Gaaah.

• How much of a fuck up do you have to be for The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs to be like, come on, buddy? Keith Swank levels of fuck up.
• Katie Wilson’s early executive orders are looking good.
• Fuck ICE and whatnot.

So, etiquette question: I was biking to Drinking Liberally and it was dark out. It was still a bit crowded on the bike lane. I was behind someone with their light turned off. Should I have said something?

Anyway…

• ICE is not welcome in Seattle. And they are going to have a hard time getting convictions.
• A proper parole system would be better, but I do like Rep. Tarra Simmons’s bill to let prisoners petition for early release if a judge finds that they are no longer a threat to their community.
• If you’re on Bluesky, Representative Julia Reed has some good informative threads about the legislature.

Remember how on Monday I said that you could contact your legislators? Great news, you can do it today!

Good morning to the legislature. A short session starts today. We have both a current budget shortfall and a structural one with our upside down tax policy. I am glad Governor Ferguson has proposed an income tax on people earning over a million dollars. That will be good for 2030 Washington state. But right now, Representative Scott is proposing a payroll tax to compensate for the immediate problems.

But it’s not just budget stuff. Also:

• There is a bill to ban police officers from hiding their face.
• There are the garbage initiatives that aren’t going to pass but might suck some of the oxygen from discussions, and will likely go to the voters.
• Making AI chatbots identify themselves as such.

It’s a good time to write your legislators. And let’s hear any bills that you’re interested in in the comments.

How are you this lovely morning? I can really tell the sun isn’t coming up at its absolute worst time.

• Switch your fleet to electric vehicles.
• SPD trying to bigfoot the mayor.  Come on buddy. The actual changes seem pretty good.
• Erika Evans is such an improvement at City Attorney.
• The creeps at ICE should stop looking at Washington State driver’s license data.

Sorry I missed it yesterday.

Anyway, the legislature starts next week. A new mayor and City Attorney as well as new City Council members in Seattle. There are great new elected officials in cities and counties all over Washington. And I believe, I know that state and local issues matter so much. Maybe more than National ones.

And yet… ICE agents killed a woman a thousand miles away, and it’s top of mind here. Fuck man. Nobody deserves that. I hope that the agent faces consequences and real justice.

And for the people who obstructed aid, and for the liars trying to cover it up. A plaintive hope for justice isn’t enough.

Guys. Are we at war? You know, it feels like we’re at war. Are we stealing Venezuelan oil? The President seems to think so, but maybe not. Anyway, Patty Murray seems — correctly in my opinion — outraged. Both by the act itself and by not consulting Congress. Maria Cantwell is issuing wishy washy nothing.

Not working is somehow making this post even shorter. But, for my last open thread of the year, sadly it is exactly this short.

It’s a thread. It’s open. It’s a Monday. You get it.

Unto us, a thread is given.

Unto us, childish and bored.

Probably going to be light posting from me through the end of the year.

Good morning.

• Seems like a few relatively dry days in Seattle, but our friends in Portland have filled the pipe (it’s down again now).
• I don’t know how much a Sara Nelson endorsement will matter in 2 years. But being the kind of person who endorses her, may be a vulnerability.
• Man, fuck ICE for coming to New Holly, but really impressed by the organizing.
• Confidential to the guy wearing shorts: No.

All right. Let’s all dry out before the next round. I hope your houses and places of employment are relatively dry.

• I saw a lot of people biking yesterday and throughout the atmospheric river. While it definitely kept me off my bike, good infrastructure is better than good weather.
• Pete Serrano seems like a real piece of work. Also, he has too many jobs.
• The SPOG contract is not ideal. (second item)

Stay dry everybody, but especially those of you biking or walking in this. Or living in the floodplain. Geez, we’ve had enough.

• What to do when ICE comes to your town
• Those Flock cameras are really flocked up.
• Maritza Rivera acting surprised by SPOG’s leader being a jerk is some real CYA after approving the contract.
• Let’s ban police face covering in Washington.
• Looking forward to the Pride Match.

I hope everyone survived the floods. The worst is over, but man oh man. I hope you’re all safe and sound and dry. I was mostly working from home, but I did have to go into Downtown. I was able to time it so I took my bike, and people were way too impressed. Also, my boss made sure to let me know she would pay for a taxi if it started raining again, like 3rd Ave and the Transit Tunnel don’t exist.

Try to stay dry, geez. I have failed, even with a heavy raincoat. It doesn’t cover from the knees down. Anyway, you didn’t come here to read about my soaked ankles…

• Following the Spokane 9 has been at turns inspiring and harrowing. Hope the people who took plea bargains can figure out what’s next.
• The SPOG contract passing is all kinds of gross, but maybe Saka has seen the light.
• Here’s hoping Mayor-elect Wilson turns off the cameras that are easily abused by ICE and other Federal criminals.
• Pathway, more like pathetic-compared-to-sidewalk-way.