Viva La Cola!

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.

x close
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.

Press Release Roundup #1

News   September 24, 2009 at 2:19 pm Josh Feit

1. The McGinn camp sent out a press release today titled “How Will Mallahan pay for the tunnel?”

The crux of Team McGinn’s hit: A gotcha on Mallahan, who came out against the city’s parking tax on KUOW this week, but who also supports the $4.2 billion waterfront tunnel. The McGinn release points out that $200 million in parking tax revenues are earmarked for the tunnel.

McGinn’s campaign has largely been about his opposition to tunnel.

Grade: A. Burn.

2. The Mallahan camp sent out a press release today titled: “Mallahan Offers Opportunities to Get Seattle’s Fiscal House in Order. City’s new budget should trim fat and represent Seattle’s progressive values.”

Mallahan’s release recommends reducing consultant contracts (“If we already have people who are paid to do a job, we should evaluate why the city is paying consultants to do the same job)”; a 10 percent reduction in executive-level (i.e., high-paid) staff; consolidating the Office of Policy and Management (basically the mayor’s policy shop) into the mayor’s office; and cutting municipal court judge positions.

Grade: B-. Not much new here.

3. The Constantine camp sent out a press release  (and held a press conference at his new Eastside headquarters in Bellevue ), announcing Constantine’s  plan to “reform” King County government.

PubliCola’s Jake Blumgart will have a full report soon, but in the meantime, here are some highlights:

• Create a new senior-level position to coordinate planning with suburban and rural cities;

• Replace Metro’s reviled “40/40/20″ service-allocation formula (in which Seattle gets just 20 percent of new Metro service, while suburbs get 80 percent) with a new policy “rooted in data, not politics.” Constantine also proposed changing Metro’s revenue base, which currently relies on regressive sales taxes.

• Saving money by cutting county executive and county council staff, selling off the county’s animal shelter, cutting county employees’ medical benefits, and doing performance audits of county offices.

• Simplifying county taxes.

Grade: C. Letting “nonpartisan” opponent Susan Hutchison frame the debate with an Eastside debut of small-government speaking points.


  • Still waiting….

    So Joe, how are you going to raise $930 million to pay for the tunnel? Still waiting…..

  • Still waiting….

    So Joe, how are you going to raise $930 million to pay for the tunnel? Still waiting…..

  • Gidge

    Mallahan cites a state report about the ideal number of judges for Tacoma Municipal Court. Setting aside the fact that TMC doesn’t have the breadth of diversion programs that SMC has, I’d love to see the report he’s referring to (or a link).

  • Gidge

    Mallahan cites a state report about the ideal number of judges for Tacoma Municipal Court. Setting aside the fact that TMC doesn’t have the breadth of diversion programs that SMC has, I’d love to see the report he’s referring to (or a link).

  • WT?

    Give Dow an A.

    The budget and Metro efficiency issues are out there; he’s doing well to adress these things; by bashing him for supposedly framing it to give Hutchison an advantage you’re just being ridiculous.

    What, Democrats shouldn’t concern themselves with budget issues, waste and efficiency?

    Says who?

  • WT?

    Give Dow an A.

    The budget and Metro efficiency issues are out there; he’s doing well to adress these things; by bashing him for supposedly framing it to give Hutchison an advantage you’re just being ridiculous.

    What, Democrats shouldn’t concern themselves with budget issues, waste and efficiency?

    Says who?

  • Tico Brohey

    Dow’s proposals are HILARIOUS. They are literally IDENTICAL to the things Hutchison has been saying for months.

    What. A. Clown.

  • Progressive Prism

    #1 Will someone please explain how Mike McGinn will pay for his multi-billion dollar surface street proposal? I am not a supporter of the tunnel, I think it’s a financial boondoggle. But I also support fairness in reporting…so, where’s the money, Mike?

  • Progressive Prism

    #1 Will someone please explain how Mike McGinn will pay for his multi-billion dollar surface street proposal? I am not a supporter of the tunnel, I think it’s a financial boondoggle. But I also support fairness in reporting…so, where’s the money, Mike?

  • Charla Neuman

    BTW, a burn is a release that zings one based on fact, not fiction. Otherwise, in my book, it’s called BS.

  • Charla Neuman

    BTW, a burn is a release that zings one based on fact, not fiction. Otherwise, in my book, it’s called BS.

  • Mickymse

    Boy, it would sure be nice if Joe occasionally responded to people instead of Charla…. Maybe we should all just write in Charla Neuman for Mayor?

  • Mickymse

    Boy, it would sure be nice if Joe occasionally responded to people instead of Charla…. Maybe we should all just write in Charla Neuman for Mayor?

  • SEN

    @ 4: Is Hutchinson calling for (or on record as in favor of) revoking Metro’s 40/40/20 allocation formula? Please do inform because to me, that’s one of Dow’s most significant planks and if Hutchison is of the same mind, I’d like to know (and hold her feet to the fire as they sizzle from the wrath of East and South King County).

    Now if only Dow would advance efficiencies by pulling out of Brightwater (somehow) which is a money suck for the whole county and a pain in the arse for Seattle in particular, that would be bold.

  • SEN

    @ 4: Is Hutchinson calling for (or on record as in favor of) revoking Metro’s 40/40/20 allocation formula? Please do inform because to me, that’s one of Dow’s most significant planks and if Hutchison is of the same mind, I’d like to know (and hold her feet to the fire as they sizzle from the wrath of East and South King County).

    Now if only Dow would advance efficiencies by pulling out of Brightwater (somehow) which is a money suck for the whole county and a pain in the arse for Seattle in particular, that would be bold.

  • SEN

    @ 4: Is Hutchison calling for (or on record as in favor of) revoking Metro’s 40/40/20 allocation formula? Please do inform because to me, that’s one of Dow’s most significant planks and if Hutchison is of the same mind, I’d like to know (and hold her feet to the fire as they sizzle from the wrath of East and South King County).

    Now if only Dow would advance efficiencies by pulling out of Brightwater (somehow) which is a money suck for the whole county and a pain in the arse for Seattle in particular, that would be bold.

  • SEN

    @ 4: Is Hutchison calling for (or on record as in favor of) revoking Metro’s 40/40/20 allocation formula? Please do inform because to me, that’s one of Dow’s most significant planks and if Hutchison is of the same mind, I’d like to know (and hold her feet to the fire as they sizzle from the wrath of East and South King County).

    Now if only Dow would advance efficiencies by pulling out of Brightwater (somehow) which is a money suck for the whole county and a pain in the arse for Seattle in particular, that would be bold.

  • Tico Brohey

    Dow's proposals are HILARIOUS. They are literally IDENTICAL to the things Hutchison has been saying for months.

    What. A. Clown.