Isn't It Weird That ... 

Although mayoral candidate (and state Sen., D-43) Ed Murray has been touting the concept of a "family justice center"—essentially, a one-stop shop for domestic violence survivors—as his idea, city documents show Mayor Mike McGinn proposed exactly the same thing some nine months ago? 

Two day's ago, Murray's consultant Sandeep Kaushik told PubliCola that McGinn was "playing catchup and copycat," imitating Murray's proposal to build a "family justice center" that would give domestic violence victims a single point of contact for resources like housing, counseling, and law enforcement. 

City documents show Mayor Mike McGinn proposed exactly the same thing some nine months ago.However, McGinn actually proposed a family justice center—which he's now calling a domestic violence response center, because not everyone who needs DV-related services is involved in the criminal justice system—back in January 2013. 

According to the city's January Domestic Violence Strategic Plan, the family justice center would "focus on victim safety & services, not just criminal prosecution" and "involve community-based victim services ... with planning, development, and implementation." 

Kaushik is undeterred. Now he says McGinn isn't proposing anything original. "This idea has been around since the Nickels Administration," he says.

Which doesn't exactly square with his claim that McGinn is copying Murray's new idea.

Isn't It Weird That... 

Kshama Sawant, the Socialist candidate who's running against city council member Richard Conlin, is campaigning on a proposal to raise Seattle's minimum wage to $15 an hour (it's even on her campaign signs)—yet, in a Craigslist ad seeking campaign door-knockers to promote Sawant's campaign, she offers a wage of just $10 an hour (barely above the existing Washington state minimum of $9.19 an hour)? 

"We are challenging the corporate policies of the Seattle City Council and fighting for a $15 an hour minimum wage, affordable housing through rent control, and a Millionaires Tax to fund mass transit and education," the ad says, before noting: "Compensation: $10/hour."

We have a message out to Sawant about the seeming contradiction.