P-I: "If it's under $241,000, Seattle's a no-bid city"
City Councilman Richard McIver didn't have to look far when he recently chose a company to examine how the city auditor runs her office: He gave the $37,000 job to a firm run by people who have been his friends and campaign donors for years.Seattle's ethics code forbids city employees from transactions that would appear improper to a "reasonable person," or that appear to impair an "independence of judgment." Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at February 12, 2007 11:43 AM | Email ThisThanks to Seattle's relatively loose rules governing who gets several hundred million dollars in contracts each year, McIver needed only the council president's blessing to grant the contract to his allies.
He didn't have to advertise the opportunity, didn't have to allow others to compete for it and didn't have to comply with a voter-approved ban against giving special preference to firms owned by racial minorities.
If they can break this "cronyism enabler" it would deal a big blow to their stranglehold on the cities politics.
Posted by: johnny on February 12, 2007 12:05 PMYou guys keep me entertained. It's funny but a bit sad watching you continuously demonstrate the can't-see-the-big-picture syndrome.
Posted by: Jim on February 12, 2007 02:36 PMOops, that's OK with the liberal agenda, no, not OK, spectacular!!
Bedwetters..
Posted by: Hank on February 12, 2007 02:51 PMGovernment should: defend our borders, prevent criminals from victimizing us, adjudicate our disputes, provide for public goods (roads, parks, ports).
Individuals or private associations of individuals should: school our children, care for us medically, print and broadcast news and editorial, promote candidates for office
Parents should: feed, clothe, and nurture their children.
Everything I have listed above in all categories is now seen by much of the public as the proper realm of government. I even saw in the Seattle Times an objection to closing the schools in the case of a flu epidemic, because children receiving free breakfasts might not be fed by their parents!
Once you allow the goverment to enter such private spheres, don't whine when they steal and waste a few trillion of your dollars. You have already abdicated you responsibilities as an adult free human being, so you will be treated by your rulers as a child if you are lucky, or as a slave if you are not.
Posted by: Steve on February 12, 2007 03:23 PMGo hang out in the Central Dist. sometime, you can still pick up anything you would want to keep your kids off of down by Madison & 23rd.
1. Corruption is wrong.
2. We have discussed tribal privledge on other threads. I suppose this question is for Stefan. How do competant contracters break into the economic game, if not by some kind of assistance?
If you only hire members of your tribe, how do people break into the samll business and commercial realm? I have known small business people who had no opportunity to compete because RIPs were never announced. I suppose you and others feel there is no discrimination of any type, but what about tribal privledge and tribal selection? How does one grow a variety of businesses in a tribal system?
There has to be some remedy, maybe the problem is that past remedies were too broad. Also, it seems that the city problem is one of procedures and standards no matter which tribe is awarded the contract.
3. Now this comment is addressed to Cato:
Part of the reason that we are having this discussion of tribal privledge and selection is because of the failed secular progressive policies which have destroyed the Black family and created a permanent victim class of the low income. I posted the following at the UW thread, but it is worth repeating:
Now, comes this report from the Brit paper Telegraph and their comment on New Labour policies. They are the Brit version of the dems. Academia is populated by secular progressives and they are not going to let go of their captives. The report comes from the Lucianne site. This is sad reading:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=WYC0E4E4LET5NQFIQMFCFFOAVCBQYIV0?xml=/news/2007/02/12/nwelfare12.xml
"One in three households across Britain is now dependent on the state for at least half its income, it emerged today. Official government figures showed that more than seven million households are getting more of their income from government handouts. /snip/ The report is scathing about how New Labour welfare policy has been designed to ''create beholden voters rather than independent people''."
Another key point:
"The figures also reveal the huge gulf in welfare dependency between single parent and two-parent households."
Secular progressive policies have destroyed the Black family. I'm sure these policies will be headed here soon, supported by the academics, of course.
Introducing legalization of drugs into communities of color will make things worse.
I guess I can say to the rest of you, welcome to the mineshaft particularly in the same policies aimed at the Black lower class are widely promoted. What low income communities need is capital and the chance to grow small businesses.
1. I think if we place a $1,000,000 tax on every NBA player's illegitimate baby, this arena could be built with no tax payer dollars and offer a great venue for future NBA bastard all stars. It will also be a win-win for Oprah and her sex slave, Rom Sims.
Posted by Doc-T at February 12, 2007 06:17 PM
Doc-T is retrieving his robe and hood from the cleaners.
Posted by: WVH on February 13, 2007 12:19 AM