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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.

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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.

A Conspiracy to Deceive the Voters

Morning Fizz   August 27, 2010 at 7:41 am Morning Fizz

1. Seattle could be host next year to the awesomely named X-Band Radar Ship—basically, a big-ass, ship-mounted anti-ballistic missile device.

The X-Band Radar Ship would arrive at Todd Shipyards on Harbor Island for three months of maintenance next March. It looks like this:

It’s hard to tell from the photo, but that monster is taller a US aircraft carrier. According to a letter that went out to city officials last week: “[T]he dramatic size (It is taller than a modern US aircraft carrier) and shape of the vessel (it looks akin to a large, white ball on top of an oil drilling platform) would be noticed by many in the public.”

“There are no nuclear reactors [or] missiles on the ship,” the letter concludes. Um, comforting?

2. Earlier this month we broke the news that, well, there was something weird going on in the 38th Legislative District race where unions were targeting incumbent Democratic state Sen. Jean Berkey (D-38, Everett) with independent expenditure ads. There was nothing odd about the unions going after Berkey—the unions view her as a bad guy and were supporting progressive Democrat Nick Harper.

However, there was also an independent expenditure campaign in play by a mysterious group called Cut Taxes PAC done on behalf of the conservative Republican candidate in the race, Rodney Rieger.

Moxie Media, the liberal consulting firm that did the union’s independent expenditures for Harper, also did the the Cut Taxes PAC mailers—raising the possibility that the unions, which had pushed legislators to raise taxes last session, were now campaigning from the right against Berkey for doing just that.  Cut Taxes PAC did not report their funders to the Public Disclosure Commission.

Berkey, who is now likely to lose the primary to Harper and Rieger, is filing a formal complaint with the PDC this morning alleging the Moxie Media and Cut Taxes PAC’s “actions during the Primary election amount to a conspiracy to deceive the voters in the 38th Legislative District.”

3. The Pike Place Market Public Development Authority—the organization that runs the Market—chose Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corporation director Ben Franz-Knight (out of more than 100 applicants from around the country) as its new executive director yesterday afternoon.

The shortlist of finalists included two longtime local luminaries: Committee to End Homelessness director Bill Block, and popular longtime Seattle neighborhoods department director Jim Diers.

4. Yesterday afternoon, the city announced that it had narrowed the list of finalists to lead the design process for the central waterfront, which will be revamped as part of the Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement project. The four teams that qualified were Gustafson Guthrie Nichol, James Corner Field Operations, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, and Wallace Roberts & Todd. The next step in the selection process will be public presentations at Benaroya Hall on September 15.

5. Joel Connelly at the PI.com has the scoop on the Murray v. Rossi debates. There will be two debates.

6. Join PubliCola writers Dan Bertolet, Erica C. Barnett, and Josh Feit at the Five Point Cafe on Tuesday August 31st for PubliCola’s first Nerd Hour.




  • http://43rddemocrats.org Michael M.

    Good for Berkey. I enjoy some nasty politics, but a pinch play like that, especially considering how hard lefty groups pushed for revenue votes, is just wrong.

  • Jakers

    But what’s the best finally outcome for Berkey by doing this?

  • http://www.joeszilagyi.com/ Joe Szilagyi

    @1 I look at that and it’s all I can do not to nerd out and say “Brainiac”.

    @3 I suggest you guys do some research and investigative reporting into the composition of the Market PDA.

    http://www.cityofseattle.net/html/citizen/pda.htm#pike
    http://www.pikeplacemarket.org/market_organizations/pda_council_committees/council_members

    The merchants (who are the Market) I’ve been told are underrepresented and don’t hold proportionate clout there.

    @4 Can you guys hype this as it approaches? It’s a pretty big deal.

  • Chris

    I agree with Joe S. and his request to focus on your item ’4′.

    Why pick a design team now for the central waterfront when we have no idea what the future design will be for Alaska Way, either the viaduct replacement in whatever form and location it takes (who knows, the tunnel may be dead) or what the surface component will be in terms of its traffic, transit and pedestrian carrying capacity.

    Is this not truly premature?

  • C. G., Olympia

    Yes, saying one thing and doing another is wrong in politics. For example, being endorsed by democrats and constantly telling them you adhere to their platform which includes an income tax, then going out and telling business move here, we’re great we have no income tax!!!! that would be like totally wrong.

    WE must have consistency in politics, from top to bottom!

  • http://peacetreefarm.org N in Seattle

    Re: #2 — if the current results hold, will Berkey endorse her fellow Democrat?

    Re: #2 again — Rieger “Prefers Conservative Party”. There isn’t a “Prefers Republican Party” candidate in the 38th.

    Re: #5 — will either of the Murray-Rossi debates be “nationally broadcast”, as Rossi allegedly demanded? I’m referring to something other than C-SPAN3.

  • MVH

    Good point. I don’t think the PDC can call a do-over.

  • http://43rddemocrats.org Michael M.

    Nobody actually reads the platform, except for the most die-hard Dems. And there is no way that any elected Democrat supports the entire thing. It’s a tome of 876,342 pages, for Christ’s sake.

    That said, when an outside group to push for tax increases, and then attack someone who voted for those increases for voting for them, it’s completely fucked up. I get it – they didn’t want to go into the general with Berkey because she would have cleaned house, but what they did was wrong.

    Additionally, trying to hide it makes it all worse. Attacking people for their positions is fine. But attacking from the left and right on the same issue is not a direction I personally would like to see Democrats or our allies going.

  • sigh

    re: #1 – It’s a part of an anti-ballistic missile system. It is not, in and of itself, and anti-ballistic missile device. It’s a frickin’ radar device, much like that oversized golf ball on stilts at Discovery Park.

    Thanks for the FUD…

  • http://43rddemocrats.org Michael M.

    I believe the final outcome would be a slap on the wrist and fine against the funders of the hit pieces, and maybe Moxie.

  • Jakers

    Maybe her squawking will disenfranchise voters away from Harper. And the way she was just treated by unions, I think that is just what she should do.

  • MVH

    Why would Berkey endorse that weasel?

  • http://www.joeszilagyi.com/ Joe Szilagyi

    Is that thing going away now that Fort Lawton is going away?

  • Jakers

    Or in other words, nothing. Which means that we can expect more of it to come. It’s time for Nick Harper to take a stand and come out against this tactics that he is benefiting from!

  • Guest

    No, the radar dome is operated by the FAA as part of the area’s air traffic control system.

  • Snohomish Observer

    One major factor in the Berkey loss was the Snohomish County Auditor’s decision not to put out a Voter’s Pamphlet and save a few bucks. So Berkey’s long incumbency was lost on voters—at least, they were not reminded of it in any positive way, especially so since she was holding most of her money back for the General. With a Voter’s Pamphlet, that might have worked—but not without. This little escapade by Moxie shows more than anything why Voter’s Pamphlets should be mandatory—-at least, the candidates have to post their own baloney.