Last Friday, I and much of the Washington lefty establishment, noted that State Sen. Jan Angel at the behest of Rodney Tom killed funding for state homeless programs. Anyway, finally Senator Angel has decided to address the problem head on. By demanding that Governor Inslee study the issue to death.

Sen. Jan Angel today sent a letter to the governor requesting his leadership in establishing a task force to evaluate funding sources for local homeless housing and assistance.

Her decision to hold House Bill 2368, a measure that would extend a temporary surcharge tax to support homelessness, in the financial institutions, housing and insurance committee has caused a flurry of controversy and inaccurate accusations, despite her good intentions.

“I was half an inch away from being homeless myself, so this issue is extremely important to me, despite what others are so quick to assume,” said Angel, R-Port Orchard. “People need to understand all of the facts surrounding an issue before they point fingers.”

Yeah, just because she withheld funds, how dare you ignore her personal story? Don’t you understand individual, unverified, claims are more important than the actual policy she pushes? Stop holding her to account for her actions, you meanies.

Angel said her main concerns about HB 2368 have to do with a lack of supporting data and reporting from the state Department of Commerce, strong discord among involved stakeholders, and the fact that the surcharge tax falls on the backs of one small and unpredictable sector.

That’s why she didn’t go through the normal committee process and instead killed it in a surprise legislative move. A move that caught even most of her GOP colleagues off guard. If she had wanted more reporting or more information, well, she’s the chair of the relevant committee. She could have made that happen without killing funding. For God’s Sake.

“This isn’t a matter of being for or against homeless people. This is about finding a sustainable solution that is agreed upon by all affected stakeholders – things that the measure did not do.

Look, it isn’t a matter of being against homeless people; It’s a matter of taking action against homeless people. And then waiting a week to find a way to deflect the actual reasons that you did it.

“That’s why I have called on the governor for his leadership. I am sure that he would agree that Washingtonians living in cars should be at the top of our priority list.

Jan Angel has called on the governor to lead, because we can be assured of one thing: Jan Angel will not lead on her own. No, what we need most of all in these troubled times is a commission or something. And, in the mean time, if people are hungry or cold we can just tell them, “there’s a taskforce in some office in Olympia leadershipping.”

“When you are put in a leadership position, you have to be willing to make the tough calls for the betterment of people. As co-chair of the committee, I decided to hold the measure because I know we can do better.”

But even after a week, I have no idea what better is. Leadership, as you know, is having no ideas and asking for someone else to rescue you from you own actions.

Angel said the current surcharge tax is at the mercy of virtually one industry that experiences severe peaks and dips depending on the economy. Instead of putting this kind of responsibility on the backs of one small sector, she is looking to the governor to help pull everyone together to evaluate more stable and permanent funding options that would truly meet the needs of the homeless.

Of course, the governor would have had more time to figure that out if she hadn’t killed the funding in a surprise last minute maneuver.

Kudos to Senator Pedersen for this bit of throwing the GOP nonsense back in their face.

Sen. Mike Baumgartner, R-Spokane, and Sen. Doug Ericksen, R-Ferndale, introduced amendments to the transportation bill that triggered alarms for Sen. Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle. Ericksen’s amendment sought to pay the 520 bridge replacement costs with toll revenues. “I wanted to stop the gigantic sucking sound” of 520 overruns, Ericksen said. Baumgartner’s amendment would have made Seattle’s property owners responsible for cost overruns on the downtown tunnel project. Baumgartner was unavailable for comment after the Senate showdown.

[…]

Pedersen decided to introduce to file his own amendment to make the property owners of Medina, at the east end of the 520 bridge, liable for cost overruns on the 520 project. “My objective is to get rid of those two (Ericksen and Baumgartner) amendments,” said Pedersen midway through Tuesday night’s showdown.

Ericksen withdrew his amendment. Then the Senate passed Pedersen’s amendment to put Medina on the hook for 520 overruns by a voice vote — in which senators shout as groups or stand in groups to show their positions without a formal roll call. The vote on Pedersen’s amendment showed that some Republicans wanted to have Medina pay for 520 cost overruns, or at least wanted to punish Tom.

In the end, neither provision was in the final Senate Supplemental Transportation Budget. It’s nice that a Seattle Democrat is willing to throw an elbow. And look, something good actually came out of it. If Seattle Democrats are a bit more willing to throw a punch now and again, that probably bodes well for future projects.

Also, it’s nice that enough GOP members were willing to throw Tom under the bus. Or at least Medina, and that’s somewhat less nice. Either they don’t like Tom as much as many Democrats (but are still willing to make him Majority Leader!), or they really can’t tell the difference between Seattle and the suburbs with their hate. In some ways their irrational hatred of Seattle is an irrational hatred of the Puget Sound region. As much as Tom may go out of his to demonize Seattle, Medina — and the whole of the Eastside and for that matter all of King County — are just about as hated by the people who hate Seattle.

