Juvenal goes out of town for a few days and we return to find an onslaught of clownishness. Today is a joint award for 3 unrelated performances.
Seattle City Councilman Richard McIver has been fined for ethics violations for steering a "no-bid contract to a company after vacationing at the Virgin Islands condominium of one of the company's owners.". McIver's defense: "I wanted to use a minority firm"
Seattle City Councilman Tim Burgess promotes the $73 million Pike Place Market property tax levy as "a very, very good investment in our city". No, Tim, if remodeling the Market were a "very, very good investment", it would be paid by the merchants who could pass the costs along to their customers. A "very, very good investment" to benefit a small number of shopkeepers would not have to be forceably taken from homeowners. Especially from environmentally-conscious Seattleites who typically AVOID MAKING SPECIAL TRIPS DOWNTOWN to visit an overpriced tourist trap when they can more easily walk to the neighborhood Albertson's.
And Secretary of State Sam Reed has eroded the rule of law and the role of common sense in administering the initiative process, when he agreed to the SEIU's demand to place its "bait and switch" initiative on the ballot.
We salute McIver, Burgess and Reed for reminding us that so much of what government does is dishonest, arbitrary, corrupt and ridiculous. Cue the music.
(Comments are welcome, but please do not waste space complaining about the clown theme. Juvenal will continue to call clowns clowns even (especially) if that causes discomfort among those who place too much faith in government and the political process)
Posted by Juvenal at July 18, 2008 04:50 PM | Email ThisI just wonder what it is like to have no values, principles, ethics, morals, and, be a baby boomer. One who has experienced life and actually learned something.
Oops, describing a WA Democrat, or a RINO.
Asshat......
Posted by: Hank on July 18, 2008 05:02 PMBut 300,000 people signed a petition for Initiative 1029 to be an initiative to the legislature. When enough signatures are filed on an initiative to the legislature, it is presented to the next session of the legislature, and they can vote it into law. If not, the initiative is placed on the ballot the following November for the people to vote on whether it becomes law (and the legislature can also propose an alternative for the people to vote on).
Rather than figure out whether to make I-1029 an initiative to the legislature or to the people, we can satisfy both formats at the same time.
We can have a public vote in November 2008 -- not on whether I-1029 becomes law, but whether the legislature considers the initiative in the 2009 session as an initiative to the legislature!
Posted by: Richard Pope on July 18, 2008 06:35 PMYou're the clown, Juvenal, and your little Ayn Rand cult is even more ridiculous.
@7: Agreed. Interesting that the Key Arena renovations didn't count as the same when these people were whining about inaction in the state legislature.
Posted by: demo kid on July 19, 2008 01:29 AMI don't want to see the market replaced with another ugly condo project. Sure it's become a tourist trap but it nevertheless is something unique to Seattle and a part of history worth preserving.
The late Walt Crowley once remarked, "the trouble with conservatives is they never want to conserve anything". Comments here that the Market is not worth preserving only give liberals added fuel they'll happily use to label us as greedy and heartless.
There may well be a case to be made that the Market has been mis-managed, however I'm willing to part with a few tax dollars in this case to assure its preservation.
Posted by: Bill Cruchon on July 19, 2008 07:37 AMTim Burgess - I believe for something to qualify as an investment there should at least be some potential for financial return to the investor. Public money should not be used to fund private enterprise. That includes sports/entertainment venues, art museums, amusement parks, and public markets. My wife drags me down to the Public Market about once a year if she can manage to get a firm enough arm lock on me. It never fails. I always wonder, as I stand there soaking up the stink and filth, if this is going to be the day that the whole rotten tenement slides down onto Alaskan Way. The Public Market ought to be condemned and sold to developers. Demo Kid wants to know, What would be "truly worthwhile" for you? instead of the Public Market. Answer: anything but the blight the currently occupies the space. Whatever voters decide, I will go along with...at gunpoint. Burgess is just another political flim-flam artist. Another thumbs down.
Sam Reed - Chair warmer. Get rid of him.
Juvenal - Great clowns this time. In your absence, I was wondering if you had given in to the naysayers.
Yes, because tourists really love to walk around condo developments! Sheesh.
You're more sad than silly at this point.
Posted by: demo kid on July 19, 2008 08:54 AMIt's the same leftist hypocrisy we see over Sutherland and the sexual harassment issue.
Reed, of course, has been a leftist clown since we unfortunately voted for him. Hopefully, that will be rectified this November.
