Morning Fizz
Metro Riders Have a bit of Stockholm Syndrome
1. One political factor
we didn't mention in our post about Seattle's potential annexation of White Center yesterday: The debate is shaping up to be (yet another) battle between city council president Richard Conlin and Mayor Mike McGinn
. McGinn, who initially supported annexation (he wanted to put it on the ballot last year), now opposes it, while Conlin is reportedly pushing for a speedy approval.
2. We'll have more to say about Metro's new strategic plan later today (good news: No more 40/40/20!), but we just had to share this chart, which lays out what Metro riders say they care about (on a scale of "big deal" to "not a big deal") and the frequency of various problems Metro riders encounter (on a scale of "high numbers of problems" to "low number of problems.")
From the looks of it, Metro riders have a bit of Stockholm syndrome: Although lack of seats and rude or unsafe drivers are apparently a major problem, most riders say they're not a big deal, suggesting that maybe they've just gotten used to it.
3. Two footnotes on yesterday's Afternoon Jolt, when we A) gave the day's loser to the 15,000 people who were kicked of the Basic Health Plan; and B) gave the day's winner to Puget Sound after the state senate passed its version of the oil spill cleanup bill.
Footnote #1. The 96 to 2 state house vote denying subsidized health care to undocumented immigrants and/or a family of three making more than $24,000 a year—starred Reps. Andrew Billig (D-3, Spokane) (a freshman) and Marko Liias (D-21, Edmonds) who cast the 'No' votes.
Footnote #2. We were a little too generous about the senate version of the oil spill bill.
The house version, which passed the day before, requires oil companies to upgrade their oil spill response capabilities with better equipment and planning. The senate version simply expands a company's liability. With the senate's limited version now in play, Fizz is afraid Puget Sound may actually wind up as a loser when all is said and done this session.
4. This morning, the Seattle Times nudges the school scandal story where it needs to go: What about the contractors who were providing the iffy services? Times writer Jim Brunner reports on the Urban League, which was the biggest recipient ($600,000) of contracts from the suspect program.
For one thing, Brunner has the scoop that Mayor McGinn canceled a $500,000 contract with the Urban League for submitting vague and inaccurate invoices on its youth violence prevention program contract.
2. We'll have more to say about Metro's new strategic plan later today (good news: No more 40/40/20!), but we just had to share this chart, which lays out what Metro riders say they care about (on a scale of "big deal" to "not a big deal") and the frequency of various problems Metro riders encounter (on a scale of "high numbers of problems" to "low number of problems.")
From the looks of it, Metro riders have a bit of Stockholm syndrome: Although lack of seats and rude or unsafe drivers are apparently a major problem, most riders say they're not a big deal, suggesting that maybe they've just gotten used to it.
3. Two footnotes on yesterday's Afternoon Jolt, when we A) gave the day's loser to the 15,000 people who were kicked of the Basic Health Plan; and B) gave the day's winner to Puget Sound after the state senate passed its version of the oil spill cleanup bill.
Footnote #1. The 96 to 2 state house vote denying subsidized health care to undocumented immigrants and/or a family of three making more than $24,000 a year—starred Reps. Andrew Billig (D-3, Spokane) (a freshman) and Marko Liias (D-21, Edmonds) who cast the 'No' votes.
Footnote #2. We were a little too generous about the senate version of the oil spill bill.
The house version, which passed the day before, requires oil companies to upgrade their oil spill response capabilities with better equipment and planning. The senate version simply expands a company's liability. With the senate's limited version now in play, Fizz is afraid Puget Sound may actually wind up as a loser when all is said and done this session.
4. This morning, the Seattle Times nudges the school scandal story where it needs to go: What about the contractors who were providing the iffy services? Times writer Jim Brunner reports on the Urban League, which was the biggest recipient ($600,000) of contracts from the suspect program.
For one thing, Brunner has the scoop that Mayor McGinn canceled a $500,000 contract with the Urban League for submitting vague and inaccurate invoices on its youth violence prevention program contract.
