Posted Sun, Jan 22, 7:18 a.m.

Doctor's prescribe diagnostic tests, synthetic pharmaceuticals, and surgical and chemical intervention at a profit to their employer. The incentives in the subprime mortgage market and pharmaceuticals are pretty much the same. Robo-signing as a business model.

Posted Wed, Jan 4, 9:19 a.m.

Here is a link to Journalist Chris Hedges were he actually makes his case: http://youtu.be/7zotYU21qcU

Posted Wed, Jan 4, 9:09 a.m.

Here is a link to an actual State House Correspondent doing actual reporting. Article title "definition of a state budget cut hard to pin down"; here is a nice take away: "If all of Gregoire's proposed budget cuts -- including a suggestion to shorten the school year -- are approved ...

Posted Thu, Dec 1, 10:10 a.m.

interesting historical piece. appropriate to the times. a few thoughts come to mind both historical and generational. Occupy has morphed into a Global protest movement. yet it is also contextual. local dynamics give rise to unique forms. the nature of 21st century society is globalized, so it must reflect that ...

Posted Thu, Nov 24, 8:24 a.m.

"My guess, my forecast, is that Europe will do what it takes to avoid a banking crisis,” Wasn't that Corzines risk assessment when he looted the future's accounts of MF Globals customers and doubled-down on Junk Bond's? While budget forecasts are "by definition speculative," if one assumes the Economy is ...

Posted Tue, Nov 22, 11:36 a.m.

my low cost solution to a renewal of the political discourse: open source elections. apply virtual open source development to political barnstorming at the neighborhood/community/district scale. Create a platform to level the playing field. here is a rough sketch of how i might conceive it: -community platform: widespread access by ...

Posted Sun, Nov 20, 10:24 a.m.

I will continue to make the case against selling more lies. The State budgeted over 2 billion more than the proir budget period. The so-call "budget deficit" is not a product of "falling revenue" as so many trained lawyers would have us believe, but born of over budgeting. The States ...

Posted Mon, Nov 7, 8:59 a.m.

The author's example in which one neighbor attempts to use by-laws and the local council to halt his neighbor's activity on his property is about identity. namely, how the poor and the markers of the poor reflect the cultural lie of the "so-called better" classes. It brought to mind a ...

Posted Mon, Nov 7, 8:07 a.m.

I have said repeatedly the wealth gap between old and young is far more serious that the one between rich and poor. When society invests more in the old, than the young, the future is not so bright. Of course, much of the older generation's expectations rely on compound interest. ...

Posted Mon, Nov 7, 7:52 a.m.

Marijuana Growers will have a large impact on Urban food production--intensive gardening. Urban Farming is primarily a political activity, while marijuana cultivation a economic activity. entirely different outlooks. further, Urban Farming is rooted in the organic farming movement more suited to uniform conditions. Yet the Urban environment is fragmented into ...

Posted Wed, Nov 2, 8:12 a.m.

how about Seattle planners, so concerned with residents transportation choices, concern themselves with planners choices, rather than the right words to sell their preferences. The City could stop hiring suburban dwelling employees that clog our streets and export tax revenue beyond city limits. instead, hire Seattle residents. keep the money ...

Posted Sun, Oct 30, 9:12 a.m.

no such thing as an irrevocable agreement. and i have severe doubts that the loans are non-recourse. in order to earn a risk premium, one must risk ones initial investment. these announcements are misinformed or intentionally misleading.

Posted Sun, Oct 30, 9:02 a.m.

let me guess...revenue is once again "less than expected." revenue forecasts are nothing more the than political cover. on the front end, promises that can not be kept are made, on the back end, the very actors responsible for the fiscal mess call crisis and craft solutions to a situation ...

Posted Sun, Oct 9, 8:02 a.m.

i still roll my eyes on columbus day. of course as a "white" male, i am well aware of the various ethno "pride" movements that rest upon the victomology of skin color. makes me wonder if we have really "progressed" from the type of ignorance columbus practiced. of course, were ...

Posted Thu, Oct 6, 2:55 p.m.

one of the greatest men in history? author has some confused priorities. considering that the products of the mans work are obsolete at the time of purchase, his legacy will largely reside in the landfill. Men are proven great by history only when their works ENDURE, rather than cast aside ...

Posted Sat, Sep 24, 8:15 a.m.

comparing people who exchange labor for a wage, and generate profits for an employer, to someone whose money grows by renting it out is absurd. there is no comparison. income for working age men has declined nearly 30% since the 70s, while income for Van Dyk's demographic has grown nearly ...

Posted Tue, Sep 20, 6:49 a.m.

The community already maintains a park system, including a series of million dollar micro parks in place of the monorail--great places to sit near heavily trafficked arterials, take in the sites and sounds of an obsolete mode of living, and huff vehicle exhaust. This Parklet idea reminds me of citizens ...

Posted Mon, Sep 5, 8:49 a.m.

the former head of amtrak picks winners? think not. but please feel free to move to Minnesota bicyclists.

Posted Mon, Aug 22, 9:37 a.m.

once the author demonstrates an understanding of the trade, energy and tax policy that extracts trillions from the US economy annually--enacted in concert by the republocrats--then perhaps he can proclaim a revelation. it was US companies who relocated jobs overseas under a policy of wage arbitrage. the result of this ...

Posted Tue, Aug 16, 5:03 p.m.

From the article: Indeed, the judges point out that Obamacare’s mandate exempts the people most likely to seek uncompensated care. Of the $43 billion a year in uncompensated care, 19 percent — $8.1 billion — is consumed by illegal aliens and other non-residents, who aren’t subject to the mandate. Another ...

Posted Tue, Aug 16, 5 p.m.

From the 11th Circuits ruling: "“Data show the uninsured paid on average 37% of their health costs out of pocket in 2007, and 46.01% in 2008, while third parties pay another 26% on their behalf... In this regard, the individual mandate’s attempt to reduce the number of uninsured and correct ...

Posted Sun, Jul 31, 10:21 a.m.

Those who show up at council meetings are not representative of the population at large, so please abandon the notion there is a democratic mandate. Its evident there isnt otherwise proponents wouldnt be hostile to a widespread vote. But lets focus in those inefficiencies. I for one oppose any increaded ...

Posted Fri, Jul 29, 8:34 a.m.

Look to Europe? The US taxpayer has been subsidizing the European Social State since the Marshall plan. Were European States to pay the full cost of security there would be no social state to look towards. Its the false promises of the savior state that have made this nation complacent, ...

Posted Mon, Mar 21, 6:23 a.m.

This is a one-sided piece. I could talk about budget deficits all day long. I could spend more money than last year and experience budget deficits; I could spend the same as last year and experience deficits. The rate of revenue growth could merely SLOW and deficits could result. Costs ...

