This fall, voters in parts of King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties will vote on the largest transportation package in state history. The measure funds both Sound Transit’s Phase Two and RTID, or Regional Transportation Investment District, and it’s roads improvement package. The taxes involved are diverse. They include MVET, sales taxes, a license fee, tolls, and an optional local gas tax. See the update below, folks.

Though no one likes taxes, these tax increases are small and don’t fall disproportionately on any one group. Unlike the tragically flawed Seattle Monorail Project, people who own cars will not alone bear the burden of funding our transportation investments. During the monorail years, people who owned cars but rarely drove were nailed with big motor vehicle excise taxes. Talk about resentment! Thankfully, the ST2/RTID package won’t be funded on one tax. Now, angst-ridden, car-less, Capitol Hill emo kids will be able to fund transportation improvements.

Every Morrissey record, every jar of pomade, and every half rack of PBR will make a difference.

UPDATE:

I received an update from Julia Patterson’s office:

It looks like you are referencing an old RTID web page in your recent post on the taxes used to finance the Roads and Transit Plan. It does not reflect the proposed projects or taxes included in the Roads and Transit plan that will be before voters this November.

The most up to date website is www.rtid.org and www.roadsandtransit.org.

The tax sources proposed to finance the Roads and Transit plan are a .8% MVET and a .6% sales tax increase. There is no license fee included in the plan, nor a local option gas tax. You will also notice a number of Seattle road projects in the current plan, that are not reflected in the 2004 plan that is discussed on the old web page.

Pardon my goof, folks.

Immigration is a big, big deal in agricultural communities. Fruit growers, who often vote Republican, know how important immigrant labor is to their industry, so they back common sense reform.

So it’s hilarious to read this about one of Yakima’s state rep’s [From The Other Side] moral quandary:

No part of American agriculture would benefit more from a temporary worker program than our bountiful Yakima Valley – rightfully known as the Fruit Bowl of the Nation.

But apparently Charles Ross, Yakima’s newly elected state representative and lifelong resident of these parts, is a picture of confusion on this vital national and regional issue.

Sunday’s Herald-Republic carried a full-page ad – in purple ink – that delivered this thunderous message: “WE SUPPORT COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM.”

The hundreds of names was a list of the pillars of agricuture in Central Washington: the decision-makers, major employers, orchardists, growers, packers and suppliers, many of them members of pioneer families who founded the state’s tree fruit industry.

This impressive group of industry leaders implored Congress to pass an immigration reform package that will strengthen Yakima Valley ag in particular and the American economy in general.

Fast forward to Tuesday’s Herald-Republic and read where Rep. Ross had committed to speak at a rally in downtown Yakima hosted by Grassroots on Fire – a racist organization viscerally opposed to immigration reform of any kind.

Ross canceled his appearance. But the very notion of this legislator playing footsie with the extreme right wing is disturbing to say the least. If he read Sunday’s paper, he probably saw the names of the very people who got him elected last fall – his voter base, solidly rooted in ag.

The GOP doesn’t know who to listen to- their business base or their crazy, racist/nativist base. All the while, the latino/hispanic vote, after flirting with the GOP in ’00 through ’04, is running away from the GOP.

Classic.

Thanks for the comments, folks.

Some people suggested I look for a cheap-o bike for sale on Craigslist or in the neighborhood or something. Because I’m without a car, this sort of garage sale, Craigslist type method can be a real pain. This is why I’m looking into buying from an honest-to-God store at this point.

Cross bike or Mountain bike? I’ve found that new mountain bikes are cheaper than new cross bikes. So I’m leaning mountain bike right now. The bike shop guys told me the UW campus is perhaps the most “bike theft” prone place in the Pacific Northwest. Since I plan to be riding to the UW in the relative near future, I’m very conscious of the price I’ll be paying for the bike, considering it seems likely to be stolen at some point. But if I do get into riding as a real activity, I’ll look into getting a dope ride.

drool said:

Performance Bike offers free lifetime tuneups if you buy from them at their brick/mortar store.

Very nice!

rae said:

Hopefully it goes without saying, but judging the number of cyclists I see running red lights, please remember that those and other traffic laws, apply to you as well.