And as always, Juvenal, keep the fricking clowns.
Posted by: hinton on July 19, 2008 08:58 AMIt's not about tourists, it's about having to continally prop up a loser with public money to benefit a handfull of merchants and a few out-of-towners. Throw $73 million into it today, and in ten years it will be another $700 million...just like the sports venues. If you think the Public Market is such a terrific deal, then put a group together and fund it yourself instead of complaining. Problem solved.
Posted by: NW Denizen on July 19, 2008 09:15 AMIf the world were run by losers and idiots like you, the entire thing would be a cesspool of bland, selfish nothingness.
Posted by: demo kid on July 19, 2008 05:00 PMYou are correct. It is not a random piece of real estate. It is a burden on the citizens of Seattle and, until it is gone or privatized, it will remain an increasingly expensive burden until it is. Never mind the government hyped brochure bullshit. I would like to see some figures that support your claim of "tangible" benefits to the Seattle economy that offset the cost to home owners, and if true, why are homeowner not reaping benefits from their investment. Show me.
Posted by: NW Denizen on July 19, 2008 08:49 PMIf the majority of Seattle voters approve the levy because *they* think the Pike Place Market is providing them with a "benefit" that has value, no one will give a rip what you think.
This might come as a shock to you, but you're not the only one who gets to define value, and people are not obliged to accept your definition of value, for your reasons.
Again, like ivan says above, you're not the only one that defines value. I'm glad, too... your vision of the world is truly a horrible, greedy and pathetic place.
How about the value of the commercial and residential real estate in the area, and the corresponding effect on the tax base? The value of tourism in the area to local businesses? The amenity value to citizens as expressed through their desire to vote for such a levy? These *are* things that can be quantified, and shouldn't be ignored.
Posted by: demo kid on July 20, 2008 07:40 AM"If you are not a liberal at age 20, you don't have a heart. If you are not a conservative at age 40, you don't have a brain."
-- Amalgamated quote of a great many from the 19th and 20th centuries.
Have a nice day. : )
"Money talks, bullshit walks"
I don't know who said that one, but you might understand it when you grow up.
Oh, and I still waiting to see those numbers.
You have a nice day too. : )
Posted by: NW Denizen on July 20, 2008 08:09 AMNumbers. Not all of them, and you can certainly debate about the methodology, but better than your incessant and actually quite pathetic whinging about how it "only benefits a few tourists".
Posted by: demo kid on July 20, 2008 09:15 AM@7You're the clown, Juvenal, and your little Ayn Rand cult is even more ridiculous.
then he says
@18This might come as a shock to you, but you're not the only one who gets to define value, and people are not obliged to accept your definition of value, for your reasons.
The guy completely contradicts himself within just a few minutes. Amazing. And note that because Ivan does not agree with many here, he simply dismisses the whole blog and everyone who is opposed to public financing of Pike Place Market as a cult. Very intellectual.
And when you think about it, Ivan's Union is a lot more like a cult than people who agree with Ayn Rand's ideas and/ or the commenters here on this blog. Ivan's Union has meetings, dues in to an organization with dubious long term benefit, one-sidedness in political ideas, grand poohbahs that get paid a lot of money to keep it all going, etc. Ivan's Union looks a lot like Scientology to me. Whereas Rand wrote a few books with an underlying philosophy that some have applied to varying degrees to their own lives. No meetings, no dues, no location, no cult.
And for the record Ivan, I happen to agree with you on this one. Does that mean I'm suddenly not part of the cult? Pike Place Market, although I think it should be privately funded, at least qualifies as a long standing Seattle tradition that should be supported by citizens if for no other reason than tourism value, and brand name identification. I'd like to see the owners tackle their own financing problems in the same way that many Progressives correctly wanted the Sonics to tackle their own financing. But there is some value in Pike Place as an icon.
The amount the city should contribute is debatable, but frittering money away on questionable projects has not stopped Seattle leadership before. So we should not be surprised in failed pay toilets, trolleys to nowhere, etc. But dismissing all of the conservatives on this blog over disagreement with public financing of Pike Place Market is way over the top ad hominem which completely torpedos your arguments.
Posted by: Jeff B. on July 21, 2008 04:02 PMjk: As for the initiative decision, his decision was guided by Attorney General McKenna's advice. Not like he made this one by himself! He doesn't take orders from Democrats or Republicans, though I suspect it's the latter that ticks you off. He follows the law.
Posted by: km on July 22, 2008 09:35 PM