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 #5

News   September 30, 2009 at 8:05 pm Josh Feit

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RShTpQg_JI[/youtube]

1) It came in too late to note in yesterday’s roundup, but we’ve got to give a shoutout (and an A+) to the press release Joe Mallahan sent out yesterday afternoon.

Responding to a press release his opponent Mike McGinn sent out earlier on Tuesday that slammed the council for “rushing” into the waterfront tunnel decision, Mallahan portrayed McGinn as a cranky Seattle obstructionist.

“My opponent accused the city council for rushing this decision,” Mallahan said, setting up McGinn as a do-nothing, Seattle-process obstructionist. “If eight years is rushing, how can he be trusted to get anything done?”

Even though McGinn has an excellent question—where’s the money?—Mallahan’s spin was potent.

Grade: A+

2) Mallahan’s release was late yesterday, but it sure set the course for parade of releases today. First came a statement on the council’s tunnel decision from city council candidate Jessie Israel.

“Jessie Israel calls for Immediate Action on the Deep Bore Tunnel. In response to Council member Nick Licata’s calls to slow down on signing the agreement on the deep bore tunnel, challenger Jessie Israel issued an emergency preparedness plan that calls for moving forward immediately. “

Smart stuff from Israel. Even though Licata isn’t the perennial ‘No’ vote that Israel claims he is, Licata is often a ‘No’ vote on high profile projects like Mercer and the tunnel.

Reiterating that Licata is a naysayer on sexy capital projects is a great way for Israel to define the race as old Seattle vs. new Seattle.

Grade: A

3) Also on the tunnel jag, city council candidate Mike O’Brien. However, O’Brien is in sync with McGinn on this one.

And I quote:

“I believe this MOA is an incredibly irresponsible bit of bureaucratic maneuvering designed to make the downtown deep-bore tunnel look a done deal, even though engineering planning has barely started and funding remains unplanned and uncertain,” says O’Brien. “It simply makes no fiscal sense to agree to fund a project of this size and scale if you don’t know how much it’s going to cost or how you’ll pay for it.

“Under the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the city and the state, the city officially takes on responsibility for $927 million in tunnel-related projects.”

O’Brien (and McGinn) are raising great questions, but O’Brien feels like Soulja Boy to McGinn’s Jay-Z.

Grade: B


  • Trevor

    “The Day in Spin”

  • Trevor

    “The Day in Spin”

  • http://joshuadf.blogspot.com/ joshuadf

    Youtube video slow… need fiber…

  • http://joshuadf.blogspot.com joshuadf

    Youtube video slow… need fiber…

  • hmmmm

    Press Release reviews? The equivalent of the 4th grade book report.

  • hmmmm

    Press Release reviews? The equivalent of the 4th grade book report.

  • vlado

    You missed something important in this debate. During the Tuesday public testimony before City Council the Amalgamated Transit Union came out against McGinn’s surface plan, saying that it simply isn’t workable. That is big news, given that these drivers understand what it means to get around in this city more than anybody. They support the Tunnel + Transit plan that McGinn is against.

    The fundamental problem with McGinn’s own surface plan is that it is ideological and not based on any kind of practical reality. I’ve looked at it closely, and it just doesn’t work. 24 out of 30 stakeholders involved in looking at it felt the same way.

  • vlado

    You missed something important in this debate. During the Tuesday public testimony before City Council the Amalgamated Transit Union came out against McGinn’s surface plan, saying that it simply isn’t workable. That is big news, given that these drivers understand what it means to get around in this city more than anybody. They support the Tunnel + Transit plan that McGinn is against.

    The fundamental problem with McGinn’s own surface plan is that it is ideological and not based on any kind of practical reality. I’ve looked at it closely, and it just doesn’t work. 24 out of 30 stakeholders involved in looking at it felt the same way.

  • Soulja

    Soulja boy tell ‘em.

  • justin

    a video of reviews for press releases?
    c’mon now. don’t make me come down there and slap you.

  • justin

    a video of reviews for press releases?
    c’mon now. don’t make me come down there and slap you.

  • sarah68

    For those who don’t know this stuff, could you explain:

    “O’Brien (and McGinn) are raising great questions, but O’Brien feels like Soulja Boy to McGinn’s Jay-Z.”

  • sarah68

    For those who don’t know this stuff, could you explain:

    “O’Brien (and McGinn) are raising great questions, but O’Brien feels like Soulja Boy to McGinn’s Jay-Z.”

  • ktstine

    jay-z = best rapper alive
    soulja boy invented a cute dance to go with a one hit wonder a couple summers ago

  • ktstine

    jay-z = best rapper alive
    soulja boy invented a cute dance to go with a one hit wonder a couple summers ago

  • sarah68

    @8: Thanks — good comparison!

  • sarah68

    @8: Thanks — good comparison!

