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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.

Democrats Take on 960 … And Eyman

Here it is.

The state Senate proposed a bill this afternoon to suspend Tim Eyman’s I-960 rule (the initiative voters passed in 2007 that requires a two-thirds vote of the legislature to raise taxes)

Five of the nine sponsors are Seattle legislators: Sens. Margarita Prentice, Ed Murray, Jeanne Kohl-Welles, Joe McDermott, and Adam Kline.

960 sponsor Eyman says, “This is just throwing gasoline on the fire,” referring to his latest initiative, 1053, which would lock the 960 provisions right back in. Eyman needs close to 300,000 signatures to get his measure on the ballot.

“What’s particularly galling,” he adds, ” is that they’re not just getting rid of the two thirds requirement, but they’re even repealing the transparency requirements.”  The bill repeals the 10-year-out fiscal analysis of any proposed tax increase that was required by 960.

Eyman also got off a quip about Sen. Majority Leader Lisa Brown (D-3) who tried, but failed, to have 960 thrown out in court last year.

“I don’t see Sen. Brown on there,” Eyman said. “She does lawsuits, but she won’t even co-sponsor a bill.”




  • Hmmmm…..

    About time. What’s the point of having a majority if they never use it?

  • Hmmmm…..

    About time. What’s the point of having a majority if they never use it?

  • Hmmmm…..

    About time. What’s the point of having a majority if they never use it?

  • Hmmmm…..

    About time. What’s the point of having a majority if they never use it?

  • Hmmmm…..

    About time. What’s the point of having a majority if they never use it?

  • Josh Feit

    @Hmmmm….

    The don’t use it cuz they want to keep it. Double hmmmmm…

  • Josh Feit

    @Hmmmm….

    The don’t use it cuz they want to keep it. Double hmmmmm…

  • Josh Feit

    @Hmmmm….

    The don’t use it cuz they want to keep it. Double hmmmmm…

  • Josh Feit

    @Hmmmm….

    The don’t use it cuz they want to keep it. Double hmmmmm…

  • Josh Feit

    @Hmmmm….

    The don’t use it cuz they want to keep it. Double hmmmmm…

  • Here We Go

    Here’s an inconvienent fact.
    A MAJORITY of the people approved I-960.
    To continue calling it Tim Eyeman’s I-960 is an attempt to obscure that fact and shows Olympia’s contempt for the people.

  • Here We Go

    Here’s an inconvienent fact.
    A MAJORITY of the people approved I-960.
    To continue calling it Tim Eyeman’s I-960 is an attempt to obscure that fact and shows Olympia’s contempt for the people.

  • Here We Go

    Here’s an inconvienent fact.
    A MAJORITY of the people approved I-960.
    To continue calling it Tim Eyeman’s I-960 is an attempt to obscure that fact and shows Olympia’s contempt for the people.

  • Here We Go

    Here’s an inconvienent fact.
    A MAJORITY of the people approved I-960.
    To continue calling it Tim Eyeman’s I-960 is an attempt to obscure that fact and shows Olympia’s contempt for the people.

  • Here We Go

    Here’s an inconvienent fact.
    A MAJORITY of the people approved I-960.
    To continue calling it Tim Eyeman’s I-960 is an attempt to obscure that fact and shows Olympia’s contempt for the people.

  • Stinky

    How much does it cost Michael Dunmire to create one job – for Tim Eyman?

  • Stinky

    How much does it cost Michael Dunmire to create one job – for Tim Eyman?

  • Stinky

    How much does it cost Michael Dunmire to create one job – for Tim Eyman?

  • Stinky

    How much does it cost Michael Dunmire to create one job – for Tim Eyman?

  • Stinky

    How much does it cost Michael Dunmire to create one job – for Tim Eyman?

  • lorax

    @3, while 960 was approved by 51% of the voters, initiatives requiring state spending (728, 732, 1029) were all approved with a far higher percentage of the vote. Will Eyman & co insist that the Legislature obey those decisive voter mandates? Nope, because it doesn’t square with their anti-government agenda.

  • lorax

    @3, while 960 was approved by 51% of the voters, initiatives requiring state spending (728, 732, 1029) were all approved with a far higher percentage of the vote. Will Eyman & co insist that the Legislature obey those decisive voter mandates? Nope, because it doesn’t square with their anti-government agenda.

