Morning Fizz
It's Nearly Impossible
1. A new report from the city auditor's department on litter in the city concludes that city policy does not make litter a priority; that there are few incentives for property owners to clean up litter and trash near their properties; that the city has no outreach efforts to prevent litter; and that it's nearly impossible for the city to crack down on any but the most egregious cases on sidewalks outside private property.
The report, which runs to more than 90 pages, recommends that the city strengthen city litter laws that currently allow the city to intervene only when the amount of junk on a sidewalk interferes with pedestrian traffic; that the city change litter rules to bar things like "unsightly" or unsanitary litter on sidewalks; and that it consider charging fees to "specific parks users who are directly responsible for generating ... waste," including dog owners and dog walkers.
Dog waste costs the city an estimated $157,000 a year, the report concludes. Read the whole report here.
[pullquote]Republican Sen. Don Benton (R-17, Vancouver) introduced an amendment that the GOP and conservative Democrats have been insistent on all session: Preventing undocumented immigrants from getting driver's licenses.[/pullquote]
2. Yesterday's senate vote on the transportation budget came to a halt when Republican Sen. Don Benton (R-17, Vancouver) introduced an amendment that the GOP (and conservative Democrats such as Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen) has been insistent on all session: Barring people without valid social security numbers from getting driver's licenses unless they can prove they are in the state legally.
The amendment would prevent undocumented immigrants from getting driver's licenses. Senate majority leader Sen. Lisa Brown (D-3, Spokane) complained that the amendment was outside the scope of the bill, and senators adjourned the session until a ruling could be made. That will likely happen today.
3. City council member Nick Licata will be among the special guests at tonight's edition of One Pot, a semiregular feast featuring dinner prepared by Michael Hebb. Tonight's dinner comes with a conversation starring Licata, Stranger writer Charles Mudede, and author Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts, whose latest book, Harlem is Nowhere: A Journey to the Mecca of Black America," won serious praise from the New York Times , which said it: "makes a startling, alive sound, one you cock your head at an angle to hear." Tickets and more info available here.
4. Also tonight—at the UW—Attorney General Rob McKenna is speaking at a college Republicans event where he's being hyped as a "possible gubernatorial candidate." The college Republicans are promoting the event as "open to all parties." Fizz thinks McKenna's campaign has begun in earnest. It's in at PACCAR Hall, room 192, at 7 pm.
5. Judging from your Facebook "likes" (well over 100) and the stack of comments, we've got another hot edition of ThinkTank in play. This week's topic (featuring op/eds from Washington Roundtable president Steve Mullin and Snohomish English teacher and union leader Justin Fox-Bailey, plus smart commentary from all our ThinkTank members)? The battle over education reform.
The report, which runs to more than 90 pages, recommends that the city strengthen city litter laws that currently allow the city to intervene only when the amount of junk on a sidewalk interferes with pedestrian traffic; that the city change litter rules to bar things like "unsightly" or unsanitary litter on sidewalks; and that it consider charging fees to "specific parks users who are directly responsible for generating ... waste," including dog owners and dog walkers.
Dog waste costs the city an estimated $157,000 a year, the report concludes. Read the whole report here.
[pullquote]Republican Sen. Don Benton (R-17, Vancouver) introduced an amendment that the GOP and conservative Democrats have been insistent on all session: Preventing undocumented immigrants from getting driver's licenses.[/pullquote]
2. Yesterday's senate vote on the transportation budget came to a halt when Republican Sen. Don Benton (R-17, Vancouver) introduced an amendment that the GOP (and conservative Democrats such as Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen) has been insistent on all session: Barring people without valid social security numbers from getting driver's licenses unless they can prove they are in the state legally.
The department shall verify the lawful presence of the applicant through the alien verification for entitlements program administered by the United States citizenship and immigrations services.
The amendment would prevent undocumented immigrants from getting driver's licenses. Senate majority leader Sen. Lisa Brown (D-3, Spokane) complained that the amendment was outside the scope of the bill, and senators adjourned the session until a ruling could be made. That will likely happen today.
3. City council member Nick Licata will be among the special guests at tonight's edition of One Pot, a semiregular feast featuring dinner prepared by Michael Hebb. Tonight's dinner comes with a conversation starring Licata, Stranger writer Charles Mudede, and author Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts, whose latest book, Harlem is Nowhere: A Journey to the Mecca of Black America," won serious praise from the New York Times , which said it: "makes a startling, alive sound, one you cock your head at an angle to hear." Tickets and more info available here.
4. Also tonight—at the UW—Attorney General Rob McKenna is speaking at a college Republicans event where he's being hyped as a "possible gubernatorial candidate." The college Republicans are promoting the event as "open to all parties." Fizz thinks McKenna's campaign has begun in earnest. It's in at PACCAR Hall, room 192, at 7 pm.
5. Judging from your Facebook "likes" (well over 100) and the stack of comments, we've got another hot edition of ThinkTank in play. This week's topic (featuring op/eds from Washington Roundtable president Steve Mullin and Snohomish English teacher and union leader Justin Fox-Bailey, plus smart commentary from all our ThinkTank members)? The battle over education reform.