Well, you’re right, but when a cyclist runs a red light, the cyclist is dead, whereas the car that hits him isn’t. Cyclist have a lot more to lose. Sometimes cyclists aren’t able to trigger the sensors in the roadway that makes the lights change. While it is technically illegal, I have no problem seeing cyclists look both ways and go.

Also, I’ve heard conflicting things about bike lanes. Use ’em or not? I’ve heard it’s safer just to ride in the regular lanes.

But I’m going to do it. I’ve been putting it off for years, but I’m finally going to do it.

But first, I have to buy a bicycle. Since I’ll be parking it around the downtown area, I was advised not to spend too much on my ride. About 400 bucks should do it. However, I think I’ll spend at least 50 bucks on a lock. And an ice pick for those times the cars get too close… Heh heh…

I’m looking around for a good bike. A mountain bike looks like a necessity (sorry Howie), considering the condition of downtown streets.

I like these bikes. I think. I haven’t bought a bike since junior high.

I’m looking forward to it. I just hope none of this stuff happens to me…

Do you have any advice? Any insights? Discounts on funeral services? Let me know in the comments.

Endorsement News:

I’m just gonna come right out and say it.

I’m endorsing Dan Satterberg for King County Prosecutor.

There’s just something about that face I can trust.

Aaron Dixon was first, and now Joe Szwaja. He ran against Rep. Jim McDermott in ’00 and is now running against Seattle City councilwoman Jean Godden:

Among the driving-related counts Szwaja faced were the following, according to the newspapers: In May 1989, he was found guilty of driving without a driver’s license, and in July was charged with of driving without a license plate. Late that year, he failed to appear at a hearing. In early 1991, he again was charged with driving after his license was revoked.

He said he has had a good driving record since moving to Seattle in 1993.

Ironic how Joe Szwaja drove without a license plate, while Jean Godden’s job was to take note of funny license plates when she worked at the Seattle Times.

Standing Tower Guard on a 6′ scaffold at the Federal Building in downtown Bellingham, Iraq Veteran Evan Knappenberger, 1st BDE, 4th Infantry Division, started a week-long vigil on June 1st to draw attention to the US military’s STOP-LOSS and INACTIVE RESERVE policies, which he submits are being used as a substitute for conscription in a political war.

More…

There’s a poll at Daily Kos on this question:

So is there really a point to having Gravel, in between advocating English as an “official” language and promoting his right-wing flat tax, sit on the debates doing nothing but attack other Democrats?

I voted no.

Partisan presidential debates are not the JV squad, where the policy is “no cut” and everyone gets to play. These debates are a tool for Democrats to advance their message. Democrats should be able to decide who gets to participate in a Democratic debate.

Debates are a great tool for candidates to “break out” from the pack. I don’t think Mike Gravel’s rightwing talking points are going to do him much good, in or out of the debates.

Joel Connelly:

But this week, council members allocated $8.1 million to study the “surface-transit option” in replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct.

Surface transit is a pet idea of those who seem to be forming Seattle’s agenda these days and pushing for a gentrified, politically correct, largely childless, heavily taxed city, a place that embraces bicycles and exiles NBA basketball.

This is almost Falwell-esque:

I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians, the ACLU, People For the American Way — all of them who have tried to secularize America — I point the finger in their face and say “you helped this happen.”

Jesus, we embrace bicycles? And stopped having kids? We have gone too far.

To the hyper-sensitive, sports-hating, condom-using, tax-and-spend, Capitol Hill enviro-fascists, Joel points his finger at you.

A very serious situation at the Capitol Hill campus of Seattle Central Community College:

An anonymous threat scrawled in a men’s bathroom at Seattle Central Community College kept hundreds of students and faculty away from campus this morning.

About half of the 5,500 students at the Capitol Hill campus appeared to be heeding the college’s Wednesday advisory to stay home if they felt uneasy about the note discovered last week, said SCCC spokeswoman Laura Mansfield. The note, written in pencil on a toilet-paper dispenser in the science and math building, read: “I will kill everyone at SCCC on May 31.”

SCCC officials decided to keep the college open, but notified students and faculty to “use their best personal judgment” about reporting to work and classes.

I don’t know why anyone would feel uneasy about going to school at SCCC today. After all, Seattle Central is a gun-free campus (even for those with a legal permit), so how could anyone bring a firearm on the property?