Posted Wed, Jan 26, 10:12 a.m.

The Hawks lost to da Bears. As to the unemployment numbers, simply repeating government reported numbers merely confirms its positive bias. Break it down by the numbers, and a different picture emerges: Labor Force: 238.889 million Employed: 139.206 million Unemployed: 14.485 million Part time employed for economic reasons: 8.931 million ...

Posted Sat, Jul 10, 8:04 p.m.

Dudes talking about agricultural policy. Health starts there. Gut flora is critical to a robust immune system. What you habitually eat creates the conditions under which gut flora exist. Grain based diets, processed and refined food, particularly sugar create conditions more suitable for invasives such as yeast. Current agricultural policies ...

Posted Sat, Jul 10, 7:19 p.m.

Not concerned with condos that will never be. The scuptures are hands off. Its anti-nature and toxic. As I said, I grew increasingly agro. Aggression is a natural reponse to the environment, not a character flaw. Its an exisential assault. Read Paul Shepards "Nature and Madness." As for toxic soil, ...

Posted Fri, Jul 9, 11:49 a.m.

I don't know, but a Chihuly glass house makes sense. Its pretty much in line with everything else. The EMP, that dumbass park on the waterfront, and the over-priced micro-parks popping up all over--two were added to West Seattle at the Morgan and West Seattle Junctions where you can enjoy ...

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

There are more government jobs than manufacturing jobs. Government jobs do not subsidize economic activity; economic activitity subsidizes government jobs. The only economic policy that will prove successful is import replacement. Not deep-bore tunnels or government jobs. Governmets don't raise revenue; they are not a business, just as the media ...

Posted Mon, Jun 28, 7:20 p.m.

I repeat: the courts have ruled that its perfectly fine to make promises one has no intention or ability to keep. To top it off, BP will be bailed out.

Posted Mon, Jun 28, 7:16 p.m.

As if the legislation being floated around by paid, elected officials under the facade of representative democracy are not equally based on lies--anything titled reform to begin. Remember, the courts ruled its okay to make promises one has no intention or ability to keep.

Posted Fri, Jun 25, 7:38 a.m.

You should try living by the Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal for a few months. It certainly makes one question our civic cost/benefit metrics.

Posted Fri, Jun 25, 7:33 a.m.

Just don't jaywalk.

Posted Thu, Jun 24, 5:16 a.m.

The state of Washington has more government jobs than manufacturing jobs. The notion that the state will aid businesses in increasing exports by creating "counselors" is the type of nonsense we gets from electeds who spent their entire career in the public sector. Gregoire hates small business, and she certainly ...

Posted Mon, Jun 21, 6:10 a.m.

Political Justice? Don't be absurd. You spent the entire article arguing that Canadians were paying for the service. The sales tax is regressive in nature and an inadequate source of funding for essential services. So exactly, who do you believe is currently paying their fair share? You?

Posted Sat, Jun 19, 5:57 a.m.

The author draws all the wrong conclusion from the incident in the rush to defend the SPD and the Officer involved. The tendency to engage in hindsight bias is overwhelming; that is to presume an event was avoidable based on information gained after the event. The result is finger-pointing that ...

Posted Sat, Jun 19, 5:32 a.m.

The tunnel does NOT have a popular mandate. The public voted up/down on a confused, and ultimately, meaningless viaduct/tunnel measure. After the inconclusive vote, the deep-bore, was pull from that nether region typically called The Discovery Institute, and first presented here at CrossedUp. The public has endure the persistent campaign ...

Posted Wed, Jun 16, 7:26 p.m.

She best hurry or there may be no money left to bury.

Posted Wed, Jun 16, 6:37 a.m.

What good are public servants that can only do their jobs during good times?

Posted Tue, Jun 15, 4:17 p.m.

Mr. Burgess is an example of how a city council that represents interests rather than geography fails its citizenery. The council member represents police--a number of which presumably live outside the city limits--much better than those they purport to serve. This is demonstrated by his tendency to talk about neighborhoods ...

Posted Tue, Jun 15, 3:45 p.m.

The large majority of health risks are eliminated by a handful of preventive measures: a) avoid smoking b) aviod hospitals c) avoid automobiles and d) reduce or aviod carbohydrates. The solution is to make individuals pay the full cost of their choices. Experts merely help us avoid accountability at a ...

Posted Tue, Jun 15, 3:29 p.m.

Professional Journalist are trained to behave similarly. The inevitable result: society is less informed.

Posted Tue, Jun 15, 3:22 p.m.

Economic reports are contrived metrics devised to manage public confidence. As such, information excluded or unobserved may be of equal or greater importance, particularly during times of uncertainty. The unemployment report is a classic example as individuals are reclassified once benefits expire and counted in the more broader unemployed/underemployed numbers--rarely ...

Posted Sun, Jun 13, 11:29 a.m.

Since its the good reverend who charcteristicly coordinates his articles, and his jet-set lifestyle, the reference strikes me as fairly clear. Of course, there are time tested methods to determine reference: if the shoe fits, wear it.

Posted Sat, Jun 12, 1:39 p.m.

This guy filed articles from Hawaii, Australia, and New Zealand this year alone. He travels more miles than the average American meal. Who's this guy lecturing about the evils of oil? And who the hell's this we?

Posted Fri, May 28, 9:43 p.m.

By August the public outrage will have moved on, and the entire episode will only live on in the collective conscious as a bumper sticker. The 79 Gulf blowout spewed upwards of 30k b/d for 10 months under more favorable conditons. Get back to me when the oil slick has ...

Posted Fri, May 28, 7:22 p.m.

Here's some science: the Gulf was an ecological disaster prior to the blowout.

Posted Fri, May 28, 10:58 a.m.

Excellent piece. First mention of the 79 blowout I've seen in the MSM.

Posted Thu, May 27, 7:40 a.m.

I disagree with the author's characterization of the State's buget cuts. The State merely cut projected growth and essentially spends the same amount in dollar terms. In real terms, however, we are paying more for less. Its diificult, in my mind, to argue the case for revenue increases at this ...

Posted Sat, May 15, 10:50 a.m.

Australia has greatly benefited from Chinese economic growth--particularly, extractive elements of the economy which feed China's appetite for raw materials. The fact that the good Reverand has consistently advanced a centralized, top down approach to economic affairs makes his conclusions inevitable. The fact that its irrelevant to the future is ...

Posted Wed, Apr 21, 8:50 a.m.

Quasimodal said, "Each time Metro has gone to voters lately for more funding, they've had to come back later explaining that an economic downturn has erased the expected gains and cuts will be needed instead. That's what's happening now..." I agreed with you up until this point. As you point ...

Posted Mon, Apr 19, 4:40 p.m.

My perception is that this tax-package is largely perceived in the manner Jenkins, and the Democratic party portray it--sin taxes. I've seen little mention of the increase in the B&0, or analysis of it's potential impact on small business. It does appear that income exemptions where included, arguing against Lukoff's ...

Posted Mon, Apr 19, 2:47 p.m.

Lukoff, your point on the regressive nature occurred to me. I agree that small businesses struggle to pass on costs to consumers in the manner large business do; however, I don't share you view on the regressive/progressive nature of the taxes. I don't believe in the notion of a "fair" ...

Posted Mon, Apr 19, 11:26 a.m.

Lukoff, your opinion of Jenkins is not supported by the myriad of articles in which he merely offers contrasting quotes. Political analysis or marketing analysis? Is there a difference? Given the fact that the political process generates sub-optimal solutions to compounding problems, which matters more: perception or out-comes? Democrats desire ...

Posted Mon, Apr 19, 8:04 a.m.

The bulk of the revenue generated by this tax-package stems from an increase in the B&O; tax on small business (est. $245mill), and the revival of a tax on out of state business (est. $154 mill). Half the the $800 million package represents increased business taxes--surely passed on to consumers. ...

Posted Tue, Apr 13, 12:15 p.m.

This is a seriously flawed piece, factually. Transportation and Agriculture are by far the most oil intensive activities, and generate the most CO2. The generation of electricity, on the other-hand, is largely fueled by coal, natural gas, hydro and nuclear. Another speculative market for predatory capital dressed up in liberal ...

Posted Wed, Mar 31, 11:30 p.m.

Actually, I merely glanced down, and there you were.

Posted Wed, Mar 31, 7 p.m.

So apparently, we should make less money by giving it to bytesmith! Cameron, have I told you how small you are, lately?

Posted Tue, Mar 30, 3:13 p.m.

Lightfoot's logic is flawed and disconnected. The systems designed to mitgate waste streams are as unstainable as the waste itself. The cost structures simply can't be maintained. Thus, the demands of Waste Management Employees simply CAN'T be met! Sadly, the ideology of social "justice" blinds her to the obvious. I ...

Posted Thu, Mar 25, 12:20 p.m.

Health-care's done? I note the New York Times, in the economy section, finally observed that SSI went into the negative this year. I've also noted more reporting on establishment's refusing to honor Medicare Insurance--particularly, pharmacies. I wonder how Van Dyk imagines new entitlement programs will be sustained, even as widely ...

Posted Thu, Mar 25, 11:09 a.m.

I think Mckenna recognized that this legislation was over-whelmingly a Democrat supported bill largely written by Industry. Independents and Republicans reflect a larger pecentage of the voting population, and together reflect a majority in opposition. In relation to Democratic responses, the man almost appears competent. As the details of this ...

Posted Mon, Mar 15, 1:20 p.m.

As someone who would NOT, under any circumstances, send a child to Public School (our 7th grader attends private school), I've grown tired of the discourse on education. So much so, that I am actively and openly hostile to increased funding of public education. The only viable option in the ...

Posted Mon, Mar 8, 2:17 p.m.

It's estimated that Victory Garden's produced 40% of the produce during WWII rationing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_garden#cite_note-3 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/magazine/12policy-t.html?_r=1

Posted Mon, Mar 8, 2 p.m.

The success rate of psychiatry is miserable. Further, Kierkegaard, a theologian, anticipated psychoanalytic thought without the reductionism as Ernst Becker showed. Narrowing down actions to faulty wiring ignores the fact that individuals are inherently symbolic and reflects a culture that fetishizes machines. Mental-health is not typical, but ideal-typical, a cultural ...

Posted Mon, Mar 8, 1:03 p.m.

The link the author provided does not describe the "short-fall." The anatomy of the short-fall stems primarily from poor forecasting, and rising costs (via Sunshinereview.org): Revenue declines: $686 million June forecast $238 million September forecast $237 million tax lawsuit $32 million October revenue collections $65 million November revenue collections Rising ...

Posted Mon, Mar 8, 12:30 p.m.

This author's misrepresentation of the State's fiscal difficulties merely sows further confusion, rather than inform. The author could clear up the confusion by discussing the anatomy of the budget "short-fall." Unfortunately, Crosscut routinely substitutes politics for serious economic and financial analysis. An actual examination of the State budget shows that ...

Posted Mon, Mar 8, 12:09 p.m.

The constitutional argument is moot. The War Against Cannabis--an economic war against U.S. citizens, mind you--has been enabled by the Courts erosion of the 1st, 4th and 6th amendments. The presumption of innocence no longer exists in certain cases. So, the right to bear arms has NOT served to secure ...

Posted Tue, Mar 2, 8:47 a.m.

The perception that the State has made "extensive cuts" is in fact false. First, the State delayed cuts and/or reductions with the support of Federal Stimulus monies. Second, cuts and/or reductions trumpeted by the State only served to RESTRAINED the growth of State government. I suggest those confused by the ...

Posted Thu, Feb 25, 5:12 p.m.

@afreeman, Clearly, your not interested in my technique. I don't support the P-Patch system; I'm well aware of the long waiting list, while I'm also aware of individuals who tend more than one patch. As far as the City's priorities, I have my own. As Ernest Becker wrote, "Only self-reliant ...

Posted Thu, Feb 25, 11:04 a.m.

That's a wholesale nursery license.

Posted Thu, Feb 25, 11:01 a.m.

Yes, the City Council is irrelevant, but the author merely flirts with the obvious rather than shedding any light on the situation. This is highlighted by his ignorant use of urban agriculture as a punch-line, while delightfully conflating politics and economics--a bad habit picked up by the chattering class, as ...

Posted Wed, Feb 24, 9:20 p.m.

@VinceInSeattle, if Obama was European, he'd be...well, European. Comparing Europe to the U.S. is apples and oranges. PolySci101: Europe's fuedal past resulted in an alternative social compact. It doesn't make it better or worst. It just is. Were Europe nations obliged to pay the full cost of their defense, rather ...

Posted Tue, Feb 23, 4:49 p.m.

The Great Society legislation was equally about escalation in Vietnam, as it was a Social Agenda, explaining away your grand thesis. History often rhymes with Afghanistan.

Posted Tue, Feb 23, 11:45 a.m.

The political system continues to churn out sub-optimal, counter productive solutions, and both parties opt to blame the other--apparently the partisanship directed towards the Bush administration is simply forgotten. I saw the following bumper-sticker recently: Republicansareadisease.com. Of course, this is Seattle where if you don't agree with the liberal agenda, ...

Posted Fri, Feb 19, 6:25 p.m.

The comparison between public/private compensation is fundamentally meaningless. Examine the social policy undergirding economic policy and it becomes clear that the growth in government employment serves to sop up the over-capacity of "professionals" generated by the Education Industry. Bluntly, government employment tends to be a default position. Evidently, its far ...

