State law requires that properties be physically inspected once every six years to insure that tax assessments are accurate. It is being reported that Pierce County skipped more than 181,000 residential parcels. That's more than half of the parcels in the county. Former assessor employees are confirming that the inspections were [...]
It looks like the Duke of Chowder, Duke Miscrop may be running for mayor of Seattle. A couple of early observations from a blogger who is firmly in the "anybody but Nickels" camp; this race could get interesting.
First, what once looked like an unopposed [...]
While same-sex marriage is not legal in Washington, a new measure that passed the Senate on Tuesday gives domestic partners all of the rights and benefits afforded to married couples. The bills sponsor, Ed Murray, D-Seattle, who was at the forefront on the current domestic partnership law established two years ago, [...]
Vice President Joe Biden officially named Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske as the administration's choice for Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. In an interesting twist, President Obama downgraded the Drug Czar position to non-cabinet level status.
Ironically, Biden criticized the same move by George [...]
Red County will be introducing a brand new site next week! A new look, new features the addition of new contributors, plus a few surprises, are all part of the exciting changes in store at Red County. We fully intend to provide readers with the very best online source for regional political [...]
King County is facing some budgetary shortfalls and their choice of vendors for office supplies isn't helping matters. Of the four companies that gave bids for a 5-year office supply deal, they went with.....the highest bidder. This move could cost taxpayers several hundred thousand dollars in unecessary expense.The Evergreen Freedom Foundation has rolled out a new blog focused on cases before the Washington State Supreme Court. The new site will provide insight and analysis and serve as a great resource for citizens interested in learning more about a particular legal topic or justice.
The site [...]
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer will likely stop publishing the paper in March but employees are seeking funds for an online version.
Reporter Daniel Lathrop has this to say:
"In the short run, the hope really lies with grant makers, foundations, and individuals who have a large sum of money" [...]
Evergreen State College has conducted an internal audit, the results of which have Labor Center Director Peter Kardas in a tizzy. The audit found the Labor Center guilty of 10 violations, including state ethics laws.
Kardas responded to the audit findings by issuing an open letter accusing the college of [...]
(Speaker) Representative Frank Chopp (D - Seattle) and (Majority Leader) Senator Lisa Brown (D - Spokane) like the Emperor Nero (Nera??) are fiddling while Olympia burns.
Case in point:
Recently, the House unanimously sent HB 1835 to the Senate. That bill replaces the words "mental retardation" with the words "intellectual" [...]
Congressman Reichert may no longer wear a Sheriff's badge but he clearly hasn't lost his knack for administering a thorough interrogation. In the case, it was Treasury Secretary Geithner who was under the hot light.
Reichert pressed Geithner on a number of issues including free trade, tax hikes and' [...]
Cathy McMorris Rodgers, (R-5th District) is featured as "Representative of the Week" on the House Republican's YouTube page. This week's topic is the proposed nationalization of 401k plans.
Rodgers is serving her third term in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is Vice Chair in the House Republican Conference, [...]
This site provides a comprehensive look at "shovel ready" projects that are on the table for our state. These have not been green-lighted but were submitted by mayors in the 2008 U.S. Conference of Mayors report.
The total cost for projects submitted for Washington State is $1,713,748,676.00 [...]
Over at The News Tribune's Political Buzz blog, Joe Turner takes aim at House and Senate Democrats for complaining that their pathetically paltry efforts at tackling the $8 billion deficit aren't getting much press. An excerpt:
[Speaker] Chopp told us Thursday that next week, he will share with us' [...]
King County Assessor Scott Noble was involved in a head-on collision last month and state troopers say his blood alcohol level was nearly three time the legal limit. Noble is under investigation for DUI and vehicular assault. He has been county assessor since 1992.
Noble spent close to two [...]
The King County Council will consider an ordinance that would prohibit pet owners from confining their pets outdoors for long periods of time. I'm typically not in favor of government dictating behavior at this level, but I make an exception when it comes to pets.' [...] The Taxpayer Revolt Tea Party movement is gaining steam and Seattle is in the mix. There will be an event this Friday at Westlake Park from 12:15pm - 1:15 pm. (Near Fourth Avenue and Pine) 14 other cities across the country will be holding events as well.