Wait a sec… you mean criminals sometimes disobey laws?

—-

All kidding aside, as a matter of policy, banning people with concealed permits from carrying on campus is dumb. In essence, we’re banning people who have the most experience handling firearms (aside from police or military). Recent news shows how you cannot depend on “security” or even the police to be there when you need them. A more enlightened stance, a civil liberty-respecting stance, would be preferable to the current rules governing firearms on our college campuses.

Denny Park, like the photo says, was the first park in Seattle. It was totally redone after Denny Hill was regraded back in the 30’s. Then, someone decided to build an office building in the park. In recent years the park has been used more by drug addicts and prostitutes, and less by folks from the neighborhood.

Thankfully, these folks are doing something about it.

I’ve bugged city government types every once in a while about this park, concerning the building. Usually, they don’t quite understand what the big deal is. This has impressed on me the need for regular citizens to get active on the things that are happening in your own neighborhood. Folks in city hall have a lot on their plate, so don’t be surprised if you have to lobby people to get things done. Just like the Friends of Denny Park are doing.

A few months ago, Goldy had Rep. Kucinich on his radio show. At the time I felt it would be wrong to speak ill of Kucinch on the blog just before he rolls into town. If I’m nothing else, I’m shameless in my loyalty to Democrats, even ones with a few screws loose.

Today, I end my silence. Here’s why:

Big score for Fox News and the CBC’s effort to legitimize Fox News with a Democratic debate.

While Barack Obama, John Edwards, Hillary Clinton, and Bill Richardson have all announced plans to skip the debate, they can console themselves with the fact that yes — Dennis Kucinich has decided to attend.

It’s actually quite hilarious how Kucinich tries to justify his validation of the right wing’s premier propaganda outlet — he’s taking his courageous stance on behalf of black folk!

What a weasel. Fox News is garbage; it’s president makes jokes comparing Barack Obama to Osama bin Laden. Dennis is all too pleased to play ball with those folks. Thankfully, the big four presidential candidates (HRC, Edwards, Richardson, and Obama himself) have skipped this debate. It’s going to be Dennis Kucinch and Joe Biden sucking up to Brit Hume for 45 minutes. Fun.

From the Washington Post:

War opponents dismissed the bill as a capitulation to Bush and said they would seek to hold supporters in both parties accountable. But backers said the bill’s provisions — including benchmarks for progress that the Iraqi government must meet to continue receiving reconstruction aid — represented an assertion of congressional authority over the war that was unthinkable a few months ago.

Bush, who had vowed to veto any legislation with restrictions on troop deployments, announced he would sign the $120 billion package, which was approved 80 to 14 last night in the Senate, after a 280 to 142 House vote.

Surrendering to a president who manages 30/70 approval ratings is amazing to me. Amazingly stupid.

The message Democrats sent is…

1. The are afraid of Mr “28 Percent”
2. They don’t know that the majority of Americans actually support the Democrats on the war funding issue.
3. That since Democrats won’t fight for the important “life and death” stuff, why trust them with leadership on anything?

It frustrates me that Democrats buy into the idea that they’ll be blamed, somehow, for not giving the President exactly what he wants. It is absolute bullshit, and political malpractice, to chicken out in such a obvious way. Democrats had real momentum, and they gave it away when they blinked.

Democrats initially showed real toughness by sending Bush a bill that funded the troops and ended the war. Predictably, Bush vetoed that bill (and vetoed funding for his own war!). Instead of realizing the vast storage of political capital they have on hand, Democrats folded quickly, and sent Bush a “clean” bill, which funded the troops without any real accountability.

And you know what? Maybe, at some point this summer, the coalition of Democrats standing up to Bush was going to break down.

But it didn’t have to happen this soon, this early, and in such a gutless manner.

A fellow liberal blogger asked me at last weeks’ Drinking Liberally if I too was quitting the Democratic Party… I had to smile, as I knew he was joking. I told him, “what the fuck else am I going to do?”

Some Democrats constantly throw in the towel in a way conservative activists don’t. First it was Bankruptcy Reform legislation, then it was John Roberts, then Sam Alito, then this. Certain lefties always threaten to ditch the party, to “work down ticket”, to stop doing whatever it was they were doing to support the candidates who have let them down. This goes on until the pain goes away, but is soon reignited by the next great “letdown.”