Posted Fri, Feb 19, 7:34 a.m.

As Mayor, I would lead an effort to unload benefit packages to the Union's--let them manage and fund them.

Posted Mon, Feb 15, 7:34 a.m.

Given the fact that the mention of Washington in the MSM--outside the PNW, naturally--is a direct reference to Washington, DC and not Washington State, I'm skeptical that Seattle's self image influences policy in D.C. Of course, Seattle's environmental stewardship runs as deep as a puddle of spit; a place where ...

Posted Thu, Feb 11, 11:25 a.m.

Cops don't protect "us"; they enforce societal order. From an evidence-based perspective: they arrive after the fact; deterrents are punitive; and the public is suspect. It seems only reasonable that one should think twice before calling the Police for assistance. As for more of them, I find it unlikely. It's ...

Posted Tue, Feb 9, 5:40 p.m.

Social Security will be a full blown crisis in 6-18 months: http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/02/news/economy/social_security_bailout.fortune/index.htm

Posted Tue, Feb 9, 7:57 a.m.

Just another mechanism for fraud.

Posted Mon, Feb 8, 8:35 a.m.

What deficit? Total expenditures have yet to decline. State 07-09 expenditures totaled 69 plus billion. Projected 09-11 expenditures were 71 plus billion. Subtract the anticipated "deficit", and State 09-11 expenditures will be budgeted at 69 plus billion. The trumpeting of "deficits" is a political fabrication in service of increasing taxes. ...

Posted Wed, Feb 3, 11:25 a.m.

The trend towards homegrown inspires me; however, I urge skepticism in the face of false expectations, adolescent idealism, and commercial profiteering. The typical, urban lot is marginal in terms of food production, so a productive garden will be a reflection of a productive, experienced gardener, or somebody willing to pay ...

Posted Sun, Jan 31, 5:07 p.m.

...fools rally.

Posted Sun, Jan 31, 5:06 p.m.

Is "Greedy Wall Street megalomaniacs" a term professional, objective journalist routinely employ? Were the multitudes compelled by force to terms in which they financed their educations, homes, cars, furniture, vacations, etc. on the basis of future earnings--as in you get it now, and earn it later? How about SSI where ...

Posted Thu, Jan 28, 4:12 p.m.

Frankly, I'm quite pessimistic for the next year, and not at all impressed by the trumpeting of a statistical recovery. First, there are still several years worth of Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMs) that have not reset, piling on to a bad employment situation, and falling incomes. Second, there is increased ...

Posted Wed, Jan 27, 8:02 a.m.

I'd like to see a poll that explores who, exactly, participates in polls. Otherwise, I'm deeply skeptical about the efficacy of polling as a approach to governance, or McGinn's qualities as a leader--particularly one overly concerned with telling me what I WANT to hear.

Posted Thu, Jan 21, 4:34 p.m.

My inclination is that your right on McGinn's motives. However, it's far more likely that the Council would act in response to the interests of those who put them in office--interests who have far more invested in the financial and political scheming that IS the tunnel--rather than a display of ...

Posted Sat, Jan 16, 8:09 a.m.

Republicans have little incentive to offer "realistic"--in the subjective, Democratic Party sense, naturally--suggestions. They can amass more political points opposing policies their constituents oppose, than attempting to influence policy that their constituents will still oppose--political survival being an imperative. In general, those who oppose wage increases make certain assumptions lost ...

Posted Wed, Jan 13, 9:17 a.m.

Why do you continue to parrot deceptive unemployment numbers, Van Dyk? The 10% routinely reported only counts those claiming unemployment. Those who exhaust their benefits no longer remain "unemployed"; instead moving to the category "persons not in the labor force"--which went up by 800,000 some odd persons in a month. ...

Posted Thu, Jan 7, 7:19 p.m.

More like provoke a reaction! On the political plane, Eyman is the nutritional equivalent to High-Fructose Corn Syrup. The mention of his name triggers an emotional reaction and patterned thinking; any broader significance likely filtered as noise. What I find ironic is your persistent blame of "bloggers" for the state ...

Posted Thu, Jan 7, 3:29 p.m.

I've no doubt that one could warn readers about the pit-falls of political-scapegoating without injecting a provocative personality such as Eyman into the discussion. Seriously, how far did you intend to take this discussion?

Posted Mon, Jan 4, 5:04 p.m.

Van Dyk bemoans the loss of civility, yet how am I to take seriously a man who claims an end to Militarism as Predator drones violate Pakistani airspace and mercenary armies raised. How would you have one articulate the obscene, vulgar and profane, Van Dyk? Personally, I prefer concision--and a ...

Posted Wed, Dec 23, 8:25 a.m.

Clearly, arithmetics is not a Van Dyk strength. The Fed estimates 100,000 jobs need to be created monthly simply to keep pace with demographics. The Fed currently forecast unemployment to range from 6.1% to 7.6% by 2012. To hit the lower mark, the economy would need to generate 260,000 jobs ...

Posted Mon, Dec 21, 7:51 a.m.

The Puget Sound's need to love their public figures is a collective neurosis. Enjoy those Cleveland winters, Mike.

Posted Wed, Nov 25, 4 p.m.

Yarrow, take a nap.

Posted Wed, Nov 18, 7:45 a.m.

The underfunding of the PERS retirement fund is the crisis you should be concerned about.

Posted Fri, Nov 6, 11:24 a.m.

afreeman, Appeals to authority by name-dropping does not impress me; it fails to advance the discourse; equally, it seems dubious that your prescription would alter a disposition that is not an affliction, but a most natural one. In the end, Mr. Robinson asserts his own reality--the crack-up of traditional media, ...

Posted Thu, Nov 5, 9:50 a.m.

There is no "Objective Reality;" merely a veneer in the form of Western Culture. Mr. Robinson's journalistic objectivity is merely a bastardization of the Scientific Method; a mental crutch preventing him from stepping outside his own mental constructs--enslaving him to mere tools. The assertion of objective reality is a form ...

Posted Tue, Nov 3, 10:53 a.m.

Comments in the West Seattle blog forums do not represent the totality of view points composing the community surrounding Lincoln Park; just as the political construct "Friends of Lincoln Park" does not represent the views of all those who cherish Lincoln Park. The fact is that the West Seattle Blog ...

Posted Mon, Nov 2, 11:13 p.m.

"defending farms and forests..." I believe paving over farms and forests is more accurate.

Posted Wed, Oct 21, 11:29 a.m.

"Nine people close to the voters thought otherwise." City council positions are at large just like the mayor, and generally represent the views and positions of those interests that enable their election. In general, the media portrays the council as weak and complacent in relation to Mayor Nickels strong-arm style. ...

Posted Thu, Oct 1, 4:10 p.m.

