Look.. I wanted to report on the new light rail line on the Eastside. It looks great. Can’t wait for it to be properly connected. But instead, the Seattle City Council are being fuckos.

I mentioned the Sara Nelson sponsored bill to repeal the gig workers protections in the last open thread. But The Stranger had one detail that stood out to me. “Her law undermines enforcement by eliminating penalties on companies who fail to pay workers, denying them the right to sue companies for breaking the law and cutting provisions that protect workers against retaliation.”

Wage theft is a huge problem. A quick Google didn’t turn up much recent info, but this post from 2018 has information from the Economic Policy Institute that has it as by far the largest form of theft. And the City Council, specifically Councilmember Nelson, ran on being tough on crime. Yet here they are making it easier to get away with it.

Tough on crime, my ass.

– Burien, what are you doing?

– Seattle’s Transportation Plan passed the City Council nearly as proposed. Seattle Bike Blog has the details.

– And speaking of the City Council, I wish if they were going to move this quickly to repeal worker protection for gig workers, they would have had the decency to campaign on it.

– New humpback calf, your argument is irrelevant.

– Please wash your hands right now and get vaccinated or boosted if you’re eligible. If you haven’t yet, better late than never.

I have taken my bike or my feet over many foot and cycle bridges. And, I try to be grateful for it, but it can be… hit and miss. Some of them do a great job and many are scary and unsafe.

That said, the one that opened in Redmond looks like its a good one. It’s important to have methods of transportation other than a car around transit stations. Still, it looks like it goes over 14* lanes of highway; If you want to get people out of their cars, there’s a way to go.

Anyway, please wash your hands right now and get vaccinated or boosted if you’re eligible.

* The picture wasn’t of the road, so maybe 14. 14ish.

Allegedly, Allegedly, Allegedly. Jonathan Choe punched a woman. You know, in the course of fake reporting for the fake think tank The Discovery Institute. I assume the people who keep propping up this fake think tank, who invite members to speak on panels or shows, people who donate to it, people who site their obvious bullshit like it deserves to be part of the conversation, are at least neutral to this if they continue their support.

Anyway, please wash your hands right now and get vaccinated or boosted if you’re eligible.

Oh goodness. The open threads just keep coming.

– Drought in most of the state.

– From the other side of the state, it looks like Lisa Brown is hitting the ground running.

– Speaking of mayors, Mayor Harrell, why?

– Leah Sottile and Sydney Brownstone are two of the best local reporters, so this is a delight.

– It’s the year of our Lordi 2024 and Washington State politicians think overturning marriage equity is a winner. Jeez, Dave Reichert.

–   Anyway, please wash your hands right now and get vaccinated or boosted  if you’re eligible.

Gosh, I don’t know. Maybe lowering the standard for hiring police from whatever this is is a bad idea. I know it’s tough to find recruits right now. But maybe, just maybe, there’s a way to hire better people.

Of course, I am referring to one of my bugbears, disarm most police. Think of the pool of people who might want to be a cop but who don’t want to carry. Maybe some of them are security guards now and don’t want to make that leap.

It would also probably make policing better. Fewer deadly interactions. Probably make some civilians less nervous around the police.

– Man, close the market to cars. It’s so past time.

– And hey, let’s make the transition levy better for trips that aren’t by car.

– Given what she wants to do with it,, it’s probably a blessing that Ann Davison is bad at her job (second item).

– New parks, new parks, new parks.

– Anyway, please wash your hands right now and get vaccinated or boosted if you’re eligible

Is this an experiment, or was I working from home because of an early meeting and forgot about it? Who can say?

Annnnnnyway.

I mentioned a while back, that Washington is one of the states in a pilot program to be able to file your taxes online if you take the standard deduction. I finally filed mine yesterday. I have to say it was easier than Turbo Tax, where I have used the free version in the past, but I did spend more time proving my identity. And it still asked more questions that are presumably in an IRS database somewhere already.

I will probably use it again next year if it’s still being offered.

Anyway, please wash your hands right now and get vaccinated or boosted if you’re eligible.

Are you excited? For the eclipse? Did you travel for it? Are you disappointed that it’s cloudy in Western Washington so you won’t even get the cool shadows? Where are my shadows?

Anyway, please wash your hands right now and get vaccinated or boosted if you’re eligible.

Listen, everything that gets in the way of salmon recovery is a problem. And nobody likes a crash. But for some reason, salmon falling into the wrong river is funny to me. Like, we spend all this time and money and then woopsadoo. Any sorry if you are a fish in the wrong tributary.

Anyway, please wash your hands right now and get vaccinated or boosted if you’re eligible.

– Very interesting article about the closing of Northern State mental hospital in the 70’s and the consequences going forward.

– But crisis care is still a way off in King County.

– SPD officers harassing bus drivers. Man, fuck. All the discipline. Imagine being a commuter and the driver gets pulled over for honking at a bad driver who happens to be a cop. I would be so pissed if it was my commute. Not to mention the bus driver.

– Anyway, please wash your hands right now and get vaccinated or boosted if you’re eligible.

It’s April Fools Day, and I for one don’t like it. So no thanks to pranks from massive wanks. No jokes or hoax from the worst folks. No fools from ghouls or massive tools. No fake story to bore me or deplore me.

Anyway, please wash your hands right now and get vaccinated or boosted if you’re eligible.

Late, but still ahead of the Multimedia Extravaganza.

– The misconduct by the Portland Police is really astounding.

– Republicans will conspiracy theory anything.

– Fuck Idaho racists, but thank goodness for the people who cover them.

– Anyway, please wash your hands right now and get vaccinated or boosted if you’re eligible.

– A stripper’s bill of rights (second item) sounds like something Fox News commentator would use to make fun of a Best Coast governor. And yet, it is clearly the right thing, and I am glad Governor Inslee signed it, and that he emphasized workplace rights.

– The culture at SPD needs a real kick in the ass. Jeez.

– Landlord Lives Matter, oh brother.

– Anyway, what a great time to wash your hands. And to make an appointment to get vaccinated or boosted if you’re eligible.