to, either.

Posted Tue, Dec 21, 8:27 a.m.

Yes, ivan, the new media's agenda is a bit out of step with the times. The refugees from defunct "news" organizations still... don't... get... it. They should go into advertising. Or are they, already?

Posted Tue, Dec 21, 8:03 a.m.

As we have trouble funding the present, it only follows we cannot afford the past.

Posted Fri, Dec 17, 2:55 p.m.

DannyK, Feel free to self-flagellate to your heart's content, but assigning the state's fiscal crisis to the general public is ignorant. To find the party responsible for our current mess, draw a straight line from "I hate my budget" (where the Governor cuts $4 Billion) back four years to "I ...

Posted Fri, Dec 17, 10:49 a.m.

I guess in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. As "for what it's worth"... today I'm putting that figure at -$6 Billion.

Posted Thu, Dec 16, 12:43 p.m.

Viva La Reconquista!

Posted Thu, Dec 16, 9:14 a.m.

If federal directives impede local progress, they should either be ignored or changed.

Posted Thu, Dec 16, 9:04 a.m.

We're gonna end homelessness in ten years!!! We're gonna Save the Sound by 2020!!! We're gonna reduce emissions 80% by 2030!!! These type of government "promises" are no different than those used by con men as they fleece their rubes.

Posted Wed, Dec 15, 1:35 p.m.

I'll donate if you'll investigate the dealings and alliance between Washington State's Democratic Party and our state's indian tribes. For example: In Kitsap County, discussions are ongoing between the Kitsap County Sheriff Department and the Suquamish tribe to expand the authority of tribal police. The public should be aware of ...

Posted Fri, Dec 10, 11:17 a.m.

And one last question, Knute: You are a freelance writer. I've read Crosscut's "about" section. They pay up to $350 for a story. The Seattle Post Globe recently was taking donations to fund an investigative report into something or other. It made me wonder... do you take requests? If I ...

Posted Fri, Dec 10, 10:08 a.m.

Washington is getting high-speed rail funds, but won't be spending them on "true" high-speed rail. The waste continues. And noble acts by states like Wisconsin won't have their desired effect on the nation so long as their are prostitutes like SayWa willing to do anything for a buck.

Posted Thu, Dec 9, 11:42 a.m.

And I will - and I hope my fellow citizens will also - continue to scrutinize those serving our fourth-estate. I appreciate your willingness to discuss the issue, Knute (and Joe). Too often (in my experience), when faced with uncomfortable questions the professional press avoids rather than engages. You get ...

Posted Thu, Dec 9, 10:46 a.m.

and, understand, I am not singling out Knute, personally. I notice Publicola seems to be a mouthpiece for Sightline Institute, recently, and is actively working to further that organization's agenda. The people, having their old press utterly fail them, now seem to be having their "new media" fail them, too. ...

Posted Thu, Dec 9, 10:33 a.m.

No, Joe, it is not that he is consorting with a group that is headquartered in, is it, France. It is that he is being gifted by an organization that he is, then, writing about/for. Your paper (what should we call it?) publishes a steady stream of articles advocating governmental ...

Posted Thu, Dec 9, 8:30 a.m.

"...and fund stormwater cleanup projects in communities around the state." People who live in "communities around the state" already pay stormwater management fees to various stormwater management agencies. Will the "green's state agenda" repeal those if a new funding mechanism is granted by the legislature? No. It's just more, more, ...

Posted Thu, Dec 9, 8:25 a.m.

"One could argue that fewer counties would help attack the systemic problem of government welfare." One could also argue those constitutional changes proposed by Sightline Institute would expand the "systemic problem of government welfare".

Posted Wed, Dec 8, 4:56 p.m.

BTW.. I hear NPR is looking to hire, too. They're trying to fill Juan William's spot.

Posted Wed, Dec 8, 4:51 p.m.

Ah, the Fox News stratagem. Straight from the Party Playbook. I did question the author's journalistic ethics, Chaz. He hasn't answered me.

Posted Wed, Dec 8, 4:12 p.m.

From your fingers to God's ears, chaz! You think they would let me give a presentation on Journalism Ethics?

Posted Wed, Dec 8, 3:54 p.m.

Given the process that's taken place out there, I would've guessed the contaminant was, in fact, PCP.

Posted Wed, Dec 8, 11 a.m.

"Kitsap county has a web page about non-point source pollution." Kitsap County also has $42 million in bad debt for speculating on high-end condominiums. I know Kitsap is a member-in-good-standing with the regional Democratic Party lockstep, but I don't know that citizens should look to them as experts on anything.

Posted Wed, Dec 8, 9:58 a.m.

Wow, Gary, that is encouraging. Yes, let's reign in the 501(c)(3) scam; our budgets AND our country will be better for it.

Posted Wed, Dec 8, 9:15 a.m.

I think we should stop using the word "leadership" when it comes to the cast of characters in Olympia. Maybe, we the people, will have to address the state budget without (or despite) them. Here's a thought: the state should end all programs that are voluntary co-administration of federal laws. ...

Posted Wed, Dec 8, 8:36 a.m.

I can't believe an eat-local, polyculture, or any other new-age approach to agriculture (that sacrifices economies of scale) can feed the world's growing population. Do you have an associated article advocating a one-child policy and restrictions on immigration? If we're "eating local" we damn sure cannot allow non-locals access to ...

Posted Wed, Dec 8, 8:19 a.m.

And by the way, Knute, I'm "interested in expos". Next time you talk to the Bureau of International Expositions in Paris can you see if they'll extend the same "invitation" to me?

Posted Wed, Dec 8, 8:17 a.m.

And - as a journalist - do you then write in furtherance of your benefactor's agenda? In exchange for the gifts they have bestowed upon you?

Posted Tue, Dec 7, 9 p.m.

And why would the Bureau of International Expositions in Paris pay your way to Shanghai? And where do they get their money?

Posted Tue, Dec 7, 8:03 p.m.

No one wants to eat fish contaminated with industrial waste, Gary. No one wants anyone else to eat fish contaminated with industrial waste. The proposed standard requires ensuringg an open-ended subsistence lifestyle (or payments, in lieu dontcha know!) to local indian tribes. The issue is setting realistic environmental goals. And ...

Posted Tue, Dec 7, 3:51 p.m.

So do you practice what you preach, Gary? Or do you just preach? No factory farmed food for you

Posted Tue, Dec 7, 2:15 p.m.

Rather than have these planners "ideas" perpetrated on everyone (walking is the new healthy transportation mode!) maybe we ought to set aside a New Eden for these folks to live as lightly as they see fit. We could set aside a couple thousand acres. Everyone who volunteers for this utopia ...

Posted Tue, Dec 7, 2:05 p.m.

Yes, Gary, they all do think alike.

Posted Tue, Dec 7, 1:44 p.m.

So, one group of urban planners wants everyone living cheek-to-jowl in high-rise flats. Another group wants us to eat locally, hunting and gathering the beach and the berries. Is it any wonder social "planners" are losing credibility?

Posted Tue, Dec 7, 11:38 a.m.

I'm curious, Knute... who picked up the tab for your trips to Shanghai?

Posted Tue, Dec 7, 10:30 a.m.

It is ridiculous to entertain the notion of Seattle producing its own food, Gary. If this is the mindset of the people in charge, we need to change the people in charge. Get folks a little more grounded in reality. Fact is, it is in the financial interests of the ...