Robinsion is confused. While the sterile environment of academia seems to have little to offer on the subject of leadership, Robinson incorrectly applies what little he can scrounge up. It's not the County Executive's role to "turn up the heat" on the tax-payer; the general tax-payer is not subordinate, nor ...

Posted Fri, Sep 18, 11:03 a.m.

Navel gazing! David Brooks is not an elected official. He's an Op-ed writer for an organization fiscally floundering, and he's a metropolitan conservative at that--having much more in common with Obama than the straw man (i.e. death-panel right?) you lazily erect. Nevertheless, Brooks seems on the mark in reference to ...

Posted Mon, Aug 24, 11:03 p.m.

Frankly, I agree with Van Dyk. Boeing's own analysis projects the 787 will not break even until the delivery of the 1000th plane. Boeing has to cut costs. It's Dixie Capitalism.

Posted Thu, Aug 20, 10:09 a.m.

European style health-care has been underwritten by U.S. Foreign Policy and Defense spending. It's a simple fact that European Nations would be unable to afford both it's social programs and a robust security apparatus. The same holds true for the U.S. Currently, we can not sustain both Defense spending and ...

Posted Wed, Aug 5, 5:43 p.m.

Libertarianism is organized around the principle of maximum individual liberty. Your dismissive account flattens a diverse political philosophy and amounts to a caricature. I would also point out that equality of outcomes is not feasible in a society that distinguishes by differences in ability. That's why you work at a ...

Posted Tue, Aug 4, 12:41 p.m.

There is already a bag tax: the city mandates recycling, including plastic bags. This double tax is cosmetic: it ignores product packaging which accounts for the bulk of plastic flowing into the waste stream. Why not tax milk jugs, produce and meat bags, yogurt containers, etc? In fact, it amounts ...

Posted Fri, Jul 17, 11:27 a.m.

McKay is mistaken. The flawed initiative process has not caused legislative failure. Legislative failure resulted in the growth of the initiative process. Further, the overwhelming majority of unfunded mandates flow from the Federal Government, not the initiative process.

Posted Wed, Jul 8, 10:31 a.m.

Industrial animal waste is suspect because of inputs. What type of feed does the dairy operation use? Growth hormones? Antibiotics? Mr. Meyer fails to explore the input-side of industrial dairy farming, opting for a promotional piece on political and financial schemes. Industrial solutions to industrial ills is not a sustainable ...

Posted Fri, Jul 3, 9:47 a.m.

Yes, one can walk now. In fact, it would seem a precondition to the conception of a walkable community--particularly, if one desires a community that reflects the character and quality of it inhabitants, and the well-being of landscape. Central-planning by bureaucrats and politicians who don't actually live within the community ...

Posted Wed, Jul 1, 11:39 a.m.

Again, you push an intellectually false notion that trees will save us from ourselves. You imply that tree "protections" will provide "Cleaner air, cooling, preventing Puget Sound run-off and erosion..." But tree "protections" are nothing more than cosmetic. We talking about an overbuilt environment. Trees are not going to stem ...

Posted Sun, Jun 21, 9:50 a.m.

That Van Dyk attracts a handful of homogeneous minds may socially validate his ideas, but that does not make them reasonable observations. Nickels, and the cast of characters he's assembled, have proven incompetent in heading a large and complex social organization. All the charges Van Dyk levels against Nickels are ...

Posted Wed, Jun 17, 5:12 a.m.

Thunderbolts? Your a Clown, Van Dyk. Steinbrueck sat on the City Council charged with oversight of the very policies eroding quality of life, and driving up the cost of living and the cost of governance. Steinbrueck's running off to Harvard at the very moment City Hall needs the leadership required ...

Posted Thu, May 28, 9:17 a.m.

Many of the "priorities" you list are in fact intractable problems stretching back 30, 40, and 50 years--a game of generational kick the can. Neither Reagan, nor Newt managed to address these issues; instead opting for the spectacle, chasing shadows, and pitching snake-oil. You, on the other hand, are like ...

Posted Fri, May 15, 7:02 p.m.

Want some crankcase sludge with that fresh seafood? Perhaps a little agricultural run-off?

Posted Sun, May 10, 8:54 a.m.

The embodiment of media and governance incest is Jean Godden. She's most qualified to spot headline grabbing, yet that pang clearly stems from an opportunity lost rather than an ethic of principled public service. Her style of governance IS media stunt. Her face a mere prosthetic.

Posted Tue, May 5, 9:26 a.m.

I doubt City Hall has any real plan other than hope the economy turns around and revenue growth resumes toward infinity. I went 3 months with little work. While I always anticipate a seasonal slow-down, I usually have income. Not this time. Things are very busy right now for me, ...

Posted Sun, May 3, 8:36 a.m.

You over-value "100,000" subsidized jobs associated with an organization renown for fraud, waste and abuse. The Port couldn't muster self-sufficiency despite it's perch at the high-tide of an international trading order. As the nation struggles badly to maintain the very apparatus that girds the order, apparently it's far more important ...

Posted Tue, Apr 14, 8:55 a.m.

I'm not particularly sympathetic. The cost of education has been creeping towards diminishing returns--that point at which the costs outweighs the benefits--for a decade, but rather than get costs under control, the drumbeat has been "more,more,more..." Yet, by any reasonable metric, people are not receiving better educations--quite the opposite. The ...

Posted Sat, Mar 28, 9:06 a.m.

Clearly, debreneman is an economist. No one else would assert "laws of nature" in relation to a human construct--the economy. We know that humans behave according to cultural imperatives, and individuals emerge out of embeddedness--individuation--only under specific conditions. The self-interested rational actor is itself a rationalization. The claims about supply ...

Posted Tue, Mar 24, 7:06 a.m.

Under this plan, the government again assumes all the risk, while private actors reap all the benefits. In other words, this is another bail-out. The snake has begun to eat it's on tail, and the only one's fooled are those who want to be fooled.

Posted Sun, Mar 22, 6:28 p.m.

I have to agree with steptoe.fan; these interest groups overwhelmingly rely on public funds and stand to take a serious hit with budget cuts. I'd also like to note Jenkin's reporting: it draws a clear picture of the legal corruption that regularly takes place in Olympia. These groups are active ...

Posted Sun, Mar 22, 5:57 p.m.

The supposed "facts" are in dispute, Van Dyk. King County Metro is burdened by a financial crisis that threatens service cuts, despite record ridership levels and repeated fare-increases. Further, Metro has NO solution to our liquid fuels predicament--now that's a fact. As agricultural production gets underway, and the price of ...

Posted Sun, Mar 22, 8:45 a.m.

Type-one, my inferences are derived from 8 years with the Federal Government, and 9 for King County--I'm now self-employed--and by reading your comment. I've shown my work, if you will, by pointing out exactly where I see your position as flawed. Whereas you dismiss me as off-topic, and then proceed ...