Event organizer Keli Carender had [...]
City officials have told employees that layoffs are on the way. The Department of Planning and Development will see a reduction in staff as a result of fewer permit requests and an overall slowing in building activity. The economic downturn will likely impact other city employees as budget projections continue [...]
Senator Patty Murray has her hands in the pork barrel and says a multi-million dollar earmark slated for the Northwest will create jobs immediately. The provision will allow the Bonneville Power Administration to incur an additional 3.25 billion dollars in debt for future construction projects. The problem is that those construction [...]
Here are all the presidents in morphed sequence. Happy President's Day!
House Republicans stood strong today in unanimous opposition to the massive $787 billion dollar stimulus package. The bill passed the House with Democrats pulling back three of their own who sided with the GOP the first time around.
Congressman Dave Reichert (8th-District, WA.) had this to say:
"Americans are scared, and people are hurting, but" [...]
Carolyn Maloney, D-New York, has sponsored a bill that would ban oil exploration and logging in five northwest states. The Northern Rockies Ecosystem Kumbaya Protection Act would affect 500,000 acres in eastern Washington.
Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Montana, had this to say:
"Montana doesn't need Washington, D.C. imposing its'" [...]
There is a bill in the Washington state Legislature that would allow illegal immigrants to qualify for student aid. Is it not enough that we extend in state tuition rates to people who are here illegally? Dave Quall, D-Mount Vernon doesn't seem to think so. He is the sponsor the' [...]
Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske is moving up. He has accepted a job as head of the Office of National Drug Policy. Chief Kerlikowske has served 8 years in his current role with the Seattle Police Department.
The Cabinet-level position was established in 1988 and requires Senate confirmation. If confirmed, Kerlikowske [...]
State Senator Pam Roach R-Auburn appears to have been the lone voice of reason during a discussion of a bill that would abolish the death penalty. Washington Coilition to Abolish the Death Penalty president, Jeff Ellis was testifying in support of the bill when [...]
Alex Rodriguez is one of the very best players in Seattle sports history. Love him or hate him, he was probably the greatest ballplayer to ever wear a Mariners jersey. Unfortunately, it looks like all that athleticism wasn't entirely genetic. A-Rod has admitted to juicing and I have real trouble believing that he realized the "benefits" of steroids after' [...]
Civic duty calls! Governor Gregoire has been called for jury duty in Thurston County. What are the odds of a very, very long trial and a sequestered jury? Come on judge....
This from her Communications Director:
The Governor was called for jury duty this morning. No, I am not kidding. She is currently at the Thurston [...]
King County Executive Ron Sims has been nominated by president Obama for the number two slot at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
"I will serve the President and the administration's policies," Sims said. "I am truly humbled to be asked to join this team. If I am confirmed," [...]
The Seattle PI editorializes today that the GOP is "out of touch" because of its 100% opposition in the House of Representatives to Obama's $800 billion plan for throwing money at every special interest imagineable "stimulating" the economy.
Elections matter -- and the country voted to give President Barack Obama' [...]
The Washington State House of Representatives has introduced a bill that would provide government assistance for spaying and neutering pets. The total cost to the state would be $105,973,000.
HB 1406, titled AN ACT Relating to providing assistance to spay and neuter certain animals, has been introduced in the House of Representatives. [...]
Christine Gregoire may have defeated Dino Rossi in November, but it looks like she might have been paying attention to his stump speeches. While the Queen is a long way from winning over conservatives, some of her recent decisions provide a glimmer of hope. She is definitely governing closer to the center than [...]
Seattle-based coffee giant Starbucks may be laying off up to a third of its headquarters employees. The cuts could come as early as next week.
Starbucks closed 600 of its stores and cut roughly 2000 jobs last year. Hours have also been trimmed to help deal with the [...]
Governor Gregoire is looking to D.C. for help in dealing with storm damage that has wreaked havoc in several counties here in Western Washington. The Queen has asked President Obama (still have trouble typing that) to declare a federal disaster in 9 counties.
