HorsesAss.Org

I know, early days and all that, but this would be pretty rad.

Yesterday, the Sound Transit Executive Committee recommended a $2 million budget addition to study high-capacity mass transit from downtown to Ballard in 2012, instead of maybe three years from now, as was originally proposed.

This is fantastic news! Regardless of if the full Sound Transit board approves the $2 million Executive Committee recommendation on December 15, millions have already been pledged. Specifically, the City has budgeted an additional $2 million for studying and planning (including $900,000 from a federal transportation planning grant, a $300,000 SDOT match of the federal grant, and $800,000 from the approved 2012 budget).

I would be interested in how much this would work as a spur to development versus changing the way people move between Ballard and Downtown. The buses between Downtown and Ballard now seem to work pretty well (they work well for me when I take them, but I don’t commute that route so it’s not rush hour). And while there’s always room for improvement, Ballard doesn’t seem as in need of a spur for growth that much of the Link corridor will benefit from in the long term.

I’ve been waiting for years for someone to dig up this old TV Nation segment about Newt Gingrich and put it on YouTube:

Goldy highlights this gem from Frank Luntz.

“I’m so scared of this anti-Wall Street effort. I’m frightened to death,” Luntz said. “They’re having an impact on what the American people think of capitalism.”

While I think the Occupy movement in general and Occupy Wall Street in particular changed the discussion and have had a positive impact, a much larger driver is that the economy has turned many people against capitalism (or at least the brand of capitalism in the United States). It’s the housing bubble and the myriad foreclosed houses it’s left since it burst. It’s the high unemployment rate, and what it does to people who can’t find work or to people who are afraid to ask for a raise or who aren’t able to take that vacation any more or who aren’t getting as many tips as they did a few years ago. It’s the high price of gas. It’s the degradation of government services.

No, if you want to make people think positive things about capitalism, build a capitalism that works for them. Make capitalism more democratic, and more fair. Make it a vehicle for building a strong middle class accessible to anyone who works hard.

It may be more cumulative than any one thing, but the reaction to Cain’s affair seems to be more harmful to Cain than his alleged sexual harassment. While I can’t say the affair, if true, reflects well on him, well adults are free to fuck up their private lives. As long as it’s consensual and not abusing power, it’s between himself and his family, and we can focus on policy.

And yet, the thing that’s got him in the most trouble is the consensual thing that doesn’t matter to his policy. Seems like we could straighten out our priorities a bit. Also, while I’m dreaming about straightening out our priorities, maybe don’t take the next Herman Cain quite so seriously.

I’m glad that the Wenatchee bailout isn’t going through. Although unlike the Republicans who oppose it, I’m not against the state bailing municipalities out on principle. But since I don’t think the state would return the favor for Seattle, well, no bail outs is probably preferable to bail outs that only flow East.

Also, it’s tough to justify this when the economy is on the rocks and the legislature is in cut, cut, cut mode. The Republicans have, with their insistence on no new revenue, made this a choice between bailing out bad investments in Wenatchee or schools and social services. Really, a no brainer.

Six months after derailing a very well-crafted medical marijuana bill, Governor Gregoire joins Governor Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island to ask the DEA to reschedule marijuana as a Schedule II drug. Leaving aside the argument that marijuana probably shouldn’t be a Schedule II drug either (the same as cocaine and certain forms of methamphetamine), this is clearly the most progressive position on marijuana we’ve seen from the Governor. But I also agree with the Drug Policy Alliance’s Ethan Nadelmann here:

“The governors’ call for rescheduling marijuana so that it can be prescribed for medical purposes is an important step forward in challenging the federal government’s intransigence in this area,” said Nadelmann. “But their call should not serve as an excuse for these two governors to fail to move forward on responsible regulation of medical marijuana in their own states. Governors in states ranging from New Jersey and Vermont to Colorado and New Mexico have not allowed the federal government’s ban on medical marijuana to prevent them from approving and implementing statewide regulation of medical marijuana. Govs. Gregoire and Chafee should do likewise.”

As the federal pressure on medical marijuana grew over the summer, Gregoire and Chafee were the two governors who balked and scrapped sensible regulations supported by the people of their state and passed by the legislature. This happened even as both Republican Chris Christie (NJ) and Democrat Peter Shumlin (VT) moved forward with their states’ programs despite the threats. It’s good to see Gregoire have the courage to stand up to the DEA (many still won’t), but there’s certainly more she can and should do.

The Columbian has a bold strategy to plug the horrible budget hole without the hassle of raising taxes or cutting programs that people depend on. Magic? No, silly. Reform. But without getting very specific or putting a price tag on it.

This special session was necessitated by a projected $2 billion revenue shortfall. Many lawmakers talk about dealing with this only by various combinations of spending cuts or revenue increases. Again, though, state Sen. Joe Zarelli of Ridgefield, the Republican leader on the Senate Ways and Means Committee, is advocating a third tactic that never seems to draw the attention it deserves: reform.

