Seattle’s favorite neo-conservative writes:
The dense ones, however, believe they are on the winning side of history. Time for a “mission accomplished” lap, perhaps, along with the developers and big business interests that willingly greenwash their corporate goals to co-opt labor, enviros, and progressives into supporting urban development policies that roll over the little guy.
What an unbelievable load of shit. Labor, enviros, and progressives all want more growth inside urban boundaries for different reasons. Union guys who swing hammers get construction work. Enviromentalists like the fact that denser urban development is energy effecient and allows people to walk to work. Progressives like it because, well… it’s cool. And we don’t want to move to Auburn.
Truth is, Skip’s no-growth heros (Brian Derdowski being one of them) were never for zero-growth. They just believed growth should pay for itself. And, growth should be funneled away from undeveloped areas and into cities. You know, like Seattle. So Skip’s anti-growth beliefs are really just a part of the problem.
After all, if a young couple can’t buy a townhome in Seattle, they’ll buy a house in Sammamish.
We know that these green-backed policies are making the city more unaffordable. They are helping to drive the poor out of town. They are displacing long-standing communities. They are changing the scale of a once-egalitarian city that featured few poor people, few rich people, and a lot of folks in between. This old middle class Seattle is now seen as unsophisticated, not worthy of protection, backward even.
The middle class folks who bought houses in the 50’s have sold them in their old age. Houses that went for 20 grand back in the old days are now 900k investments that have paid off. The middle class of Seattle’s yesteryear has cashed out.
Skip is against growth inside the city. He’s also against growth outside the city, as he’s favored growth management far and above the current law. Where does he want growth? Fucking North Dakota.
Not. Gonna. Happen.
God…where’s Emmett Watson and his “Lesser Seattle” movement, now that we need him?
We know that these green-backed policies are making the city more unaffordable. They are helping to drive the poor out of town. They are displacing long-standing communities.
They are? I’m not sure I understand the train of logic leading up this.
Condon aren’t evil! We live in a condo, and we don’t do much that’s evil. Maybe an occssional human sacrifice, but nothing too overboard.
Normal suburban stuff! just happy barbarians living in a barbarain area.
Hey, Will, welcome back. Even I have posted more often than you have recently.
You’ve got ole Skip pegged pretty well. That moss is on his back for a very good reason … he’s more of a stick-in-the-mud than a curmudgeon.
There are good arguments about the manner in which the condo-ization and townhouse-ization is occurring in Seattle — the failure of the legislature to address the issue adequately comes to mind, as does the near-impossibility of citizen action to stop particular zoning decisions — but the overall strategy of increasing urban density is generally an appropriate one.
Berger’s act is basically NIMBYism filtered through an I-got-mine self-righteousness.
http://www.editorandpublisher......1003571876
PEW SURVEY FINDS MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE AMERICANS WATCH ‘DAILY SHOW’ AND ‘COLBERT’
Pew judged the levels of knowledgeability (correct answers) among those surveyed and found that THOSE WHO SCORED THE HIGHEST WERE REGULAR WATCHERS OF COMEDY CENTRAL’S THE DAILY SHOW AND COLBERT REPORT. They tied with regular readers of major newspapers in the top spot — with 54% of them getting 2 out of 3 questions correct. Watchers of the Lehrer News Hour on PBS followed just behind.
VIRTUALLY BRINGING UP THE REAR WERE REGULAR WATCHERS OF FOX NEWS. Only 1 in 3 could answer 2 out of 3 questions correctly. Fox topped only network morning show viewers
and more from the Pew:
“Men scored higher than women, and older Americans did better than younger, on average. Democrats and Republicans were about equally represented in the most knowledgeable group but there were more Democrats in the least aware group”
So, Lucy, are you saying that more Republicans watch Colbert (cuz they know comedy when they see it) and more Democrats watch Fox and the Morning Shows ? Or are Republicans in general more educated and know better/more than Democrats ? Hmmm, not what Kerry et al would like to think.
Interesting Data for sure
:-)
@1 Dead. Both of ’em. Stone cold dead. It’s a shame.
Is this the kind of nut-out to be expected whenever anyone deviates from the party line?
@6 The more I watch Fox, the dumber I get!
I firmly believe that ignorance is bliss!
Reality is too hard to deal with! Conservatism lives!