  • Mikos

    Does anyone buy the “imminent danger” argument as the key reason to replace the viaduct anymore? In retrospect, that looks like a case of overblown manipulation. Even WashDOT says it’s not the top priority for replacement. The Evergreen Point Bridge is. The reason eight years have passed without action is that the viaduct still works and the “imminent danger” argument was baloney. It needs replacement but there is no rush.

  • Mikos

    Does anyone buy the “imminent danger” argument as the key reason to replace the viaduct anymore? In retrospect, that looks like a case of overblown manipulation. Even WashDOT says it’s not the top priority for replacement. The Evergreen Point Bridge is. The reason eight years have passed without action is that the viaduct still works and the “imminent danger” argument was baloney. It needs replacement but there is no rush.

  • vlado

    Mikos: The viaduct would come down if there was another serious earthquake, of that there is little doubt. Some have said that structurally retrofitting the viaduct would be a solution, but there are so many problems wrong with it, it would be like fixing a 56 Chevy that has already been in a wreck. It would cost more than a new car, and still never be reliable.

  • vlado

    Mikos: The viaduct would come down if there was another serious earthquake, of that there is little doubt. Some have said that structurally retrofitting the viaduct would be a solution, but there are so many problems wrong with it, it would be like fixing a 56 Chevy that has already been in a wreck. It would cost more than a new car, and still never be reliable.

  • Chris Stefan

    @10
    Actually I do, but then I’ve talked to some engineers involved in inspecting and maintaining the current viaduct. It isn’t just in bad shape, it is in South Park Bridge bad shape.

  • Chris Stefan

    @10
    Actually I do, but then I’ve talked to some engineers involved in inspecting and maintaining the current viaduct. It isn’t just in bad shape, it is in South Park Bridge bad shape.

  • http://joshuadf.blogspot.com/ joshuadf

    @4, here’s WSDOT’s fact sheet on how the surface option would work:
    http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/FAF9612A-D0D4-4D0C-824D-8C879E457D0B/0/AWV_I5SurfaceTransitHybrid_FactSheet_Dec08.pdf

    The reason the ATU is against the plan is that Gov’s veto of their MVET funding!
    http://seattletransitblog.com/2009/05/20/metro-audit-finds-105m-in-reserves-gov-explains-veto/

  • http://joshuadf.blogspot.com joshuadf

    @4, here’s WSDOT’s fact sheet on how the surface option would work:
    http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/FAF9612A-D0D4-4D0C-824D-8C879E457D0B/0/AWV_I5SurfaceTransitHybrid_FactSheet_Dec08.pdf

    The reason the ATU is against the plan is that Gov’s veto of their MVET funding!
    http://seattletransitblog.com/2009/05/20/metro-audit-finds-105m-in-reserves-gov-explains-veto/

  • rob

    So questionable boondoggles, like the Mercer project and Tunnel are “sexy”?

    Sounds like Josh really loves pushing the establishment conventional wisdom. Maybe he’s angling for gig at the Times?

  • rob

    So questionable boondoggles, like the Mercer project and Tunnel are “sexy”?

    Sounds like Josh really loves pushing the establishment conventional wisdom. Maybe he’s angling for gig at the Times?

  • Broad minded

    if we have a serious earthquake LOTS of buildings and bridges will come down BESIDES the viaduct. Because of this, there will be no need for a viaduct. You won’t even be able to drive to the viaduct. All roads, the Aurora bridge, etc. will be fucked.

    So the only reason to rebuild or take it down before the megaquake is a calculation that the loss of life and collateral property damage from the viaduct coming down in a megaquake makes it worth it.

    Nobody discusses this yet at a certain point…say if it’s only an extra 100 lives? maybe it’s not worth taking it down before the megaquake.

    and anyway if we have a megaquake we will need money to rebuild everything, correct?

    IOW we have been scared into thinking we need to rebuild the viaduct but believe me there are 100,000 other buildings and bridges all over that will fall and kill in the same megaquake, too.

  • Broad minded

    if we have a serious earthquake LOTS of buildings and bridges will come down BESIDES the viaduct. Because of this, there will be no need for a viaduct. You won’t even be able to drive to the viaduct. All roads, the Aurora bridge, etc. will be fucked.

    So the only reason to rebuild or take it down before the megaquake is a calculation that the loss of life and collateral property damage from the viaduct coming down in a megaquake makes it worth it.

    Nobody discusses this yet at a certain point…say if it’s only an extra 100 lives? maybe it’s not worth taking it down before the megaquake.

    and anyway if we have a megaquake we will need money to rebuild everything, correct?

    IOW we have been scared into thinking we need to rebuild the viaduct but believe me there are 100,000 other buildings and bridges all over that will fall and kill in the same megaquake, too.