Oh. Reform. Of course. If we do things better then things will be better.

And Washingtonians have to wonder why reform never carries more clout in these agonizing budget discussions. After all, the concept of reform is largely (though far from totally) nonpartisan. Reform means simply changing the way government does its business, maximizing efficiencies. While conservatives advocate budget cuts and liberals insist on boosting revenue, both sides ought to agree that a bigger bang for the taxpayers’ buck would be a good thing.

It couldn’t be that there isn’t much money in the so-called reforms. That will require the rest of the article to mention some of the ones that will have the most “bang for the taxpayers’ buck” and really delve into them. How they effect the programs, how they effect the workers tasked with implementing them. That sort of thing. Or I guess quote one state senator.

Even with the limited attention given to reform, Zarelli points to steps already taken by legislators in that direction: “more choice for injured workers, a refocusing of the Basic Health Plan and disability lifeline, and clamping down on fraud and abuse involving food and cash assistance to low-income people,” all accomplished with bipartisan support.

You guys, all we have to do is cut the fraud and abuse budgets! Also, if we make Workers’ Comp and Basic Health less effective, it’s not a cut, it’s reform. Anyway, you know what would make this article the best ever? More vague suggestions from the same person without any attempt to see what they would do to state services and state workers let alone how much they might save or cost.

Surely, that cannot be the end of what can be done. In his article for The Herald, Zarelli advocated focusing on “long-term obligations that are huge cost drivers, such as state-worker pensions, health-care services, paying off the state’s debt and efforts to bring our K-12 education system into compliance with court rulings” plus at least having discussions about “services for non-citizens, state liability, non-Indian gaming, state workplace efficiencies such as competitive contracting and defined-contribution pensions, and how the state subsidizes low-income child care.”

Almost all of those things will cost money, or are cuts (except expanding gambling). This article promised something other than “combinations of spending cuts or revenue increases” and yet pay down debt is on the list? How do you expect to pay down debt without raising taxes or cutting spending?* Hopefully the next paragraph will answer some of those questions instead of being a whiny nonsense metaphor.

The reform menu keeps getting longer, doesn’t it? Why, then, are legislators so reluctant to place their orders?

It’s because most of those reforms are bad ideas, cuts by another name, or bland generalities. While some of them may be part of the solution, this article doesn’t make the case for any of them, and certainly doesn’t weigh the pros and cons. The legislature is trying to solve a $2 Billion budget gap, and the Columbian is proposing gimmickry and trickery while demanding we take them more seriously.

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– I remember Nick telling me that Hillary should drop out in 2008, so I’m glad to see he’s come to my side on primary elections being good for whoever wins them.

– Late night taxi stands

– The new iPhone hates women (h/t).

– Awesome job Washington Post.

– I can’t decide if I think #Q4Jon is awesome or horrible.

– Predatory birds spreading seeds via lizards.

Please join us tonight for an evening of politics under the influence at the Seattle Chapter of Drinking liberally.

We meet at the Montlake Ale House, 2307 24th Avenue E. Starting time is 8:00 pm, but some folks will show up earlier for a quiet dinner.

Damnit! It looks like we won’t have Herman Cain to kick around anymore. Apparently, “conservatives” are telling him, “Nein, nein, nein.” So…enjoy whilst you can:

Can’t make it to Seattle? The Tri-Cities chapter of Drinking liberally meets every Tuesday night. Drinking Liberally Tacoma meets this Thursday. Also next Monday, there are meetings of the Olympia chapter, the Yakima chapter, and the South Bellevue chapter.

With 227 chapters of Living Liberally, including twelve in Washington state and six more in Oregon, chances are excellent there’s one near you.

I consider myself to be from Wisconsin. My family moved to Madison in 1970. They’re still there.

I skipped my usual summer trip back home this year. In fact, I haven’t been back to Wisconsin since right-wing nut-case Gov. Scott Walker took office on January 3 of 2010. And this past week, Kathy and I decided we would not head back to the Midwest for Christmas.

It isn’t, exactly, that I am boycotting the state (and definitely not boycotting my family). But when I go to Wisconsin, I do my Christmas shopping there, rent a car, go out to eat with friends and family, and buy lots of groceries and stuff—that is, I contribute to the economy of Wisconsin.

This year the revenue will go to Washington; because, with a nearly balancing set of trade-offs for and against a trip home, the Walker Factor has tipped the scale in favor of not going. It’s a protest more than a boycott—my small way of saying, “fuck you, Gov. Walker, for trying to turn Wisconsin into a Republican wasteland.”

It looks like my protest can come to a satisfactory end soon:

Activists pushing to recall Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) announced on Monday evening that they have collected more than 300,000 signatures for the effort in just 12 days.

To trigger a recall election, Walker’s opponents—coordinated by the group United Wisconsin—need to collect 540,208 valid signatures by Jan. 17, which is 60 days after the campaign launched. Organizers said they are aiming for 600,000 to 700,000 signatures.

I sense some anger towards Walker.