I can fill an infinite number of burrows with cute furry rabbits! If you build them, they will come. http://tinyurl.com/29t5jc
Yep, I remember when the Smith Tower was Seattle’s tallest building, you could buy a decent house for less than what a small car costs now, and it was possible for a working family to live in this town. Of course, jobs have always been tight in Seattle, because an infinite number of people want to live here, and the economy was always the limiting factor on in-migration. Whenever Boeing had one of its downswings and Seattle unemployment hit double digits, people would be forced to leave in search of work elsewhere and the housing market would plateau for 10 years; when the Boeing plants were humming again, people would pile into this town and housing prices would double overnight. Seattle has always been a cyclical city, and rather low on the affordability index for anyone who didn’t earn Boeing union wages. Now, Seattle seems to be on a permanent cycle of getting more and more expensive, and the high earners are crowding out average families. I’ve been here 40 years and I’m beginning to think I won’t be able to afford to die here. Maybe condo cemeteries will be Seattle’s next big thing.
Hey Joel!! Congratulations on your continued economic viability! Now that the P-I’s impending death will continue to be just around the corner for another 10 years, you can look forward to retiring from this shaky enterprise.
What shape is the pension fund in though?
Are reporters allowed to retire or do they have to keep working until they drop at their desks?
#15
NEW YORK (AP) – Wall Street traded mostly higher Tuesday, pushing the Dow Jones industrials into record territory after a rise in home construction and a mild reading on consumer inflation encouraged investors to buy.
Rabbit – You should die now while you can still afford it. Go down to Aurora Ave in middle of PM rush and try crossing. That oughta do it.
Do the world a fucking favor…
17 – That’s because democrats are in charge now. Except for gas prices. Those are Bush’s fault.
13 How quickly we seem to forget “Will the last person leaving Seattle please turn out the lights?”, and the sequel, “Will the last geek leaving Seatle please shut down the servers?”
oh come on will, maybe i don’t feel like living in east county but would really like to be able to buy a place in seattle. trouble is your guys’ densification dream is goign to push everyone out of the homeowning market here who doesn’t make 80k a year. so i think berger’s point that you guys are becoming a bunch of tedious elitists is spot on. where’s your sense of social justice, comrade?
Harry,
The problem is, if you cross your arms and say “we’re not building any more condos. Nope. We’ll just keep things the way they are.” Well, people with money still come to Seattle whether you build housing or not. They, not you, will get the houses with grass attached.
Unless you want to start dumping fill dirt to create land in Elliot Bay, there is no more close-in space to build houses. It does not exist.
So you have a choice. Build condos, which create somewhat affordable housing for the less than fabulously wealthy, or don’t, and watch the cost of the limited existing housing stock go even higher than it is now.
There is a third choice. Start building LOTS of rail and mass transit to make places like Enumclaw and Orting reasonable places to commute from rather than hellholes that require you to spend 3 hours a day in your car. That would require collaboration among the various municipalities, about 10 years, and, oh yeah, munnee. Ergo, it’s probably not on.
jsa,
Yup. harry @ 21 really wants Seattlites to pay high taxes to subsidize the extension of the street grid all the way to Ellensburg in the absolutely insane belief that this will lower housing prices in Seattle. Not only does Harry overlook the public subsidy, but he turns the principle of supply and demand on its head, and makes the usual “ceterus paribus” assumption which so elegantly brings all rational economic discussion to a quick and brutal end.
Sure, we can build cheap houses in Cle Elum. Ya’ think that’s going to make the limited supply of houses in Seattle CHEAPER? Are you insane, harry?
I have yet to see a conservative complain about the cost of housing in Sun Valley or Aspen, even though, yes it may be hard to believe, there are lower and middle class folks who actually work for a living in those cities, but they certainly don’t live there. Instead conservatives would rather spew their blathering “liberal are elitists” bullshit here is Seattle.
Listen. If half the people in town suddenly decided to leave, housing prices would go down. But as long as they keep pouring in to the area, this will not be the case.
PtbaA notes:
Supply-and-demand can be a real bitch.
You’d think “conservative” “business-oriented” “producers” would understand that.
re 24: When he was running for Sheriff many years ago in Colorado, Hunter S. Thompson suggested that Aspen be renamed “Fat City”, because he expected that the rich elite would not be attracted to such a place and the freaks could have it back for themselves.
Similarly, we could legally rename Seattle, “Sissy Liberal City” and the conservatives would move out en-masse.
Heh.
lucy, in nearly all parts of the city, that’s already true. The wimps didn’t even need to be prodded that directly.
It’s a good place to be.
