County budget cuts: Would you pay more sales tax to avoid them?
(Photo by Greg Gilbert/Used with permission of the Seattle Times – added 7:19 pm)
ORIGINAL 12:23 PM REPORT: In a few minutes, King County Executive Dow Constantine and a flotilla of other elected county leaders including Sheriff Sue Rahr and Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg are meeting the media to talk about “an option for preserving current levels of public safety and health services.” According to several advance reports including this one from our regional-news partners at the Seattle Times, the proposal will ask voters to approve a potential sales-tax increase. We’ll add more details as the announcement is made. ADDED 1:03 PM: The Times story is now updated with details – the proposal is to raise the sales tax 0.2 percent, with 60% of the money going to the county, 40% to cities. 1:12 PM: And the official news release is now on the county website. They’re proposing that this go to voters in August. A public hearing on the proposal is set for the County Council’s budget committee at 1:30 tomorrow afternoon; this has to be finalized by May 25th to make it onto the August ballot. This document shows how the county would spend the money it thinks the tax increase would raise.
Viaduct, bridge, budget: Get involved this week with 3 big issues
Not a lot to preview for tonight – the regular Monday highlights are all on the WSB West Seattle Events calendar – but here’s an advance reminder of some biggies later this week:
TUESDAY – ALASKAN WAY VIADUCT OPEN HOUSE: The south-end Alaskan Way Viaduct work starts later this year, and nearby projects such as the city’s Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project are about to kick into higher gear. What does this mean for how you get around? The people with the answers will all be in the Madison Middle School Commons 6-8 pm Tuesday, waiting for your questions.
TUESDAY – SOUTH PARK BRIDGE CLOSURE MEETING: The bridge continues on the county-announced track to permanent closure June 30th. So what’s being done to help drivers and South Park businesses survive until a new one is built – if it’s built at all (financing is still no sure bet)? The draft closure plan will be unveiled and explained tomorrow night at the Machinist Union Hall in South Park (map), 6 pm. More info here.
WEDNESDAY – CITY BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING: This isn’t in West Seattle, but so far, it’s the closest scheduled hearing on the city budget, and many people already are rumbling about drastic effects of potential cuts – like the dire warnings we reported recently about what Parks may face. So if you have a strong opinion about ANYTHING in the city budget – what shouldn’t be cut, what should – advocates on a wide variety of issues are all but begging you to show up for this hearing, sponsored by the mayor and City Council, at the New Holly Gathering Hall on Beacon Hill (map). 5:30 pm – signups start at 5.
34th District Democrats’ latest round of endorsements
Breaking news (the gray whale at Arroyo Beach) caused us to miss this week’s 34th District Democrats meeting, including a candidates’ forum with the three D’s running for State House, Position 2. Big thanks to Dina Johnson for the photo (her full gallery from the meeting is here) – from left, that’s Mike Heavey, Joe Fitzgibbon, and Marcee Stone. There’s an article about the forum on PubliCola. According to the 34th DDs’ website, they won’t endorse anyone in the race until their next meeting May 12 (explained here), but they did make endorsements Wednesday night in several other races: Current State Sen. Joe McDermott for King County Council Position 8, State Rep. (Position 1) Eileen Cody for re-election, current State Rep. Sharon Nelson for State Senate, U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott for re-election, and U.S. Sen. Patty Murray for reelection. (The May 12 meeting, 7 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy as usual, also will feature the legislative report from Sen. McDermott and Reps. Cody and Nelson, postponed when this week’s agenda got too busy.)
How should the city spend your money? Next 2 chances to speak up
In so many recent stories, the city’s budget challenges are the undercurrent, if not the main theme (example: our story from the last Parks Board meeting). The long process of honing a budget plan – and addressing the shortfall – includes stops for citizen input along the way, and the city has just announced two of them. Neither is in West Seattle but if you are passionate about an issue (parks? libraries? police? or?) you will want to know. The first is April 28th at the New Holly Gathering Hall, 7054 32nd Ave South (map), 5 pm sign-in, 5:30 pm hearing; the second, May 4 at North Seattle Community College cafeteria, same times, 9600 College Way North (map).
Council committee OK’s “path to” 11/11 White Center annexation vote
To be clear, the vote a short time ago in the City Council’s Regional Development and Sustainability Committee is NOT a commitment to a White Center (etc.) annexation vote in November 2011. But as committee chair and City Council President Richard Conlin summarized the 3-0 approval of this resolution, it puts the city “on the path” toward a vote. The next chapter in the rollercoaster/seesaw saga of “Who will annex White Center (and vicinity)?”: The full council must vote on the resolution, likely Monday. More details at partner site White Center Now.
