Morning Fizz
Fresh From the Rejection
1. In a blog post
following up on this past Tuesday's Belltown public safety meeting, City Council member Sally Bagshaw called for the expansion of Seattle's Stay Out of Drug Areas program, which bars defendants arrested in high drug-trafficking areas from returning to those areas after their release.
The program has come under fire from critics who point out that defendants under SODA orders can be arrested for simply being in an area, even if they aren't dealing drugs.
2. Sandeep Kaushik, spokesman for opponents of the liquor-privatization measure I-1105, and Charla Neuman, spokeswoman for the measure, sparred on the Dori Monson radio show on 97.3 FM yesterday.
Have a listen: Compelling points on both sides.
*Full disclosure, Kaushik helped found PubliCola in January 2009. He currently has no editorial or day-to-day role at PubliCola.
3. The Metropolitan Democratic Club made its endorsements for the upcoming November election this week. While the MDC did take sides in one intramural D squabble, endorsing Marcee Stone for 34th District state rep over her two Democratic rivals, Joe Fitzgibbon and Mike Heavey, they did not endorse in the 44th District, where Democrats are likely looking for some guidance in the intramural spat between conservative incumbent Democrat state Sen. Steve Hobbs and insurgent lefty Democrat Lillian Kaufer. Kaufer received the sole endorsement of the Washington State Labor Council last month .
(The MDC, which did endorses in suburban and exurban races like in Redmond, Sea-Tac, Burien, Kent, and Black Diamond, doesn't typically endorse outside King County—the 44th is in Snohomish, outside Everrett, but they plan to endorse in Kaufer's race in the general.)
And more choosing sides in the 34th: Also yesterday, the King County Democrats gave Stone their sole endorsement. Fitzgibbon as we reported picked up the endorsement of SEIU locals and the Washington Federation of State Employees yesterday.
4. Fresh from the rejection of two proposals to fund public-safety and health services in the county (both measures fell short of the six-vote King County Council majority required to put a tax increase on the ballot), county council Democrats have proposed another, much smaller, sales tax increase of 0.01 percent.
The tax would pay to replace the juvenile-detention center at 12th and Alder, which county officials say is so run-down the county has had to spend more than $20 million to keep the lights on and the water running.
Yesterday afternoon, county officials said the facility was, basically, falling apart. Cold water lines produce brown water, hot water has been shut off to lower floors because of leaks, "sewer gases permeate the lower floors due to plumbing problems," and the courtrooms are too small. Jonah Spangenthal-Lee wrote about some of the facility's problems when he was at the Stranger.
With the county in lousy financial shape, it's unclear what implication yesterday's proposal has for the broader tax measures rejected last month. County council members have emphasized the urgency of replacing the facility, which houses juvenile jail, courthouses for juvenile, runaway, and child abuse cases, and provides support for families navigating the legal system.
5. Erica will be on KUOW's weekday this morning to talk about this week's news—including her scoops on Republican King County Council Member Pete von Reichbauer's campaign finances.
6. The Puget Sound Regional Council has responded the Cascade Bicycle Club. (The CBC filed a legal challenge to the PSRC's regional transportation plan, Transportation 2040, earlier this week.)
And over at its website, the CBC responds to the response.
The program has come under fire from critics who point out that defendants under SODA orders can be arrested for simply being in an area, even if they aren't dealing drugs.
2. Sandeep Kaushik, spokesman for opponents of the liquor-privatization measure I-1105, and Charla Neuman, spokeswoman for the measure, sparred on the Dori Monson radio show on 97.3 FM yesterday.
Have a listen: Compelling points on both sides.
*Full disclosure, Kaushik helped found PubliCola in January 2009. He currently has no editorial or day-to-day role at PubliCola.
3. The Metropolitan Democratic Club made its endorsements for the upcoming November election this week. While the MDC did take sides in one intramural D squabble, endorsing Marcee Stone for 34th District state rep over her two Democratic rivals, Joe Fitzgibbon and Mike Heavey, they did not endorse in the 44th District, where Democrats are likely looking for some guidance in the intramural spat between conservative incumbent Democrat state Sen. Steve Hobbs and insurgent lefty Democrat Lillian Kaufer. Kaufer received the sole endorsement of the Washington State Labor Council last month .
(The MDC, which did endorses in suburban and exurban races like in Redmond, Sea-Tac, Burien, Kent, and Black Diamond, doesn't typically endorse outside King County—the 44th is in Snohomish, outside Everrett, but they plan to endorse in Kaufer's race in the general.)
And more choosing sides in the 34th: Also yesterday, the King County Democrats gave Stone their sole endorsement. Fitzgibbon as we reported picked up the endorsement of SEIU locals and the Washington Federation of State Employees yesterday.
4. Fresh from the rejection of two proposals to fund public-safety and health services in the county (both measures fell short of the six-vote King County Council majority required to put a tax increase on the ballot), county council Democrats have proposed another, much smaller, sales tax increase of 0.01 percent.
The tax would pay to replace the juvenile-detention center at 12th and Alder, which county officials say is so run-down the county has had to spend more than $20 million to keep the lights on and the water running.
Yesterday afternoon, county officials said the facility was, basically, falling apart. Cold water lines produce brown water, hot water has been shut off to lower floors because of leaks, "sewer gases permeate the lower floors due to plumbing problems," and the courtrooms are too small. Jonah Spangenthal-Lee wrote about some of the facility's problems when he was at the Stranger.
With the county in lousy financial shape, it's unclear what implication yesterday's proposal has for the broader tax measures rejected last month. County council members have emphasized the urgency of replacing the facility, which houses juvenile jail, courthouses for juvenile, runaway, and child abuse cases, and provides support for families navigating the legal system.
5. Erica will be on KUOW's weekday this morning to talk about this week's news—including her scoops on Republican King County Council Member Pete von Reichbauer's campaign finances.
6. The Puget Sound Regional Council has responded the Cascade Bicycle Club. (The CBC filed a legal challenge to the PSRC's regional transportation plan, Transportation 2040, earlier this week.)
And over at its website, the CBC responds to the response.
hearing of juvenile, runaway, and child abuse and neglect cases