Posted Mon, Dec 6, 8:39 a.m.

Even before we look to get money FROM non-profits, we should stop the outpouring of money TO non-profits. Over the past couple decades, there has been an explosion of 501(c)(3) non-profit advocacy groups all clamoring for a piece of the governmental pie; all pushing their narrow self-interest. The cumulative effect ...

Posted Fri, Dec 3, 12:18 p.m.

"It was a cynical and manipulative revenue grab." As is this.

Posted Fri, Dec 3, 10:25 a.m.

"...is spending such a small amount of money on a pedestrian awareness campaign really such a waste of tax dollars?" Yes. And just as we need to fix the "...the money can only be spent on" cop-out, we also need to fix the, "...it's only a latte a day" excuse.

Posted Fri, Dec 3, 8:02 a.m.

That saw, "the money can only be used for..." is a convenient construct to allow elected officials to dodge accountability for wasting the public's money. If the rule says we "we can only spend the money on gold-plating turds"... guess what we want you to do? Change the rule.

Posted Fri, Dec 3, 7:57 a.m.

No, no and no. Special-interest non-profit advocacy groups - such as Sightline Instittue (to which the author belongs) - have been whispering good ideas in our elected officials ears for WAY too long. Rather than amend the constitution to allow these leeches even more access to the community chest we ...

Posted Thu, Dec 2, 11:06 a.m.

The Old Grey Lady is increasingly irrelevant. And increasingly desperate. Try to limit the discussion. We'll just go elsewhere. We don't need you anymore.

Posted Thu, Dec 2, 9:24 a.m.

She's trying to reopen contracts? Not really. I think she has the power to declare a fiscal emergency and - thereby - open them up for renegotiation. Short of doing that that, she's not trying. Similarly... the press has reported how she is urging the legislature to convene to address ...

Posted Thu, Dec 2, 9 a.m.

Reconquista Act: Are Democrats Afraid to Follow the Law?

Posted Wed, Dec 1, 3:01 p.m.

Just curious, Benjamin... why are you trying to explain/excuse something from another publication?

Posted Wed, Dec 1, 2:54 p.m.

You call it bad editing. I call it disinformation. Someone else might call it propaganda. The green movement is rife with lies and the press has been all-too-willing to parrot them.

Posted Wed, Dec 1, 1:22 p.m.

No, Gary, I respect their rights to live as they see fit. As you point out, cyclists are 3% of the commuters. They get a disproportionate amount of transportation funding, public process and airspace. And if you are interested in calling-out folks who, regularly, "seem to have a lot of ...

Posted Wed, Dec 1, 1:08 p.m.

It's called The Real World, Gary. You should visit it, sometime.

Posted Wed, Dec 1, 10:07 a.m.

Here's one (I suspect) that appeared yesterday in the Seattle Weekly (yes, you can denigrate the source, I suppose). The title was: 5 Environmental Offenses You're Committing That Are Way Worse Than Throwing Away a Starbucks Coffee Cup http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2010/11/5_environmental_offenses_youre.php The number 1 thing? To quote: "Leaving appliances plugged in. Sometimes ...

Posted Wed, Dec 1, 9:41 a.m.

Green jobs that haven't materialized. Energy saving that haven't been realized. Return-on-investment claims that don't pan out. Transit ridership claims that don't pan out. Green energy production claims that don't pan out. Costs. Etc. Here is a link to a rather old story; many lies have been perpetrated since. http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_44/b4056001.htm

Posted Wed, Dec 1, 9:01 a.m.

"The last thing we should be doing is educating these kids, spending all that money & time on them, and then throwing them away." The first thing we should do is educate our own kids. While we have myriad non-profit advocacy groups, and government policies, to assist the immigrant student ...

Posted Wed, Dec 1, 8:21 a.m.

Why don't you also cover the proceedings of the He-Man Woman-Haters Club? It is just as mature.

Posted Wed, Dec 1, 7:46 a.m.

How do you sell an "ecological civilization"? So far, with a bunch of lies.

Posted Tue, Nov 30, 3:22 p.m.

And if he is loathe to write that check (which I suspect he is; it's always easier to spend other people's money) perhaps he can spend a few Wednesdays in a dunking booth at the Capital. Citizens can pay $1/ball for a chance to put him in water. All proceeds ...

Posted Tue, Nov 30, 3:02 p.m.

I'm sure those businesses are still paying their taxes, Dick, and thereby "helping" to solve the state's $5 Billion shortfall (it's closer to $6 Billion now, btw). A better question is: are all those wealthy supporters of I-1098 stepping up to help solve it? What about Gates the Elder? How ...

Posted Tue, Nov 30, 12:34 p.m.

Here's one kind of "leadership" that won't restore trust: appointing political operatives to positions in, what are supposed to be, the people's institutions. See David Dicks at the Puget Sound Partnership and now the UW College of the Environment (climate change regulation anyone?). See Chris Endresen at the Puget Sound ...

Posted Tue, Nov 30, 11:59 a.m.

So does this mean the account is settled and we no longer owe indians privileges and exemptions unavailable to "regular" citizens?

Posted Tue, Nov 30, 11:57 a.m.

Ah, yes, 6,000 BC. Those were the good old days.

Posted Tue, Nov 30, 10:34 a.m.

Cameron, on Inside Olympia the other day, Joe Zarelli said there are state programs SPECIFICALLY for illegal immigrants. He said these, alone, cost $300 Million per year to state government. I imagine this doesn't include the cost of various policy decisions (like granting in-state tuition to children of illegals, etc). ...

Posted Tue, Nov 30, 9:59 a.m.

We should predicate college funding on a race-based social-justice paradigm. Set tuition. White students pay 150% of the set price, receive no financial aid. Asian students pay 100% of the set price, all but Chinese and Japanese eligible for financial aid. African Americans pay 75% of the set price, eligible ...

Posted Tue, Nov 30, 9:37 a.m.

Archeology, like the environment, has become a tool for those seeking to stop the world in stasis. No-growthers. NIMBYs. We should not allow the present and the future to be slaves to the past. We should not allow those squeaky wheels , no matter the valiant banner they wave, to ...

Posted Tue, Nov 30, 9:32 a.m.

The DREAM Act would let undocumented students "give back"? Sounds more like Reverend Sundborg is instilling a sense of entitlement. School Superintendent? Yeah, right. More likely Hernando has dreams of starting his own non-profit advocacy group. And that is not "giving back" to the country that sees their own kids ...

Posted Tue, Nov 30, 9:17 a.m.

You first noticed a disconnect with I-695? I first noticed it when one of my county commissioners, in explaining his recent defeat at the polls, said the voters just don't understand. And I've seen that tact - mainly by Democrats (I think its a "progressive" thing)- often over the ensuing ...

Posted Mon, Nov 29, 11:15 a.m.

A city archeologist. Someone pass Knute the memo about the city's (and state's) budget "problem".

Posted Mon, Nov 22, 1:06 p.m.

I hope Mr. McKenna questions the constitutionality of the government imposing laws differently on citizens based on their race. The Affordable Health Care Act requires citizens to either purchase health insurance or pay a fine. Except for members of indian tribes.

Posted Thu, Nov 18, 9:34 a.m.

Those who think government is incapable of the "greed and fraud" mentioned above should ask themselves why SEIU is one of the most vocal critics of Christine Gregoire's recent moratorium on agency rule-making.

Posted Thu, Nov 18, 8:42 a.m.