The counties hit hardest by the damage were [...]
After botching the oath of office at the inauguration President Obama felt the need to retake the oath, just in case. Chief Justice Roberts was summoned to the White House for an encore yesterday and only two reporters were allowed to witness the do-over.
Apparently Obama did not feel the [...]
For all the pomp and circumstance of yesterday's inaugural ceremony there is one interesting statistic to note; Ronald Reagan's inauguration had more television viewers. Here are the numbers: 41,800,260 to 37,793,008 A Washington State appeals court has unanimously agreed that the law banning sex between a teacher and a student is "ambiguous" if the student is 18 years old. The three judge panel dismissed a case against a Hoquiam High School choir teacher accused of having sex with an 18 year [...]
"I have wondered at times what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the US Congress."[...]
Ronald Reagan
Here's a fun site to tinker with: www.obamicon.me. In the spirit of the times, I made some posters in commemoration of Washington' s Glorious Triumvirate.
Senate Bill 5104 was introduced in the state legislature yesterday by Senator Rosa Franklin. (D-Tacoma) The bill would create a Washington state income tax for:
"the stated purpose of providing the necessary revenues for the support of vital state services on a more stable and equitable basis."
Extremely doubtful this bill [...]
Interesting remark by House Speaker Frank Chopp (D-Seattle) today. Talking about the "jobs package" (read: government spending) the Democrats are pushing, Chopp had this to say about the state budget:
"'The budget is not just a financial book of numbers,' he said. 'It is a [...]
The legislative session began today and not all Democrats are on the same page. Many are upset with Governor Gregoire for her decision not to raise taxes and to cut spending. The governor is also being sued by three seperate unions for not including pay increases in the budget.
[...]
The Alaskan Way Viaduct will be replaced with an underground tunnel. The viaduct was damaged in the 2001 earthquake and has been deemed unsafe by most standards. The decision to create a tunnel follows a contentious debate between city, county and state officials regarding how to address the failing structure. Governor Gregoire will [...]
"Democracy is worth dying for, because it's the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man."[...]
Ronald Reagan
Representative Reichert responded to Boeing's recent jobs report and their announcement of pending layoffs. Reichert, who was recently appointed to the House Ways and Means Committee, had this to say:
"Today's grim news confirms what we already know - that the economic troubles we face reach all corners of America, touching [...]
Seattle's oldest newspaper is for sale and if the Hearst Corp. does not find a buyer within 60 days, it will close or function as an online source of news only. Hearst has said that they will no longer publish the P-I in print form.
Candace Heckman, the P-I's [...]
Representative Dave Reichert (R-8th District) was named to the House Ways and Means Committee. Reichert, who was just sworn in for his third term in Congress, joins fellow Washingtonian Jim McDermott (D-7th District) on the Committee.
Here's what Mr. Reichert had to say on the issue:
"I'm honored to accept [...]
Washington State Representative Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (5th District) will chair a 10 member panel to look at ways to reform earmark spending. The panel will make their recommendations by February 16th.
Earmark reform is long overdue and a critical step on the road to a return to fiscal responsibility. The Lincoln [...]
"Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves. "[...]
Ronald Reagan
Dori Monson has a great post on mynorthwest.com regarding Mayor Nickels' ongoing leadership failures and the loss of public confidence in his ability to do the job. Once again, Dori hits the nail on the head. The more I listen to Dori, the more I think he should be on KVI [...]
Some lawmakers are so eager to get their ideas moving they pre-file bills for an upcoming legislative session. Once in a while, when I need a good laugh, I take a look at the list. I wasn't disappointed this time.
Because I'm probably going to need one to pay the tax hike coming if the Washington Federation of State Employees succeeds in its lawsuit against the governor. WFSE contends the governor had no legal right to not include their recent agreement in her proposed 2009-11 budget. The governor's office [...]
Apparently President-elect Obama is getting frustrated with the incessant media attention and the hordes of reporters following his every move. This morning I came across the news story "Obama bristles as the bubble closes in on him." Which immediately reminded me of this scene from Monty Python's Life of Brian:
