SPD should have lived within its budget. I am sorry if overpolicing protests has made it more difficult, but also tough shit. I also want better public disclosure and evidence storage too. I also would like the police to live within their means.

Anyway, wash your hands right now.

Gaaaajhammmaaaah! We’re so close. Don’t get COVID-19 a few months before you’re eligible for the vaccine. Come on, King County. So close. We’re sooooo close. Please, please, please don’t go out to a place where you will have to be inside without a mask, or with other people who aren’t wearing one until you’re vaccinated fully.

So close.

Come on. Just. The olds are already getting their shots. We’re so close. My goodness, don’t go out like this. So, so close.

Also, wash your hands right now.

The Washington State eviction moratorium has been extended again. This time through the end of June.

Given the rate of vaccination, I would guess that it will be the last extension. I hope that the state and Federal relief packages will mean it’s a relatively soft landing when the moratorium expires.

Anyway, wash your hands right now.

I took a walk past Denny Park the other day. Man, the only thing more awful than it full of tents, is the absence of those tents. Knowing that my city is shuffling people around without finding help for most of them. Knowing that I’m helping to pay to hassle, and worse, people living rough through a pandemic.

Anyway, wash your hands right now.

Local races are really heating up all over the state. Here in Seattle, in addition to mayor and some city council positions, we will have school board, King County, Port of Seattle. We’re still a couple months away from filing week, but some of the races are starting to get interesting. Is there any local election you’re looking forward to?

Anyway, wash your hands right now.

Washington is going to hit the next phase for COVID-19 reopening on March 22nd. I am nervous about greater capacity on indoor activity. It stinks, but it’s how the virus spreads. I hope it’s old people partying while the rest of us are still on the outside, but that’s not really how humans work.

Anyway, wash your hands right now.

Those of you who live in King County, how are you voting in the Conservation District? I follow Brittney Bush Bollay on Twitter, and she seems like a good egg. She has a solid from the Sierra Club. I have also heard good things about Doug Hennick.

The district having elections rather than just being appointed by the executive is a bit weird. But as long as it’s elected, you might as well vote for it online.

Also, please wash your hands right now.

Oh, hey, the State Senate passed a capital gains tax. The House has passed it in previous years, and Governor Inslee supports it. Still, you don’t want to count your chickens before they’ve hatched: So if you want the tax system to be a bit more fair, you can let your House members know.

Also, please wash your hands right now

I have some why am I up calls on the East Coast. So I’ll keep this short(er than usual). Do see if you’re eligible for the COVID-19 shot in Washington’s updated eligibility.

And wash your hands right now.

Teachers are now eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Grocery stores and other public facing jobs may become eligible too. Hopefully, this will help open schools safely.

In the meantime, wash your hands right now.

It has been a year since the first COVID-19 death in the United States. It has been a hell year, although the absolute worst is behind us (touch wood). I haven’t gone further than a bike can take a round trip from my apartment. Here’s hoping the next year is better.

It is the right thing to let felons who have served their time vote. It will help them be part of society once they have served their time. And a democracy should include everyone. So I am glad that a bill to do that has passed the state House. The article doesn’t really say what its prospects are in the Senate, so it couldn’t hurt to contact yours.

One thing I’m curious about, although obviously it’s the right thing to do either way, is how they will vote. During the 2004 election lawsuit they found some former felon voters, and many were Republicans. Not sure how much you can extrapolate a small sample size, but it may be that it helps Republicans a bit.

Anyway, wash your hands right now.

The legislature is moving forward on police reform (first item, although the private prison story is interesting too). It would mean that police have to intervene when their colleagues use excessive force.

My favorite quote in the piece is Senator Jeff Holy complaining that it would make it tougher to hire cops. Good, my dude. Like, if it’s tougher to hire police who look the other way when other police are violent, it’s a better police force.

Anyway, wash your hands right now.

The COVID-19 bill Governor Inslee signed on Friday is pretty good. I hope that the relief can get where it needs to go in a timely manner. People are hurting in the recession. Rent is behind for a lot of people, and many businesses are hurting. This bill goes a long way to help.

Anyway, wash your hands right now.

Man, fucking Mercer Island. Homeless people should have housing. They are on Mercer Island for a reason. Maybe they’re less visible in the forested area than in Seattle or denser Eastside cities. Maybe they have friends and family on Mercer Island. But whatever the reasons, pawning them off to other cities isn’t helping them.

Anyway, please wash your hands right now.