The Executive Order to stop agency rulemaking is a way past due recognition that the continual piling on of regulation and taxation is having a critical-mass cumulative effect on Washington's businesses and families. It needs to, not only stop, but be reined back. For WAY too long, state government has ...

Posted Wed, Nov 17, 2:33 p.m.

Greed and fraud. Do you think the government is incapable of those?

Posted Wed, Nov 17, 1:40 p.m.

A Seattle-based non-profit... I wish I had a nickel for every time I've read that in the past couple of months. I think we need to reform section 501 of the tax code. There has been an explosion of "non-profit" organizations over the past twenty years. They are bleeding budgets ...

Posted Wed, Nov 17, 1:07 p.m.

Is there an ideological litmus test?

Posted Wed, Nov 17, 9:33 a.m.

Don't underestimate, or ignore, the government's role in the mess, Gary. (It isn't just a Fox News fabrication). http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122298982558700341.html

Posted Wed, Nov 17, 8:32 a.m.

"It was, indeed, the deregulated market (loosey-goosey sub-prime loans) that got us into this current mess..." Deregulated? I thought lenders were pushed in that direction by a federal government seeking social equity for those who couldn't really afford it.

Posted Tue, Nov 16, 2:02 p.m.

Well, Sharkansky... Given their primary business is to advocate for illegality, no one should be surprised that they play fast and loose with the laws governing themselves.

Posted Tue, Nov 16, 1:54 p.m.

You're welcomed, CP. At a time when the university system is being priced out of reach for the average taxpayer, the last thing it should be doing is adding colleges and salaries for political appointees/operatives. Those colleges you cite will do well to keep to their own and not allow ...

Posted Tue, Nov 16, 11:52 a.m.

Neither "we" nor "they" were alive at the time you allude to. My grandfather was a farmer. That fact doesn't put food in my pantry.

Posted Tue, Nov 16, 10:03 a.m.

Is there a timeline for those red areas to become self-supporting, contributing members of society? Or we just supposed to accept the fact that these "sovereign" nations will forever be "needy"?

Posted Tue, Nov 16, 9:46 a.m.

Oh, we can cut from "higher ed". Take the UW's new College of the Environment. With the appointment of David Dicks, that has been illuminated as nothing but a political organization. Cut it. I suspect there are many more examples, but there is one.

Posted Mon, Nov 15, 7:53 a.m.

To balance the budget and squelch divisiveness we should end the tax-exempt section of the tax code. Tell your congressman that you want OneAmerica's tax-exempt status rescinded.

Posted Fri, Nov 12, 3:18 p.m.

Is the City still a sanctuary for illegal aliens?

Posted Wed, Nov 10, 3:56 p.m.

How about you report on the seeming corruption highlighted by David Dicks move from PSP to the UW (was there a job announcement?) I contend the Puget Sound Partnership is nothing but a PAC and jobs program for the Democratic Party. Their science will, undoubtedly, support that party's agenda. And ...

Posted Tue, Nov 9, 9:37 a.m.

King County "progressives" would vote for a yellow dog if it had a "D" behind its name. I don't know that any Republican candidate can break through such a dogmattic (get it?) voting block. I wonder how big the deficit has to be before a significant chunk of them look ...

Posted Fri, Nov 5, 10:15 a.m.

Patty Murray recently boasted of having written some of the Affordable Health Care Act. The Federal Election Commission shows Senator Murray took campaign contributions from almost thirty tribes, from all across the country. The Affordable Health Care Act requires requires everyone to either purchase health care insurance or pay a ...

Posted Thu, Nov 4, 2:53 p.m.

So, you've posited another reason why state co-management of the ESA should be scrapped. Millions towards a duplicative layer of bureaucracy. Disincentive to actually recover (money goes away). I'll admit I don't know the political intrigues of the Idaho wolf drama. I do know this: as regards the Safe Drinking ...

Posted Thu, Nov 4, 12:59 p.m.

oops, corrected link: http://www.american.edu/spa/ccps/upload/Indian-Affairs-committee-2006-2.pdf

Posted Thu, Nov 4, 12:58 p.m.

Many of those wringing their hands over the Citizens United ruling are doing so because their side no longer enjoys a competitive advantage. While McCain-Feingold campaign contribution limitations were in place, one group enjoyed (and profited from) an exemption: indian tribes. Here is a link to congressional testimony on the ...

Posted Thu, Nov 4, 5:51 a.m.

"But this August, in a suit brought by a coalition of national and regional conservation groups, a U.S. District Court in Missoula vacated the delisting order, meaning that the federal government would have to continue protections." "Even without delisting, the feds had outsourced the day-to-day work of wolf protection to ...

Posted Wed, Nov 3, 4:49 p.m.

I personally, prefer a divided government. I like a Democratic President cuz they're more likable on the world's stage. And I like a Republican Congress. Cuz I want adults in charge of the check book.

Posted Wed, Nov 3, 9:17 a.m.

You know what's REALLY divisive, Mark? Having laws apply differently based on a person's race.

Posted Tue, Nov 2, 9:47 a.m.

Just curious what the criteria is for getting an "editor's pick" star on your comment? Is the star for parroting an editorial line? Is it for crafting a good argument (irrespective of view)? Is it for grammar?

Posted Tue, Nov 2, 7:56 a.m.

Why in the world would anyone not trust Christine Gregoire?

Posted Mon, Nov 1, 11:36 a.m.

So "media narratives" failed to have their intended results. I bet its because: 1. The "media" has lost credibility and the public takes their "narratives" with a consider-the-source grain of salt. 2. A great many people in this country - thankfully - pay no attention to the masturbations of Hollywood ...

Posted Thu, Oct 28, 1:26 p.m.

NPR. Fair and balanced.

Posted Thu, Oct 28, 9:51 a.m.

The vast majority of need-to-know information doesn't come out till after the election (like, for example, the budget crisis we didn't have until after returning Christine to office).

Posted Thu, Oct 28, 8:57 a.m.

"No one knew this huge run was coming. And no one can explain it." Pretty telling commentary on our multi-layered (bloated) salmon management bureaucracy. (My local newspaper routinely refers to them as "experts".)

Posted Wed, Oct 27, 9:02 a.m.

"Now, why again is King County running its own foot ferries?" The short answer: because an ambitious bureaucrat wanted us to.

Posted Tue, Oct 26, 11:26 a.m.

It's not obfuscation, Andy. Any tax reform should go hand-in-hand with a critical look at the totality of government spending. Any attempt to revise one side of the equation (income) will fail.

Posted Tue, Oct 26, 10:35 a.m.

Our state government could, likely, find a sustainable financial footing if it were to opt out of co-administering a bunch of federal programs. I am talking about the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Clean Air Act, etc. State co-management of these programs ...

Posted Tue, Oct 26, 8:04 a.m.

Washington state is about more than taxes, profits, and coddling a monied "creative class." Yeah. We're about taxes, deficits and coddling a welfare class.

Posted Fri, Oct 22, 9:08 a.m.

The United Nations Association of Greater Seattle? I didn't even know there was such a thing. Surprise, surprise; however: another "non-partisan" (yeah, right) non-profit (except for those receiving paychecks) organization pushing a political agenda. The American people should demand reform of section 501 of the IRS tax code. These non-profit ...

Posted Wed, Oct 20, 2:08 p.m.

"Moral of the story would seem to be that we should adopt I-1098, and then sit back and watch the nation flood into our fair state." On the other hand... Researchers at Oregon State University have determined the number one threat to PNW salmon and their habitats is increased immigration ...

