Let "Today's Winners" be exhibit A in my response to the frothy commenters on my story about who's in charge of the city and the City (see Michael Jenkins and Rebecca Herzfeld).

Why is it that it is so difficult for people to see how bizarre people can get when they try to protect the status quo:

Capitol Hill Neighbors are "deeply concerned about the proposal to bring commercial uses into the heart of our neighborhood"

Are these people serious? Where do they live? The neighborhood is already largely built out, and is mostly zoned low rise or mid rise. The idea that somehow this is a the slow creep of commercial into residential neighborhoods is farcical.

This is Capitol Hill residents acting like people from Magnolia or Laurelhurst

Is somebody making you live there against your will?

Citizens expressed the right through democratic process.

You, apparently, do not approve of democracy.

What Roger hates is that people dislike this so-called "Regulatory Reform" proposal that HE helped write (along with a cadre of development interests).

I see that he is able to blog about reforms, influence the production of the reforms, and then finally criticize others that disagree with him.

The should put his picture next to "pompous ass" in the dictionary.

Okay, so now we know that Roger hates Laurelhurst (pop 9,800), Roosevelt (pop. 3,000), Capitol Hill (22,000), and Magnolia (pop 19,000). Hmm, that's close to 54,000 people who Roger hates. This does make me wonder who Roger might like, and who might return the favor. In fact, it makes me wonder what the hell Roger is doing in Seattle, a city that he hates a little more every day.

Keep digging your political graves, "progressives." The list of counterrevolutionaries grows weekly. When you've lost Capitol Hill, you're really screwed, Roger. The hipsters have discovered that the "progressives" hate the neighborhoods. Uh-oh.

"This is Capitol Hill residents acting like people from Magnolia or Laurelhurst "

Other neighborhoods will follow that trend, as high prices push reasonable people to the cheap suburbs and $4.50 a gallon gas. Careful what you wish for.

With the Iranian embargo starting July 1, gas may not stay as low as $4.30 much longer. Living in the suburbs but commuting to Seattle also has a time cost associated with it. Parents who want to attend thier children's sports events will have a harder time with it.

GaryP, this might come as news to you, given the degree that Seattle's "progressives" ignore what they can't process, hoping it will go away, but 84% of Seattle residents own a car, same as a decade ago. If gas prices rise, everyone will feel it.

"everyone will feel it"

Actually while 84% of Seattle citizens own a car, if you move to Bellevue, and drive to work, you will be adding an additional daily 20miles to your commute. (10 each way.) So you'll feel it worse than if you stay in Seattle. In addition Bellevue has far fewer places you can walk to and shop/eat etc, so you'll drive more to do the same things.

So while yes, everyone will feel it, those driving more will of course feel it worse. And my comment was to the comment "cheaper suburbs." There is a reason it's cheaper, people have priced in the cost of time and transportation, although probably not yet at the future gas spike prices.

People currently choose Bellevue for two reasons. The biggest is the schools, which are infinitely better than Seattle's. The other is that the house lots are bigger. If the "New Urbanists" manage to get their way in Seattle, and push housing costs here to the sky, then you'll see people moving there and to other suburbs to avoid the imitation San Francisco that the urbanists are trying to shove down the throats of Seattle residents.

"shoved down their throats"?

Seriously? People are forced to buy those condos downtown or else what? If nobody wanted to live downtown then those condos would be empty and no more would be built. Clearly not the case.

Hey 'Corner -- I'm not certain but I think you *might* be talking about council VP Mike Kent -- not Michael West. I didn't cover last week's meeting so I don't know if he was in attendance or not. Anyhow, president is Norma Jean Straw -- and she's done a pretty incredible job with the council http://capitolhillcommunitycouncil.org/about/officer-bios/

(btw, haven't had a chance to say shucks and thanks for all the work at Publicola. Your coverage provided a lot of foundation for how we handled so many citywide issues. Glad to be able to continue to read your work)

Capitol Hill Community Council is a non-government organization not a formal part of our democratic government and while their bylaws generously grant all residents of Capitol Hill membership (whether they like it or not), their opinions are not necessarily those of the average voting Capitol Hill resident since only a very small fraction every participate in any of its activities.

Your coverage provided a lot of foundation for how we handled so many citywide issues.

Wow, you followed the lead of a couple of business failures who couldn't even get their facts straight? I don't know whether to laugh or be a little afraid.

A Republican igniores the law in his quest for power and survitude for the rich? SHOCKED! I'M SHOCKED, I SAY!

It's no surprise McKenna was running his election campaign out of his office. It takes alot of work to stay in office when you represent Corporations instead of your constituents. Just ask Mitt Romney. He had to outspend his GOP rivals by 10-to-1 just to get the nomination.

And like Romney, McKenna is a habitual liar. "many of the documents were likely left accidentally in the office by someone doing outside campaign work "

I guess that same someone accidentally dropped by the office and was accidentally invited to all of those staff meetings where they discussed his election campaign.

McKenna can't be trusted. Wait until he unleashes the Scott Walker strategy on Washington State geared at destroying the Boeing Unions and moving more jobs to North Carolina. They are obviously talking about this.

I agree with you about McKenna. He's probably almost as much of a snake and a liar as Michael McGinn and the Seattle City Council.

Regarding Rob McKenna putting semi political materials into the archives, this is not a mis step at all. For years as Secretary of State and Administrator of the Archives, I urged all candidates and office holders to put their political materials into the archives as well.

We even handed out a large manilla envelope at filing time, asking candidates for all offices to submit their campaign materials.

This is valuable materials for future reseachers in understanding the
political climate and situation at the time of seeking or holding office.

We also collected for the archives, 100's of political signs and buttons from candidates. It has proven to be some of our most valuable historical materials.

I believe that both Jay Inslee and Rob McKenna were supporters of this effort over the years.

Ralph Munro
Secretary of State
1980-2001

This is an excellent idea. The Smithsonian Institution has been doing this for some time on a national level, even sending curators to the national conventions to pick up signs and pamphlets off the floors. It's good to hear that it's being done on the state level as well.

Mr. Munro,
Thank you for the clarification.

Read Wednesday's Seattle Times. Looks like Roger Valdez got his "progressive" ass busted for trying to evade open-records laws by having the developers and city officials on a mayoral "advisory committee" route their "confidential stuff" through private e-mail.

Gee Roger, are you going to tell us what your source of income is? Who pays you, and how much?

Lawyers out there, does Roger Valdez now go to jail, and not pass Go, and not collect his $200?