Speak Out
A place to have your say about anything, from politics to potholes. Flag as Inappropriate
Posts awaiting your approval 0
Imagine Housing May 20, 2013 at 08:19 am
We had a really great time and are very grateful to EBC for all they do for our residents and the…Read More Eastside community. Volunteering was a great experience and we hope other groups are inspired to help out!
Jeanne Gustafson (Editor) May 17, 2013 at 01:54 pm
Thank you so much for sharing this great event on Patch! What a cool thing to do--as an Issaquah…Read More resident, I really appreciate your involvement with EBC.
Kendall Watson (Editor) May 15, 2013 at 01:19 pm
Hey, thanks for the bear photos on Friday! Sorry about the slight delay in posting!
Ben H April 14, 2013 at 03:42 am
Agreed Mark,
Much as this solution seems crazy, some things are worth paying for (law and order, a…Read More decent safety net, good schools and yes roads). I do blame the tax hawks though. Washington already has a relatively regressive tax structure. The "choke the government" solution seems carried way too far.
Question Mark April 12, 2013 at 02:13 pm
I thank the author for his well thought out arguments regarding these important transportation…Read More issues in Washington state. While I believe some of the ideas presented are debatable, for example I believe that a vital and well used transit system ought to be part of our congestion relief plan in metropolitan areas, the lack of realistic funding options for this system cannot be ignored.
However, our legislature (both parties included) seems to place a higher priority on "no new taxes" than creating a sustainable future for the state in many areas, including the transportation system. More than that, though, we live in a state whose citizens have varied interests and priorities. Most of all, we need our government to set priorities so that citizen interests and needs can be reasonably served.
It seems we are pretending that we can base tax policies and tax rates exclusively on individual self-interest, as is often the consequence "no new taxes" scheme (e.g. if I don't get a direct benefit for myself, I won't support paying for it). This seems to me to be as much a part of this problem as current transportation system priorities.
Richard Bray April 9, 2013 at 07:26 pm
It gets worse folks. I was part of a selected focus group a few weeks ago of people who live along…Read More I-405 conducted by a well-known marketing research firm and paid for by WSDOT. They are considering options that would charge commuters to use a new lane on I-405 & charge for the existing carpool lane too (even if you have two people in the car!)
Question Mark May 4, 2013 at 06:59 pm
According to the FAQ on the State Board of Education charter site, "The five-year
period…Read More begins with the first year in which there have been charter schools operating for a full school year." So I suppose only a maximum of eight applications will be granted in the first round.
Ken Mortland May 4, 2013 at 01:43 pm
Interesting developments, don't you think?
1) School districts may self-select, but non-school…Read More districts must go through the commission.
2) Since 2014 will be year two of the five year program to authorize forty charter schools, would it not be possible to choose sixteen charter schools?
3) It will be interesting to see what proportion of applications are rejected. It is reasonable to presume at least some will be inadequately prepared for the task.
4) KIPP, Rocketship, and Aspire schools got a leg up from Robin Lake's presentation, which lauded their work.
Jody Cantrell Dyer May 3, 2013 at 09:55 am
Readers, I would love to hear your thoughts! Congratulations on having the hearts to adopt, by the…Read More way. Thanks again Patty!
Karen Olson May 1, 2013 at 12:29 pm
I am so pleased and appreciative of this terrific group, led by our wonderfully focused Chris…Read More Hansen-you are keeping our hearts, souls, and dreams alive for our future NBA Basketball Team!! We will persevere! No fear-even if it is a few years off-this may be just a warm up for the final steps necessary to bring our Sonics Home!!! They are coming! One of your biggest fan and supporter!! Karen
Mark Hoppen May 1, 2013 at 10:19 am
I'm with you Brent, except in one respect. Perhaps the Sonics would have stayed in Seattle if…Read More leadership, both Wasington State and Seattle, had generated a committed vision for a stadium. At the time, our local capacity for action was nil. Sacramento, today, has generated a serious, committed effort in an incredibly short time led by a mayor. Imagine that! So, noting that distinction, Howard, David, and even Clay, are kind of absolved. The threshold criterion in Stern's mind is the will to act on an arena. In that sense, he appears consistent. As for Howard, on one hand he appears to have had his one great imaginative idea when he opened the latte site. Hansen, on the other hand, is a creative generator. I still think a team will emerge, if not now, relatively soon, say within two years.
