Category: Washington

Who Is the Seattle City Council Protecting?

The Binary Circumstance suggests that there may be more than “protecting the community” to Seattle’s strip club moratorium: Locally it has been suggested that the real purpose of the moratorium has been to insure that existing strip clubs don’t lose their monopoly on the market Well Kauf von Bactrim online , sure, monopolies are the natural result of any government imposed restriction on entry whether it is stip clubs, hospitals, lawyers, pharaceuticals, or….well, the list is near endless.

Port Commission Wants to Harm Local Business

Over at Columbia Watch Stilwell notes: I suppose the local GOP will rise up in outrage at this socialized-business approach. Shouldn’t the free market provide all the port development we need? Oh, right. Republicans only oppose taxes when they can make political hay out of it, not when their buddies are proposing them. He’s right. It is quite wrong to conflate republicans with free market economics. With regard to the Port Commission’s desire to raise $60.1 via taxes: well , just say no. The local businesses should be up in arms about this as it is taking money right out...

No Seattle School Closures

For now: Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Raj Manhas apparently has changed his mind about closing 10 schools under a school-restructuring plan to save money. Sure there was a lot of backlash against his proposals. However, given shifts in demographics and a clear need to move beyond the long failed factory school system it is hard to visualize a scenario that does not include the closures that are becoming increasingly common across the US: The number of California public schools closing more than quadrupled in 2003 from the prior year, with most in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area...

Medved Over the Edge

Sounds like Medved went a bit overboard today in demonstrating his knowledge and debating skills. Blatherwatch and the rest of you Norwesters should enjoy this. Well, ….maybe not if you are a Medved fan. Via Avedon at Eschaton and Talking Points Memo. Update (5/13): Yes, indeed, Blatherwatch did pick up on this.

mckenna Announces Failed Program

Plastered on front pages across the Washington is mckenna’s announcement of increased use of failed policies: McKenna said that by June 1 he will have two new assistant attorneys general to assist in local prosecution of meth crimes across the state. He also will create a statewide task force of local and state law enforcement officials to determine the best meth-prevention strategy. The task force will help draft bills for next year’s legislative session. He also is setting up a program to work with local community organizations and professional associations to raise awareness of the meth problem. “State government needs...