“Sissy Liberal City.” I like it. It has a nice ring to it.
@21
Seattle is less affordable today because the demand for housing is high.
So your solution is to build no additional housing? How would this make housing more affordable?
“The Emerald Homosexual Sissy Liberal City with Expensive Housing”
“The Emerald Homosexual Sissy Liberal City with Expensive Housing and Union Labor”
Still, we can’t get Sharkansky to leave. But, then again, he came here from San Francisco.
Who does he think he’s kidding?
will shows his ignorance about this region or at least anyplace outside Seattle by trashing a city (Auburn) that is doing exactly what he claims he supports.
Project Ace – New Hotel and Condominium Project, with Restaurants and a Turn-of-the-Century Hardware Store, Coming to Downtown Auburn
the last five years, within a five-mile radius of downtown Auburn, over 10,000 people chose Auburn as their new home. If projections prove correct, by 2010 another 9,655 people will have chosen the Auburn area as their new address.
Household Income
During the last five years, the average median household income grew 14 percent, from $46,788 in 2000 to $53,136 in 2005 and is expected to grow another 14 percent in the next five years.
Housing
From 2000 to 2003, the number of housing units in the 5-mile radius of downtown Auburn grew from 59,296 to 63,475. Forecasts show that another 3,837 homes will be built here by 2010. Local home values are ramping up quickly. In just five years the median value of a home in Auburn increased by 42% from $155,689 in 2000 to $219,632 by the end of 2005. However, even at current values, homes in the Auburn area cost 70 percent less than the median price of a single-family home in King County, which was $374,000.
Look Will!! Renton is doing it too. There is life outside Seattle.
Relocating auto dealerships from the downtown to the new Automall on Grady Way;
Designing and building a pedestrian-friendly street with urban amenities such as benches and sidewalk treatments;
Creation of a beautiful new urban park, the Piazza, which provides a space for community-wide special events and activities, including the Renton Farmers Market and the Cinema on the Piazza;
Construction of a new Regional Transit Center, a partnership between the City, King County and Metro;
Construction of City Center Parking, a $9 million City-owned parking garage adjacent to the transit center. The seven-story, 562-space garage provides parking for shoppers, commuters, employees and other downtown visitors;
$2 million renovation of the Pavilion Building, a City-owned structure with 11,783 square feet of usable area plus patio space. The Pavilion Building is leased to the Spirit of Washington Event Center to operate an event, banquet and meeting facility;
Working with Dally Homes to establish three multi-family development projects near the urban core, bringing people into the heart of the City;
The Renaissance is a mixed-use development featuring 110-residential units, a parking garage and 6,000 square feet of retail space. According to developer Don Dally, this project was rented out faster than any other Eastside development in history;
Burnett Station is a 58-unit urban-style residential mixed-use development with 5,000 square feet of retail space;
Metropolitan Place, a transit-oriented development featuring 90 apartments and a two level park-and-ride lot;
Working with Centex Homes to build the 37-unit 55 Williams development, the first condominium project in downtown Renton;
Construction of the Renton IKEA Performing Arts Center as the final phase of a $30 million renovation at Renton High School.
These new investments in downtown have encouraged the development of other projects surrounding the area including a remodeled Super Safeway, a new Walgreens and a number of new restaurants, including Melrose Grill, The Met coffee and wine bar, the Red House Beer & Wine Shoppe Tapas Bar, and Fin N Bone, plus a new home for the Whistle Stop Ale House and Armondo’s.
A VISION 2020 award from the Puget Sound Regional Council honored Renton for its exceptional downtown revitalization efforts in 2000. The award spotlighted the efforts that support a strong community, efficient transportation and a healthy environment for the central Puget Sound region. In 2002, Renton was honored with the award once again for the success of the regional transit center and its transit-oriented development.
@18 You’re not gonna be that lucky. P.S., pay your fucking gambling debt!
@20 Don’t worry, Art, Seattle housing will be affordable again someday. This town is cyclical.
Here’s how capitalism works. When there’s no jobs, housing is affordable, but who needs a house in a town where there’s no work? When there’s jobs, everybody flocks to town, bidding housing costs into unaffordable range! So you can’t afford to go there to work.
Another failure of the market to satisfy people’s needs.
@21 I didn’t realize it was still possible to buy here on an income of only 80K. Where did you find that little fixer?
Don’t worry, they’ll come up with 400-year mortgages, or something, to help the common man.