Posted Wed, Oct 20, 8:24 a.m.

Let me help you, Knute. In the 2009 legislative session, Senator Rosa Franklin (Democrat) introduced Senate Bill 5104 to the state legislature. Though not advanced, the bill was "retained in its present status". Meaning it is still alive. Here is a link to the bill: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2009-10/Pdf/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5104.pdf In this, Senator Franklin ...

Posted Fri, Oct 15, 10:18 a.m.

Peoples who claim exemptions from our political authority should not be allowed to participate in our political process.

Posted Fri, Oct 15, 9:10 a.m.

Dave Ross used to spread "drive-by wisdom to the masses". That's not what he spreads, anymore.

Posted Fri, Oct 15, 8:12 a.m.

Says you, Ryan. I'll let the readers decide which is more plausible: my link to living legislation or your curt assertion that "there's nothing to see here, folks. Move along". And I'm not your boy.

Posted Fri, Oct 15, 7:53 a.m.

Anyone believing the Democratic Party does not intend for an income tax to apply to everyone hasn't been paying attention. In the 2009 legislative session, Senator Rosa Franklin (Democrat) introduced Senate Bill 5104 to the state legislature. Though not advanced, the bill was "retained in its present status". Meaning it ...

Posted Thu, Oct 14, 1:35 p.m.

Maybe Airbus should get our defense contracts, after all. Boeing won't be able to provide equipment that meets military requirements. Are they still putting Hellfire missiles on Apaches?

Posted Thu, Oct 14, 10:35 a.m.

If the artist formerly known as Molly Norris is killed by a Muslim fatwa-ist, should her family sue the Seattle Weekly? David Brewster?

Posted Thu, Oct 14, 7:59 a.m.

Like suing Caterpillar if your daughter stands in front of a D-9 and gets - surprise! - killed. What's next? Suing Ralph Lauren if one of his wash cloths was used to waterboard?

Posted Wed, Oct 13, 3:07 p.m.

Brad, What's a GlenBeck-ism? And, what is the message, again?

Posted Wed, Oct 13, 12:33 p.m.

Regulations required fire-retardants in children's pajamas. They're now in our waterways. One could say we would be better off with fewer people on the planet. To that extent, regs on crib bar spacing and steering wheel design have been really bad for the environment. Not all regulations are good, not ...

Posted Wed, Oct 13, 11:20 a.m.

Maybe ancient peoples understood one thing that we, seemingly, do not: life is full of risks. Our drive to regulate it away has, obviously, lost touch with that truth.

Posted Wed, Oct 13, 10:06 a.m.

It may be interesting and worth learning about, Knute, but knowledge such as "run to high ground when the waters rise" isn't the exclusive province of native peoples. As for your "sampling of things to think about given the Native American experience"... I think lessons learned from the actual event ...

Posted Wed, Oct 13, 8:45 a.m.

What frightens you, Bonsai? Dudley's lack of political experience? The Seattle Times just endorsed Susan DelBene. Does that scare you, too?

Posted Wed, Oct 13, 8:39 a.m.

So what is that "understanding" that we might learn from? When water rises, move to higher ground? Thank you, Knute. Thank you, indigenous wisdom.

Posted Tue, Oct 12, 11:46 a.m.

"why is unemployment five or ten times higher here on the reservation...?" That's a question for your tribal council. Sovereign nations should not, always, expect others to solve their problems.

Posted Tue, Oct 12, 7:41 a.m.

"I can look out my window and see a gas station convenience store, a café, a grocery store, a post office and a casino. All owned by a government. And all are jobs created by government." Unfortunately, Mark, we can't all be subsidized sovereigns. Somebody has to provide input for ...

Posted Mon, Oct 11, 10:58 a.m.

"Governor Gregoire, Dow Constantine and Mayor McGinn have all agreed to continue the Sanctuary status of our communities." What else do they have in common? All Democrats? Check. All facing massive budget deficits? Check. See a pattern?

Posted Fri, Oct 8, 1:33 p.m.

I don't understand how Fluffy's eyes can be both wide AND beady.

Posted Fri, Oct 8, 10:25 a.m.

"Hubert, what is happening to our level of civil discourse that you, a citizen of high education, part of the creme de la creme of intellectual training, would stoop to such inaccurate, whiny, anger filled, borderline hate speech?" He's following the lead of his peers engaged in Climate Change research.

Posted Fri, Oct 8, 8:59 a.m.

Meanwhile Christine Gregoire's Executive Order 09-05, mandating a suite of "climate change" actions for state government is being challenged in court. It's not surprising that federal "research" money finds its way to an area so willing and quick to push "climate change" regulation and taxes upon its citizenry.

Posted Fri, Oct 8, 8:44 a.m.

I heard Billy Frank speak not all that long ago. Peace prize? Hardly. He was exhorting and inflaming tribal tension. That is not going to be the path to peace in these United States. Ask the folks in the former Yugoslavia what tribal factioning feels like. Hint: not "peace".

Posted Tue, Oct 5, 8:23 a.m.

It shouldn't be a representative's responsibility to "reach out" to ethnic groupings. Those individuals should join the process as equal members of the American experience. Reject those who continue to parlay race as a political tool.

Posted Tue, Sep 28, 10:24 a.m.

Woofer, Here is a link to the Treaty of Point Elliot. http://www.goia.wa.gov/Treaties/Treaties/pointelliot.htm Which provisions of that treaty have been broken?

Posted Tue, Sep 28, 7:57 a.m.

Why is transportation in the driver's seat? Because social engineers have seized on it as a way to push a political agenda.

Posted Tue, Sep 28, 7:53 a.m.

$3.9 Billion (City budget) / 617,000 (City population) = $6,321 per resident That's a lot to pay for a city that can't even maintain roads.

Posted Mon, Sep 27, 12:09 p.m.

What I don't like about the health care act is that it treats citizens differently based on their race. Indians are exempt from the burden everyone else must live under: to purchase insurance or face a fine. If it doesn't treat everyone equally, it should be scrapped.

Posted Mon, Sep 27, 8:18 a.m.

"It's one thing to read statistics about the Dutch biking," observed David Chiu, president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. "It's another thing to see it happening..." Typical excuse for junketing on the public dime.

Posted Fri, Sep 24, 11:35 a.m.

What a surprise! A public employee saying the income tax is a good idea.

Posted Tue, Sep 21, 10:59 a.m.

Here is a link to the text of the Treaty of Point Elliot, oscarb. http://www.goia.wa.gov/Treaties/Treaties/pointelliot.htm Point out to us where it says indians get to meddle in our government affairs while claiming exemption to same.

Posted Tue, Sep 21, 8:08 a.m.

In my opinion, people who claim exemptions from an institution should not be allowed to participate in it. To that extent, "sovereign" nations should have NO role in the government of the United States. Members of sovereign nations should not be allowed to hold office, vote or contribute money to ...

Posted Fri, Sep 17, 11:04 a.m.

Sorry, ExUngeLeonem, public transportation doesn't even pencil out IN SEATTLE. And you want it to the summit (why not?) of Mount Rainier? We cannot afford utopian ideologies, anymore. This ain't SimCity.

Posted Fri, Sep 17, 9:31 a.m.

As for that Indian Health Service... $4 Billion in the Affordable Care Act. Guess who's paying? How's that "sovereignty" working?