Posted Sat, Mar 21, 9:03 a.m.

If abuse of public disclose is a problem, address the problem of abuse. But this is not about abuse, but about general disdain and self-righteousness, as illustrated by TypeOne: "It is time-consuming and costly to the taxpayer and diverts resources from real work...it simply satisfied some individual's desire to get ...

Posted Sat, Mar 14, 1:09 p.m.

We're not more prosperous. In 1970, one income supported the relative material existence that now requires two-incomes and high debt levels. The quality and craftsmanship of our material wealth--the assets backing our paper wealth--has also significantly declined.

Posted Thu, Mar 12, 11:52 a.m.

Tax revenues were inflated along side assets, incomes and consumption. They must fall, likewise. Rather than real investments in infrastructure, as ruffner would suggest, a growing share of tax revenues go towards ill-conceived jobs programs and a social agenda--primarily on the backs of small-businesses and home-owners. If you want to ...

Posted Wed, Mar 11, 9:57 a.m.

Did you and another tree-humper have a moment, Knute? That's so cute. Just what we need: another do-nothing who thinks it's their personal mission to save the world.

Posted Tue, Mar 10, 10:07 a.m.

The abstract nature of the localization movement and its inherent self-righteousness fatally undermines broader appeal. Community is fundamentally geographic. "Success" will be defined and realized by the emerging needs and conditions of locale, not by "activists" and "experts" or bureaucrats--nor from the sterile confines they inhabit. The marginal conditions for ...

Posted Sat, Mar 7, 8:44 a.m.

Are these the same "revenue experts" who previously anticipated linear growth in sales and property tax revenues? Who is my representative council member? That's right...I DON'T have one.

Posted Wed, Mar 4, 9:21 a.m.

Lincoln, your comparing apples and oranges. Streetcars run on dedicated rights-of-way, trolleys operate as tethered diesels. I drove part-time for metro, including trolleys, while in college. The types of delays and choke-points that cause trolleys to stack are systemic, whereas the types of blocking incidents you point to for streetcars ...

Posted Wed, Mar 4, 8:49 a.m.

Victor and Bill, I am curious...how do you get to work?

Posted Wed, Mar 4, 6:48 a.m.

Meanwhile, the public will trend towards conservatism, regardless of the party's: one marked by personal initiative, pessimism in terms of risk, and a centering on family, faith, and community. At the same time, I have few expectations that today's presumed leaders or the media organizations that distribute their views will ...

Posted Mon, Mar 2, 9:07 a.m.

The stacking problem only worsens with shorter intervals. Witness the #7 in the Rainer valley were service routinely runs at 10 and 15 minute intervals. A lead bus will be packed with standing passengers, a follower with have nearly 2/3 fewer, and the trail--the only one on time--will be completely ...

Posted Mon, Mar 2, 8:36 a.m.

Another Van Dyk analysis burdened by tired Liberal and Conservative conceptions. Louis Hartz shows in "The Liberal Tradition in America" that the America mind-set is generally a Liberal mind-set--in the classical sense--due to the abundance of North American and the lack of a feudal tradition. From this view, Goldwater and ...

Posted Sat, Feb 28, 11:37 a.m.

I won't be voting for someone whose spent "two decades on the County Council." Particularly when their stated intentions are otherwise.

Posted Fri, Feb 27, 10:11 a.m.

Ross, so which is it? You assert driving a car is "NOT an option"--apparently a lifestyle forced upon you--yet demand "Seattle Liberals get real about the way...people...CHOOSE to live." The fact is there are plenty of "OTHER CHOICES." They just happen to require sacrifices your unwilling to make--like making due ...

Posted Mon, Feb 23, 3:53 p.m.

Growth is dictated by the input in shortest supply--commonly referred to as the law of the minimum. The notion that "we" should limit growth is as absurd as the notion that "we" should stimulate growth. Growth does incur greater costs. Joseph Tainter, author of "The Collapse of Complex Societies," shows ...

Posted Fri, Feb 20, 6:14 p.m.

Plunging revenues is only a small part of the problem. Government costs will still climb unless there is some form of restructuring. And what about retiree's benefits? Pension Plans have gotten hammered, and we've only begun the deleveraging. I have to agree with the general sentiment: we need serious leaders ...

Posted Thu, Feb 19, 3:44 p.m.

I'm a big fan of austerity measures, but it's difficult to accept Van Dyk's calls for sacrifice at face value. It's the typical call for sacrifice from the "other" guy. If your so concerned about the generational transference of wealth, lead the way Van Dyk: forgo your Social Security and ...

Posted Fri, Feb 13, 11:49 a.m.

I see Berger's finally given into the latest brand of revivalism. Unfortunately, this is not the confirmation of cosmopolitan liberalism, but the faltering of American Exceptionalism and the accompanying liberal project. Recent claims to ascendancy pivot solely on the denunciation of liberal brethren as heretics; brethren that have carried the ...

Posted Wed, Feb 11, 10:32 a.m.

Ernest Becker noted that if "we say that "money is God," this seems like a simple and cynical observation on the corruptibility of men. But if we say that "money negotiates immortality and therefore is God," this is a scientific formula that is limpidly objective to any serious student of ...

Posted Mon, Feb 9, 12:01 p.m.

I understand your point, Knute. I largely agree with you. My point is that Urban Seattlites are not going to retrofit the suburbs unless they have plans on moving. In fact, Seattlites would be better served focusing on the retrofit of their own communities--a matter being bungled by the presumed ...

Posted Sat, Feb 7, 12:12 p.m.

You habitually cover this tired ground and have come only this far: "To re-think the suburbs we should first re-think what we think of them." It's like watching my dogs glimpse their reflection; it's mildly amusing, yet pathetically reflexive; they can not conceive of themselves as reflection. To rethink suburbia, ...

Posted Fri, Jan 30, 11:47 a.m.

Do you read the paper, Lytton? 50 years ago, I imagine reality was probably much closer to the ideal you espouse, but we live in an era of source journalist, and I don't see how it could be any dumber. The current newspapers are nothing more than out-lets for "government ...

Posted Fri, Jan 30, 8:47 a.m.

The repeated reference to the democratic role of established media conglomerates--"the linchpin of democracy," as you suggest--deserves more examination than passing lip-service. That newspapers have simply existed for 200 years does not speak to the role. Even a brief examination of the media's role in our democratic process would look ...

Posted Wed, Jan 28, 1:46 p.m.

My bad: wrong union. I stand by my point: public employee unions, in general, are a burden on the economy. They fundamentally increase costs and define down the quality of services. They will have to be rooted out; I expect it will be painful.

Posted Wed, Jan 28, 1:34 p.m.