Video: Governor signs “Jason McKissack Bill” into law
We are at Lakewood Police HQ in Pierce County – home of the force that lost four officers in one murderous attack last fall, four of six officers around the region murdered in the line of duty within just a few months (including Seattle Police Officer and West Seattle High School graduate Timothy Brenton). Governor Gregoire is here to sign 19 bills into law, many of them closing loopholes that may have factored into some of last fall’s killings – but one of them, signed minutes ago, is the “Jason McKissack Bill,” renamed for the former West Seattle police officer viciously attacked while on duty in summer 2008. As the governor signed that bill, Jason and wife Kim were at the governor’s side – see the photo above, in which she was looking up at Jason, who is behind Kim (in pink). The bill makes sure that catastrophically injured public-safety personnel unable to return to work are no longer in danger of losing medical benefits for themselves and their families, as was the case here, and law-enforcement advocate Renee Maher has said it will retroactively cover the McKissacks. They met privately with the governor before the signings began, as did families of fallen officers; more than 200 people crowded into the room, and emotions ran high. The signing of the bill, HB 1679, was the end of a difficult political process as well as a victory in the McKissacks’ fight to help Jason recover; at one point this session, the bill appeared in danger of stalling, but support from the public, local law enforcers, their advocates, and local legislators helped get it through. We will add video when we’re back at HQ; you’ll see coverage of this overall event on TV tonight too, as all the local stations were here. ADDED 6:53 PM: Video of the actual signing – preceded by some of the shuffle that took place in the moment beforehand:
Followup: Signing ceremony Wednesday for “Jason McKissack Act”
With so much support having come from West Seattle, we thought you’d like to know that the official signing ceremony for HB 1679 – the “Jason McKissack Act” – is now set. Law-enforcement advocate Renee Maher sent word that it will be one of more than a dozen public-safety-related bills that Governor Gregoire will sign at Lakewood (Pierce County) Police HQ starting at 3 pm Wednesday. A version of the bill stalled in the Legislature last year, but this year, it was renamed for, and supported by, the former West Seattle police officer who was seriously injured in an attack while on duty in June 2008 but lost his (and his family’s) health coverage when the city ended his employment. He testified before the House Ways and Means Committee in January (WSB video coverage here), as did his wife Kim McKissack, who then testified again when the bill was heard in the same Senate committee four weeks later (here’s our story). We are told the bill’s provisions will cover the McKissack family, as well as a Seattle firefighter critically injured on the job several years ago.
West Seattle professor Richard Curtis to launch U.S. Senate run
Noontime tomorrow at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, West Seattle-residing philosophy professor Dr. Richard Curtis meets the media to launch his run for U.S. Senate – the latest local resident jumping into a political bid this year. But he says it’s not politics as usual – he’s running against incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Patty Murray as an independent, and since it’s our state’s first U.S. Senate race under the “Top Two” primary system, his news release notes, “Everything about elections has changed. There is no ‘spoiler’ issue as this will be a head-to-head race about ideas. The two major parties will not be able to drag out their tired, old ‘lesser evil’ arguments. The people can freely vote their values knowing that the top two vote-getters will go on to the general election.” More on Dr. Curtis’s campaign after his news conference tomorrow. (Thanks to Michael for the tip.) ADDED EARLY THURSDAY: At Youngstown, we asked the candidate about the major difference(s) between him and incumbent Sen. Murray:
Now joining the 34th District State House 2 race: Joe Fitzgibbon
Sometimes, legislative races in this area feature only one candidate. But this year, in the August primary, the 34th District State House Position 2 race is shaping up to be quite the fight. Joe Fitzgibbon (D) of Burien has just joined Mike Heavey (D), “Mac” McElroy (I) Sabra Schneider (D), and Marcee Stone (D) in the race for the seat that Rep. Sharon Nelson – for whom Fitzgibbon has been working – will leave to run for State Senate. They’ve all been invited to the candidates’ forum at this Wednesday night’s Highland Park Action Committee meeting; meantime, read on for Fitzgibbon’s official announcement:Read More
Seattle annexation vote for White Center? Not this fall after all
In late January, we broke the news that Mayor McGinn wanted to pursue a White Center (and environs) annexation vote this fall. Tonight, that plan has changed. This afternoon, the city’s budget boss unveiled the financial analysis that councilmembers had asked to see before considering whether to support the call for a vote – and Beth Goldberg announced, while presenting the analysis today, that the costs would be too high for the budget-crunched city to seek a vote any sooner than fall 2011. Meantime, Burien may fast-track the area instead; more details at partner site White Center Now.
