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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.

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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.

Tim vs. Tim: The Aggressive Panhandling Ordinance

News   April 18, 2010 at 11:11 am Josh Feit

Seattle City Council Member Tim Burgess and Real Change leader Tim Harris square off in a pair of Cola guest op-eds today over the council’s proposed anti-panhandling ordinance. The ordinance, sponsored by Burgess, is queued up for a vote Monday. Here’s Burgess’ editorial and here’s Harris’.

The proposed law will ban: panhandling at ATMs or parking pay stations; blocking a person’s path; using threatening or aggressive gestures; and repeatedly panhandling someone who has already refused to give money.

For Cola coverage of the issue, start here.




  • marymaryquitecontrary

    I think this ordinance is grandstanding bullshit, but I am also annoyed with the opposing argument.

    Listen, going downtown / Belltown / Pioneer Square sucks. It's not a pleasant experience. I'm excited about the potential of spotting a drug deal, but the concentrations of crazy / addicted people is both heartbreaking and uncomfortable. I've lived in urban areas my entire life so it's not about “being uncomfortable with the have nots”. It's about having to push my way through throngs of mentally unwell people by the bus stop at 3rd & Virginia. It's about the man I see hooting and turning in endless circles on the street. This feels like early '80s New York City at times, in the aftermath of Regan's closure of mental hospitals, mentally ill people clogged Manhattan's streets. People *do* come to Seattle for our generous social services but we don't have enough beds or services.
    When I visit other cities, they haven't put their treatment centers / shelters in the heart of their business / shopping / arts districts. But Seattle has. Put a bandaid on your bleeding hearts– this is an economic & civic issue as much as or even more than a free speech or equity issue.

    So, yes, we need to work toward long-term solutions to these problems, but in the short term, the face that we're turning to the world is not one that accurately represents who we are. The best parents are not the ones who let their kids do anything they want but the ones who set clear standards and expectations for behavior. I think this ordinance is addressing a problem that doesn't exist (“aggressive panhandling” is not my issue downtown)– unless we're talking about Burgess' mayoral ambitions (and, hey McGinn, way to set up a preview of the next election by vetoing this). But I don't buy the anti-police / “this is racist” hysteria either. I hope this ordinance goes down, but then I hope we actually start dealing with the very real problems that are before us.

  • Brooks Radke

    I think of myself as somewhat liberal, but I live in a part of town (the South End) that is not so welcoming to the left.
    We hate poor people, but we never go downtown. We just hate our own poor people, and don't really care about what's north of I-90.

    We hate everything, including ourselves. We suck.

  • Brooks Radke

    Guess that didn't really give our take on things…but we have as our leadership one SSCPC (South Seattle Crime Prevention Council) that runs the neighborhood down here.

    They say what we like and don't like.
    I don't like them, personally. They suck.

    But I personally would love to see plenty of services for the “homeless”, and anyone else that is just passing through. A bathroom would be nice. A shower would be better.

    But the people that own the people that hold cardboard “anything would help” signs should be shot. Those are needy people being controlled by shitheads.
    Just watch them give up their change to the guy in the sharp car.

  • http://rbc-news.ru/ lebedon

    Для начинающих просто выхода иного не осталось. Поднять тИЦ без денежных вложений стало почти невозможно. Если все так начнут ненавидеть комментаторов, тогда и народ помалу забьет на блоггеров и просто перестанет комментировать. Если ссылка с коммента в noindex, да еще и автор их вообще удаляет (нормальные, не спам), просто пропадает всякий интерес ((

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