SPD defies a legal agreement to produce public records, Tammy Morales says she’ll step down, Alexis Mercedes Rinck steps up, and more
By Erica C. Barnett
Monday, December 2
The Seattle Police Department told PubliCola last week that they are “grouping” our 12 outstanding records requests and responding to them one at a time, rather than working on multiple requests at once, in defiance of a settlement with the Seattle Times that prohibited exactly this practice. SPD responded to our questions about how this could possibly be legal by reiterating that this is their policy.
Tuesday, December 3
Separated at Birth: “In this House” Seattle Liberals and Project 2025
In the latest edition of his Maybe Metropolis column, Josh Feit finds clear parallels between Project 2025’s plan for housing in the second Trump Administration and the priorities of liberal Seattle NIMBYs in Seattle: Both want to preserve single-family neighborhoods at any cost.
Wednesday, December 4
City Councilmember Tammy Morales Will Leave the Council In January
Seattle’s lone remaining progressive council member, Tammy Morales, told PubliCola this week that she’s leaving the council just one year after winning reelection. In our interview and her public announcement, Morales described a “toxic” workplace in which her six new colleagues oppose her legislation reflexively, shut her out of meetings, insult and berate her on the dais, and make it nearly impossible to do her job.
Thursday, December 5
Newest City Council Member “Deeply Saddened” By Morales’ Decision to Step Down
When Alexis Mercedes Rinck handily defeated appointee Tanya Woo (whom Morales also beat in 2023), Seattle lefties assumed the two women would form a small but mighty progressive bloc on the council. Now, with Morales leaving, Rinck says she’s hoping the council will “take a breath” and work to create a work environment where people with different political views can work together.
Friday, December 6
Seattle Nice: Should Tammy Morales Have Stayed on the Council?
In an especially heated episode of Seattle Nice, Sandeep argued that Morales should have stopped “bitching” and stayed on the council, David said she should have stuck it out unless she had “serious mental health concerns,” and both guys made what I consider a false equivalency between public commenters and protesters who were rude to past council members and the workplace behavior Morales described.