Morning Fizz
Threatened with Privatization
1. A fundraising email from the Washington State Democrats
titled "It hasn't happened since statehood" begins:
The letter goes on to ask for cash so Democrats will be prepared for the big deal 2012 election.
1889?
Fact check , Washington State had a new congressional district (the 9th) and voted for president, senate, and governor in 1992.
Despite getting their trivia wrong, the Democrats should take heart. They won all those '92 races: Mike Kreidler in the 9th, Bill Clinton for president, Patty Murray for senate, and Mike Lowry for governor.
2. Never mind privatizing liquor stores. The latest government service to be threatened with privatization? Driving tests. State Rep. Dave Upthegrove (D-33, Des Moines, Seatac) wants private driving schools to take over giving the driving test. His goal is to shorten the lines at state Department of Licensing offices. Contracting out the driving tests to the 160 driving schools statewide would free up Dept. of Licensing employee time and would eliminate lines overnight, according to the director of the department of licensing, Upthegrove says.
Upthegrove's bill would also make drivers renew driver's licenses every six years instead of five, which would mean 15 to 20 percent fewer people coming in every year.
3. Mayor Mike McGinn's office, responding to our story yesterday about the elimination of the city's domestic violence division, says (again) that the city won't be cutting its own domestic violence services, which cost the city about $4.6 million a year. McGinn spokesman Aaron Pickus notes that the city will still have six staff devoted to DV prevention and other services, who will work under the future director of the newly proposed Community Support and Self-Sufficiency Division.
But as we noted in our reporting yesterday, the concern among DV (and sexual-assault prevention advocates) isn't about the city's direct funding; it's about the city's perceived support for the many DV and sexual-assault agencies that rely on city support to get grants from the federal government---as the director of the King County Coalition Against Domestic Violence pointed out. Without a specific division devoted to DV and sexual assault prevention, advocates worry that they won't be able to convince grant funders at the federal level to continue supporting their programs.
4. In case you missed yesterday's Afternoon Jolt : Olympia AP reporter Curt Woodward is leaving the bureau to go work for an online only news startup. He'll be the second staff reporter at Xconomy, the Seattle site that covers start ups, biotech, and venture capital.
We haven't had an election with races for President, Governor, Senate, and a new Congressional district since Washington became a state in 1889.
But it’s going to happen next year.
The letter goes on to ask for cash so Democrats will be prepared for the big deal 2012 election.
1889?
Fact check , Washington State had a new congressional district (the 9th) and voted for president, senate, and governor in 1992.
Despite getting their trivia wrong, the Democrats should take heart. They won all those '92 races: Mike Kreidler in the 9th, Bill Clinton for president, Patty Murray for senate, and Mike Lowry for governor.
2. Never mind privatizing liquor stores. The latest government service to be threatened with privatization? Driving tests. State Rep. Dave Upthegrove (D-33, Des Moines, Seatac) wants private driving schools to take over giving the driving test. His goal is to shorten the lines at state Department of Licensing offices. Contracting out the driving tests to the 160 driving schools statewide would free up Dept. of Licensing employee time and would eliminate lines overnight, according to the director of the department of licensing, Upthegrove says.
Upthegrove's bill would also make drivers renew driver's licenses every six years instead of five, which would mean 15 to 20 percent fewer people coming in every year.
3. Mayor Mike McGinn's office, responding to our story yesterday about the elimination of the city's domestic violence division, says (again) that the city won't be cutting its own domestic violence services, which cost the city about $4.6 million a year. McGinn spokesman Aaron Pickus notes that the city will still have six staff devoted to DV prevention and other services, who will work under the future director of the newly proposed Community Support and Self-Sufficiency Division.
But as we noted in our reporting yesterday, the concern among DV (and sexual-assault prevention advocates) isn't about the city's direct funding; it's about the city's perceived support for the many DV and sexual-assault agencies that rely on city support to get grants from the federal government---as the director of the King County Coalition Against Domestic Violence pointed out. Without a specific division devoted to DV and sexual assault prevention, advocates worry that they won't be able to convince grant funders at the federal level to continue supporting their programs.
4. In case you missed yesterday's Afternoon Jolt : Olympia AP reporter Curt Woodward is leaving the bureau to go work for an online only news startup. He'll be the second staff reporter at Xconomy, the Seattle site that covers start ups, biotech, and venture capital.