– Welcome back Goldy.

– Is the marbled murrelet habitat on the Olympic Peninsula worth $600,000?

– Too much rain, you guys. It’s starting to get expensive for King County and the rest of Western Washington.

– It seems to me that putting young people and their families thousands of dollars into debt for a fraud is more than just a little bit evil and more than just a little bit sinful.

– With all the problems with Russia, one could be forgiven for being distracted from what North Korea is doing, but what the fuck is North Korea doing?

– Justice James Johnson is not a favorite around here, but I wish him the speediest of recoveries.

– Welcome to the Pac 12 Women’s Basketball tourney.

I’m pro this times 1 billion.

• Where: The gondola would run from Freeway Park next to the Convention Center down to the waterfront, staying above Union Street. A midway station would sit between First and Second Avenues on Union, which would have to narrow from three to two lanes of traffic to accommodate the station.

• What it looks like: Eight towers would support the cable and cars, each shaped like a whalebone and taking up only three feet square on the sidewalk. The cars would travel about 40 to 50 feet above traffic, and well above the cables used by city buses.

• Who the heck is paying for it: The entire enterprise, which will cost “tens of millions of dollars,” according to Griffith, is privately funded. No taxpayer money will be used, says the elder Griffith, “and by being privately funded, there’s a strong possibility it will happen.”

That sounds pretty fun, and as long as taxpayers aren’t on the hook for it, sure. I mean the Convention Center to the Waterfront is pretty walkable, but still, it’s probably easier to point to the big sky machine, and say “hop in.” I like the Ferris Wheel, and sure, why not? If they can make another high up thing, only this time practical, go for it.

– Mark Driscoll should probably consider just stopping for a while until he can get past the plagiarism stuff. Don’t worry, buddy. The asshole church you built will still be there when you get back.

– This is a lovely story from when Multnomah County issued marriage licenses to gay couples.

– Some of the writing from the Times makes me wonder if the newsprint ink they’re using is actually liquified privilege. But let’s check out the latest…

– It’s sort of dizzying to look at the map of bikes that have been stolen in Seattle.

– At least the Renaissance popes commissioned grand architecture and art. These kids mostly just cash checks.

– In a previous Open Thread, I said that I was sorry for the people who lost money on Bitcoin. That’s still mostly true, but there are exceptions.

Well, this is good news.

A new policy for the Seattle Police Department aims to change how officers handle crisis situations with people who are mentally ill or under the influence. The crisis intervention policy, which takes effect Monday, is part of the city’s federally-mandated police reforms.

A key component calls for officers to de-escalate a situation whenever feasible, in line with standard law enforcement practices.

I hope this has a real change in the interactions with people with mental illness, not just some window dressing for the Feds and the public. The department has been resistant to change, and a new policy alone isn’t going to be enough. The actions of the police will be the final measure.

Still, this new policy will include gathering measurable data, so even with the need to temper it above, I’m also hopeful.

– I don’t want to sound like an alarmist here but aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah mice.

– Matchar is correct, in that way. Some of the MRM’s views are reflected more widely across society, which is why we don’t need them for this discussion. They are superfluous and should be left in their corner. We have real work to do.

– I’m just going to put this out there: don’t send threatening emails to school staff

– The world on the other side of their fence is vast and free and beautiful.

– Marthe Gautier, another woman scientist trivialized

– Hillary Clinton was in Cascadia, but no media.

– Something something Ukraine.

– Something something The Oscars.

I just can’t with this asshole.

You know where American Democracy™ fails? In little rooms in Olympia where petty politics play out, the poor get trampled upon, and it’s all hidden from view. Yesterday afternoon, after TVW turned off its cameras at a Senate Financial Institutions, Housing, and Insurance Committee hearing, State Sen. Jan Angel (R-27) suddenly, to the astonishment of her colleagues, killed off a bill that funds most of the state’s homeless programs by ending the hearing before bringing it up.

Senate Majority Leader Rodney Tom called Angel and told her to table the bill, Sen. Steve Hobbs (D-44) says, adding that Tom told him that directly. And rumors abound that Tom did it merely to perturb Speaker Frank Chopp. “There’s those theories out there,” says Hobbs. “He didn’t say he wants to poke Frank Chopp in the eye, but I think everyone knows what Frank Chopp’s thing is.” Housing has long been Chopp’s signature issue.

Now I realize that homeless people don’t give campaign contributions, so why would Rodney Tom give the slightest damn about them? Basic empathy? Human decency? Some tiny sense, somewhere, that we’re all in this together? The merest, most scant, sense of caring about dignity for other people? What the fuck is that to Rodney Tom when there are political points to be scored?

