Morning Fizz
Contrary to What You Might Believe
1. Today's Afternoon Jolt
is likely to be jarring.
State house Democrats are set to release the budget for the last six months of the 2009-11 biennium this afternoon—Act II of the grim plan the governor announced after the special session in December when the state unveiled $585 billion in savings (mostly cuts).
The state needs to find $1.1 billion overall to end the biennium with a balanced ledger, meaning the state needs to find another $515 million.
The Service Employees International Union already has a protest scheduled outside the offices of the Association of Washington Business to decry cuts to health care while corporate loopholes remain in tact.
2. This post from yesterday is worth repeating: KIRO radio's Luke Burbank reported on Friday that his girlfriend, KUOW reporter Vanessa Romo, witnessed a harrowing scene last week in which two Seattle Police Department officers tackled and punched an apparently homeless jaywalker on Rainier Ave. S., then refused to take down Romo's description of events. The story is similar to a videotaped incident last year in which an officer punched a teenage girl in the face when she resisted arrest while jaywalking across nearby Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. S.
3. Speaking of jaywalking, the Los Angeles-based Blogdowntown has put together a depressing chart showing where the money from each $190 jaywalking ticket in LA goes. We say "depressing" because, contrary to what you might believe, less than 12 percent of jaywalking ticket revenue actually pays for city transportation projects; the rest goes to the county of Los Angeles and the state to pay for things like criminal justice, courthouse construction, and emergency medical services.
Here in Seattle, it's less clear where the money from $56 jaywalking tickets goes; SPD media relations officer Sean Whitcomb told PubliCola he thinks the money goes to the city's general fund, which pays for everything from parks to public safety; the Seattle Municipal Court, which collects fines for jaywalking tickets, was on vacation Monday and could not be reached for clarification.
4. Tonight's meeting of the 43rd District Democrats (Capitol Hill, the U District, parts of downtown) promises some minor fireworks: A contested race for district chair between the 43rd's First Vice Chair, Chris Maryatt, and its Vice Chair for PCO Recruitment, Scott Forbes.
According to sources in the group, Maryatt has an impressive rap, but little experience; Forbes, meanwhile, has been recruiting PCOs (the only members who're allowed to vote) to turn out in force to vote him in. Should be an interesting meeting.
State house Democrats are set to release the budget for the last six months of the 2009-11 biennium this afternoon—Act II of the grim plan the governor announced after the special session in December when the state unveiled $585 billion in savings (mostly cuts).
The state needs to find $1.1 billion overall to end the biennium with a balanced ledger, meaning the state needs to find another $515 million.
The Service Employees International Union already has a protest scheduled outside the offices of the Association of Washington Business to decry cuts to health care while corporate loopholes remain in tact.
2. This post from yesterday is worth repeating: KIRO radio's Luke Burbank reported on Friday that his girlfriend, KUOW reporter Vanessa Romo, witnessed a harrowing scene last week in which two Seattle Police Department officers tackled and punched an apparently homeless jaywalker on Rainier Ave. S., then refused to take down Romo's description of events. The story is similar to a videotaped incident last year in which an officer punched a teenage girl in the face when she resisted arrest while jaywalking across nearby Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. S.
3. Speaking of jaywalking, the Los Angeles-based Blogdowntown has put together a depressing chart showing where the money from each $190 jaywalking ticket in LA goes. We say "depressing" because, contrary to what you might believe, less than 12 percent of jaywalking ticket revenue actually pays for city transportation projects; the rest goes to the county of Los Angeles and the state to pay for things like criminal justice, courthouse construction, and emergency medical services.
Here in Seattle, it's less clear where the money from $56 jaywalking tickets goes; SPD media relations officer Sean Whitcomb told PubliCola he thinks the money goes to the city's general fund, which pays for everything from parks to public safety; the Seattle Municipal Court, which collects fines for jaywalking tickets, was on vacation Monday and could not be reached for clarification.
4. Tonight's meeting of the 43rd District Democrats (Capitol Hill, the U District, parts of downtown) promises some minor fireworks: A contested race for district chair between the 43rd's First Vice Chair, Chris Maryatt, and its Vice Chair for PCO Recruitment, Scott Forbes.
According to sources in the group, Maryatt has an impressive rap, but little experience; Forbes, meanwhile, has been recruiting PCOs (the only members who're allowed to vote) to turn out in force to vote him in. Should be an interesting meeting.
