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.

Afternoon Jolt: Take that, Ferry Districts. Oh, and You Too Enviros

Jolt, Opinion   January 6, 2011 at 4:43 pm Afternoon Jolt

Governor Chris Gregoire is full of sweeping announcements this week. Yesterday, she announced that she wants to consolidate K-12 and higher ed and the various school commissions and boards into one office, run by a school czar appointed by her.

Current superintendent Randy Dorn didn’t like that so much, although he used to.

We can see what she’s thinking, though. A one-stop shop might foster more accountability on the part of the state for parents who want to know why their kid’s school sucks. For example, the failing grade Washington state got on last year’s Race to the Top proposal to the feds (no $250 million for us), could have been the result of a discombobulated agenda. And, sorry parents, there’s really no one for you to hold accountable on that fumble. Gregoire’s proposal for a buck-stops-here agency could change that.

When it comes to transportation, though, Gregoire has proposed kind of the opposite approach—devolving the ferry system to the local level. Facing a $900 million shortfall, the governor announced today that the state doesn’t have the resources to “patch together funding for the ferries.” A statement from her office said:

The governor will introduce legislation to create a Puget Sound Regional Ferry District to operate the ferry system. The district would consist of all or a portion of the following counties: Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, Island, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, King and Pierce counties. The district’s funds would come from fares, a state subsidy to fund a core level of service, and regional taxing authority to ensure service levels are consistent with local and regional needs.

Given that gas taxes are the main source of revenue for the ferry system, pushing off ferry funding on locals, with a minimal state subsidy, could free up gas tax revenues for more roads (that’s the only other thing the tax can be spent on). Not bad timing, given yesterday’s announcement from the GOP-controlled US House of Representatives about dwindling transportation infrastructure money.

However, it’s a scary announcement for environmentalists. Theory: State legislators will eventually fall into a lull that the locals have the ferries all covered, take the subsidy back, and with all the money freed up for roads, go on the opposite of a road diet.


  • http://www.derekmyoung.com Derek Young

    I think the thing I hate the most about the ferry proposal is the creation of yet another multi-jurisdictional board.

  • Tim Eyman

    Derek hit the nail on the head for sure. Wrote about it here:

    Just what we don’t need: Son of Sound Transit
    http://soundpolitics.com/archives/014519.html

  • G&T drinker

    The voters approved ST, and there’s no indication of similar approval for the proposed ferry district.

    Glad you credited road builders, and not drivers, as winners. Read about “latent demand” and then decide if adding roads is good for drivers.

  • Jakers

    It’s funny how quick I am to jump to say that those that commute via ferry are making a lifestyle choice and therefore we don’t need to subsidize that, but then I apply that to trips of similar distance on a highway to work and I’m surprised that I have such a different opinion. I really don’t know how to feel about this one, but I do agree that the state should handle it, not another multi-jurisdictional board as @Derek points out above.

  • Jay

    I thought the only thing you knew how to write was initiatives.

    The Sound Transit board is a lot more accountable to the citizens of this region then our state legislators seem to be lately, and a hell of a lot more accountable then the current ferry system management.

  • http://www.derekmyoung.com Derek Young

    Birds falling out of the sky, Seahawks make the playoffs, and now Eyman agrees with me. The end is near my friends.

  • errg.

    Dumb article. Everything revolves around your perceived view that the power structure is always gaming and conspiring to shift money to roads for (unknown) nefarious reasons. There will not be a robust ferry system if we need to convince Eastern Washington to pay for it with gas taxes, so if we want to get out of the death spiral, some other formula is needed. The Governor made it clear that a set state commitment to participate in ferry funding would continue. But “new journalism” is all about presuming the secret agendas of others and reporting them as news.

  • Anonymous

    I like Goldy’s take on this. The logical and fair solution is to make everything regional. The Puget Sound area can pay for their own ferries, their own roads, and their own schools. But then the other regions have to pay for their own roads, etc. Considering they contribute pennies on the dollar toward taxes for these things, it will actually help us out greatly and leave them with gravel roads.

  • Steve

    Gregoire’s proposal for ferries keeps the gas tax the ferries get now in the ferry district. It specifically does not send it to roads. She also advocates a 3 cent increase in the gas tax for ferries.

  • Anonymous

    You mean the body that consistently is support by voters when it asks for money?

  • Anonymous

    Ok, but why not go all the way and do this with everything? I want all my tax revenue spent in my area. I am tired of subsidizing schools and roads for the looters east of the mountains.

  • Anonymous

    Any idea what happens to the Keller Ferry?