The China News Service has decided to run some hurtful, and frankly sloppy, attacks on Ambassador Locke.

“Gary Locke is a U.S.-born, third-generation Chinese-American, and his being a banana — ‘yellow skin and white heart’ — became an advantage for Obama’s foreign policy,” opened the commentary, written by a person identified as Wang Ping…

“However,” the commentary continued, “after a while, a banana will inevitably start to rot.”

[…]

Then there was this nugget:

“When Gary Locke arrived, the skies in Beijing became hazy. When he left, the skies suddenly became blue.”

First, I’m not 100% sure that’s how pollution works.

But more importantly: What? That was China’s state run paper. I don’t know that much about his tenure. I followed it a bit closer than I might have otherwise since he was governor of Washington for 8 years. It seemed like he was mostly well liked and respected. Seems like some strange parting words.

It would be one thing if that was just someone freelancing. But I guess that’s the thing when the state tries to control the media, they have to own the things that get said.

With all the attention the you can discriminate against gay folks bill in Arizona got, it should be noted that we have our own version, here in Washington.* Sure, ours died this session without a hearing in the Senate, and it wouldn’t have got any traction in the House if it had passed. And a veto would be assured instead of a week of hemming and hawing before it happens.

Still, Senators Brown, Holmquist Newbry, Hewitt, Honeyford, Benton, Bailey, Padden, Braun, Smith, and Rivers all sponsored it. That’s a good chunk of the Senate Majority. All of those Senators have gay constituents, but they care so little about their rights, that they’re co-sponsoring a bill to let people discriminate against them. Imagine!

Imagine being able to look their constituents in the eye and tell them that religious freedom means discriminating against you. Furthermore, unlike Arizona, the laws on the books in Washington currently say you can’t discriminate against gay people, so this would have been a step back. I imagine with Brewer’s veto, and the more national attention this sort of thing is getting, it would be even tougher to pass in the future. But people on the wrong side of these things ought to be held to account.

[Read more…]

I don’t know what’s going on with Mayor Murray. He really has to figure out how to get a handle on the police department. He inherited a mess, but his actions for the past week have not been at all helpful. And it’s still the gang that couldn’t shoot straight (emphasis mine).

(1) The mayor has placed an “indefinite hold” on his police chief signing any further settlements in officer-misconduct cases until further review, Deputy Mayor Hyeok Kim told the council’s public safety committee; (2) the mayor’s office has also decided to reopen those six cases in which the chief decided to downgrade the punishment to “see if appropriate determinations were made,” according to the bureaucratic parlance of mayoral public safety adviser Tina Podlodowski; and (3) Deputy Mayor Kim told the council that city officials cannot find any paperwork confirming that former interim chief Jim Pugel tentatively downgraded discipline in those six cases, as claimed repeatedly in the last week by Chief Bailey and Mayor Murray.

Shit’s important and he’s got to do better. I was worried when the Guild endorsed him that it was because they though he wouldn’t, or wouldn’t be able to, reign them in and so far he hasn’t. The police ought to know what the consequences of their actions will be and they ought to do a better job protecting and serving the city.

And it has really just been amateur hour at City Hall. It was the way he got rid of James Keblas at the office of Film and Music. And now, while I don’t really care about it, the type of thing the press and insiders looooove.

A statement from Mayor Ed Murray on Thursday afternoon mourned the death of Jim Diers, popular former director of Seattle’s Department of Neighborhoods until then-Mayor Greg Nickels took office and fired him.

“My thoughts go out to the Diers family,” said the Mayor. “He will be missed.”

A few minutes later, a second urgent missive from City Hall regarding Diers: “He is alive and well.”

The Mayor had confused Diers with Joe Dear, a former chief of staff to Gov. Gary Locke and director of the Washington State Investment Board, who died of cancer at the age of 62. Dear was equally popular and warmly eulogized by his longtime friend U.S. Rep. Denny Heck, D-Wash.

Again, I mostly don’t care: Some staffer made a mistake, and it was corrected as soon as they realized it. It’s hardly his finest hour, but it happens. Still, when you run a put-the-adults-back-in-charge campaign, there’s less room for this sort of thing.

And to be clear, I don’t want him damaged. He needs to be able to fight for a strong minimum wage, and for decent universal pre-kindergarden in town. And I suspect that too many more weeks like he’s been having and some of the people who supported him are going to start looking elsewhere. Maybe start looking at the next election, maybe going to the City Council to thwart his plans. Still, it has only been a bad couple weeks, and I think he can turn things around if he gets his head in the game.

– For the Association of Writers & Writing Programs, Paul Constant writes one of the greatest love letters to Seattle I’ve ever read.