Posted Fri, Sep 17, 8:13 a.m.

memo to Knute: We're broke.

Posted Thu, Sep 16, 2:15 p.m.

And you have nothing to back up your assertions that the "white man" has broken treaty? Even after I provided you links to the very document? And you deride the power of MY thinking? BTW... I didn't say anyone who "defends" indians are racists. I said anyone who supports the ...

Posted Thu, Sep 16, 10:05 a.m.

Sorry, catowner, that link doesn't work. Here is a better one for the treaty of Point Elliot (from our own Governor's Office of Indian Affairs!). http://www.goia.wa.gov/Treaties/Treaties/pointelliot.htm

Posted Thu, Sep 16, 9:25 a.m.

I hope a "radical Islamic cleric" doesn't issue a fatwa against everyone who won't give up their right to free speech

Posted Thu, Sep 16, 8:01 a.m.

"As for why they should be exempt, it has to do with treaties and contracts that were made with the Indians, and honored by the Indians but not by the white man." Nice vague, vapid talking points ("if gravity failed") but totally unsupported by evidence. So clarify. Please cite for ...

Posted Wed, Sep 15, 9:24 a.m.

"So let's not be shy about asking for ideas from the rest of the world." It's not that Seattle is "shy", Knute. It's that Seattle is arrogant. Our progressive establishment knows what's best. Period.

Posted Wed, Sep 15, 8 a.m.

So, serial_catowner, rationalize for us, then, why members of indian tribes should be exempt from the requirement everyone else must labor under: to either purchase health insurance or face a fine from the federal government.

Posted Tue, Sep 14, 9:37 a.m.

I thought we had a travel ban in place. I thought we had a budget crisis. Guess not.

Posted Tue, Sep 14, 8:32 a.m.

"I, like every parent, wants the promise of a better life for my children." Insofar as your children, as tribal members, enjoy exemptions from the responsibilities and financial burdens "mine" labor under (your's, for instance, are exempt from the newly enacted requirement to purchase health insurance or face a fine), ...

Posted Fri, Sep 10, 2:22 p.m.

Say you had a methamphetamine user next door who has run out of meth. What's he gonna do? He's gotta feed his addiction! So, you and your neighbors agree to let him break into the expensive house down the block to get money for his drug. What do you think ...

Posted Fri, Sep 10, 10:10 a.m.

Amazon has copies of the Quran for less than $8. That's a pretty small price to assuage one's liberal guilt.

Posted Wed, Sep 8, 1:08 p.m.

To quote, then, stillhope: "Should society control western North America’s rate of human population growth, which is driven almost entirely by immigration from outside the United States and Canada, plus some from elsewhere in the United States and Canada?" Here is a link for you: http://oregonstate.edu/dept/fw/lackey/Salmon2100.htm To follow your analogy...

Posted Tue, Sep 7, 12:28 p.m.

Why is the political bent of the agency an issue? Here's one example: researchers at Oregon State University have determined the NUMBER ONE THREAT to PNW salmon and their habitats is increased immigration into the region, the vast majority of which comes from outside the U.S. and Canada (their words, ...

Posted Tue, Sep 7, 9:39 a.m.

Not a party member, R on Beacon Hill. Party politics are part of the problem. You are part of the problem.

Posted Tue, Sep 7, 8:06 a.m.

The Puget Sound Partnership - a NEW state agency! - was formed out of a no-longer-ignorable fact that Puget Sound "restoration" had spawned a whole army of fiefdoms, all acting independently for their own preservation and power. These disjointed groups all grasped for their share of federal, state and local ...

Posted Mon, Aug 30, 8:19 a.m.

Stop giving in to indian extortion demands.

Posted Fri, Aug 27, 7:26 a.m.

"Who will speak up for Seattle cartoonist under fatwa threat?" Uh, how about the peace-loving Muslim community. We're told the actions of the few are not representative of Islam proper; that we're not at war with Islam. No. So, how about that vast multitude who practice a religion of peace. ...

Posted Thu, Aug 26, 9:36 a.m.

Why don't we just cut to the chase and outlaw private automobile travel in the Puget Sound region? We could allow an exception for tribes and government workers. Think of the environmental benefits!

Posted Wed, Aug 25, 8:55 a.m.

"...he's green, progressive, and believes government has to be realistic in an era of limits." Nice try, but the overwhelming evidence is that "green and progressive" and "believes government has to be realistic" are mutually exclusive terms.

Posted Fri, Aug 20, 2:07 p.m.

Oh, yes, the Department of Ecology is in cahoots, as well. But, so is the PSP. Not sure why you are denying this, the agency doesn't seem to. "Priority" 8 of their Puget Sound Conservation and Recovery Plan is "Prepare for and adapt Puget Sound efforts to a changing climate". ...

Posted Fri, Aug 20, 12:45 p.m.

Here's one link to the PSP's involvement in climate change: http://www.psparchives.com/our_work/climate.htm

Posted Fri, Aug 20, 11:04 a.m.

Lincoln, Researchers at Oregon State University have determined the NUMBER ONE threat to PNW salmon and their habitats is increased population in the area, the VAST majority of which comes from outside the U.S. and Canada (their words, not mine). In fact, they say, if nothing is done to control ...

Posted Fri, Aug 20, 5:37 a.m.

The issue has become so politicized that the average citizen can't trust what comes from either side. Rather than objective institutions of Science, we now have Democrat-party PACs and jobs programs (Puget Sound Partnership) parading as such even as they produce campaign signs for their Democrat allies.

Posted Tue, Aug 17, 3:40 p.m.

I've heard the federal government is, currently, borrowing 41 cents of every dollar it spends. So when I hear Democrats lecturing on "sustainability"...

Posted Tue, Aug 17, 1:10 p.m.

I think the plan is to move freight on bicycles. Welcome to SimCity, er, Seattle.

Posted Thu, Aug 12, 2:53 p.m.

No, bubbleator, we're in agreement. And - I would bet - our view coincides with a great majority of Seattle taxpayers. It is the party-affiliated special-interest group minority that is setting public policy in this city.

Posted Thu, Aug 12, 1:04 p.m.

"If salmon restoration were the only issue that bears on that question I would probably agree with him." Unfortunately, Kieth, many of the dogmatic idealogues guiding these processes do not consider any side (or alternative) but their own. (Especially costs and impacts to a public many of them hold in ...

Posted Thu, Aug 12, 12:24 p.m.

A big barrier here is our compulsory helmet law. Yeah. Ain't it a bitch when one well-meaning regulation bumps up against another well-meaning regulation? "Waiving" the requirement for "public bikes" is a ridiculous suggestion, bubbleator. 1) If - in fact - riding a "public" bike is safe enough to be ...

Posted Thu, Aug 12, 10:38 a.m.

Maybe you and Real Change can go in on something together.

Posted Thu, Aug 12, 10:17 a.m.

Conversely, we have heard of government "scientists" planting grizzly bear fur on barbed wire fencing to expand the mapped area under their particular agency's control. In an attempt to - among other things - justify a larger budget request. We've, likewise, had federal, state, and local officials call even seasonal ...

Posted Tue, Aug 10, 9:48 a.m.

"But it has given the tribes some financial stability, supports social services and provides the seed money to invest in more productive economic enterprises.." Like buying politicians.

Posted Tue, Aug 10, 7:41 a.m.

