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.

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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.

Afternoon Jolt: $30 Million for the Mercer Mess

Jolt, Opinion, Politics   September 8, 2010 at 4:55 pm Afternoon Jolt

Winner: People who hate the Mercer Mess, Men in Hard Hats

Dino Rossi has been hammering away at Senator Patty Murray for being a spendy liberal. His campaign has blamed the deficit in part on the stimulus package, and said that earmarks are evil (or something to that affect). Over and over, Rossi has slung mud at Murray’s stimulus-loving, money-shoveling record.

True to form, Murray was at Mercer & Westlake  today to announce a $30 million TIGER grant to convert Mercer into a three-lane, two-way street.

As the PI.com reports, Murray, flanked by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, and Governor Chris Gregoire, had this to say: “This investment is a critical piece of Seattle’s transportation infrastructure. It’s going to cut down on commute time. It will help our local businesses grow and it will help clean up that Mercer mess. Most importantly … it will help put people back to work.”

Also on the scene? Construction workers in hard hats and construction garb thankful for the jobs the project will provide. No word yet on whether or not Rossi thinks that $30 million in stimulus money for the Mercer Mess is a failure.

Loser: Dino Rossi

Try to spin that one your way. Just try.


  • Mr. X

    Easy – because Seattle had to squander $170 million in locally raised funds (and counting – phase 2 will probably cost close to that much more) to get it.

    (not that I want to help Rossi, mind you, but the Mercer beautification project is a colossal waste of limited public funds)

  • Reasoned

    Uh, bad briefing for Murray. It doesn’t cut commute times. As a beutification project, it may have other benefits but faster travel is not one of them.

  • Anonymous

    Oh ish kabiddle! I swear on my Nothing’s Shocking CD I WILL ALWAYS CHECK MY GOOGLE RESULTS BEFORE CLICKING SO I DON”T END UP HERE AGAIN!

    As much as my liberal tuchas loves people that escaped the evil clutches of the progressive’s at “The Stranger”, this site is a constant joke, and my liberal upbringing instilled great contempt for hypocrisy. The phrase “Dino Rossi is an incumbant” seems to stick with me…..remember that one? Considering the power hungry weasel hasn’t had an elected office in our state in ten years it takes a whole lot of hypocrisy to write that filth…..and guess where it was written. *giggles*

    Furthermore, I have to add, that I did try to overlook Josh’s biased propaganda (he’s not the only one *sighs*), and I do have great respect for our local dissenters and malcontent agitators, but I CANNOT STAND RIGHTEOUS LIBERALS THAT BREAK RULES WHEN THEY FEEL LIKE IT, and people that chain their bikes to stair railings are the most self centered waste of resources on this planet.

    I’ll pray to patron saint of ethernet connections that I never land here again, and I’ll also be praying I or one of my flying monkeys have the good fortune to find Josh’s bike illegally parked on Capitol Hill…….*insert sinister giggle here*