Your motives are questionable at best: a member of the state employees union--the very union obstructing the balancing of the state budget--lecturing about business taxes, and the general tax burden. I'll be much happier with the state tax burden when those overly generous contracts--negotiated in bad faith by unions and ...

Posted Tue, Jan 27, 3:11 p.m.

The first amendment applies to anyone with a press; the internet represents the democratization of the press, and the expansion of the first amendment. That established players assert entitlement is expected--reflexive and pathetic. If the established players want to claim the responsibility for "defending democracy," they can also have the ...

Posted Wed, Jan 21, 11:36 a.m.

Naturally, the Democrats are the enablers.

Posted Wed, Jan 21, 11:03 a.m.

Try again: take a look at the rise in shipping costs over the last five years. Frankly, I see nothing conservative about the trade dependency you advocate. The funny thing is that the Republicans can't even see the conservative movement staring them in the face. It seems completely reasonable to ...

Posted Sat, Jan 17, 7:20 a.m.

The banks didn't stop lending. The banks tightened lending standards. There is no liquidity problem. Repeat. There is a scarcity of qualified borrowers. The framing of the financial crisis as a liquidity problem, rather than saturation of the debt-markets, will likely deepen and lengthen the crisis.

Posted Tue, Jan 13, 11:59 a.m.

The fool who spends precious few dollars on lottery tickets ignores the immediate costs in favor of a fantasy beyond their means.

Posted Tue, Jan 13, 11:48 a.m.

The federal deficit is the least important of our immediate concerns (we can/(will?) inflate some of it away). The trade deficit was approaching a trillion per yer, until recently. An attempt to stimulate the economy without stemming a similar sized flow of value over-seas is self-defeating. The actions of the ...

Posted Tue, Jan 13, 8:35 a.m.

The timing suggests, IMO, that the momentary consensus hinges on potential stimulus funds, rather than the specific solution in question. This solution proved too expensive in flush times--politically and financially--and only the Hope of Obama showering free money across the 50 states sustains it. Hardly different from the desperate fool ...

Posted Mon, Jan 12, 4:05 p.m.

If we're talking about the politically impossible, how about a fossil fuel tax? Make the cost of energy higher, and people will seek permanent alternatives. Right now, the certainty of higher costs is obscured by market volatility to the benefit of speculators. We would see a much more friendly investment ...

Posted Fri, Jan 9, 6:25 p.m.

The Democrats are hard selling deflation to to tap into the collective association with the depression-era, it's heroes, and big government solutions. Don't buy it. We're experiencing a revaluation in the housing and commodities market. The markets were inflated; now they must deflate. If the Obama Administration succeeds in stimulating ...

Posted Sat, Jan 3, 8:48 a.m.

I'd have to agree with Sean, also. Frankly, the grievance, spite and hypocrisy doesn't inform the theme of a rather mediocre series.

Posted Fri, Jan 2, 8:30 a.m.

Mr. Van Dyk, please expand on your conception of "community." I haven't actually encountered a discussion in which you outlined one. Your right on Sound Transit in that the "discussion" has just begun. Sound Transit hitched their train to diminishing returns--namely, the sales tax. Nevertheless, "community" would be much more ...

Posted Mon, Dec 29, 6:46 a.m.

I had thought that you did NOT in fact live in Seattle. Has that changed? If not, why do you consistently imply otherwise? Reflex? That would explain much of your work.

Posted Sun, Dec 28, 7:31 p.m.

Most of North America was inconvenienced due to a series of snow-storms. I guess you missed the nightly news. As to the retail industry, it's business model always had a finite self-life. Ask a procrastinator: the unexpected eventually foils last minute plans.

Posted Thu, Dec 25, 9:27 a.m.

Property owners failed to clear their side-walks and contributed greatly to difficulties in getting around. Many people simply opted to walk, as was generally recommended by both authorities and the media. Overwhelmingly, drive-ways and parked cars were dug-out, while side-walks simply ignored. Things seemed to have worked out as well ...

Posted Tue, Dec 23, 9:35 a.m.

Ironically, Rossi ran for the G.O.P in an effort to confuse voters and distance himself from the party. Has anyone considered that the appropriation of the Republican party to fashion a serious, competent opposition party could be a good thing?

Posted Fri, Dec 5, 9:05 a.m.

I'm glad you've found a slice of paradise. Personally, I find Seattle "liberalism" to be as shallow as a puddle of spit. It seems to serve more to filter than inform. Dissent amounts to a bumper sticker. Thus we have the ignoramus who slaps an anti-Iraq War sticker on a ...

Posted Fri, Dec 5, 8:47 a.m.

More articles like this please.

Posted Fri, Dec 5, 8:22 a.m.

If folks want to talk about managing storm-water and air pollutants, fine. If folks want to talk about building natural systems to manage storm-water and air pollutants, even better. But don't talk about restricting property rights, and call it managing storm-water and air pollutants. That's disingenuous! The removal of trees ...

Posted Wed, Dec 3, 1:50 p.m.

Personally, I'd go about my business as usual and sue if the City said boo. This is not "regulating the built environment." If you want to regulate the "built environment" begin with laws that manage impermeable surfaces and the associated water run-off. Alter the common practice of connecting downspouts to ...

Posted Wed, Nov 19, 4 p.m.

The notion of an "abandoned" land rests upon a very western ideal--odd, coming from a "Zen Buddhist dharma teacher." Ironically, its the same ideal underlying the colonialist's perception of North America--populated by a diversity of sustainable cultures--as "undeveloped." Our landscape does not suffer for lack of attention. Quite the opposite. ...

Posted Mon, Nov 17, 7:48 a.m.

Roads, freeways, and parking lots are actually the "heart of the commons," which explains why Belltown streets are littered with trash. If Nickels wants to ban guns in public spaces, disarm the police as well.

Posted Mon, Nov 3, 7:33 a.m.

A debtor nation resolutely opposed to "change" stands to elect a candidate who campaigned on a "change" intended to maintain arrangements that have already "changed." A dose of lower expectations is badly needed.

Posted Wed, Oct 22, 5:19 p.m.

The liquid fuels predicament guarantees automobile's will play a reduced role despite your insistence otherwise. The conditions that enables the U.S. to consume 1/4 the world's oil supplies is disintegrating before our eyes. Give it a rest.

Posted Thu, Oct 16, 7:30 a.m.

Yesterday was Mr. Galbraith's birthday. Those familiar with his bestseller "The Great Crash, 1929" may see the irony.

Posted Thu, Oct 16, 7:23 a.m.

We are currently watching the Fed throw the future earnings of taxpayers down a rathole, and you offer up this gem: "Video games such as Madden NFL '09 continue to wow users in terms of graphics and new features." Your opinions nauseate me. The fact that your 15 years of ...

Posted Sun, Oct 12, 9:40 a.m.

