The 2011 legislative session will challenge the 147 senators and representatives – possibly as never before in our (and their) lifetimes. They will be crafting a budget for the next two years in one of the leanest economic environments since the Great Depression.
Category: Past Councilmembers
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January 13, 2011January 6, 2023Councilmember Rasmussen
All about Potholes and Road Maintenance
When he first became Mayor, Greg Nickels made potholes a priority. His goal was to have them filled within 48 hours of a complaint. While his goal was laudable, and helped in the short term, the reality is that potholes are a symptom of a much greater problem which is that our roads are deteriorating [...]
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January 4, 2011January 6, 2023Councilmember Godden
Legislators Hear from the Public
It is, without a doubt, the worst of times: so many needs and so little revenue. But it also is the best of times to share the heavy fiscal burden. And, indeed, about 50 of the 46th District’s constituents showed up, eager to help, despite icy driving conditions and a last minute change of venue.
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December 9, 2010January 6, 2023Councilmember Licata
UP #304 Seattle Skyline and Signs
The question has been raised: "Do we want large illuminated signs on the top of our downtown buildings advertizing their tenants?" On December 8th, 2010, the City's Department of Planning and Development (DPD) briefed Council President Conlin's Regional Development and Sustainability Committee on a proposed bill that would amend the City's sign code to allow businesses leasing 200,000 square feet or more in a single downtown building to have illuminated identification signs on the exterior walls of that building.
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December 6, 2010January 6, 2023Councilmember Rasmussen
Pike/Pine Clean Zone a New Program to Clean and Help Beautify Downtown
This morning CleanScapes kicked off their new Pike/Pine Clean Zone program. CleanScapes will provide litter clean-up, graffiti removal, alley cleaning, and pressuring washing and other services on Pike and Pine streets from First to Fourth Avenues and also to the alleys in between during a one-year pilot free of charge!
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November 30, 2010January 6, 2023Councilmember Licata
UP #303 The Deep Bore Tunnel Controversy
First, the Sierra Club and Real Change are considering a city initiative to stop the deep bore tunnel from being built unless certain conditions are met. Under the name Move Seattle Smarter, they are trying to craft an initiative that would protect Seattle taxpayers from any potential cost overruns before construction could begin. They would need to collect about 25,000 signatures to assure placing the initiative on the ballot in late summer or fall of next year, although it still could face a legal challenge for overreaching the intended authority granted to citizens through the initiative process.
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November 30, 2010January 6, 2023Councilmember Godden
Last of the Northwest School goes to “the gods’ private Blue Moon”
Artist William (Bill) Cumming – a survivor of TB and other ails – faced death many times in his 93 years, but finally surrendered to heart failure on November 22. Cumming didn’t go quietly into that good night. He was perhaps more vigorous in his final years than he was in his teens when he joined the Northwest School during a stint with the National Youth Administration, one of the federal art projects of Depression years.
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November 12, 2010January 6, 2023Councilmember Licata
UP #302 City Budget
This year the City's economy was still deep in recession and as a result we had to reduce this year's $900 million budget by $15 million before the year was over. In addition, we faced a $67 million budget shortfall for 2011. And just last week we received additional bad news: with the passage of State Initiative 1107 and the continued decline in property sales we had to take another $5.8 million dollar reduction from the Mayor's proposed 2011-2 budget.
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November 3, 2010January 6, 2023Councilmember Rasmussen
REGIONAL UNITY ON METRO CRISIS
When I was growing up on the Eastside, my father commuted to Seattle every day for work. If our car was in the shop he had to catch the Greyhound at the bus stop in Eastgate. There was no local or regional transit service available to him. Today, Metro busses carry 112 million riders a [...]
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October 29, 2010January 6, 2023Councilmember Licata
UP #301 Seattle’s Tent City
A group convened by the Mayor in August has made recommendations to help the immediate needs of the Population of Unsheltered Seattle Homeless, a title that lends itself nicely to the acronym PUSH; consequently I've been calling the Mayor's Task Force, Project PUSH. The fact the Mayor's efforts are focused upon unsheltered homeless people is critical and historic. Through the 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness our efforts have focused on moving people out of shelter and into permanent housing. An important goal indeed, but given that the City funds 1,209 shelter beds, and still the 2010 One Night Count found 1,986 people sleeping outside in Seattle, it's time to support the recommendations of Project PUSH, and help those with emergency shelter needs.