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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.

Bringing you cola for the people, PubliCola is named after Publius Valerius PubliCola, the alias for the authors of the Federalist Papers—the original bloggers.

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.

Weekend Fizz

Just got word that Sally Bagshaw—one of two frontrunners in the race to succeed Position 4 city council member Jan Drago—has hired a new campaign manager: City Neighborhood Coalition president and Georgetown activist Kathy Nyland.

I just gave Nyland props for putting together a neighborhood-issues forum that was anything but parochial. In the same post, I also said Bagshaw comes across as a conservative business candidate in contrast to her opponent, social justice and housing activist David Bloom. Bagshaw’s decision to hire Nyland gives Bagshaw some lefty cred and takes some of the wind out of allegations that she’s just another Jan Drago or Margaret Pageler.

And it’s a smart move in other ways: In addition to being a strong neighborhood activist, business owner, and progressive, Nyland has a high profile and is well respected inside and outside City Hall.


  • J.R.

    Who’s going to run the City Neighborhood Council once Kathy gets her high-paying job inside City Hall?

  • J.R.

    Who’s going to run the City Neighborhood Council once Kathy gets her high-paying job inside City Hall?

  • J.R.

    Who’s going to run the City Neighborhood Council once Kathy gets her high-paying job inside City Hall?

  • DELETED

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This comment was deleted. Troll Alert.

  • DELETED

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This comment was deleted. Troll Alert.

  • DELETED

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This comment was deleted. Troll Alert.

  • Trust us-we’re different than

    Holy cow! Look at what Ted Van Dyk wrote over at Crosscut. This is a theme about Mayor Nickels, Sandeep’s employer, that you won’t see at publicola.net

    Greg Nickels: giving toughness a bad name

    Posted Fri, Jun 19, 6 a.m.

    By Ted Van Dyk

    Real leaders are tough and use fear as a technique. The problem with Mayor Nickels is that he uses intimidation when it serves no purpose, and confuses disagreement with disloyalty. Here are some lessons from LBJ.

    Read more at:

    http://crosscut.com/

  • Trust us-we’re different than

    Holy cow! Look at what Ted Van Dyk wrote over at Crosscut. This is a theme about Mayor Nickels, Sandeep’s employer, that you won’t see at publicola.net

    Greg Nickels: giving toughness a bad name

    Posted Fri, Jun 19, 6 a.m.

    By Ted Van Dyk

    Real leaders are tough and use fear as a technique. The problem with Mayor Nickels is that he uses intimidation when it serves no purpose, and confuses disagreement with disloyalty. Here are some lessons from LBJ.

    Read more at:

    http://crosscut.com/

  • Trust us-we’re different than the run of the mill political hacks that bed the local political class

    Holy cow! Look at what Ted Van Dyk wrote over at Crosscut. This is a theme about Mayor Nickels, Sandeep’s employer, that you won’t see at publicola.net

    Greg Nickels: giving toughness a bad name

    Posted Fri, Jun 19, 6 a.m.

    By Ted Van Dyk

    Real leaders are tough and use fear as a technique. The problem with Mayor Nickels is that he uses intimidation when it serves no purpose, and confuses disagreement with disloyalty. Here are some lessons from LBJ.

    Read more at:

    http://crosscut.com/

  • Luigi Giovanni

    @2

    I didn’t see that comment before it was deleted. Did it have something to with wine?

  • Luigi Giovanni

    @2

    I didn’t see that comment before it was deleted. Did it have something to with wine?

  • Luigi Giovanni

    @2

    I didn’t see that comment before it was deleted. Did it have something to with wine?

  • http://www2.seattle.gov/ethics/eldata/filings/campaigns.asp?ElCycle=el09a Nicole

    Just a note: Sally Bagshaw is running for City Council Position 4 (the story says Position 8).

  • http://www2.seattle.gov/ethics/eldata/filings/campaigns.asp?ElCycle=el09a Nicole

    Just a note: Sally Bagshaw is running for City Council Position 4 (the story says Position 8).

  • http://www2.seattle.gov/ethics/eldata/filings/campaigns.asp?ElCycle=el09a Nicole

    Just a note: Sally Bagshaw is running for City Council Position 4 (the story says Position 8).

  • Trevor

    It’s Sally who’s running for office, not her campaign manager. Tell me when her positions change on the issues.

    Until then, the story is that Bagshaw’s campaign is nervous and losing confidence because it’s lost a series of District Dem endorsements, and as a result has gone a shakeup to help her remake her image into something other than what she is. She is not a “neighborhood activist.”

    By the way: isn’t your reporting that the CNC forum was “anything but parochial” a backhanded compliment, suggesting a disdain for most neighborhood groups?

  • Trevor

    It’s Sally who’s running for office, not her campaign manager. Tell me when her positions change on the issues.

    Until then, the story is that Bagshaw’s campaign is nervous and losing confidence because it’s lost a series of District Dem endorsements, and as a result has gone a shakeup to help her remake her image into something other than what she is. She is not a “neighborhood activist.”

    By the way: isn’t your reporting that the CNC forum was “anything but parochial” a backhanded compliment, suggesting a disdain for most neighborhood groups?

  • Trevor

    It’s Sally who’s running for office, not her campaign manager. Tell me when her positions change on the issues.

    Until then, the story is that Bagshaw’s campaign is nervous and losing confidence because it’s lost a series of District Dem endorsements, and as a result has gone a shakeup to help her remake her image into something other than what she is. She is not a “neighborhood activist.”