– Sure, Paula Deen is the Michael Sam of cooking? [h/t]

– I’m opposed to any expansion of gambling (although I recognize that I don’t, and shouldn’t, have any say in tribal gaming). But I’d prefer if people could make better arguments than oh no, it would be near an Air Force base (Spokesman-Review link).

– Finally the Seattle Streetcar gets ORCA readers, and I can not be vaguely confused about what I ought to do even tough I’ve both talked to people and read the webpage.

– The Seattle Aquarium has a new fur seal.

– Ped X-ing

This story has been bouncing around the feminist blogs for a little while now, but I didn’t realize it was in Washington State. It’s pretty grim. I’m not quoting the most explicit parts of the story, but The Longview Daily News has more details. What’s pertinent is:

In October 2012, a woman was held against her will, taped naked to a chair and sexually assaulted. This week, Cowlitz County prosecutors had the same woman arrested to help prove the case against her alleged captors.

The 43-year-old woman — the victim and prime witness in the case — has not been charged with any crime. She just wasn’t showing up for pre-trial meetings with prosecutors, despite promising to do so several times.

So earlier this month they obtained a judge’s order for a material witness warrant.

It’s a little-used procedure under state law that allows police to arrest a witness of a crime to ensure they show up for court. Chief Criminal Deputy James Smith said such warrants are rare and requested only “as a last resort.”

In this case, it had the added irony of using a warrant to hold the woman against her will so she can help convict someone else of holding her against her will.

Prosecutors said they can’t comment directly on an on-going case. Generally, though, Smith said the severity of the charges is always a factor in taking such a serious step.

Like the people I linked to above, I’m horrified that this happened.* The counties should certainly take up prosecutions of this sort, but detaining a rape victim — one who was for the most part cooperating, but had missed a court date — can’t possibly be the best way to go about it.

It certainly feels like an abuse of the material witness statute. I hope the legislature will take up both better ways to help witnesses who might be transient get to court and to reign in this type of use of the statute. And I hope prosecutors who might be in a position to do this will reconsider.

I mean, we certainly want to prosecute rapists to the extent possible. But surely not by locking up victims, and potentially re-victimizing them. Maybe some of the lawyers in the comments section can think of positive changes to the law.

If you want to contact the Cowlitz County Prosecuting Attorney’s office and ask them to do better next time, you can do so here.

[Read more…]

As a critic of the Highway 99 tunnel, but one who thinks we’re probably stuck with it, I’m still hoping that Bertha gets itself* up and running again. I really do hope that whatever solution to the latest problem turns out to be the last fix. I’d also like to be more sure that Seattle won’t be on the hook for any cost overruns.**

Still, with this new revelation that the Viaduct is sinking, and with Bertha stuck for who knows how long, I say don’t wait on the tunnel to take it down. It’s — as ever — disconnecting the city from the waterfront. The main goal of zooming cars at unsafe speeds through a city their occupants hate has already diminished considerably during construction, without many of the traffic problems we were promised.

Yet, on the ground in the waterfront, it’s still not pedestrian or bike friendly. The bike/walking path below the Viaduct south of Yesler gets used by cars as a turning lane, and various parts of the waterfront sidewalk being blocked off at random push pedestrians into the road. These are normal side effects of construction, but they don’t have to be made worse by the delays to the tunnel.

If traffic is bad, then either mitigate it with more transit and better maintenance of surface streets or, I don’t know, get Bertha fixed. In the mean time, the people who use the waterfront on a regular basis don’t need to be in limbo.

[Read more…]

– If you’re going to have an ACA horror story, it would be nice if that story was based in fact. But that’s probably too much to ask.

– It’s also important to emphasize going forward that the pre-clearance requirement in Section 5 was far from obsolete. Because of the nature of elections, before-the-fact challenges to vote suppression are far more effective than after-the-fact ones. Once a state has conducted an election, it becomes much more difficult for the courts to order remedies. A pre-clearance requirement is not sufficient, but it’s a crucial part of voting rights protection, and Congress should not concede this issue to the Supreme Court going forward.

– The King County Council officially put the measure to save Metro on the ballot.

– Transportation Advocacy Day is coming up. I still haven’t got my Transportation Advocacy Day tree, or done most of my Transportation Advocacy Day shopping.

– Several years ago Washington legislators arrived at a sensible compromise, requiring districts to include measures of student growth in their evaluations of teachers – but leaving it to the districts to decide what that actually meant. It’s a good system that should be given time to be properly implemented. But Duncan insists that teacher evaluations be directly linked to specific test scores, even where states have chosen not to do so.

– I still don’t understand Bitcoin, and I’m genuinely sorry for the people who lost money here, but, you know, there are reasons for regulations on actual money.