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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.

Contribution of the Day

News   June 25, 2009 at 5:17 pm Erica C. Barnett

Who wrote a check to which political candidate today?

From the latest campaign filings:

Construction industry PAC Builders United in Legislative Development (affiliated with the Associated General Contractors of Washington) has maxed out to both of Nick Licata’s campaign rivals, Jessie Israel and Martin Kaplan, contributing $700 to each candidate, according to the state Public Disclosure Commission.

BUILD, which previously supported city candidates such as Bruce Harrell, Tim Burgess, and Venus Velazquez, has also given money to Position 4 candidate Sally Bagshaw ($350) and Position 8 candidate Robert Rosencrantz ($350). The BUILD roster is almost identical to the list of candidates endorsed by the Alki Foundation, the political arm of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce (which, in addition to Bagshaw, Rosencrantz, Kaplan, and Israel, also endorsed Position 8 candidate Jordan Royer.)

BUILD’s support for the “anybody-but-Licata” slate is hardly surprising, given his opposition to big construction projects around the city (Vulcan’s developments in South Lake Union, the mayor’s big downtown upzone); however, we’re looking forward to talking to BUILD representatives, whom we were unable to reach after 5pm, about why they’re pouring money into both anti-Licata campaigns.


  • LH

    Nick did NOT vote against colleague Peter Steinbrueck’s Downtown Height and Density Legislation. Read this press release and his quote

    “We’re moving Seattle forward for working people,” said Council President Nick Licata. “This legislation will result in an effective fusion of rapid growth with first-rate livability.”

    http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/news/detail.asp?ID=6025&Dept=28

    He’s also voted for most of the SLU rezones.

  • LH

    Nick did NOT vote against colleague Peter Steinbrueck’s Downtown Height and Density Legislation. Read this press release and his quote

    “We’re moving Seattle forward for working people,” said Council President Nick Licata. “This legislation will result in an effective fusion of rapid growth with first-rate livability.”

    http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/news/detail.asp?ID=6025&Dept=28

    He’s also voted for most of the SLU rezones.

  • LH

    Oh and, our pal Peter Steinbrueck would be bummed to read you characterize it as the “Mayor’s Big Downtown Upone.” Peter didn’t even introduce the Mayor’s bill. He shelved and wrote his own much better bill.

  • LH

    Oh and, our pal Peter Steinbrueck would be bummed to read you characterize it as the “Mayor’s Big Downtown Upone.” Peter didn’t even introduce the Mayor’s bill. He shelved and wrote his own much better bill.

  • LH

    Not to beat a dead horse, but Nick also added language to Steinbrueck’s Downtown Density bill that corrected a long-standing problem in the City’s “zoning bonus public open space” program.

    Nick convinced Councilmembers to include a section in the new “Downtown Amenity Standards” to protect the public’s rights of use in privately-owned-public-spaces built through this program. See here for more:

    http://www.seattle.gov/council/licata/up/216.htm

  • LH

    Not to beat a dead horse, but Nick also added language to Steinbrueck’s Downtown Density bill that corrected a long-standing problem in the City’s “zoning bonus public open space” program.

    Nick convinced Councilmembers to include a section in the new “Downtown Amenity Standards” to protect the public’s rights of use in privately-owned-public-spaces built through this program. See here for more:

    http://www.seattle.gov/council/licata/up/216.htm

  • http://publicola.net/ Josh Feit

    @2,

    This is precisely why the builders’ pac is against Licata, LH. They wanted the mayor’s original upzone—”the mayor’s big downtown upzone”—and they don’t support pro-affordable housing council members like former council member Steinbrueck and his pal Licata messing things up.

  • http://publicola.net/ Josh Feit

    @2,

    This is precisely why the builders’ pac is against Licata, LH. They wanted the mayor’s original upzone—”the mayor’s big downtown upzone”—and they don’t support pro-affordable housing council members like former council member Steinbrueck and his pal Licata messing things up.

  • LH

    I wasn’t responding to what the builder’s position I was responding to ECB’s characterization of Nick’s position.

    “his opposition to big construction projects around the city (Vulcan’s developments in South Lake Union, the mayor’s big downtown upzone”)

    there was no Mayoral rezone to oppose – it never saw the light of day and I just got off the phone with ECB she thought Nick voted against the downtown reone.

    …and trying to amend a rezones and then voting in favor of it is NOT opposition.

  • LH

    I wasn’t responding to what the builder’s position I was responding to ECB’s characterization of Nick’s position.

    “his opposition to big construction projects around the city (Vulcan’s developments in South Lake Union, the mayor’s big downtown upzone”)

    there was no Mayoral rezone to oppose – it never saw the light of day and I just got off the phone with ECB she thought Nick voted against the downtown reone.

    …and trying to amend a rezones and then voting in favor of it is NOT opposition.

  • swatter

    And the beat goes on and on and on.

    One of my big beefs with the devil’s spawn Growth Management Act started with the enviros concentrating on the County and the County’s desire to increase the suburbs. Well, for some reason (maybe they lived in the cities and didn’t want growth to occur there) they completely ignored the need for more density and more people in the cities.

    I have confronted these ‘enviros’ (many types and models are out there but I am referring to the growth ones) and they just shrug their shoulders.

    It seems it is still is going on. The more the world changes the more it stays the same.

  • swatter

    And the beat goes on and on and on.

    One of my big beefs with the devil’s spawn Growth Management Act started with the enviros concentrating on the County and the County’s desire to increase the suburbs. Well, for some reason (maybe they lived in the cities and didn’t want growth to occur there) they completely ignored the need for more density and more people in the cities.

    I have confronted these ‘enviros’ (many types and models are out there but I am referring to the growth ones) and they just shrug their shoulders.

    It seems it is still is going on. The more the world changes the more it stays the same.

  • Trevor

    @4: LH is right. Based on the standards you’re setting here, any Council candidate who supported Peter’s alternative legislation could be framed as “anti-density.” Which would be a gross mis-characterization.

    Where did this misinformation originate? And why is it being passed off as fact?

  • Trevor

    @4: LH is right. Based on the standards you’re setting here, any Council candidate who supported Peter’s alternative legislation could be framed as “anti-density.” Which would be a gross mis-characterization.

    Where did this misinformation originate? And why is it being passed off as fact?