  • lorax

    @3, while 960 was approved by 51% of the voters, initiatives requiring state spending (728, 732, 1029) were all approved with a far higher percentage of the vote. Will Eyman & co insist that the Legislature obey those decisive voter mandates? Nope, because it doesn’t square with their anti-government agenda.

  • lorax

    @3, while 960 was approved by 51% of the voters, initiatives requiring state spending (728, 732, 1029) were all approved with a far higher percentage of the vote. Will Eyman & co insist that the Legislature obey those decisive voter mandates? Nope, because it doesn’t square with their anti-government agenda.

  • lorax

    @3, while 960 was approved by 51% of the voters, initiatives requiring state spending (728, 732, 1029) were all approved with a far higher percentage of the vote. Will Eyman & co insist that the Legislature obey those decisive voter mandates? Nope, because it doesn’t square with their anti-government agenda.

  • Josh Feit

    @Here We Go,

    I wrote:

    “…Tim Eyman’s I-960 rule (the initiative voters passed in 2007 …”

    That doesn’t obscure the fact that a majority of the people approved I-960. It says it outright.

    By definition, if voters pass something, a majority of the people approved it.

  • Josh Feit

    @Here We Go,

    I wrote:

    “…Tim Eyman’s I-960 rule (the initiative voters passed in 2007 …”

    That doesn’t obscure the fact that a majority of the people approved I-960. It says it outright.

    By definition, if voters pass something, a majority of the people approved it.

  • Josh Feit

    @Here We Go,

    I wrote:

    “…Tim Eyman’s I-960 rule (the initiative voters passed in 2007 …”

    That doesn’t obscure the fact that a majority of the people approved I-960. It says it outright.

    By definition, if voters pass something, a majority of the people approved it.

  • Josh Feit

    @Here We Go,

    I wrote:

    “…Tim Eyman’s I-960 rule (the initiative voters passed in 2007 …”

    That doesn’t obscure the fact that a majority of the people approved I-960. It says it outright.

    By definition, if voters pass something, a majority of the people approved it.

  • Josh Feit

    @Here We Go,

    I wrote:

    “…Tim Eyman’s I-960 rule (the initiative voters passed in 2007 …”

    That doesn’t obscure the fact that a majority of the people approved I-960. It says it outright.

    By definition, if voters pass something, a majority of the people approved it.

  • lol

    960 is the first step to having a dysfunctional government like California’s. Need to kill it with fire while we have the chance.

  • lol

    960 is the first step to having a dysfunctional government like California’s. Need to kill it with fire while we have the chance.

  • lol

    960 is the first step to having a dysfunctional government like California’s. Need to kill it with fire while we have the chance.

  • lol

    960 is the first step to having a dysfunctional government like California’s. Need to kill it with fire while we have the chance.

  • lol

    960 is the first step to having a dysfunctional government like California’s. Need to kill it with fire while we have the chance.

  • lol

    And I guess it’s worth pointing out that it passed by majority of voters who turned out on an odd year election. There’s a reason Eyman put the measure on the 2007 ballot.

  • lol

    And I guess it’s worth pointing out that it passed by majority of voters who turned out on an odd year election. There’s a reason Eyman put the measure on the 2007 ballot.

  • lol

    And I guess it’s worth pointing out that it passed by majority of voters who turned out on an odd year election. There’s a reason Eyman put the measure on the 2007 ballot.

  • lol

    And I guess it’s worth pointing out that it passed by majority of voters who turned out on an odd year election. There’s a reason Eyman put the measure on the 2007 ballot.

  • lol

    And I guess it’s worth pointing out that it passed by majority of voters who turned out on an odd year election. There’s a reason Eyman put the measure on the 2007 ballot.

  • the real “hmmmm”

    @ 5:55pm: find your own moniker; quit using mine.

  • the real “hmmmm”

    @ 5:55pm: find your own moniker; quit using mine.

  • the real “hmmmm”

    @ 5:55pm: find your own moniker; quit using mine.

  • the real “hmmmm”

    @ 5:55pm: find your own moniker; quit using mine.

  • the real “hmmmm”

    @ 5:55pm: find your own moniker; quit using mine.