  • Mikos

    @11 I don’t argue it needs replacing. But if you recall, about half of the eight years have been eaten up but inaction. The usual Seattle process has used up the rest. We took a vote which has been disregarded. And while a new structure will have more seismic resistance there is no guarantee the next earthquake won’t be big enough to knock that one down too. Or, on the other hand, that the next earthquake will be big enough to take this one down. I think it’s disingenuous to haul out the imminent danger argument every time some one wants to slow down your solution but to slow the process down when your solution is not on the table. (see Greg Nickels and now Joe Mallahan) It’s not ridiculous to resist boring a tunnel when you have not figured out how to pay for it. As a resident of Seattle, I feel there are more important things than spending all our hard earned tax dollars on one more thing to enhance the downtown area. I would rather spend the money on social services, health care, and education.

  • Mikos

    @11 I don’t argue it needs replacing. But if you recall, about half of the eight years have been eaten up but inaction. The usual Seattle process has used up the rest. We took a vote which has been disregarded. And while a new structure will have more seismic resistance there is no guarantee the next earthquake won’t be big enough to knock that one down too. Or, on the other hand, that the next earthquake will be big enough to take this one down. I think it’s disingenuous to haul out the imminent danger argument every time some one wants to slow down your solution but to slow the process down when your solution is not on the table. (see Greg Nickels and now Joe Mallahan) It’s not ridiculous to resist boring a tunnel when you have not figured out how to pay for it. As a resident of Seattle, I feel there are more important things than spending all our hard earned tax dollars on one more thing to enhance the downtown area. I would rather spend the money on social services, health care, and education.

  • punglio

    Video? Please, Josh Micah Marshall Feit, I don’t need to see you. I want to read Publicola, not get a TV news version (though, I was curious what you looked like, but you can stop now).

  • punglio

    Video? Please, Josh Micah Marshall Feit, I don’t need to see you. I want to read Publicola, not get a TV news version (though, I was curious what you looked like, but you can stop now).

  • hmmmm

    We took a vote which has been disregarded.

    A ballot choice design not intended to come up with any conclusive result.

  • hmmmm

    We took a vote which has been disregarded.

    A ballot choice design not intended to come up with any conclusive result.

  • ProjectMcRunway

    Josh, they have these new fangeled devices called razors! You can buy one at the grocery store for less than a dollar.

  • ProjectMcRunway

    Josh, they have these new fangeled devices called razors! You can buy one at the grocery store for less than a dollar.

  • Mikos

    @18 It may have been inconclusive but it was not uninformative. Indeed, Nickels was challenged earlier this year on his decision to disregard the vote. He simply said, if voters don’t like his decision they will get their chance to vote him out of office. They did. Again. Maybe not conclusive, but informative. Governing is about making priorities and then making decisons based on those priorities. The way a government spends its money tells you what its leaders value. We should not blow the budget for a bored tunnel.

  • Mikos

    @18 It may have been inconclusive but it was not uninformative. Indeed, Nickels was challenged earlier this year on his decision to disregard the vote. He simply said, if voters don’t like his decision they will get their chance to vote him out of office. They did. Again. Maybe not conclusive, but informative. Governing is about making priorities and then making decisons based on those priorities. The way a government spends its money tells you what its leaders value. We should not blow the budget for a bored tunnel.

  • sarah68

    The viaduct doesn’t need to come down to be rendered unuseable in an earthguake. If we had a Seattle quake (shallow fault, right through downtown Seattle), it would be all over and there would be no need for the viaduct/any road since all the area there would be down. But even if we had another Nisqually quake (deep fault), it would sustain damage in addition to what it sustained in 01 and that would/could be enough to make it too dangerous to use. Yes, there is a “rush” for replacement but not necessarily by a bored tunnel.

    Worst case if we don’t do anything: Does anyone remember watching TV during the 1989 earthquake in California? The 2-level freeway pancaked; cars and people were smashed.

  • sarah68

    The viaduct doesn’t need to come down to be rendered unuseable in an earthguake. If we had a Seattle quake (shallow fault, right through downtown Seattle), it would be all over and there would be no need for the viaduct/any road since all the area there would be down. But even if we had another Nisqually quake (deep fault), it would sustain damage in addition to what it sustained in 01 and that would/could be enough to make it too dangerous to use. Yes, there is a “rush” for replacement but not necessarily by a bored tunnel.

    Worst case if we don’t do anything: Does anyone remember watching TV during the 1989 earthquake in California? The 2-level freeway pancaked; cars and people were smashed.

  • Mikos

    There’s clearly no rush. It’s certainly not an emergency. Homes are red-tagged after a flood or earthquake if they are dangerous and uninhabitable. The state has the power to make that determination about the viaduct and has not. People are still driving on it as we speak.

  • Mikos

    There’s clearly no rush. It’s certainly not an emergency. Homes are red-tagged after a flood or earthquake if they are dangerous and uninhabitable. The state has the power to make that determination about the viaduct and has not. People are still driving on it as we speak.

  • Soulja

    Soulja boy tell 'em.