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Founded in January 2009, PubliCola is a blog about Seattle written by journalists who are dedicated to non-partisan, original daily reporting that prioritizes a balanced approach to news. Started by longtime local editor and award-winning reporter Josh Feit, PubliCola is the first online-only news site in state history to get media credentials to cover the state capitol.

PubliCola was off and running. In June 2009, PubliCola hired another award-winning journalist, super-sourced Seattle city hall reporter Erica C. Barnett.

People were afraid that blogging would change journalism. Instead, we believe journalism can change blogging. Twenty-first century journalism may look and feel different, and yes Erica isn't afraid to get cranky, but we're committed to making sure online news still delivers independent, reliable, even-keeled coverage. And most of all, we're committed to making sure the coverage sparks honest civic debate.

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The first online-only news site in state history to get media credentials to cover the state capitol and Seattle city hall, PubliCola has been called a “must-read” by the Seattle Post Intelligencer and a hot “New Media Mover and Shaker” by Seattle Magazine—which also cited our own Erica C. Barnett as the city's No. 1 news nerd.

A Problem with the State Budget

News   June 8, 2009 at 8:14 am Josh Feit

fizz2412

1. Local Democratic districts should expect a few new faces at their upcoming endorsement meetings, including at tonight’s 37th District Democrats meeting (South Seattle) at the Rainier Cultural Center.

Mad organizer John Fox—the head of Seattle’s lefty and populist Seattle Displacement Coalition—has put out the word to Displacement Coalition supporters that City Council candidate David Bloom needs some help getting the prized Democratic district endorsements. 

“I know some of you may not characterize yourself as a Dem, and I am sorry to bother you” Fox wrote to his list, “but even if you are only a ‘nominal’ Dem — you can attend and vote at these meetings for David.”

Fox describes the race between Bloom, and his well-funded opponent Sally Bagshaw (the former head of the King County Prosecutor’s Office Civil Division), this way: 

“He’s the nabe’, small business, and low income housing advocate person in the race squared off against the pro-downtown, pro-Paul Allen, more of the same, give-away-the-farm candidate Sally Bagshaw. Again I can’t understate how important this [is] so do come if you possibly can…” 

We’ve reported on both Bloom and Bagshaw before—and decided they were both formidable candidates. 

2. Apparently it wasn’t a very good weekend for the Sounders (They lost 1-0 on Saturday night to Chivas USA). I checked my email this morning and got this sad note from SoundersNerd: 

Hi Josh,

Here’s my recap of Saturday’s game.  I rambled on and on about a dozen tangents in the draft. I tried parring it down to a point or two, but I don’t know if I succeeded. It’s late and I’m frustrated with the Sounders and can’t say much good about them.  If it’s too incoherent, let me know.

Thanks,

SoundersNerd

We’ll post SoundersNerd’s full report later today.

3. In case you missed it (the SeattlePI.com had it late Friday afternoon), there are some new polling numbers from KING 5 on the King County Executive’s race:

Former KIRO News anchor and Republican Susan Hutchison  34

King County Council Member Larry Phillips          9

King County Council Member Dow Constantine           8

Suburban Seattle Sate Sen. Fred Jarrett (D-41, Mercer Island)          5

Suburban Seattle Sate Rep. Ross Hunter (D-48, Medina)          5

 It looks like Hutchison is going to make it through the August 18 primary, while Phillips and Constantine have a small edge over the Eastside guys in a contest to be Hutchison’s oppoenent in the general. 

Despite Hutchison’s strong showing, I imagine she’s going to have a hard time getting up over 50 in liberal King County against the Democrat who goes through. As we reported last week, Hutchison has deep ties to the GOP machine. 

4. In an important post this weekend, PubliCola Blog-Rola fave, Seattle Transit Blog, focused on the question: How do we fund the growing demand for transit when the budget rules (and priorities) in Olympia are out of synch with the times?

In plain English—”So what do we want the next state budget to look like? What funding options do we want to build our next rail line in the city? And how do we get there?”—STB highlighted a problem with the state budget that we think has become just as fundamental as the problem of our unsustainable and regressive tax structure: How do we fund transit?   


  • Timothy

    Here’s my bold idea for getting transit funded…

    First, Seattle needs to get really smart about wielding our power. Not in a “it’s my way or the highway” tactic, rather, building strategic partnerships with like-minded, urban-oriented individuals throughout the State, and doing a much better job promoting Seattle to the rest of the State. We have to dispel the myth that if it’s good for Seattle, it’s bad for the State. A healthy Seattle provides a more healthy State, and transit is a big issue. If outlying areas came to understand that by making Seattle efficient, we improve the entire State, they can become our friends, rather than our enemies.

    Next…we need to make sure that all of our Seattle elected officials are actually friends to Seattle and on-board with a cohesive vision of the future of the City. We are too easily divided and conquered. One very powerful House member from Seattle, for example, has come to see himself as a fixture of the State rather than a fixture of the City. This is not representation that is in Seattle’s interest, and we need to organize a sane campaign to promote a better Rep in that district.

    Next…and this won’t be popular…the rest of our State Reps need to seriously consider laying aside their pet projects in the interest of the needs of the City. For example…though we have not crossed the finished line yet, I think we need to declare victory on gay rights and move on. At this point in history, we have enough momentum to carry us across the line. There are several Seattle reps who see themselves as primarily focused on issues that are larger than the City; it’s time for them to lay that aside and get really focused on the nuts and bolts of building a Seattle for tomorrow.