22, 23 Harry probably has a weed-grown 5-acre parcel in Cle Elum he’s hoping to subdivide into million-dollar building lots.
@24 There’s a nice spread for sale in Aspen for only $125 million.
@25 Speaking of “producers,” nothing produces quite like sitting on the living room couch watching TV while waiting for your house to appreciate another $50,000. Sure pays better than working at a job.
Our priorities in this country are fucked up. We bestow lavish rewards and generous tax breaks on people for owning stock and flipping real estate, while taxing the shit out of the peanuts we pay to workers for producing something. Meanwhile, according to news reports, the IRS is going after wage earners and middle class taxpayers while ignoring tax-dodging millionaires.
And employers wonder why they can’t find motivated, skilled, energetic workers for $2.13 an hour?
It’s gotten to where you have to be a damn fool to work for wages in this country anymore. I don’t! I’d rather flip stocks than hamburgers! Pays better, is taxed less, and requires less effort.
@26 There is divine justice in the world. To wit: God put Aspen’s runway directly in front of a large mountain, and give that valley lots of bad weather to boot, so rich people can get killed in their private jets.
The Aspen airport has had a wonderful effect on the government’s estate tax collections.
#34 The ultimate irony is that Auburn’s changing demographics eventually will put Pam Roach out of a job.
@35 Renton … ain’t that the burg that wants Seattle taxpayers to give them a $500 million sports palace?
Let’s see … the Renton city fathers wants the state to put up $300 million and want county taxpayers to put up another $100 million. Since Renton has only 2.7% of the county’s population, and therefore presumably pays only 2.7% of county taxes, they’ll get a $500 million arena for $2.7 million out of their own pockets. Sounds like a pretty good deal (for them). Yep, Renton has figured out the secret to urban revitalization — make someone else pay!!!
Roger @ 48: Geez, we can only hope. When are the D’s out here going to nominate somebody decent for both Roaches?
Roger @ 49: Renton is just following Seattle’s example….when are those Kingdome bonds paid off? (Not that I’m disagreeing with you….)
The market, not the pols or the planners, is the primary driver of what is happening around Puget Sound……now that the government has quit subsidizing developers (and high profit sprawl) by building new roads into the forests with our tax dollars.
Most all of the road projects planned around here now are fixes to existing roads, with a few exceptions.
The Bay Area has no Urban Growth Area. Portland found out that Vancouver was simply a relief valve for its elite ambitions.
This region is much better off than either Portland, San Francisco or Vancouver. And a far better place. There’s more opportunity and a far higher quality of life.
But the city and the “urban” isn’t just Seattle. It is downtown Tacoma, Redmond, Everett and many other places. Get with it.
Knute Berger – what a fucking moron.
He spends all his waking hours playing the freeway-embracing burned-out hippie suburbanite, fighting all those elitists in Seattle and their damn transit…yet this clown is really just trying to hide his fundamentally elitist “I got mine” NIMBY world view.
The Weekly didn’t falter because of “big out of town corporate interests.” It flopped under the Berger regime because of a stale, worn-out ideology.
Berger’s mono-cultural dreams (based on the notion civic interaction is limited to flipping the bird to the OTHER angry white guy in the OTHER Escalade) are starting to die all over the west. Portland and Vancouver aren’t the only cities which have moved away from freeway-living and soul-less strip malls, to a more human-scale environment where people actually say “hi” to eachother at the store.
And, sorry Skippers – they aren’t doing it with crappy buses.
Either Knute Berger picked up his smirky snobbery from Kirkland, or he just helped contribute to the aura of outdated suburban elitism still found in the traffic-choked cul de sacs over there.
“We know that these green-backed policies are making the city more unaffordable. They are helping to drive the poor out of town. They are displacing long-standing communities. They are changing the scale of a once-egalitarian city that featured few poor people, few rich people, and a lot of folks in between.”
Ahh…the old populist snake oil. If we just keep the buildings half-empty, the potholes deep and wide, the junk cars in the front lawn, and the garbage and graffiti abundant – then we can keep that same old egalitarian feel, and we Kirklanders can stay free of the riff-raff.
Skippers lives in Kirkland, but pretends to embrace to cultural ethic of Aurora Avenue North. What a fucking freak show.
Irony @ 33,34,35
That’s some good info. I was wrong to knock Auburn. Auburn is much better than, say, North Dakota.
BTW- It’s worth noting that Skip Berger doesn’t want Auburn to grow either.