Brent Champaco (Editor) April 30, 2013 at 10:20 pm
Could you tell I was a little peeved, Dan? Seriously, I absolutely agree about that Sacramento plan.…Read More So many holes it's ridiculous. It will be interesting to see how H/B/N will respond. They're successful billionaires for a reason. I'm assuming helplessly losing out on an investment isn't one of them.
Justin April 30, 2013 at 01:27 pm
Just watch a Seahawks game and tell me who has better fans than the 12th man!
John Snow April 30, 2013 at 11:01 am
Years ago my cousin lived in Seattle for a while. His observation about major league sports then…Read More was that Seattle would never truly be a big-league sports town because there is just too much to do around here. Skiing, boating, hiking, fishing, flying, climbing, etc., etc. I'm inclined to believe he was correct.
Jerry Gropp Architect AIA May 15, 2013 at 07:05 pm
Seems like this was a good time to sell our SouthEnd Mercer Island home of 25 years. JG-
Joe M April 26, 2013 at 11:06 pm
I'm glad to hear you enjoyed reading my past posts. For someone who complains about…Read More "irrelevant cites and copious posting" you sure wandered way off topic. (Speaking of which, we're tied 8-8 on comments for this article - one more and you win:-)
For what it's worth, I have never belonged to any political party and have plenty of agreement and disagreement with the core principles of each (Republican, Democrat, Libertarian and Green). So call me what you want. I look at each issue on its own merits, and not in terms of any kind of ideology.
I'm not going to try to go point by point with all the ways you've misrepresented me, but I will add a comment about the Boy Scouts. I never advocated that they be forced to do anything. I respect them and the fact that they are a private religious organization. My opinions were about what I think they should do, and what I believe they will eventually do, however long it takes.
If you could find a way to be a bit less confrontational, you might find we have more in common than our technical backgrounds. Cheers - have a great weekend.
Kirkland Tony April 26, 2013 at 09:53 pm
Joe, you do realize we can easily read your past posts ON EVERY THREAD, don't you? It takes no time…Read More at all to see that you are left of center and aggressive at times about it. I didn't check bother prior to your latest message because I foolishly took you at face value - I assumed you were honest in your defense of the duplicitous words of Trent and actions of the Administration. But your history on guns (though you're near middle) and on whether a private organization (the Boy Scouts) should be forced to accept volunteers who violate their interpretation of their own oath, for examples, belie your claims.
Joe, when I drive a car, I do not kill children. (Your example - see, I did read your history.) Maybe you do, and have some responsibility to accept. I don't believe that you are responsible for my actions, but I believe you should be held as hard as hell accountable for yours. In this case, the Democrats (and, wrt FAA, Obama) made the calls and should be accountable.
One other thing... from reading your history, I see you are incredibly verbose; about seven messages a day average. And probably a retired former pilot former computer programmer. I still have a job (and background bizarrely similar to what it sounds like yours is.) You don't win or make your point by wearing us down with your irrelevant cites and copious posting. You just make yourself feel good.
Joe M April 26, 2013 at 10:12 am
When you said "Joe, I've been reading some leftist sites to try to better understand your…Read More perspective. ", I lost what little interest I had in continuing this discussion with you. You want to frame this as part of a grand war between left and right. I have no interest in siding with either, except on individual issues.
As for Trent Latta, I don't find him or this article to be very interesting. Like you, he seems to want to frame this as a left vs right battle. Neither he nor any of his critics have given me any information that would help me know what a reasonable level of spending for the courts would be. Meh.
Katie Pickett April 21, 2013 at 04:01 pm
Wow, this directly correlates and supports my previous blog entry! This is a MUST for any business…Read More owner!
0 Recommend rburkhart706