crosscut.com : Seattle City Hall

Sausage Links, slow news day edition

Crosscut — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 12:00:01 PDT

The editorial board at the Stranger posted their interview with Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire yesterday — and boy, did she get defensive. Along with saying Republican challenger Dino Rossi's latest ads were "racist" and offensive, the governor got fussy on rapid transit relief, gay marriage, and the economy. Meanwhile, Fox News is ~~making its case~~ reporting on Gregoire's continuing battle with Republicans over tribal gaming compacts, while Rossi will reportedly be endorsed by the Seattle Police Officers' Guild later today. ...

Seattle's money madness

Crosscut — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 05:00:01 PDT

The region is facing an economic slowdown, multiple budget crises, and big tax increases. Without a rapid, realistic response by voters and policy makers, November could be ugly.

Sausage Links, debating the polls edition

Crosscut — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:00:01 PDT

Washington state pollster Stuart Elway unveiled his latest poll — and it's a doozy. Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire is crushing GOP challenger Dino Rossi by 16 points. A SurveyUSA poll taken last week, however, showed Gregoire only up 49 percent to 46 percent — a pretty big discrepancy. Either way, voters will get a chance to refine their choices in coming months, as the two gubernatorial candidates agreed yesterday to debate at least three times before the Nov. 4 general election. So far, the debates would be in Seattle, Yakima, and Spokane. ...

Sausage Links, endorsement edition

Crosscut — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:03:01 PDT

It turned out to be a lucky weekend for civil litigator and state Supreme Court candidate Michael Bond, who got an endorsement Sunday from The Seattle Times because he is not his opponent.

In Seattle, let the people 'chill'

Crosscut — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 00:00:01 PDT

Politicians have resorted to some some pretty childish arguments in defense of policies in recent days.

Sausage Links, bag fees and phone ban edition

Crosscut — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 11:37:01 PDT

Plastic bag fees are so rive gauche. First, Seattle instated a 20-cent fee on disposable plastic bags. Then Portland decided to consider a similar idea. Now, the residents of Pullman say they want a bag fee, too. ...

Seattle wades into the taxi tangle

Crosscut — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 03:00:01 PDT

Drivers, at considerable risk, have been telling the City Council how the industry really works. The City Council is now looking at making taxis greener, fairer to drivers, and better for customers.

Sausage Links, no pun intended edition

Crosscut — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 13:43:01 PDT

Seattle Post-Inteliigencer political writer Chris McGann reports how Republican gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi's opposition to abortion, gay marriage, gun control, stem cell research and gay rights' expansion has been underplayed by his campaign in an effort to sway liberal voters. Rossi, however, says those aren't the issues he's running on. Meanwhile, Josh Feit at the Stranger has some potentially bad news for Gregoire — the ominous Obama-Rossi yard sign juxtaposition. ...

Seattle City Hall stares at $50 million in cuts

Crosscut — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:00:01 PDT

As the economy shrinks tax revenue, the mayor and City Council are making cuts, with more to come next year. One possible casualty would be 20 to 25 promised new cops.

To lower housing prices, look at Chicago

Crosscut — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 17:31:01 PDT

Median condominium prices in Chicago, notes Harvard urban economist Edward Glaeser, are $232,000. That's very low, even a shade under those in Trenton, N.J. (The King County median price for condos is $285,000.) What do those smart urbanists in Chicago know about affordability?

Is Big Nanny running your town?

Crosscut — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:43:01 PDT

The libertarian magazine Reason has published a list of the biggest nanny cities in the country. The results for the big cities on the Pacific Coast are interesting. Portland is caught in a kind of "nanny sandwich" between Seattle and San Francisco. Apparently, the most ecotopian town in the Pacific Northwest has escaped the worst excess of politically correct fussiness.

Sausage Links, plastic bag identification edition

Crosscut — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:56:01 PDT

Democratic congressional candidate Darcy Burner is sitting on a boatload of cash. So far she's raised $1.2 million, while her opponent, Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Auburn, has only received $916,000 from donors. David Goldstein at Horse's Ass has more coverage. ...

The good, the bad, and the vexing

Crosscut — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:14:01 PDT

Here are start-of-week cheers and Bronx cheers. First, the good stuff: Dave Niehaus in the Baseball Hall of Fame and justice at Fort Lawton.

Sausage Links, beer for thought edition

Crosscut — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:12:01 PDT

Is beer the sleeper issue of the 2008 election? The folks at FiveThirtyEight seem to think so. Apparently, Cindy McCain's company, Hensley & Co., is set to make at least a million bucks from InBev's takeover of Anheuser Busch — a merger which Sen. Barack Obama called a "shame" and which has already sparked some antitrust interest. ...

You can fight City Hall

Crosscut — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 00:00:01 PDT

Of course, you might not win. Dennis Saxman, a self-described thorn in the side of Seattle officials, has just lost one battle involving the design review process — and he's launched another.

A dramatic vote in favor of a rail transit plan

Crosscut — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:00:01 PDT

The weight of 40 years of paralysis about transit planning played a role in the Sound Transit decision to try one more time to convince the voters of the need for more light rail.

Sausage Links, transit migraine edition —Â part deux

Crosscut — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:00:01 PDT

Want to know if the new light rail line will stop in your neck of the woods? Any minute now, the Sound Transit board is expected to approve this map of proposed transit routes to be placed on the ballot. For now, here's the buzz:

Sausage Links, transit migraine edition

Crosscut — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:00:01 PDT

Ready to pay $6.85 round-trip to drive across the 520 bridge? Me neither. That's the proposed toll that would raise money to help pay for improvements to the floating fossil. But the idea of a toll begs another question, something I've been dying to get reader input about: Do you think having a toll on local bridges like 520 will sway voters to vote for the proposed light rail measure this November? Thoughts?

Presto! A Seattle parks levy!

Crosscut — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:00:01 PDT

In the man-bites-dog department, we have a City Council deciding to defy Mayor Greg Nickels and put a parks levy on the fall ballot. Here's how something that "never happens" actually happened.

Sausage Links, cats, bats, and politicians edition

Crosscut — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:07:01 PDT

Remember when everyone thought Democratic congressional candidate Darcy Burner wasn't going to get extra money from the party to beat U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Auburn? Well, think again. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has "reserved $949,000 of air time to boost Burner's campaign." Here's the reaction from the right-wingers at Sound Politics. ...