How are Republicans responding? As you might expect. With violence. You know, vandalism, threats of vehicular assault, destroying petitions (here and here)…the usual. And the fun has just begun.

I’m already making plans for a summer trip back home.

I’m still processing the news of the protests in Olympia, but so far it’s been pretty inspiring. Things like this create the space to do, if not good, at least less bad. Still, there’s a 2/3-or-a-vote requirement to pass any tax increases. The Democrats still have a record of spinelessness, and the Republican agenda is still horrible. The budget hole is still awful.

So, I have a bit more hope for the special session than I did this morning. But I’m still skeptical that the actual gritty work of legislating will produce the kind of budget that Washington needs. We’ll see.

But we’ll also act. So those of us who can’t be down in Olympia can still call or email your legislator. You can write on a blog, or social media. You can call into talk shows and write letters to the editor.

– More like this, please.

– Calling 911 is enough. Not calling 911 is not enough. We have an actual phone line you can call into, directly, day or night, and report violent crimes. We pay people money to sit at desks and field these calls. We devote considerable infrastructure toward this end, to ensure that there is no question whether anyone ever “did enough.” We have defined “enough.” (h/t)

– 23rd & Oz!

– You know that at some point the Washington State Patrol hired some expert to design that Impaired Driving Unit logo on their van.

– Rugged Individualists.

Last week’s contest was won by wes.in.wa. It was Grandview, WA.

This week’s contest is related to something in the news from November, good luck!

Luke 19:23-27
Why didn’t you put my money in the bank? On my return, I could have had the money together with interest.”

Then he said to some other servants standing there, “Take the money away from him and give it to the servant who earned ten times as much.”

But they said, “Sir, he already has ten times as much!”

The king replied, “Those who have something will be given more. But everything will be taken away from those who don’t have anything. Now bring me the enemies who didn’t want me to be their king. Kill them while I watch!”

Discuss.

Stephen: Supreme court tapes.

David Shuster with Janeane Garofalo The double standard of Republican rhetoric.

Young Turks: IAEA’s questionable report on Iran & nuclear weapons.

Thom: Who’s screwed now that the Supercommittee has failed.

America Occupied:

• Thom: The whole world was watching.
• Newsy: UC Davis pepper spray fallout
• Ann Telnaes: UC Davis Police pepper spray protesters.
• Meet Lieutenant John Pike
• Jonathan Mann: Pow Pow Pow Pow Police State
• Thom: Occupy the highway!
• Pap: Generational income gap is destroying young people financially.

Red State Update: Michelle booed at NASCAR.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and NYPD Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly are Worst Person in the World.

White House: West Wing Week.

Thom: The Good, the Bad, and the Very, Very Ugly.

Alyona: Black Friday gets headlines as the EU crumbles.

Young Turks: Citadel child sex scandal.

Stephen on The Media.

This Week’s Republican Primary Asylum:

• Newsy: Policy differences emerge within GOP field at latest debate.
• Alyona: GOP Debate—Islamists and Socialists join forces?!
• Gen. Wes Clark: Republican candidates not seen as serious on national security.
• Ann Telnaes: Newt’s all wet.
• Newt’s immigration surprise.
• Liberal Viewer: Michele claims CIA is run by ACLU? WTF????
• Mitt Romney is dishonest on immigration.
• Sharpton: The truth about Romney’s false attack ad on Obama.
• Lawrence O’Donnell: “Thou shalt not bear false witness.”
• Young Turks: On Mitt Romney’s lying attack ad against Obama.
• Mitt Romney’s misleading ad:
• Jon’s best Mitt Romney moments.
• Michele: Buy my book!
• Young Turks: Michele Bachmann is back on the HPV vaccine pseudoscience again.
• Daily Show: Best of Bachmann moments.
• Young Turks: Herman Cain does it again, “What is the Taliban?

Alyona’s Fireside chat: Millions go hungry in the U.S.A..

Thom: The Good, the Bad, and the Very, Very Ugly.

Young Turks: CIA gets outsmarted by Hezbollah.

Focus on FAUX:

• David Shuster with Christian Finnegan on new poll that found FAUX News viewers know less about news & current events than people who don’t follow news at all.
• Young Turks: FAUX News viewers most misinformed.
• Ed with Lizz Winsted on proof that FAUX News viewers are dumber than people who don’t watch news.
• Alyona’s Tool Time: FAUX News’ Megyn Kelly and Bill-O.
• Sam Seder: FAUX News’ Megyn Kelly suggests pepper spray is no biggie!
• Liberal Viewer: WTF? FAUX News blames pepper spraying on protesters?
• Newsy: Megyn Kelly gets memed over pepper spray comment.

Young Turks: Glenn Beck goes ballistic over Fallon’s dis of Michele Bachmann.

Alyona: Oregon puts death penalty on death row hold.

Jonathan Mann: Pizza is a vegetable.

Thom: How Wal-Mart killed “mom and pops”.

Last week’s Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza can be found here.