    Finally…the Mayor and the Council need to make nice and realize that right now, at this point in time, we need a cohesive vision for the future of this City. Fighting amongst ourselves for narrow victories is meaningless if we lose the larger war. And, we are losing that war.

    Seattle is progressive capitol of the State. We have the responsibility to meaningfully advance the cause of the Urban core, and it is becoming increasingly critical that we do so.

  • Timothy

    Here’s my bold idea for getting transit funded…

    First, Seattle needs to get really smart about wielding our power. Not in a “it’s my way or the highway” tactic, rather, building strategic partnerships with like-minded, urban-oriented individuals throughout the State, and doing a much better job promoting Seattle to the rest of the State. We have to dispel the myth that if it’s good for Seattle, it’s bad for the State. A healthy Seattle provides a more healthy State, and transit is a big issue. If outlying areas came to understand that by making Seattle efficient, we improve the entire State, they can become our friends, rather than our enemies.

    Next…we need to make sure that all of our Seattle elected officials are actually friends to Seattle and on-board with a cohesive vision of the future of the City. We are too easily divided and conquered. One very powerful House member from Seattle, for example, has come to see himself as a fixture of the State rather than a fixture of the City. This is not representation that is in Seattle’s interest, and we need to organize a sane campaign to promote a better Rep in that district.

    Next…and this won’t be popular…the rest of our State Reps need to seriously consider laying aside their pet projects in the interest of the needs of the City. For example…though we have not crossed the finished line yet, I think we need to declare victory on gay rights and move on. At this point in history, we have enough momentum to carry us across the line. There are several Seattle reps who see themselves as primarily focused on issues that are larger than the City; it’s time for them to lay that aside and get really focused on the nuts and bolts of building a Seattle for tomorrow.

    Finally…the Mayor and the Council need to make nice and realize that right now, at this point in time, we need a cohesive vision for the future of this City. Fighting amongst ourselves for narrow victories is meaningless if we lose the larger war. And, we are losing that war.

    Seattle is progressive capitol of the State. We have the responsibility to meaningfully advance the cause of the Urban core, and it is becoming increasingly critical that we do so.

  • Dan

    I think that you actually have to be a member of the district to vote on endorsements – some districts have a time requirement to preclude people from “packing” the meetings.

  • Dan

    I think that you actually have to be a member of the district to vote on endorsements – some districts have a time requirement to preclude people from “packing” the meetings.

  • http://publicola.net/ Josh Feit

    @2,
    You’re right. Fox’s email blast covers that, alerting people to pay membership dues pronto.

  • lorax

    @1. Solid, but what actually funding source do you propose?

  • lorax

    @1. Solid, but what actually funding source do you propose?

  • sparky

    I agree with the part about getting the surrounding areas to get on board with Seattle on transit. Hello….has anyone included Olympia in any talks. I always read about lines from Seattle to Tacoma. I commute every day from Olympia north, and the amount of traffic on Northbound I-5 would fill up several trains..same with the end of the day going southbound. Also, I would be more likely to shop and stay in Seattle if I could hop on a train from Oly…right now, it is cheaper and less of a hassle to go to Portland.

  • sparky

    I agree with the part about getting the surrounding areas to get on board with Seattle on transit. Hello….has anyone included Olympia in any talks. I always read about lines from Seattle to Tacoma. I commute every day from Olympia north, and the amount of traffic on Northbound I-5 would fill up several trains..same with the end of the day going southbound. Also, I would be more likely to shop and stay in Seattle if I could hop on a train from Oly…right now, it is cheaper and less of a hassle to go to Portland.

  • Timothy

    @4…I don’t think there’s a single answer to the source of funding. I think it would be a mix of various sources.

    However, so long as there’s no good will toward Seattle or toward transit, funding problems will be the excuse. Where there’s will, funding options will present themselves.

    Our problem is not about how to allocate funds, it’s about actually convincing others that it’s necessary.

  • Timothy

    @4…I don’t think there’s a single answer to the source of funding. I think it would be a mix of various sources.

    However, so long as there’s no good will toward Seattle or toward transit, funding problems will be the excuse. Where there’s will, funding options will present themselves.

    Our problem is not about how to allocate funds, it’s about actually convincing others that it’s necessary.

  • http://threetreejournal.blogspot.com/ David in Burien

    Nice comment, Timothy. @5–I’m with you too, Sparky. My commute is Southwest Seattle to Lacey and it kills me that I don’t get to take a Sounder to Lacey/Oly. In fact, my commute options are even more limited than yours. There is no single or one transfer bus ride from the Southend to Lacey/Oly either. All I get is a vanpool which is so inflexible relative to my commuting needs I ride it three times a month. Huge mistake letting Thurston County out of the RTA back in the 1990′s as there are thousands of commutes that could be taken off the highway if ST ran this far south.

  • http://threetreejournal.blogspot.com David in Burien

    Nice comment, Timothy. @5–I’m with you too, Sparky. My commute is Southwest Seattle to Lacey and it kills me that I don’t get to take a Sounder to Lacey/Oly. In fact, my commute options are even more limited than yours. There is no single or one transfer bus ride from the Southend to Lacey/Oly either. All I get is a vanpool which is so inflexible relative to my commuting needs I ride it three times a month. Huge mistake letting Thurston County out of the RTA back in the 1990′s as there are thousands of commutes that could be taken off the highway if ST ran this far south.

  • http://publicola.net/ Josh Feit

    @2,
    You're right. Fox's email blast covers that, alerting people to pay membership dues pronto.