How 'bout this: if they're exempt from campaign finance laws, they're indians. If they're exempt from requirements to purchase health care insurance, they're indians. If they have legislatively created and protected business monopolies, they're indians. If they extort money from other jurisdictions' public work projects (under the guise of environmental ...

Posted Mon, Aug 9, 2:32 p.m.

Some of the area's most obnoxious billboards advertise tribal casinos.

Posted Thu, Jul 22, 3:27 p.m.

At least they can still vote! http://www.westernjournalism.com/felons-voting-illegally-may-have-put-franken-over-the-top-in-minnesota-study-finds/

Posted Thu, Jul 22, 8:15 a.m.

Actually, he represents me. The health care reform act contains a provision that everyone purchase health insurance or face a government fine. Everyone, that is, but members of indian tribes. I do not think that is fair. I hope Mr. McKenna challenges this unequal application of law, even to the ...

Posted Tue, Jul 20, 12:03 p.m.

"The debate starts over as if there's a magic wand out there somewhere that will let us have everything we want in health care without any cost." Not for most of us. Only you in "indian country" have that wand waved. The rest of us have to - actually - ...

Posted Tue, Jul 20, 6:22 a.m.

Will the last person leaving Seattle please turn the lights ON?

Posted Fri, Jul 16, 8:27 a.m.

Don't forget money. Much of the pro-indian policies we have seen put in to place came about as the result of a financial deal (it used to be called quid pro quo). Our state's zero- percentage gambling compact granted by Christine Gregoire - for example - was paid for by ...

Posted Thu, Jul 15, 9:59 a.m.

I'm starting to wish the cataclysmic earthquake would just hurry the hell up.

Posted Wed, Jul 14, 1:06 p.m.

Are you sure the French flag is tricolor? I thought it was white.

Posted Wed, Jul 14, 11:41 a.m.

I'm wondering if Gregoire's pardoning of 2 criminals so that they avoid deportation is another act in an ongoing audition to be Obama's Solicitor General. "Look, I'm as pro-illegal immigrant as you are!!!"

Posted Tue, Jul 13, 7:58 a.m.

People who cannot afford them, shouldn't have babies. Don't expect others to assume the consequences of your actions.

Posted Thu, Jul 1, 8:34 a.m.

Hmmm... if you were on a life raft with a capacity for 12 persons, would you listen to the idiot arguing to let on 36?

Posted Thu, Jul 1, 8:31 a.m.

Just when you think you've heard it all: struggling taxpayers shouldn't complain about government budgets and bureaucrat salaries. In fact we should pay them enough to maintain a single-wage-earner household. This, so, their spouse will be free to be creative.

Posted Wed, Jun 30, 3:21 p.m.

If you want the program funded you have to say, "or children will die".

Posted Tue, Jun 29, 7:49 a.m.

Only, indians are exempt from the requirement to buy insurance, smithley29. The ongoing sense of entitlement is sickening. What's the cure for that?

Posted Mon, Jun 28, 3:13 p.m.

What's that old saw about counting your chickens before they hatch?

Posted Tue, Jun 22, 8:09 a.m.

"And, like most health issues, the data shows that Indian Country is at the low end of the spectrum." Sounds like those sovereign nations aren't doing so well by their citizenry.

Posted Fri, Jun 18, 9:26 a.m.

It's more than his "words" that are endangering public safety; his actions are far worse. Recently, to further Seattle's liberal position on illegal immigration, he adjusted the standard sentencing guidelines for people convicted of gross misdemeanors in Seattle. See, immigration authorities would peruse convictions with sentences of 365 days and ...

Posted Thu, Jun 17, 10:09 a.m.

I agree with Gail. I have severely reduced the amount of time spent watching KCTS. Seems like everytime I flip by, there is an in-studio host asking for money. On the occasions that I catch a program, it is soon interrupted by an extended break for - you guessed it ...

Posted Tue, Jun 15, 2:49 p.m.

"These cutbacks in police hiring come at a time when police commanders and the city’s political leaders have failed to adequately address perplexing and seemingly intractable crime and street-disorder issues." Ya think our "sanctuary" policy toward illegal aliens has anything to do with that intractable crime and those street disorder ...

Posted Tue, Jun 15, 9:44 a.m.

"...I respectfully submit that it doesn't substitute for reporting by professionally trained, "disinterested" women and men." Where does one find them? Those "disinterested" women and men?

Posted Tue, Jun 15, 9:35 a.m.

The City of Seattle and King County... You mean who is MORE dysfunctional now?

Posted Tue, Jun 15, 7:51 a.m.

The P.I website is still practicing the same agended-"journalism" that led to it's print version's loss of credibility and, subsequently, financial viability. It deserves to die.

Posted Wed, Jun 9, 7:50 a.m.

Lorenbliss provides a good example of why the press has lost credibility with much of the American public.

Posted Tue, Jun 8, 9:24 a.m.

The effort to rename geographies to tribal name is part of a broader "reindigenizing" effort. While not "geographic", our state's ferry system has - almost completely - gone native. http://www.restorenativenames.org/

Posted Tue, Jun 8, 7:30 a.m.

Good. The Washington State Board on Geographic Names was just one more state agency that had been co-opted to push tribal agendas.

Posted Wed, Jun 2, 8:32 a.m.

The U.S. health care will look like the indian health care system? Really? So, all we have to do is find a "sovereign" nation to foot the costs? Hmmm... how 'bout China?

Posted Fri, May 28, 8:26 a.m.

Judy's right. We should fence off all reservations and require passports from those going to and fro.

Posted Thu, May 27, 12:51 p.m.

"A private company pushing an initiative specifically to benefit its own profits? Sounds fishy." Like, say, indian tribes pushing for a smoking ban?

Posted Thu, May 27, 9:11 a.m.

The environmental community needs to weigh in on the immigration debate. Researchers at Oregon State University have determined the number one threat to PNW salmon is immigration into the region, the vast majority of which comes from outside the U.S. and Canada (their words, not mine). In fact, they say, ...

Posted Thu, May 27, 9:03 a.m.

B.S.

Posted Thu, May 27, 9 a.m.

Can we dispense with the tea-bagger name-calling? It might get you high-fives at the caucus meetings, but the vast majority of us believe our civic discussions should be a bit more mature than what one might find on a middle-school playground.

Posted Wed, May 26, 8:21 a.m.

This much is clear: tribal members are exempted from the provision that the rest of us will labor under: to buy insurance or face a fine.

Posted Tue, May 25, 7:09 a.m.

Just what is Mr. Dunphy trying to sell? Probably the notion that our state's Democrat party has exercised fiscal restraint. I think most of us can see otherwise.

Posted Mon, May 24, 12:23 p.m.

Maybe a few more "narrow" thinkers might have kept the City out of it's current $60 million hole. I don't know how many more smart people, like you, the rest of us can afford, luissustain.

Posted Fri, May 21, 2:17 p.m.

Are any of the visiting "professionals" public employees? Maybe with the City of Seattle? Do tell, because I might have an entry to the story in your left sidebar: How Seattle Went Broke.

Posted Fri, May 21, 1:25 p.m.

Boycott OneAmerica, the organization that staged the demonstration in Seattle yesterday. The President of that group's Board, by the way, is a faculty member at UW. Boycott the UW, maybe (or, at least, with-hold any contributions to that institution). Also on the OneAmerica board; the Human Resource Director for the ...

Posted Tue, May 18, 1:37 p.m.

Just as they are exempt from a lot of the laws under which the rest of us labor, members of indian tribes are not required to buy health insurance under the act.