If I’ve managed to glean a difference between blogger activists and regular activists, it’s that the blogger activists are way too quick to throw in the towel. These so-called reality-based freedom fighters of the blogosphere are nothing more than fair-weather friends. It’s an odd thing to say, considering I’m a “blog-guy,” but the lack of resolve shown by liberals on the web illustrates why blogs are only good for so much.

The Democrats who know nothing of blogs are often the toughest. These Democrats know that the road is long, and it is hard, and that you can’t explode in outrage at every opportunity. Even if Democrats keep voting for more funding for Bush’s war, I’ll still be around. Somebody has to be, if only to tell them that they’re wrong.

1967:

On April 24, 1967, a group of college friends join together to form “Choose an Effective City Council” (CHECC) to reform Seattle City Government. CHECC members believe that incumbent Council members had been in office too long and had failed to effectively solve city problems. Besides city government reform, CHECC members were interested in inspiring like-minded younger people “with energy and vigor” to run for Seattle City Council positions. The citizen group would elect numerous City Council members through 1973, but its influence faded and it disbanded in 1977.

2007:

Might a slate be a good idea? Seattle politics were transformed by such an approach in 1967-77, when Choose an Effective City Council (CHECC) adopted such an approach, endorsing one Democrat and one Republican in each race and fairly quickly transforming and dramatically improving the council.

[…]

The advantages of a slate are that it induces better people to run for office (they can be more effective since there are supporting votes), provides a screening that produces better candidates, rewards working together, and gives greater consistency to policy over the years.

David Brewster has been around along time. He started the Seattle Weekly, which I’m told used to be better than The Stranger. He was also a big backer of Paul Schell for years and years. He currently publishes the online “newspaper” Crosscut and is also advocating for a big remodel at the Seattle Center.

But his “slate” idea is a relic of the past, and it ought to be killed off before somebody tries it again. Besides, the slate Brewster wants seems to be the one already on the job.

If there is any broad-based civic reform that ought to happen, it’s this one. Seattle Districts is supported by rightwing bloggers (Stefan!) and lefties too (like me!). Just like the old CHECC days when Republicans and Democrats worked together… But instead of electing different councilmembers, we’ll be electing councilmembers differently.

CHECC is so 1966.

Of an apparent heart attack. This is from his bio at the county:

Within the State of Washington, Norm has led legislative efforts which culminated in the passage of a number of critical bills, including restoration and expansion of the crime victim compensation system, and establishment of our state’s presumptive sentencing system (the Sentencing Reform Act), which has brought uniformity and certainty to the state’s criminal justice system.

In 1989, Norm was selected to chair the Governor’s Task Force on Community Protection after several outrageous crimes were committed by repeat predatory sex offenders. The Task Force recommendations became law, and Washington’s laws regarding registration, notification, and civil commitment of sex offenders have become national models.

Norm helped strengthen laws in 1994 aimed at juveniles who carry firearms without adult supervision. He also worked to pass the Becca Bill in 1995, which has re-enforced the state’s truancy laws and established expectations for dealing with runaway children. In 1997, Norm was a leader in the 1997 Juvenile Justice Act, which provides an improved framework to intervene in the life of a troubled youth.

Maleng was, to my knowledge, the only Republican who ever got his start in the office of Senator Warren Magnuson (D-WA). He was always more moderate than the GOP of the state, and caused controversy when he declined to seek the death penalty against Gary Ridgeway, the Green River Killer.

Whenever I heard him speak, I got the sense that he was a decent guy.

UPDATE: (–Goldy)
I first had the opportunity to meet Norm Maleng when we both were working to defeat I-892, Tim Eyman’s slot machine initiative. I attended a couple meetings of a rather broad and bizarre coalition (for example, me sitting next to Jeff Kemp) and came away impressed with the way Maleng ran the proceedings. He struck me as kinda grandfatherly. I liked him.

To be honest, I don’t remember if I voted for him or not in his various races, but this was one Republican whose victories I never lost any sleep over. I hope his fellow Republicans appreciate what a huge loss this is to their own party.

On a more personal note, 68 is just too damn young. My heart felt condolences to his family.