  • seabos84

    Josh – I must have missed something – I assumed that since you worked at The Stranger for a long time, you weren’t 1 of these david (gergen, brooks, broder, halberstam…) wannabees kissing ass to the fake middle defined by the right wing -

    you sure give eyeman’s bullshit lots of ink.

    51% supported his initiative in a off year … yawn. so, is this like the 10 commandments – we keep making new religions to have new interpretations and new reasons to bash each other, or

    it is a new day, we need to invest in community instead of getting ripped off by the rich pigs who fucked everything up by being pigs so they could be richer … and you give eyeman 3 paragraphs!

    maybe ivan could help me out – does “editor” mean you’re a synchophant to the powerful and the connected, or does “editor” mean you make sure news reporting is … fair and balanced … !!

    rmm.

  • seabos84

    Josh – I must have missed something – I assumed that since you worked at The Stranger for a long time, you weren’t 1 of these david (gergen, brooks, broder, halberstam…) wannabees kissing ass to the fake middle defined by the right wing -

    you sure give eyeman’s bullshit lots of ink.

    51% supported his initiative in a off year … yawn. so, is this like the 10 commandments – we keep making new religions to have new interpretations and new reasons to bash each other, or

    it is a new day, we need to invest in community instead of getting ripped off by the rich pigs who fucked everything up by being pigs so they could be richer … and you give eyeman 3 paragraphs!

    maybe ivan could help me out – does “editor” mean you’re a synchophant to the powerful and the connected, or does “editor” mean you make sure news reporting is … fair and balanced … !!

    rmm.

  • seabos84

    Josh – I must have missed something – I assumed that since you worked at The Stranger for a long time, you weren’t 1 of these david (gergen, brooks, broder, halberstam…) wannabees kissing ass to the fake middle defined by the right wing -

    you sure give eyeman’s bullshit lots of ink.

    51% supported his initiative in a off year … yawn. so, is this like the 10 commandments – we keep making new religions to have new interpretations and new reasons to bash each other, or

    it is a new day, we need to invest in community instead of getting ripped off by the rich pigs who fucked everything up by being pigs so they could be richer … and you give eyeman 3 paragraphs!

    maybe ivan could help me out – does “editor” mean you’re a synchophant to the powerful and the connected, or does “editor” mean you make sure news reporting is … fair and balanced … !!

    rmm.

  • seabos84

    Josh – I must have missed something – I assumed that since you worked at The Stranger for a long time, you weren’t 1 of these david (gergen, brooks, broder, halberstam…) wannabees kissing ass to the fake middle defined by the right wing -

    you sure give eyeman’s bullshit lots of ink.

    51% supported his initiative in a off year … yawn. so, is this like the 10 commandments – we keep making new religions to have new interpretations and new reasons to bash each other, or

    it is a new day, we need to invest in community instead of getting ripped off by the rich pigs who fucked everything up by being pigs so they could be richer … and you give eyeman 3 paragraphs!

    maybe ivan could help me out – does “editor” mean you’re a synchophant to the powerful and the connected, or does “editor” mean you make sure news reporting is … fair and balanced … !!

    rmm.

  • seabos84

    Josh – I must have missed something – I assumed that since you worked at The Stranger for a long time, you weren’t 1 of these david (gergen, brooks, broder, halberstam…) wannabees kissing ass to the fake middle defined by the right wing -

    you sure give eyeman’s bullshit lots of ink.

    51% supported his initiative in a off year … yawn. so, is this like the 10 commandments – we keep making new religions to have new interpretations and new reasons to bash each other, or

    it is a new day, we need to invest in community instead of getting ripped off by the rich pigs who fucked everything up by being pigs so they could be richer … and you give eyeman 3 paragraphs!

    maybe ivan could help me out – does “editor” mean you’re a synchophant to the powerful and the connected, or does “editor” mean you make sure news reporting is … fair and balanced … !!

    rmm.

  • Anc

    @lol

    I’d say that the initiative process itself is the first step to California levels of dysfunction.

  • Anc

    @lol

    I’d say that the initiative process itself is the first step to California levels of dysfunction.

  • Anc

    @lol

    I’d say that the initiative process itself is the first step to California levels of dysfunction.

  • Anc

    @lol

    I’d say that the initiative process itself is the first step to California levels of dysfunction.

  • Anc

    @lol

    I’d say that the initiative process itself is the first step to California levels of dysfunction.