Posted Wed, May 12, 2:18 p.m.

uh-huh. She also said we didn't have a budget deficit.

Posted Wed, May 5, 1:29 p.m.

"If you are a Democrat, you may say, why should you not favor all-out efforts to inflame Latinos by whatever means?" Uh... because you would be sacrificing the well-being of our nation for your short-term political point. Not that they are above that (see our state's budget situation). BTW... polls ...

Posted Wed, May 5, 10:01 a.m.

A new "eco-era"? Let's see... Researchers at Oregon State University have determined the number one threat to PNW salmon and their habitats (you know, what our state's taxpayers have spent billions to "recover") is immigration into the region (the vast majority of which comes from outside the US and Canada ...

Posted Fri, Apr 30, 7:55 a.m.

I think a large majority of Americans support the Arizona law despite the protestations of the media, Hollywood and the Democratic party. One good side effect of this conflaguration might be to point out - further - how out of touch mainstream media is with mainstream America.

Posted Tue, Apr 27, 3:50 p.m.

You see only what you want to see, Mr. Mackie.

Posted Tue, Apr 27, 3:03 p.m.

Depends on the human. Depends on the dog. Who do you have in mind?

Posted Tue, Apr 27, 1:59 p.m.

Crass and offensive are race-based legal inequities, qmackie.

Posted Tue, Apr 27, 11:36 a.m.

Which treaty rights have "we" broke, sdstarr? Use the Treaty of Point Elliot and tell us, specifically.

Posted Tue, Apr 27, 8:12 a.m.

A native dog was found? Run DNA! Ascertain the breed! Increase the license fees for all other breeds to fund cultural awareness of the native dog. Of course, descendents of the "native" dog shall, forevermore, be exempt from licensing fees, vaccination requirements and everything else "non-native" dogs are subject to.

Posted Mon, Apr 26, 5:49 a.m.

"What do all these people do?" A lot of them spend their times in meetings thinking up 1)new regulations and 2) new ways to get more money from the public.

Posted Fri, Apr 23, 6:54 a.m.

I see the "press" have been given their talking points.

Posted Thu, Apr 22, 11:30 a.m.

Another book you might want to check out is "Salmon 2100". In it researchers conclude the number one threat to PNW salmon and their habitats is immigration into the area (the vast majority of which comes from outside the U.S. and Canada). The researchers say unless something is done about ...

Posted Wed, Apr 21, 9:38 a.m.

"We're still in denial about Sound Transit costs"? You mean, "We're still being lied to about Sound Transit costs"?

Posted Tue, Apr 20, 12:44 p.m.

Josh, if you have the formula for ensuring happiness, please post it for us.

Posted Tue, Apr 20, 8:22 a.m.

Edward Abbey had another saying: The best thing we can do for the Mexican is stop him at the border, give him a Winchester rifle and a box of bullets, and send him home to solve his customary problems in his customary manner. All this talk about "sustainability" and nary ...

Posted Fri, Apr 16, 9:04 a.m.

There is never enough to satisfy our state's environmental lobby. They won't be happy until every single "environmentalist" has their own program (or non-profit with grant funding). Even if it means closing every school in the state and allowing every piece of infrastructure to crumble beneath us.

Posted Tue, Apr 13, 8:32 a.m.

Scroll up to the story about the Brightwater sewer fiasco. Scroll over to the story about the WaMu executives who "knew" subprime loans were sinking the company. The same kind of misinformation is being peddled by many clean energy charlatans. Should we explore different, more sustainable energy sources? Absolutely. Should ...

Posted Fri, Apr 9, 8:35 a.m.

OK, Michael. Yesterday there was a story about some of south sound's liquor establishments and their contribution to our area's DUI tallies. The second largest violator was Emerald Queen Casino. AS you probably know, the Puyallups signed the Treaty of Medicine Creek. In that, there is specific delineation of reservation ...

Posted Thu, Apr 8, 1:15 p.m.

What treaty obligations is the U.S. not honoring, Michael?

Posted Tue, Apr 6, 11:46 a.m.

"A carbon tax would achieve the same revenue goals and just maybe save the planet in the process." Or, if not save the planet, at least employee a few thousand more bureaucrats!

Posted Mon, Apr 5, 9:13 a.m.

I believe this is, in fact, a "special right" that has been exploited to great profit by indian tribes. http://www.american.edu/spa/ccps/upload/Indian-Affairs-committee-2006-2.pdf

Posted Mon, Apr 5, 8:08 a.m.

"While Indians are often as eager to build housing, roads, or casinos as anyone else, their role in this cultural drama is to act as a brake on the worst impulses of society, to check our greed, short-sightedness, our disconnection from the land and environment. Not really. Their "role" is ...

Posted Wed, Mar 31, 8:48 a.m.

"It needs to be multi-purpose as well as designed to have a lighter impact on the landscape while providing environmental mitigation." Environmental mitigation. Ah, there's the rub. One of the major reason's our nation's infrastructure is crumbling (the other being political plundering of infrastructure funding) is its hostaging to environmental ...

Posted Tue, Mar 30, 11:26 a.m.

In short, "progressives" are hysterical mobs incited by propaganda broadcasters and lying politicians to attempt an overthrow of our democratic government. And that is, indeed, to be deplored.

Posted Tue, Mar 30, 9:26 a.m.

Progressives like to talk about reducing, reusing and recycling. In fact they are raising their kids to expect ever more stuff and electronic gadgetry.

Posted Tue, Mar 30, 8:03 a.m.

Another unsolved Northwest archaeological mystery: Kennewick Man. It looked as though "science" was about to announce there were people of European descent here prior to "native" tribal peoples. But, then, the politics of social justice interceded and Kennewick man was locked up, the scientific pursuit of information shut down.

Posted Mon, Mar 22, 3:13 p.m.

It's all in how you spin it, Richard. Climate Change - as we've all been told - is anthropogenic. People are destroying the planet. Kill people, save the planet. War is green.

Posted Tue, Mar 16, 1:57 p.m.

"By that measure how can someone like Richard Conlin support it if he supports a carbon neutral city?" Well he supports carbon neutrality for the other guy. You know, the knuckle-dragging Joe Sixpack (and all the "dirty" industries that employ him). There's always exceptions for good liberals. Just like growth ...

Posted Mon, Mar 15, 3:02 p.m.

No sense of humor???? C'mon, Orino, I thought my post was kinda funny. How 'bout this? No triple cheeseburgers. No ikebanas! How's that?

Posted Mon, Mar 15, 2:25 p.m.

Maybe there is no decorative glass in the Green Utopia. No triple cheeseburgers. No macchias.

Posted Mon, Mar 15, 8:20 a.m.

If you were telling it as a joke you might start: “A recovering lawyer, a policy wonk, and a political strategist walk into a bar ….” Ordered nachos grande, a platter of buffalo wings, calamari, six pitchers of beer. Got drunk and stuffed. Left without paying the bill. Funny, huh?

Posted Fri, Mar 12, 3:03 p.m.

Who are its friends? Not Candice Berner. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2011322499_apusalaskadeathwolves.html

Posted Mon, Mar 8, 8:36 a.m.

Not "smart" enough to balance a budget, mind you. Just smart enough to tell you how to live.

Posted Mon, Mar 1, 12:30 p.m.

Forbes has a story today: Bluest States Spilling the Most Red Ink http://www.forbes.com/2010/02/25/democratic-states-bad-financial-shape-personal-finance-blue.html

Posted Mon, Mar 1, 7:35 a.m.