    By the way: isn’t your reporting that the CNC forum was “anything but parochial” a backhanded compliment, suggesting a disdain for most neighborhood groups?

  • rtm

    Let’s not forget that Nylan’s neighborhood cred is melting away as she leaves real neighborhood candidates behind and begins to back business as usual folks.

  • rtm

    Let’s not forget that Nylan’s neighborhood cred is melting away as she leaves real neighborhood candidates behind and begins to back business as usual folks.

  • rtm

    Let’s not forget that Nylan’s neighborhood cred is melting away as she leaves real neighborhood candidates behind and begins to back business as usual folks.

  • Sarah

    The Sally who’s running for office (thanks, Trevor, for reminding us of who’s the candidate) said in her interview with SGN:

    “I’ve known the mayor for years,” she says. “After all, I was his attorney when he was on the County Council.”

    The SGN interview continues: “Bagshaw believes her relationships with city officials will give her an advantage if she is elected. She speaks particularly warmly of her friends City Council member Tim Burgess and Deputy Mayor Tim Ceis.

    “I look forward to working with them. They’re good people with good hearts. Tim Burgess early-endorsed me. We’ll make a hot team,” she says.”

    That’s all we need: a team composed of Nickels, Ceis, Burgess, and Bagshaw. Just how would that make Seattle any better than it is now?

  • Sarah

    The Sally who’s running for office (thanks, Trevor, for reminding us of who’s the candidate) said in her interview with SGN:

    “I’ve known the mayor for years,” she says. “After all, I was his attorney when he was on the County Council.”

    The SGN interview continues: “Bagshaw believes her relationships with city officials will give her an advantage if she is elected. She speaks particularly warmly of her friends City Council member Tim Burgess and Deputy Mayor Tim Ceis.

    “I look forward to working with them. They’re good people with good hearts. Tim Burgess early-endorsed me. We’ll make a hot team,” she says.”

    That’s all we need: a team composed of Nickels, Ceis, Burgess, and Bagshaw. Just how would that make Seattle any better than it is now?

  • Sarah

    The Sally who’s running for office (thanks, Trevor, for reminding us of who’s the candidate) said in her interview with SGN:

    “I’ve known the mayor for years,” she says. “After all, I was his attorney when he was on the County Council.”

    The SGN interview continues: “Bagshaw believes her relationships with city officials will give her an advantage if she is elected. She speaks particularly warmly of her friends City Council member Tim Burgess and Deputy Mayor Tim Ceis.

    “I look forward to working with them. They’re good people with good hearts. Tim Burgess early-endorsed me. We’ll make a hot team,” she says.”

    That’s all we need: a team composed of Nickels, Ceis, Burgess, and Bagshaw. Just how would that make Seattle any better than it is now?

  • I am Fnarf, not you, asshole

    The above three posts are not by me, the real Fnarf (aka Steve Thornton), but by some dimwitted imposter. Very clever, aren’t you?

  • I am Fnarf, not you, asshole

    The above three posts are not by me, the real Fnarf (aka Steve Thornton), but by some dimwitted imposter. Very clever, aren’t you?

  • I am Fnarf, not you, asshole

    The above three posts are not by me, the real Fnarf (aka Steve Thornton), but by some dimwitted imposter. Very clever, aren’t you?

  • http://publicola.net/ Josh Feit

    Thanks for clarifying that Fnarf. I was a little surprised.
    We’re deleting the impostor now!

  • http://publicola.net/ Josh Feit

    Thanks for clarifying that Fnarf. I was a little surprised.
    We’re deleting the impostor now!

  • http://publicola.net/ Josh Feit

    Thanks for clarifying that Fnarf. I was a little surprised.
    We’re deleting the impostor now!

  • I am Fnarf, not you, asshole

    And for yet more clarification, the three posts I mentioned aren’t there anymore, so Trevor, rtm, and Sarah can relax; I’m not after them.

    I got spam from Drago today. I’ve never emailed her before, and even if I had, sending an email to a council member does NOT sign you up for solicitations. Sadly, no Council member has ever gotten that distiction to date. Regardless, I don’t vote for spammers; spammers belong in jail.

  • I am Fnarf, not you, asshole

    And for yet more clarification, the three posts I mentioned aren’t there anymore, so Trevor, rtm, and Sarah can relax; I’m not after them.

    I got spam from Drago today. I’ve never emailed her before, and even if I had, sending an email to a council member does NOT sign you up for solicitations. Sadly, no Council member has ever gotten that distiction to date. Regardless, I don’t vote for spammers; spammers belong in jail.

  • I am Fnarf, not you, asshole

    And for yet more clarification, the three posts I mentioned aren’t there anymore, so Trevor, rtm, and Sarah can relax; I’m not after them.

    I got spam from Drago today. I’ve never emailed her before, and even if I had, sending an email to a council member does NOT sign you up for solicitations. Sadly, no Council member has ever gotten that distiction to date. Regardless, I don’t vote for spammers; spammers belong in jail.

  • Barb Wilson

    I agree that Kathy Nyland is all that and a bag of chips. She is a refreshing change to neighborhood politics as ususal.

  • Barb Wilson

    I agree that Kathy Nyland is all that and a bag of chips. She is a refreshing change to neighborhood politics as ususal.

  • Barb Wilson

    I agree that Kathy Nyland is all that and a bag of chips. She is a refreshing change to neighborhood politics as ususal.