Talking townhouse design (and more), two years later
It’s just a couple months shy of two years since Councilmember Sally Clark convened a forum to talk about townhouse design. Zoning/code changes have been in the pipeline ever since, but the process isn’t over yet, and for those still interested in the topic, we wanted to make sure you’d heard about a special City Council committee meeting this weekend. 
Like that famous forum in 2008, this one is a Saturday morning meeting, not in West Seattle, but not that far. Clark now chairs the Committee on the Built Environment (before, it was Planning, Land Use and Neighborhoods – that last part has split to a different committee), and its special meeting on low-rise multi-family housing, including townhouses, is set for 10 am-noon this Saturday at Taproot Theatre in Greenwood (map). Lots more info here, with meeting documents/agenda here.
Another 34th District State House candidate: Mike Heavey
If you attend the public meetings we cover, you’ve seen a lot lately of West Seattleite Mike Heavey, who recently joined the staff of County Councilmember Jan Drago. Looks like you’ll see even more of him, since the son of longtime legislator and Judge Michael J. Heavey has just announced he’s running for State Legislature – read on:Read More
Video: County Executive at 34th District’s Democratic caucus
(video added 4 pm – County Executive’s speech to the caucus – warning against 2010 = 1994 for Democrats)
The state Democratic Party decided not to do precinct caucuses since it’s an offyear, moving straight to legislative-district caucuses like the one happening now at Mount View Elementary in White Center, for Democrats registered to vote in the 34th Legislative District (including WC, West Seattle, Vashon, part of Burien, and more). They heard from this district’s highest-ranking Democrat – though he currently holds a nonpartisan office – King County Executive Dow Constantine). He and 34th DDs chair Tim Nuse both urged the 70 or so people in attendance to not get complacent in the wake of the big 2008 victories. They’re electing state-convention delegates today, among other business (here’s the agenda). Among those on hand: State Reps. Eileen Cody and Sharon Nelson (Sen. Joe McDermott was expected once the Nature Consortium brunch wrapped up) and at least two candidates for Nelson’s job (she’s running for McDermott’s seat since he in turn is running for County Council) – Marcee Stone and Sabra Schneider. PHOTOS ADDED: Thanks to Dina Johnson for sharing her photos. First – a big part of the caucus was selection of delegates to the state convention – and that meant lineups like this one, awaiting time to make a pitch:
State Democratic Party chair Dwight Pelz made an appearance:
And there was a candidate whose fate will be decided within days: Kirk Prindle – a West Seattleite who is one of five people running for one seat in the King Conservation District board election this Tuesday:
The KCD election isn’t conducted like other countywide votes. No voting by mail; no close-to-everyone polling places. You have to vote in person at one of several polling places; none in WS – the nearest is Downtown Seattle – they’re all listed here. Back to the caucus: The 34th District Democrats’ website should have the final caucus results up soon. (And we have a few more of Dina Johnson’s photos up at partner site White Center Now.)
34th District Democrats: O’Brien on South Park Bridge, and more
Hours after City Council colleague Tim Burgess dropped in on the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, new Councilmember Mike O’Brien spoke last night with the 34th District Democrats at their monthly meeting in Fauntleroy. His opening remarks focused on the 520 bridge battle and city energy audits, but a few sparks flew during questions from the floor, about the South Park Bridge and its scheduled June shutdown. O’Brien said he was “given false credit” for defeating the 2007 ballot measure that included $110 million to replace the bridge; he was the local Sierra Club president at the time, and while he said he’s always supported the SP bridge, the overall package was opposed because “the conversation has to be about preserving and maintaining infrastructure, and not expanding.” (More on the South Park Bridge coming up later this morning, in our story about another SP meeting last night.) O’Brien also was asked about White Center annexation – since Mayor McGinn has asked the council to consider a November ballot measure in northern North Highline; he said he’d met with local supporters of Seattle annexation and will meet with opponents too, but right now he’s in favor of going ahead and asking local residents to make their choice by voting; he also acknowledged the council must consider the costs involved (right now, a financial analysis is in the works).