Cuts will have to be made. The Democrats are just postponing the inevitable. A sophomoric way to govern. This time next year, the state shortfall will be between 5 and 9 BILLION dollars.

Posted Thu, Feb 25, 8:05 a.m.

"Let's get practical" That's been the message voters have been sending, for years, via initiatives. Too bad the press and the politicos continue to misread (ignore, more likely) that message.

Posted Mon, Feb 22, 3:50 p.m.

Being the Pacific Northwest and considering the people involved I think a more fitting term is the P-Sea.

Posted Wed, Feb 10, 11:15 a.m.

Now that you've exposed the lie-filled green policies of a deposed Mayor, maybe you can move on to the lie-filled green policies of a sitting governor.

Posted Wed, Feb 10, 8:37 a.m.

The Puget Sound Partnership was formed out of a critical-mass recognition that our recovery effort had spawned a bunch of self-interested, uncoordinated fiefdoms all competing for recovery dollars. The PSP was supposed to bring coordination and efficiency to the process. But, because like-minded bureaucrats are loathe to speak ill of ...

Posted Fri, Feb 5, 9:37 a.m.

"What's not to like?" Uh... for one, promises about where the money will go and how much it will be. You know, it'll only go to the general fund this year and - maybe - next year, but we'll GLADLY buy you two hamburgers on Tuesday if you buy us ...

Posted Wed, Feb 3, 9:51 a.m.

Knute, take I-5 South. You can be there in no time.

Posted Tue, Feb 2, 9:32 a.m.

Husky promise: The only kids who will be able to attend UW are low-income (subsidized), high-income (self-funded) and children of illegal immigrants (subsidized). Those providing the subsidies (middle class) are, increasingly unable utilize the institutions they have built.

Posted Mon, Jan 11, 7:47 a.m.

Probably shouldn't have added 6,000 new state employees during her first term.

Posted Fri, Jan 8, 8 a.m.

"A wingnut with a vision to turn the mossy corner into a mountainous version of Mississippi." Who is fighting the wingnuts with a vision to turn the mossy corner into a more northward - but equally bankrupt - version of California.

Posted Tue, Dec 22, 2:38 p.m.

"The Public Works Trust Fund, for instance, was cut 100%, ~$400 million. What priorities did the legislature pick over education, water and sewer emergencies, and economic development?" The same "priority" they rob every budget to fund: in a word, salmon. The Puget Sound Partnership's share of the general fund was ...

Posted Tue, Dec 15, 7:51 a.m.

Oh. Cop-killing's been going on FOREVER. Nevermind. More money for salmon.

Posted Thu, Dec 10, 9:24 a.m.

From a December 20, 2006 story in the Seattle Times... Saying we're in "exciting times," Gov. Christine Gregoire on Tuesday proposed dramatically increasing state spending by more than $4 billion over the next two years. Here's the link: http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=200 And in case you were concerned our budgetary crisis might cut ...

Posted Tue, Dec 8, 8:18 a.m.

So… For your readers who have not been Pavlovianly conditioned to shut off their critical thinking skills when they hear the word “Environment”… And for those readers who are concerned about our state’s impending $3 Billion budget deficit… In 2008 Federal, State and Local governments spent over $2 Billion on ...

Posted Fri, Dec 4, 8:34 a.m.

And in tandem we need a minimum speed limit adherence ordinance. Anyone transporting inside the roadway - irrespective of vehicle - should be required to move at speeds proximate to the posted speed limit.

Posted Tue, Dec 1, 10:09 a.m.

Since 2007, the Washington State Legislature has enacted a bunch of new legislation based on the questionable science behind climate change. The Office of Financial Management estimates this legislation will add $136 Million to the cost of state government over the next decade. This does not include trickle-down costs to ...

Posted Wed, Nov 25, 2:46 p.m.

Sorry, Pepper. The foxes have proved they are incapable of guarding the chickens.

Posted Wed, Nov 25, 10:45 a.m.

Maybe an attorney reading this could offer their opinion as to whether such an initiative would pass constitutional muster...

Posted Wed, Nov 25, 8:39 a.m.

Scrap the Science requirement, "science" is as arcane as Latin. The only science the kids need is political science.

Posted Wed, Nov 25, 7:58 a.m.

I predict this legislative session will be just like every other in this regard: legislators will arrive with arms full of new legislation. Some of it will be pushed by special interests groups for their benefit, some of it will be the product of legislators' desire (and wrongheaded belief that ...

Posted Wed, Nov 18, 8:08 a.m.

"States that love the citizen initiative are most in danger of fiscal insolvency, a study says..." Are you sure that shouldn't read, "States that love liberal governmental policies..."?

Posted Fri, Nov 13, 11:29 a.m.

Really? When one advocates breaking the law, one advocates hostility to those charged with enforcing said law.

Posted Fri, Nov 13, 10:46 a.m.

I'm trying to figure out where our local "progressives" hold the line on the "law". Last week there was much hand-wringing and public "support" for a murdered police officer in Seattle. Yet, ten years ago a percentage of that populace romanticized - and tacitly approved - the anarchists setting fires ...

Posted Thu, Nov 5, 9:01 a.m.

Got me thinking about the "truthiness" of green jobs, etc...

Posted Wed, Nov 4, 8:03 a.m.

Don't be so harsh! Gregoire is the BEST governor the tribes ever bought.

Posted Thu, Oct 29, 8:10 a.m.

Unfortunately for Christine (and the rest of our states D-prefaced minions), a large portion of this belongs at her door. She has ceded State governance to environmental extremists and “sovereign” nations that are hostile to businesses (other than theirs!). Boeing is captive to a poster-child of environmental activism/process on the ...

Posted Tue, Oct 6, 8:39 a.m.

Ah, you're a "consultant" now and believe we must raise taxes. I see. And how much do you stand to make if we take your advice? Personally, I believe "consultants" should be vilified. Their (your) current business model is to promote ineptitude in government. One could characterize it as a ...

Posted Thu, Oct 1, 9:56 a.m.

The tact of going to the taxpayers and saying, "look at all this stuff we have to do! We need more money!" is failing. The discussion needs to go the other way, upward, if you will: Counties should tell the state who should tell the Feds: We cannot afford anymore ...

Posted Thu, Jul 30, 8:50 a.m.

Rather than elections, we should have public opinion polls and lotteries. Opinion polls to list the top ten priorities the public wants addressed over the next legislative session; lotteries to determine the people who will be attending that session. Like jury duty: "sorry, you're number came up, you're King County ...

Posted Wed, Jul 22, 8:41 a.m.

The Seattle City Council speaking on fiscal "insanity"? I guess she should know. Seattle is facing a $43 million deficit. Enter the words "Seattle", "city", "budget" and "deficit" in the Seattle Times search engine and the first two articles that pull up bear these headlines: Seattle has estimated $43 million ...

Posted Tue, Jun 16, 10:51 a.m.

See what I mean? Queenmom, ladies and gentleman, an example of the short-sighted, politically-correct, lock-step crowd that will drive us to bankruptcy and/or civil war.

Posted Tue, Jun 16, 8:07 a.m.

A great taboo: anything critical of a local indian tribe. Whether questioning the effects their gill nets have on our "endangered species", their exemptions from taxes and laws that the rest of us labor under, or their heavy lobbying of our "sovereign" government.