Nice try: the public policy agenda is not being driven by bike thugs and militant gardeners. A better critique would observe that these provocative policies are merely cosmetic and serve as a smokescreen for a more narrow agenda benefiting a minority. In other words, cynical politicians are guilty of emotional ...

Posted Tue, Oct 7, 7:42 a.m.

Observations: I just till a bed for garlic, yesterday. Plus, a bed for peas and favas. I find it important enough to note that garlic is actually a luxury. It occupies it's growing space for nine months; a window of opportunity to produce many more usable calories with a spring ...

Posted Tue, Sep 30, 8:09 a.m.

RE: Think It Over...: I do my best to avoid suggesting "my way" is inherently better than another's. Under the pretense of weighing in on Seattle's "Tree Canopy," you openly considered illegally planting on someone's neglected property. Who's to determine negligence? You? The very idea is nonsensical. First, we need ...

Posted Tue, Sep 30, 6:42 a.m.

The Outcome: Bad or Worst: A single vote is meaningless in statistical terms. Democracy doesn't scale well.

Posted Thu, Sep 25, 8:27 p.m.

RE: And the money?: dingdingdingdingdingdingding....Folks, we have a winner.

Posted Thu, Sep 25, 7:48 a.m.

Think It Over...: Trees can't undo "the damage" all by their lonesome. The current craze of planting trees serves more to reduce the guilt of the individual, which you wonderfully illustrate, rather than mitigate the consequences of human activity. William Catton Jr., author of "Overshoot: The Ecological Basis for Revolutionary ...

Posted Fri, Sep 12, 1:19 a.m.

Make like one...Oh...you already did!: It's funny to watch you ditch that rhetorical punching bag--the "Nanny-State"--as soon as it became convenient. A means to and end, huh? How about...No. All the supposed benefits of trees you allude to don't necessarily apply to an Urban area. There are numerous measures that ...

Posted Wed, Aug 20, 8:50 a.m.

RE: A Couple of Quick Points: How about I don't. A garden does not make you an authoritative voice on the validity of Kunstler's claim one way or another, but its the only thing you mention in your dismissal. How about you actually consider Kunstler's reasoning before condemning it as ...

Posted Mon, Aug 18, 9:10 p.m.

RE: A Couple of Quick Points: I don't understand how you dismiss Kunstler out-right by virtue of a vegetable garden and hens. Kunstler is one of the more astute social critics in the MSM, by my measure--one that extends beyond my taste in landscape and pets. I would also point ...

Posted Mon, Aug 18, 9:01 p.m.

RE: People Don't Respond Like They Should: Dogs bark. People that allow dogs to bark may or may not be jerks, but they most likely are NOT control freaks. Little yappy dogs ARE annoying, though; you sort of remind me of a little yappy dog.

Posted Fri, Aug 1, 11:20 a.m.

Ah schucks...: You mean we won't consume our way to sustainability, Papa Mossback? But I was getting really good at sitting on my butt, consuming lower quality products, and throwing out the old. The only reason I find myself visiting Crosscut is the subject matter of your articles (though, this ...

Posted Tue, Jul 29, 11:43 p.m.

RE: Peak Oil? Hello....: Morrill does ignore Peak Oil. His assertion that trucks will dominate the distribution system appears particularly ridiculous when the industry is redlining @ 5 dollar diesel. But come on...no cars? A well-practiced amateur can distill enough alcohol to keeping a vehicle running with modifications. My buddy ...

Posted Tue, Jul 29, 10:37 p.m.

RE: You think that trucks will be running in 2040?: U.S. production peaked in 1970. In 1972, OPEC was entering its prime. So, I am skeptical about a) your recollection, and/or b) your education. But hey, that book "The Population Bomb" sounds reasonable; I could hardly imagine encountering hysterics in ...

Posted Sat, Jun 28, 7:49 a.m.

Didn't Bother Reading: There is a self-regulating mechanism already in place. As with most attention seeking behavior, one simply ignores it.

Posted Mon, Jun 23, 10:02 a.m.

Just say No to Diminishing Returns.: Did Dougie ride the bus? Did it remind Dougie of those bus rides as a kid? Did Dougie get to ring the bell? Whatever. Given the state of our transportation system, I would like to know what Doug did as Secretary of Transportation, and ...

Posted Sun, Apr 6, 10:19 a.m.

RE: Disability Pride: I don't see how the social and legal institutions underlying slavery can be compared with a State initiative legalizing voluntary euthanasia under specific conditions. What I really don't understand, though, is how you can engage in the narrow minded thinking associated with the prejudice and discrimination you ...

Posted Tue, Mar 18, 9:15 a.m.

RE: The Proper Outcome: I don't see how "The Market" provided any resolution, considering that the deal hinged on the Fed guaranteeing $30 billion in assets (compared to the $250 million in chump change JP Morgan committed). Any deal that leaves the tax-payer on the hook is a "Bailout."

Posted Mon, Jan 21, 1:29 p.m.

520's Fish Habitat: Tim Eyman is no different than the self-serving politicians who act as his foil. He's the product of a feckless people who need a) someone to blame and b) someone to solve their problems. The cartoon qualities of the man are a direct reflection of the fantastical ...

Posted Wed, Jan 9, 1:41 p.m.

Environmentalist Lamborghini?: I'm pessimistic about many of the claims associated with plug-in hybrids. Fuel efficiency alone fails to solve most of the problems stemming from our car-centric culture. Further, one can achieve similar reductions in fuel use by maintaining one's current vehicle in conjunction with trip reductions (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), ...

Posted Mon, Oct 8, 1:23 p.m.

Have your "first-class.": While I agree that the quality of education is on the decline, Mr. Lazowska opinions reflect the elitist thinking that permeates Seattle's social, political and economic upper-crust. His conception of "first-class" participants and "great jobs" do not reflect the realities the average person confronts, and it seems ...

Posted Mon, May 14, 3:30 p.m.

RE: The big boys get all the press, but there is a lot more to it.: I found your post interesting. On a superficial level, it seems the Pacific Northwest could potentially continue its growth, even as the Nation stands on the cusp of a correction. Despite Wall Street records ...

Posted Tue, Apr 10, 1:33 p.m.

Whose perceptions?: You claim that the events are ahead of perceptions. Whose? The Public's? City, State, and Federal Leaders have implemented economic policies in favor of individual's and group's possessing precious resources. At the same time, they have inflated the public's expectations, while playing Identity Politics. Is it any wonder ...

Posted Wed, Apr 4, 11:48 a.m.

The American Dream: Clearly, the Black Community does not feel as if their concerns are being addressed, and as a result, frustration and anger is being expressed in public forums. Unfortunately, these emotional outbursts tend to mute the actual message being voiced. We are emotional animals, yet mature adults control ...