Also last night, the 34th DDs heard from the second Democrat to join the race for State House, Position 2, Sabra Schneider (photo at left is by Dina Johnson); her campaign announcement was published here last month … There was a panel discussion with four speakers discussing job creation – not just in the region, but specifically, in this district, with suggestions including making sure that major local projects employ West Seattle workers. The overview consensus was that job growth will be slow in the short term; “green jobs” are a growth industry, and public policy requiring more energy-efficient buildings will help create jobs. … This Sunday’s 34th Legislative District Democratic Caucus (announcement here) will also feature a food drive, those in attendance were reminded, so bring nonperishable food if you’re going to the caucus at Mount View Elementary in White Center (signups start at 12:15).
Safer streets: Councilmember, police @ West Seattle Chamber
Seattle City Councilmember Tim Burgess came to West Seattle today to promote his package of proposals to fight “street disorder.” He was one of three speakers during the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce‘s monthly lunch meeting – held this time at the Southwest Precinct. Before Burgess’s appearance, the 30-plus people in attendance heard from the precinct’s top two leaders: Its commander, Capt. Joe Kessler, and its operations lieutenant, Lt. Norm James. 
One big theme from Capt. Kessler, who’s about to mark his second anniversary as West Seattle’s top cop, and Lt. James: Report EVERY crime, no matter how small. They recounted cases in which officers recovered stolen property and wanted to return it to its owners – but the thefts had never been reported. (Be sure to have records of your valuable, and etching identifying info helps too.) He also noted a case of thefts from a business that each seemed tiny – and went unreported as a result – but eventually added up to something huge. Capt. Kessler also acknowledged that while there had been complaints in the past about callers getting brushed off when they called 911, leading people to question police advice about “call in ANYTHING suspicious,” the complaint level is down and service level is up.
Also up – police staffing; he discussed the citywide level, which is around 1,350 “and still hiring” – way up from a historic low of 1,000 some years back – and noted that while the SW Precinct has 13% of the city’s call load, it gets 14% of the staffing, because of some quirks caused by the fact the patrol area – West Seattle and South Park – is split into two “sectors” instead of three or more like other precincts. He noted that three members of the SW Precinct team are currently on military deployment overseas.
The “emphasis team for the business community,” two officers who spend most of their time in The Junction and environs, has been on that assignment for some months now, and Capt. Kessler said it’s going well – they often intervene or intercept trouble even before it’s officially reported. He says the third-watch team (which starts around 7 pm) will be increasing visibility for businesses that are open at night, such as restaurants and bars.
One such entrepreneur, Dave Montoure of West 5, commended precinct leadership for the new emphasis patrols and offered the observation that since the two officers had previously worked downtown, they recognized some Junction-area troublemakers as having come from downtown. That led Capt. Kessler to say police “strongly support” the new crackdown proposals by Councilmember Burgess, who picked up from there.
Read More
Today/tonight: “Sunlight,” 34th Democrats, “Running” – & treats!
OPENING NIGHT FOR “SUNLIGHT”: This is a biggie for ArtsWest (WSB sponsor) – it’s the National New Play Network World Premiere of “Sunlight” by Sharr White, directed by Vanessa Miller, and tonight is Opening Night. As the ArtsWest website puts it, “the personal and political collide” in this drama. Through April 3, you can see it Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3 pm (tickets are on sale online here).
GET BACK TO WORK! Creating jobs — that’s what the 34th District Democrats are inviting a panel of experts to talk about at tonight’s meeting, 7 pm, The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW). See the agenda here.
“RUNNING THE SAHARA”: Tonight’s the big screening at Admiral Theater – and local fitness-related businesses like the forthcoming West Seattle Runner (here’s their Facebook page) and Stroller Strides are inviting friends and clients to come see the documentary with them. Whether you go with a group or alone, you have till this afternoon to buy a ticket online for $25, which is $10 less for the door price (everyone gets a DVD of the movie).
WHEAT-FREE AND GLUTEN-FREE TREATS: Today’s the day that Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor) starts featuring wheat-free and gluten-free treats by two specialty bakeries, and you can either order some for pickup or buy single-serving items. To kick it off, Flying Apron will be at Hotwire for tastings starting at 8 am, and Wheatless in Seattle will be there around 11.
FREE MARTIAL-ARTS CLASS: Seattle Integrated Martial Arts (WSB sponsor) in The Junction is hosting a “Women’s Intro to Muay Thai Kickboxing” class 7:15-8:15 tonight, free.
Many had a lot to say about the former head of the
| 18 COMMENTS