This is a call for volunteers to help measure and monitor the yellow light durations in Seattle.

I have set up a data entry form here:

The location of traffic cameras in your area of Seattle can be found here.

The results you submit will be posted here.

I measured the yellow light durations at the two intersections in West Seattle that have ticket cameras. Here are the results:

Intersection Yellow Light Speed Limit
35th and Avalon 3.5 sec 35 MPH
35th and Thistle 3.5 sec 35 MPH

The above times are consistent with what has been stated by Wayne Wentz, Seattle's traffic management director. Seattle PI quoted him as saying that yellow...Read the rest >>

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Seattle Time columnist Danny Westneat isn't letting go of the stoplight camera issue. He informs us that the state law enacted in 2005 that authorized stoplight cameras limits the fines that can be assessed to no more than what can be assessed for a parking ticket. At least one sponsor of the bill expected the fines to be lower than the prevailing $124 to $189 range. Westneat quotes Senator Mary Margaret Haugen saying the following when she introduced the amendment limiting fines to parking ticket levels:

"I know that some people would perceive that a local government would use this as a cash cow,"...

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I don't know the source of Carter's optimism: Health care will not add to the deficit "because Senator Cantwell promised."

How can she promise that when Distinguished Harry Reid is making multi-$100 million pork deals?

It was reported that Senator Landrieu of Louisiana was going to vote for Obamacare last Saturday in exchange for $100 million in pork - I mean needed funds for her state. But Landrieu responded angrily that she wasn't so cheap. She got $300 million.

Dana Milbank - Sweeteners for the South:

On the eve of Saturday's showdown in the Senate over health-care reform, Democratic leaders still hadn't secured the support of Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), one of the 60 votes needed to...

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The Seattle area opened its light rail system in July.  It has not been a great success

Thanks to John Niles at the Public Interest Transportation Forum, we can see just how low the ridership has been.

(Click on the graph to see the full-size version.)

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I'm a big fan of Tim Eyman. I'm also a big fan of Sam Reed. So when I read Tim's post a few days ago wanted to get Sam's side of the story. Below is our email exchange, unedited.

The public record question does not go back 95 years. It goes back to 1972 when I-172 passed by 72% creating (among other things) our wide open public records act. Since that time, initiative and referendum petitions have been public records. But, when people came in to do a public record request, they learned that they would receive copies of thousands of petitions - and decided not to do it. In more recent years, we have been scanning in the petitions...Read the rest >>

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Washington's current budget was "stimulated" by Obama's 2009 stimulus package. Its huge gap was plugged by a generous $3.3 billion in money from people in other states. So we were in a hole and got a one-time shot.

The revenue projections used in that budget are being clobbered by reality. The expected revenue has dropped by $760 million since September.

Still in the hole. So have we stopped digging? That is, spending. Christine Gregoire says it is her duty to balance the budget.

"I will produce a budget balanced to this revenue projection because I am required to by law," Gregoire said. "We all know a budget reflects the values of our state. All options must be...

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Received an email yesterday from Senator Cantwell announcing the 60-39 vote that advances the health care reform legislation to the Senate floor for debate.

In her email, she stated:

The health care reform bill is fully paid for, meeting President Obama's directive that it add "not one dime" to the federal deficit.

I hope she is right. Her email is going in the permanent file and we shall hold her to it.